Northern Light News from the Scottish Episcopal Church Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney
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Northern Light News from the Scottish Episcopal Church Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney December 2017 Scottish Charity No. SC022180 Issue 99 ADVENT Christmas Edition A MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP ELECT My Dear friends, I am writing this at Bishop's House, Arpafeelie. To the clergy and people of the United Diocese I am watching the leaves falling on the lawn and of Aberdeen and Orkney: wondering how I missed the end of summer. Yet when I look at my diary I am made very aware that My greetings to you all in the name of Jesus I have spent most of the last 6 weeks away from home on Provincial business. It is good to be back Christ our Lord. in the North. This comes to let you know my delight at being elected to be your next bishop, and to thank you Being back home also meant that I was able to for the many lovely and welcoming messages arrange a day of prayer and discernment with the that I have received in the last few days. College of Bishops and on Wednesday 25th October we met at All Saints, Whiterashes. I have As you might imagine, receiving such a friendly been asked why we all travelled to All Saints, well welcome from so many folk that I have yet to it seemed to me that it was important to be in the meet is an encouragement. I look forward to diocese as we prayed for the diocese and for a bishop for the diocese. It is difficult imagine a meeting you personally, and getting to know better example of a small rural Aberdeenshire what God is doing in the churches and church, simple yet beautiful, quiet yet on a busy communities of which you are a part. artery between the city and the county. We From the day of my election you have been in my celebrated the Eucharist, we shared food, we prayers. I am praying that God will continue to talked, and we prayed both together and sustain and encourage you, and be preparing you separately. The hospitality of the church was all, as well as me, for the next chapter in the life of wonderful, heating on, lovely food, drinks and a this united diocese. very loving welcome. The day was a powerful day and by the end we I ask that you would hold me in your prayers as I had reached a moment when we knew we had prepare to leave my current Charge. Please also someone to interview. That interview took place in pray for my family, for my husband Roger and daughter Millie, for whom this will be a huge Aberdeen and at the end the College of Bishops change, although one to which they are looking sensed a clear call for the Diocese and so in the th forward. Cathedral on the 9 November we elected Rev Every blessing in Christ, Canon Anne Dyer to be your next bishop. I will leave Canon Anne to tell you all about herself, sufficient for me to say I am delighted and Canon Anne Dyer look forward to welcoming her at her Episcopal Ordination in the Cathedral. Bishop-elect, United Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. Blessings, +Mark CAF4E OPEN A COFFEE SHOP BELUAH CAFÉ AT ST ANDREW'S, BANFF St Andrew's, Banff is celebrating the beginning of a new The Caf4e venture. For the last two years, Alan and Jenny Lee who Community in are both accredited Methodist Lay Preachers have run a Bridge of Don drop-in Café at the Methodist Church in Banff. have ventured into The Methodist Church building in the city and taken Banff has closed for over the Credo worship and has Coffee shop in John Street, Aberdeen. been sold. After consulting with the Dean, Gerry and Jo Bowyer St Andrew's, Banff is took over the lease on the previously named CLC pleased to be the new hosts for Beluah bookshop. The shop has now been refitted and offers a Café every Wednesday morning from 10.30 am to 11.30 am pleasant space to meet others. It includes some new in the former Choir Vestry. The café has a regular clientele tables and seating created from pews donated by St of between 9 and 25 people and provides friendly support Clement’s. During the refit we created a community and meets a social need in the town. room for use by groups who want their own space to Tesco donate excess fresh food, and the café serves soup, meet and share friendship and food. teas and coffee to all who come. Patrons are encouraged to give a donation to meet the running costs. The Café opened in its new location on Wednesday 18th October. The vision is simply Jeremy Paisey Rector of St Andrew's, Banff to run a commercial AN UPDATE FROM THE IT OFFICER coffee shop to support the cost of In recent months, I have been having conversations about how we can improve communications channels around the Diocese, and this has now ministry and to become a priority. At the time of writing, I am beginning to review with a develop an outreach number of people how the diocese and all of its groups, committees and congregations might be able to communicate better. centre. We are planning to open three evenings a week to connect with One of the challenges is the gathering of information from around the churches. Most churches do respond when we request information for two groups of people. Firstly, we will be running an the Diocesan Website/Social Media, Centrepost and Northern Light, but evening group for Street Pastors with a view to offer a there are a number of other easy steps that people could take to improve space to continue the Friday/Saturday night spiritual your church’s communications with the wider diocese: conversations. Secondly, we are beginning to work with Respond to requests for information. the university student support groups to open two Add my address (Email [email protected] or post evenings a week for a non-alcoholic safe space for to the Diocesan Office) to your magazine or other congregation mailing list – it will let me look through the notices and pick up students to come and chill out. If you are in town please relevant information of happenings in your church. come and see us! Are you holding events, such as talks and lectures, or other events that might have appeal to those across the Diocese? The Diocese can consider live-streaming (where 4g or internet Our opening hours are: access allows) or videoing the event to make it available to 9:00am to 16:00 Monday to Friday and others unable to be there on the day. Gerry Bowyer What forms of mission are you engaging in within your 9:00 to 14:00 on Saturdays. church? Do you have “good news” story that can be told, through video, through photos or through an article? There are NOTE FROM THE EDITOR a number of channels in the Diocese and Province that can share your story to a wider audience. The Northern Light Team wish all our readers quiet Do you or your church use Facebook? Tag the Diocese of preparation during Advent, joy at Christmas and Aberdeen and Orkney or my work profile peace in the New Year. (www.facebook.com/aoitofficer) in a comment (pages generally We thank all our contributors for making don’t let you tag on the main posts) to make sure we see them – this edition possible. it will enable us to share your news on the Diocesan feed We will welcome news, plans, thoughts, poems without us having to be on Facebook at the right time. from our readers. Do you or your church use Twitter? Mention the Diocese The copy date for the Easter edition is 23 February 2018. (@aodiocese) where it’s relevant and use the Provincial or Contributions by email please to Diocesan Hashtags (#pisky #aopisky). and it will spread your [email protected] news round the wider church quicker. and to: If you would like to be involved in the conversations as we seek to [email protected] communicate better, please get in touch with me via email or at the Diocesan Office. Mary McKinnell Diocesan IT Officer Mary McKinnell ...from the Dean On coloured cards. And I remember Last year I sent out twenty yards, I have to confess that I think that outside Laid end to end, of Christmas cards Holy Week and Easter, Advent is my most To people that I scarcely know - favourite season of the Church’s Year. They'd sent a card to me, and so The liturgical colour changes, the readings I had to send one back. Oh dear! from the lectionary are arresting, and the Is this a form of Christmas cheer? music is beautiful, the psalmody and Or is it, which is less surprising, hymnody is unparalleled. It is a time of great expectation as we await the coming My pride gone in for advertising? celebration of Our Lord and Saviour’s Birth. The only cards that really count In Metford’s The Christian Year we read... “In the Roman Are that extremely small amount Empire, the accession of an emperor, accorded divine From real friends who keep in touch honours since the time of Augustus (68 BC-14 AD), and And are not rich but love us much the ceremonial entry of a ruler to a province or a city, Some ways indeed are very odd were his ‘advent’ (Latin adventus: ‘arrival’).