We would like to wish everyone a Good, Happy and Healthy New Year. As we move into 2021 it is a time to look back at the year just gone as well as looking ahead to the year to come. 2020 was certainly different from the year that many of us expected. We didn’t anticipate a year which would see people working from home, being furloughed and wearing masks in shops. There were shortages as people were panic buying – have they used all of these toilet rolls yet – and children were being taught remotely. There were dark days of sadness and loss. Many people lost loved ones over the course of the year and regular visits to the sick and elderly were suspended resulting in increased loneliness and isolation. The number of mourners who could attend funerals was restricted making it difficult for those who were bereaved. The Church was closed for in-person worship.

However, there were also times of joy. New babies were born providing hope for the future. People adapted to the changes. Technology became more common. Church services were online. Many families had regular Zoom calls which allowed them to see one another. Business meetings were held on the internet which cut down on travel and helped improve air quality. People rediscovered the importance of friends and family. Communities came together to support those who were struggling. In the spring and early days of summer parents and children could be seen out walking together.

Over time things began to recover, and in August the Church reopened for worship. Although the format of services was different the message was unchanged. Shops and hospitality reopened and we were able to open our Community Café where people could meet up and enjoy fellowship and good food. As we look forward to 2021, there are continuing signs of hope. There are 2 vaccines which should help protect the population and allow a more normal way of life to resume. It can be difficult to remain positive in the cold, dark days of winter but we have passed the shortest day and the hours of daylight are increasing. There are many things happening in the world that we may be unhappy about but it is important to focus on the positives in our lives. They are there if we look and there are people who can help us to find them if things seem really bleak.

Although restrictions have tightened again recently as the number of cases has increased and we have once again had to temporarily close the Church for services, we hope and pray that we will soon be able to meet again in person. In the words of the hymn, “Great is Thy faithfulness” -remember – Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. Please look forward with hope to a better 2021.

World Religion Day is celebrated every January on the third Sunday of the month. The aim of World Religion Day is to promote understanding and peace between all religions, encouraging people to learn about other faiths and their followers.  As tensions escalate in various parts of the world people can become nervous about things they don’t understand.  There is a tendency to focus on the differences between religions but there is also some common ground.  We should respect the beliefs of others even when they are different from our own.

The Church of Scotland works with people across the world though the Mission Council and you can find out more about the types of things they do with their partners by following the link below

https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/serve/world-mission

One way in which you can contribute to the work they do is by saving your used postage stamps.  Each year when Guild representatives go to the Annual Gathering they take bags of stamps for the World Mission Council.  Please keep your stamps and pass them on to Christine or any other Guild member.

If you want to learn more about other religions, the World Mission Council have a domino game which can be accessed here

https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/53092/WM_Domino_CARDS.pdf

Kirk explores personal calling stories through new Talking Ministry series

Each month throughout 2021, the Church of Scotland will share a personal story from those serving in Christian ministry in the widest sense. To find out more about this project please follow the link below

https://churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/2021/kirk-explores-personal-calling-stories-through-new-talking-ministry-series

The General Assembly

The Church of Scotland General Assembly for 2021 will be held online for a second year from 22 May. Commissioners and attendees will join together remotely from across Scotland and around the world to discuss Church matters and the issues of the day. Details of the event are still to be decided and will be announced as soon as available.

A message of encouragement from the Moderator

As the whole of mainland Scotland has moved into level 4 restrictions, the Moderator has provided a message of encouragement to help us through these difficult times.  It can be found by clicking on the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=230303131867802

Reflections from the quay

This will be broadcast this Sunday at 10.30am on BBC 1. This week features Rev Joanne Hood of St John’s Parish Church, and Canon David Wallace of Our Lady of Lourdes.

The Guild Newsletter

During the period when Guilds have been unable to meet in person, The Guild, nationally, has been producing a newsletter which is emailed out to members.  As always, the content is varied with news from Guilds around the country and links to musical items.  You can read it for yourself by following the link below.

Guild News – 21 December (mailchi.mp)

Re-opening Churches

The Church nationally has a group who meet regularly to develop guidelines for Churches which will help them to to reopen all aspects of Church life safely when conditions permit. Let us hope and pray that we will continue to be able to meet in person in St Mungo’s for many years to come.

The Church is now open for the Sunday service and the other work of the church is still continuing so there are still expenses to be covered.  The Church of Scotland has introduced an online donations system which allows those who wish to continue to support this work financially even when unable to attend in person. To find out more about this and the importance of your donations, please follow the link below.
https://churchofscotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/support-your-local-church-with-our-new-online-donations-system

Although the Church has temporarily closed again for in-person worship, the other work of the church is still continuing.  This means that there are still expenses to be covered so please help if you can. You can either fill your envelope each week ready for when you are able to join us for the Church service again or if you would like to set up a Standing Order or give a donation please get in touch using the email address connect@alloastmungos.org and we will be happy to give you more information.

A new way in which you can support us is by shopping with Amazon Smile.  AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same experience as on amazon.co.uk. The difference is that when you shop by following the link below.  Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to St Mungo’s. Only purchases made through smile.amazon.co.uk are eligible to generate donations. There is no cost either you or the church.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/SC007821

To find out about the ways in which you can support the Church – financially and otherwise – please click on the Get Involved tab below.

Regrettably due to current Covid regulations our cafe is closed temporarily. This is a big miss in the local community as it was proving to be a very popular venue helping to reduce social isolation as well as providing food and refreshments prepared to high standards by Billy, our Executive Chef. Hopefully it won’t be too long before the doors are reopened and the service able to resume.

The latest edition of the  St Mungo’s Guild newsletter is now available on the Newsletter tab.  The Winter menu for the Cafe is also available there.

The Moderator’s national church service for 10 January can be found on the What’s On page.

The item about The Guild on the Groups page has been updated (Dec 2020)