FORUM FOCUS

The magazine of

Leith Churches Forum

June 2012

Vol. 42/12

From the Chair

John Tait

I begin with a question to all of you who are mem-

bers or associated with any of the 4 Leith Church of

Scotland congregations.

Are you excited about being part of Leith Churches

Forum? No? Then we need to hear from you!

As you probably know, the Church of Scotland nationally is currently work-

ing and striving to reduce the number of parish ministers and reduce costs.

We are currently living through difficult times! This is not the time to be

spending time and effort on something which is not being effective!

But just before you think “Why are we bothering with the Forum?” Here are

a few thoughts for you.

By being part of a Church grouping, each congregation in the Forum is pres-

ently assured of being able to call a minister under Reviewable tenure. In-

deed both North Leith and South Leith have, within recent months, done just

that and are now looking forward with greater confidence. Confidence born

out of having a new minister and also born out of the opportunity this gives

to have a hard look at how their church is working and make hard decisions

as to how they will be God’s people for the present and the future. Confi-

dence also born out of being part of a larger local Church of Scotland group.

By being part of the Forum, no congregation is on its own, but has support

from the other congregations. The days of competitiveness between neigh-

bouring congregations are long gone!

Some time ago several of the office-bearers from each congregation met to

compare and discuss methods and difficulties - treasurers, session clerks

and property conveners. Maybe this should become a more regular thing?

We also had several joint meetings of Elders which were important at the

time and perhaps could be again.

The ministers now meet regularly each month along with others who share

the work of ministry within the Forum as the Forum Ministry Team.

This is a great support for each individual and is also an effective channel

for the developing cooperation across the congregations.

Many of you value our united Forum worship services which offer opportuni-

ties to be together physically before God in worship and also opportunities

to meet friends and make new friends from other congregations, within the

environment of the Church.

There is still some distance to go in developing together as a Church group-

ing! It offers many more potential areas of cooperation and we can be more

effective together!

The Coordinating Team is the place to look at new ideas and cope with criti-

cisms in regard to the Forum. We would value your input and your enthusi-

asm. Please don’t just despair quietly in a corner!

Contact me or your own Church reps on the Coordinating Team. And let’s

make the Forum something for all of us to be excited about!

May God bless you all.

Pilrig St. Paul's information

The congregation will be working with the Interim Moderator (still to be

named) in the planning and discussing in the run up to my retiral at the end

of October.

We are also working to identify and appoint a person or persons to enthusi-

astically and effectively take forward the musical life of PSP including the

Forum children's and youth choir Projects. We will also be a Edinburgh

Festival Fringe Venue for the early part of the Festival period. Look out for

more info.

I've learned... . That we should be glad God doesn't give us

everything we ask for.

Introduction to Rev. Iain May - New Minister of South Leith Parish

Church

Dear Friends,

It is my great pleasure to say hello as the new Minister of

South Leith Parish Church. My ordination and induction

took place on the 18th April and it was uplifting to see

South Leith full with my many friends from Leith and be-

yond all coming to join me in celebrating this special oc-

casion in my own personal life, but also in the life of South Leith and the

church in Leith. In the coming weeks and months I am looking forward to

getting to know the churches in Leith and in particular the works of the Leith

Church Forum.

I am originally from Penicuik but left there in the late seventies when I joined

the Merchant Navy as a navigating officer cadet. I spent over eight years

travelling the world and during that time learnt the importance of working as

a team. The expression ‘we are all in the same boat’ was a literal truth in my

formative years. It gave me an in depth insight into the importance of work-

ing together for the benefit of all.

I came ashore in the mid nineteen eighties and went to university in Edin-

burgh. On graduating I then spent the next eighteen years in banking of one

form or another. I left the banking world in the 2007 to start my training for

ministry at New College, University of Edinburgh. I graduated with my BD in

2010.

In my journey into ministry I have always felt a strong calling towards

‘parish’ ministry and all that it entails. I do believe that within Leith there are

many excellent examples of how parish ministry can operate successfully in

the 21st Century. The Leith Church Forum has, I believe, a key role in show-

ing how a strong Christian presence can make a real different to the lives of

all in Leith. Yet, there are many challenges facing the church today. These

challenges will not get easier in the years ahead. A particularly challenge is

that many within our own family, circle of friends or wider community ques-

tion the relevance of the church. However, if the local ‘parish’ churches and

all who have a relationship within them, can work together, engage and de-

velop strong and relevant connections with the local community, I do feel

God’s church and kingdom will grow in Leith and beyond. In the weeks and

months ahead I am looking forward to sharing time with many of the mem-

bers of the churches in Leith. I am particularly looking forward to seeing

many of you on the 10th June, at the joint service in my ‘former home

church’ of North Leith. Joint services are important and are a time for us all

to come as one to worship and share in the good news that Christ pro-

claimed.

It will be my privilege in the years ahead to contribute to the growing Chris-

tian presence here in Leith and I want to assure all that I am committed to a

strong and faithful parish church for all in Leith’s varied and diverse commu-

nity. There will be many challenges and no doubt changes to how we do

church in Leith, but we can be assured that as we all walk together in our

faith journey, we will have the guiding, caring hand of God’s Holy Spirit with

us and within us, as we walk together as Christ’s church in Leith.

With my prayers and blessings to you all.

Outreach Team

Roy Eprile

No report at this time as the team have not met.

Date for your diary: Former Moderator to visit Leith

On Tuesday 12th June, Leith Churches Together will welcome the Very Rev.

Dr. Sheilagh Kesting, former Moderator, and Secretary for Ecumenical Rela-

tions in the Church of Scotland. Sheilagh Kesting was the first female minis-

ter to be elected as Moderator (in 2007). Originally from Stornoway, her

career has included working with homeless women; parish ministry in Glas-

gow and close at hand in Musselburgh; and ecumenical work at local, na-

tional and international level. The evening (7pm at the Leith Acorn Centre

YMCA) will include supper and a short AGM. Look out for posters and more

info.

Update on Leith St Andrew’s Vacancy

Val McIntosh

Leith St Andrew’s is now well into our period of vacancy having said good-

bye to Elizabeth Youngson at the end of November. As South Leith and

North Leith will appreciate, and Pilrig St Paul’s will soon come to know,

things do not happen quickly in the Church of Scotland and, six months lat-

er, we are still in the very early stages of vacancy!

Rev. Russell Moffat from St Martin’s Church is our Interim Moderator and

Rev. Sara Embleton is our locum Minister. We have very much enjoyed

Sara’s calm and organised style of worship and are already getting to know

her. She is very involved with Pastoral Care, as well as Messy Church and

Oasis of Peace. With Sara’s help and the continued commitment of our

members, life at Leith St Andrew’s continues very much as normal.

In February, the Kirk Session met with representatives from Deployment of

Resources, led by Michael Cunliffe. At this meeting the Session unanimous-

ly agreed to support the Draft Basis of Reviewable Tenure that the commit-

tee presented to it. A Congregational Meeting was held following worship on

11th March, also chaired by Michael Cunliffe, who explained the draft, which

was then accepted by the congregation.

A small group appointed by Session has met to put together a draft Parish

Profile although the final say for this will of course, lie with the Nomination

Committee. The group decided to ask the Congregation to fill in Post-It

notes saying what they would like in a new minister and the comments we

were given were very encouraging. They will be passed to the Nominating

Committee for consideration.

At the Presbytery Meeting on 8th May the decision to approve the Basis of

Reviewable Tenure was formally approved. Following this we hope to quick-

ly appoint a nominating committee and start the advertising process to call a

new minister to Leith St Andrew’s.

The will of God is either a burden we carry, or a power which carries us.

(Carrie ten Boom)

Ocean Terminal and Leith Churches Together

Jennifer Stark

1. Ocean Terminal. Alongside the regular chaplaincy ‘walking the mall’, the

main Ocean Terminal-related effort in the last couple of months has been

organising the LCT Easter card. Picking up on the success of the 2011

Seafarers and LCT Christmas card, I asked some of the churches if they’d

like to involve their Sunday School children or teenagers’ groups to work on

a drawing in the weeks before Easter.

Much of the success of this was down to the Sunday School teachers and

helpers, and I’m very grateful to those who coordinated it at their churches

(in one church, some Brownies and Rainbows also took to it with enthusi-

asm!) Those involved this time were: North Leith, Duke Street URC, South

Leith, St Mary Star of the Sea and Ebenezer UF Church. Eric Fisher and

Walter McGillivray helped make the final choice – many thanks to them, and

of course to Andrew Clark (aged 12) of Ebenezer, whose drawing came out

as the winner! OT were very cooperative about displaying all the drawings

for the week before Easter, and although the display had to be moved on

day 2, the second location just in front of the entrance was excellent – a

number of people wrote comments on the sheets provided saying how

much they’d enjoyed the artwork. The chaplaincy work continues to go well.

There is a real warmth now from many shop and centre staff.

Mission-Shaped Introduction. This 6-week course runs from 9 May to 13

June, and although complete in itself, it’s also a ‘taster’ for the 9-month Mis-

sion Shaped Ministry course, which is being offered through Edinburgh

Presbytery from September 2012 (those of any denomination can attend).

Both draw on research and experiments in ‘emerging church’ or ‘Fresh Ex-

pressions’ of church from different contexts and include DVD material. I

found the greatest benefits were the chance to reflect on and discuss the

challenges that many churches and congregations are facing. The course

enabled us to put these in a wider, and also in a biblical, context.

“Be filled with the Spirit” is the most joyful commandment in the Bible.

(Corrie ten Boom)

Some services & events in the Forum congregations that you are wel-

come to attend.

Leith Festival Joint service at North Leith on Sunday 10th

June at

11am.

Leith St. Andrew's

Messy Church: Last Thursday of the month from 5 - 7pm; A family friendly, fun and noisy, messy time of games, crafts, stories and worship and a light tea. June 28th, holiday in July, back on August 30th

Oasis of Peace at Leith St Andrew's Our quiet reflective prayer services. Wednesday at 10.15am. A time of peace, worshipping, sharing and praying followed by a cuppa and chat. We meet in the Easter Road Hall. All are wel-come.

St Andy's Teeny Tots We meet on Wednesday afternoons in the Easter

Road Hall at Leith St Andrew's from 2pm - 3.30pm for fun for babies and

toddlers and their parents/carers. Cost is £1 per session which includes tea/

coffee for parents and a healthy snack for the children. We now have a wait-

ing list so if you want to join the list please email us at standysteeny-

tots@gmail.com

Young at Heart takes a break but will start again on September 4th, meet-

ing on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 2-4pm. All in receipt

of a senior bus pass welcome for fun and fellowship.

Pilrig St Paul's

Summer worship services will run from 29th July -2nd September. These will

be shorter more informal and more participative than regular services.

South Leith

Worship at One at South Leith church every Thursday at 1pm –

prayers for the community and the world.

Mid week services at South Leith halls at 7pm. on second

Tuesday of the month; none in July & August. Short alternative services. Fair Trade tea & coffee afterwards and a chance to chat & discuss the ser-vice.

Summer early morning services

Every Sunday at 9.30pm in July and August there will be short informal all-age services.

Pilrig St. Paul's Pilrig Parlour

Open from Monday to Saturday 6th August - 25th August 11.30am -

2.00pm. Serving light snacks -soup, sandwiches, toasties, desserts, juice

coffee, tea and cakes. You are assured of a warm welcome! It will be great

to see friends from the Forum! Outwith these dates the Open Doorway will

be on Tuesdays and Thursdays 11.am to 1pm., serving tea, coffee & bis-

cuits. Fairtrade goods on sale. The church is open and all are welcome.

Leith Festival are holding a Tea Dance on 11 June 2012 from 2-4pm at

South Leith Parish Church Halls, 6 Henderson Street, Edinburgh, EH6 6BS.

Why not come along and swing into action. Tea and sandwiches will be

served. For tickets please contact the Halls on 554 2578.

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday

School. 'Well, Mum, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy

lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt . When he got to

the Red Sea , he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people

walked across safely. Then he radioed headquarters for reinforcements.

They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved.'

'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother asked.

'Well, no, Mum.. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe

it!'

On your marks… Leith Churches Holiday Club

This will take place from 16th -20

th July at South Leith Parish Halls for those

leaving P1-P7. It runs from 10-12:15 pm and costs just £1 per day. This

year's club is called "On Your Marks..." and has a sports theme. It will be a

lot of fun with games, crafts, songs, silly challenges, bible stories, drama

and competitions. This club is being run as an outreach to the community by

the Leith Churches and YMCA.

Do you have a passion for providing positive interaction with the church for

the children of Leith? This is a really effective way of reaching and serving

our local community. You may be saying I'm too old, or I don't have much

time, or I'm not very good at that sort of thing - well by just coming forward

you would be an encouragement to us. We as the church are one body but

with many parts – we each have a different role, we play our part and do

what we can.

There are many different ways to get involved and there is something for

everyone. You could support us in prayer, help with craft preparation, en-

courage others to get involved or tell children/parents in your street. Helpers

for activities during the week are always required so if you would like to help

please contact Neil 07927690691 or Hayley 07590778949 as soon as pos-

sible. Or email lchc2012@gmail.com. It is possible to help for just a few

days if you cannot manage all week.

Christianity Explored

A new course started on Monday 14th May at 7.30pm at South Leith halls, 6

Henderson Street, and lasts 7 weeks. It is organised in collaboration with a

number of other churches in Leith.

It is for people who would like to investigate Christianity for the first time,or

just brush up on the basics. It explores who Jesus was, what His aims were,

and what it means to follow Him. Participants are not asked to pray, sing or

read aloud, and can ask any question they like. Or, if they prefer, they can

come along to simply listen to the discussions and watch the films. It is an

ideal opportunity to invite anyone you believe may be interested in learning

more about Christianity. The course will start with a cup of coffee / tea each

week and will last one hour.

For more information contact Callum MacKellar (Elder in North Leith):

tel.554 8869, email cmackellar@yahoo.com

Ministry Team

Jennifer Stark

In the Ministry Team, it continues to be a time of change – but also renewal!

I was reminded recently that for newcomers to Leith reading Forum

Focus, and those not fully up to date with the current ‘staffing,’ an update

on ‘who’s who and who’s where’ might be helpful, so here goes….

With Rev. Iain May’s welcome arrival in South Leith, the team now includes

Iain, Rev. John Tait (Pilrig St Paul’s) and Rev. Alex McAspurren (North

Leith), plus myself, a Parish and Presbytery Worker (PPW), working ecu-

menically as leader of the Leith Churches Outreach Project, and Deacon

Pauline Rycroft, who shares her time between Leith St Andrews and St Mar-

garet’s Restalrig. However, with the vacancies in North Leith and South

Leith over the last 2 years, it’s been enormously helpful to have a regular

representative from the congregations (Session Clerks Norman Lindsay and

Dawn Birkinshaw respectively) as part of the team. This not only keeps us

in touch with developments in these churches, but means that we get to

know each other better. More recently, Ronnie McAlister (Deputy Session

Clerk) has attended on behalf of Leith St Andrews, but has had to step back

for personal reasons. All of them have brought experience and often fresh

insights to the meetings, as does Rev. Sara Embleton, currently locum at

Leith St Andrews, who has occasionally joined us during her time in Leith.

Iain, of course, is no stranger to many here, given his previous experience

of living and worshipping in Leith.

In March, we reflected on what we had appreciated about the team and the

meetings over the years, and what we prayed for in the future. Several peo-

ple mentioned the trust and support gained through committing time to

meeting together (and how best to continue this, given that there will be fur-

ther changes to come for a while yet); and the joint work of the Forum as a

whole. At our April meeting, Rev. Andrew McMillan from Ebenezer United

Free Church joined us for the first part of the meeting – a chance to talk in-

formally and put names to faces – and we said a hearty ‘thank you’ and

farewell to Dawn – one less meeting for her to squeeze into her diary, for

which she will probably be thankful!

Farewell from Martin Ritchie

As John Tait mentioned in the last issue of the Forum Focus, I’m stepping down from the position of organist and choirmaster at Pilrig St Paul’s at the end of June. For the last year I’ve been engaged in the Church of Scotland’s enquiry and assessment process which is designed for any church member to explore whether they might have a particular vocation to one of the many ministries of the Church. Following the initial stages of exploration and a placement working with the minister and congregation at Morningside Par-ish Church, I decided that I felt called to the Ministry of Word and Sacra-ment, and am now in the process of assessment. There are two stages to the assessment. Firstly, a Local Review takes place, involving my place-ment minister, a representative from the Presbytery of Edinburgh and a member of staff from the Ministries Council. Should I pass through this stage then I will attend a national selection conference which takes place over two days in June this year. Should I be selected at this conference then I would be required to augment my existing BD degree with two further post-graduate study years in theology alongside parish placements.

So we will see how it all goes! Please remember me in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple of months.

It has been a rewarding experience to work in Leith and in par-ticular at Pilrig St Paul’s. In many ways what we have managed to do with our various choirs, supported financially by Pilrig St Paul’s and the Forum, has been against the odds. I very much appreciate all the sup-port of many people in launching and running these groups and turning up to support performances, assist with catering and supervision and so on. Most importantly, I should mention John Tait, as none of this would have happened without his encouragement and collaboration.

It is our intention to seek a successor to continue and develop all of the mu-sic, including the youth choirs and the Pilrig Chorus, so watch this space for further details.

For now, God bless, and good luck with all the work of the Church in Leith.

Port Chaplain

Tim Bell

They all have a story. One Philippine chap who is on a ship that comes

quite frequently to Leith, and whom I have got to know quite well, asked me

to take him and a shipmate shopping. They don’t get proper shore-leave, so

they need to be taken quickly to somewhere like Fort Kinnaird to get things

to take home. Over a cup of coffee while his pal finished his business, he

told me that many years ago his older brother was killed in a marine acci-

dent in New Zealand and his mother has never been given the compensa-

tion package that they know is there for him. I’m not sure how much I can

help directly, but it’s a story that needs to be told and heard. He will email

me some details when he gets home, and maybe I can jog a few conscienc-

es. Goodness knows, the family needs the money! This is just one of many

‘small’ matters that come to light in the docks, where the isolated and vul-

nerable men on whom we depend so much are not always fairly treated.

The men on ships working in the North Sea oil field are relatively well paid

and the length of their contracts is kept reasonably short to prevent fatigue.

That’s not the case for the seafarers on the cargo ships or the cruise ships.

We can’t be too squeamish, of course – a job’s a job, a wage is a wage, and

they are prepared to work for the money that keeps their families out of pov-

erty. Without claiming anything for myself or the volunteers who will visit the

cruise liners in Leith this summer, I know that the seafarers appreciate hav-

ing helpful, concerned, independent friends in Leith. And we all appreciate

all the help, support, and encouragement from the Leith congregations and

Leith Churches Together. Thank you!

Visit from Shallowford Presbyterian Youth Choir, Atlanta, Georgia,

USA

Around 60 musical teenagers from the USA will be visiting us in Leith on 14th and 15

th June as part of a Scottish tour. On the evening of Friday

15th

June, we will be having a “concert crawl” for the choir. Sadly we could not make the date work at South Leith or St Andrew’s, but Broughton St Mary’s have kindly agreed to be a venue, so the itinerary for the evening is:

7-7.30pm: First performance at Pilrig St Paul’s, Pilrig St/Leith Walk

8-8.30pm: Second performance at Broughton St Mary’s Church,

9-9.30pm: Third performance at North Leith Church, Madeira St (followed by refreshments)

Admission is free to all stages of the concert, and you may attend all or any of the venues. The programme will be different in each venue. Please come along and bring friends to support these enthusiastic and talented young people. Thanks!

Martin Ritchie, Director of Music, Pilrig St Paul’s Church.

The Rotary Club of Leith Charity Concert - Saturday 16th June 2012 @7.30pm

In the beautiful surroundings of South Leith Parish Church, you are warmly invited to once again be entertained by the 50 strong Sing in the City Choir and Band (SitC) under its musical director, Kirsty Baird . The SitC ethos is to help and encourage everyone to sing/perform regardless of age or ability. It was an ethos demonstrated to the full by the enthusiasm and joy that electri-fied the audience last year with songs of wide appeal including sing-along, Scottish ballads, The Proclaimers (Sunshine on Leith) and The Eurythmics, All proceeds to The Friends of Goboti Appeal, www.friendsofgoboti.com/ a registered Scottish Charity helping to provide Education and Poverty relief in Eastern Cape of South Africa. Last year this concert raised £3,000 to refur-bish classrooms in Goboti village. Tickets £8 (Concessions £6) Contact 0131 538 5819/0131 332 5848 for further details.

Usher Hall – Saturday 9th

June @ 7.30pm

Your Representatives

Co-ordinating Team Outreach Team

Stuart Duffus SL Andrew Campbell NL

Lily Gilhooly PSP Colin Cunningham SL

Margaret Gray SL Alex Edington PSP

Norman Lindsay NL Roy Eprile (chair) PSP

Stuart Lithgow Lst.A Ewan Lawson LSt.A

Valarie McIntosh LSt.A Jennifer Stark LCT

Rev. Alex McAspurren NL

Rev Iain May SL

Rev John Tait (chair) PSP

Mark Wexelstein PSP

Forum Focus Team

Joanne Baird LSt.A

Ian Bethune PSP

Stuart Duffus (editor) SL

Isobel Evans SL

Jimmy Hudson NL

Sigrid Lithgow LSt.A

Feedback or articles and information for the September Focus should be giv-en to your representative by 28

th July for the editor.

Alternatively e- mail to the editor at stuart@duffus.org.