This week congregation members met to continue the thinking initiated by the Congregational Away Day in September 2023. Specifically, how can we build awareness and connections between our Sunday congregation (members and visitors) and the many hundreds of people (young and old) who cross the threshold of our building almost every week of the year. In the light of those discussions, the following might be of interest – it originally appeared in Revd David Donald Scott’s, Blog on the Learig.
https://daviddonaldscott.blogspot.com/
David Fergusson, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University, and Kirk minister has just produced a series of essays on theology, philosophy and the Church. One is entitled, ‘Mapping the Church – Current Challenges of History and Mission’. In it, he tackles the issue of mission in the Church. He begins by acknowledging that mission is a constituent part of the Church’s work not least in handing on the faith to those who are coming after us. But he points out that the ‘Five Marks of Mission’ which have been embedded into our current thinking are not comprehensive.
‘The church has many functions,’ he writes, ‘the glorifying of God in its worship, the education and nurture of its people, the pastoral care of the sick and the dying, and the bearing witness to the gospel in the life of the world.’ Mission is one of several aspects of being the Body of Christ. He recognises that there is a mistaken view in some quarters that by focusing our attention and resources on mission we will be able to reverse the decline in church attendance and membership. ‘Secularisation is not the fault of the church,’ he says, ‘this is where we simply find ourselves.’ We are living in a changed landscape, and it isn’t our fault. ‘A missional strategy that is based upon returning to a position of cultural pre-eminence is profoundly mistaken.’ he argues. ‘To impose too many missional obligations on the church may actually be to its detriment.’
I agree. Let the church flourish in a more humble state and in a more convincing relationship with its parish. ‘Many of the churches that continue to flourish are those with strong connections to their surrounding communities and are able to offer lively worship and a range of activities for people of all ages.’ he observes. ‘The embeddedness of churches in their localities is what earns them respect, especially where this is evident in forms of service and support to hard-pressed people. The parish model continues to have traction in different places.’
St Columba’s has no official “parish area”, but we have opportunities to foster strong connections with the “communities” that regularly enter our doors. Connections that might encourage others – and others who might encourage us. As E M Forster wrote in Howard’s End, “Only connect.”
Angus
Live Streaming of Worship
Services can be watched via the church website, https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/live-stream. Reminder: If you do not wish to appear on the live-stream please choose a seat in the rear half of the sanctuary. Note that the Evening Services on the 1st of the month are not live streamed as they are held in the London Scottish Chapel.
Dial into Sunday Service
If you are aware of church members or friends who do not have access to internet, please inform them that they can phone in to join the Sunday service. Those interested should follow:
Step 1: At 10.40am call phone number 0208 080 6591.
Step 2: You will be prompted to enter a meeting ID. Please type (using your telephone keypad) 884 4746 5645
Step 3: You will then be asked for a participant number – simply press the #.
Step 4: You will be asked to enter the password. Enter 838727
Step 5: Enjoy the service! You will hear the organ music from 10.50am.
THIS SUNDAY: Hymns, Music & Readings for Morning Worship Sunday, 18th August 2024, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Hymn 209 Father, we praise you, now the night is over (Christe Sanctorum)
Hymn 180 Give thanks with a grateful heart (Give Thanks)
Hymn 616 There’s a spirit in the air (Lauds)
Hymn 465 Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart (Slane)
Anthem: If ye love me, Tallis
Musical Interlude: Almighty and everlasting God, Gibbons
Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
New Testament Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel Reading: John 6:51-58
Reader: Donald Johnston
Details on the many ways you can support St Columba’s can be found here https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/giving/supporting-st-columbas Anyone wishing to contribute to St Andrew’s, Newcastle please contact the Session Clerk on standrewssessionclerk@gmail.com for bank details or other means of donating.
THIS SUNDAY: Morning Worship followed by Congregational Lunch in the Lower Hall (£4 per lunch for a two-course meal)
NEXT WEEK: Midweek Prayers, Wednesday 21st August, 1pm, London Scottish Chapel
Church Member:
We are sorry to announce the death of Reverend Marion Dodd, former member and elder of St Columba’s Church on 30th July 2024. Marion’s funeral will be held at Melrose Parish Church, Weirhill, Melrose ,TD6 9LJ on Tuesday 27 August at 1.00pm. The service will be livestreamed on this link. “Rest eternal grant unto her and let light perpetual shine upon her.”
Memorial Service:
A memorial service for the late Revd Dr Cameron Hunter Langlands, member of the Presbytery of England & the Channel Islands, will be held on the 6th of September 2024 at 1pm at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham BR3 3BX. Reception to follow at the Museum of the Mind. If you would like to attend please let Revd Ian MacDonald (Head Chaplain) know imacdonald@slam.nhs.uk.
Hot off the Press, Church Magazine, August – September 2024. Available via the Bookstall for £1.50
Pick up a copy with its stunning front cover, from the bookstall. Then pick up another to give to a friend! Thanks once again to our Editor, Susan Pym and her team of contributors.
UPCOMING: St Columba’s Book Club, Monday 9th September
The Group met last Monday to discuss The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd. Unusually there was no disagreement about this choice which was universally liked. It was difficult to believe it was a work of fiction. Our next meeting will be by Zoom on 9 September, when we shall be discussing A Single Thread by Tracey Chevalier. The book after that one will be Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn. New members to the book club are welcome, for more information please contact the church office.
UPCOMING: Sounds of St Columba’s Programme.
Some dates to put in your diary as our director of music Benedict Lewis-Smith has booked a great programme for the coming months.
- Sunday 15th September 2024– Jonathan Radford, Saxophone Recital
- Sunday 20th October 2024 – Ruby Skilbeck, Soprano and Liz Hayley, Piano Recital
- Sunday 17th November 2024 – Choir of St Columba’s, Requiem by Duruflé
- Sunday 16th February 2025 – Choir of Imperial College
- Sunday 16th March 2025 – Emily Sun, Violin and Caterina Grewe, Piano Recital
UPCOMING: St Columba’s choir singer, Oscar Simms, is directing a play around dementia awareness. There will be 3 performances in Camden at the end of August, each dedicated to fundraising as follows:
Friday 30th August 7:00pm in aid of The National Brain Appeal
Saturday 31st August 2:30pm in aid of The Alzheimer’s Society
Saturday 31st August 6:30pm in aid of The British Heart Foundation
You can book your tickets via this link.
UPCOMING: Congregational Outing to St Columba’s Tennis Club, Sunday 22nd September, 2.00 – 4.00pm
Come and enjoy an afternoon of activity at our very own tennis club. We have two courts booked for those feeling active, with club coach on hand . Alternatively just enjoy an afternoon at a hidden gem of west London. The club is a ten minute walk from Acton Town tube. We will provide tea and cake during the afternoon.
https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/StColumbasTennisClub
News from the GKexperience
We received the following news from Calum Johnston, youth worker with the GKe. “To let you know that we have had another very successful residential season here at GK. This included our first ever foreign residential to Italy, (supported by the Murray J Napier Fund), Mountain Biking in Aviemore, a girls road trip around Scotland and a trip to the Isle of Mull staying at the Camas Centre. I was just looking ahead to what is coming after the summer and got very excited at the thought of being able to return to St Columbas! Please pass on my best wishes to the rest of the congregation.” The young people of GKexperience will be bringing staying at St Columba’s 22nd – 24th November. It will be a real pleasure to welcome them back.
https://www.thegkexperience.org.uk/
Glass Door’s annual Sleep Out, Friday, 4 October 2024.
Participants give up their bed for one night to give someone a chance to find a pathway out of homelessness. Find out more and sign up at www.glassdoor.org.uk/sleep-out
RESTART’s Annual Sleep Out, Friday 6th December 2024, outside St Columba’s Church.
Every year the staff, volunteers and supporters of Restart Lives spend one night outside. Although there is much that separates the experience of the controlled environment of the Sleepout from that of a person living life on the streets, we hope the event will help all those who participate to imagine what London’s homeless have to contend with.
We can only accommodate 80 sleepers at this event, so if you would like to reserve your spot, don’t delay and sign up now
ScotsCare Podcast, Series 2
ScotsCare is back with series 2 of its podcast, where in each episode a well-known guest chats about how their Scottish background influenced the person they’ve become today, life journeys and how being Scottish relates to their interactions with the world. The charity supports Scots away from home in London with a range of services. The series has already aired episodes with football legend Pat Nevin (Chelsea, Everton and Scotland), bestselling cookbook author The Hebridean Baker and comedy actress Michelle Gomez (Green Wing, Doctor Who) with more to come. The series will be released in three blocks over the course of the next year. Tune in on all regular podcast platforms and the ScotsCare website www.scotscare.com. Missed series 1? It’s available on podcast platforms and the website, with guests such as broadcaster and singer Isla St. Clair, Star Wars and Andor actor, Duncan Pow and celebrity chef Tony Singh MBE, to name a few.
Scots in London presents the St Andrew’s Book Festival
Scots in London’s most ambitious collaboration to date is the St Andrew’s Book Festival (25th November – 1st December 2024.) St Columba’s is one of the three venues hosting a superb array of authors – both household names and new writers. Sir Alexander McCall Smith and Judy Murray are among headline speakers. Look out in the coming weeks for ways to get involved including volunteering. We are delighted to report that the new Scots in London St Andrew’s Book Festival is now live! Please head over to www.standrewsbookfestival.org to have a look around or if you are interested in Friends and other memberships with exciting benefits options.
There is a full A-Z listing of our authors and I think you will agree that this is a stellar line-up for our inaugural Festival.
You can also access the Festival first newsletter on this link.
For more information about Scots in London, please follow this link. You can join their newsletter here to be informed about their latest news, events and opportunities as well as their member organisations. The August Scots in London Newsletter is published at https://mailchi.mp/6ab0f4bf731f/scots-in-london-july-newsletter
Office Hours
The church office is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
E-mail: office@stcolumbas.org.uk
Website: www.stcolumbas.org.uk
Facebook: @stcolumbas churchpontstreet.
Twitter: @LondonKirk
Pastoral Emergency Number (out of office hours): 07591926271
