Rev Dr Martin Fair will be installed as the new Moderator of the General Assembly on Saturday 16 May 2020. The ceremony will take place in the Assembly Hall with only a few people physically present because of the Covid-19 restrictions but followed by thousands of people across Scotland and across the world as it will be broadcast live on the Church of Scotland Facebook page and website. The service will be captioned and there will be the option of BSL interpretation. Join in at 11 a.m. for an historic occasion and a clear statement that the Church is alive and active in these difficult days.

As part of the ‘Big Weekend’ for the Church of Scotland, a special ‘Heart and Soul 2020’ event will take place online on Sunday 17 May 2020. The current pandemic has meant that the original event, scheduled to have taken place in Princes Street Gardens on that day, has had to be cancelled.
However, a number of features from the event can be transferred into an online format, and the Church of Scotland will screen an abridged ‘Heart and Soul’ at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The programme will run until about 4.20 p.m. A recording of the event will be available soon afterwards.
You can also watch the event live on the Church of Scotland Facebook page and also on the website (www.churchofscotland.org.uk).

During this challenging period, Life and Work is printing as normal, however many subscribers will have their deliveries delayed, especially if they normally receive it through their church. With this in mind, they have made the May 2020 issue available on their website. This can be accessed by clicking the cover image on the right.

This complimentary copy includes features on how the Church is responding to the coronavirus crisis both locally and nationally, an interview with the Moderator-Designate, the Rev Dr Martin Fair, and reflections on the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

For those missing our time of fellowship following Sunday worship, we invite you to join us for a cup of tea (you'll have to supply your own!) and a chat online. We have set up a weekly Zoom meeting which you can access on a PC, tablet or mobile phone using this link and login:-

https://zoom.us/j/92966076568?pwd=S09TRGljVHpvTUVFZmVVeE5JVkpZZz09

Meeting ID: 929 6607 6568, and password: 005056

Alternatively you can call 0131 460 1196 to dial in to the conversation (you will need a note of the meeting ID and password above).

Our Zoom fellowship will begin at 1 p.m. for about an hour.

There is a chance for you to donate food for local charity Instant Neighbour at the church each Wednesday and Saturday morning when the Coffee Shop is open. Non perishable food items and toiletries can also be dropped off on Sundays when attending worship. Items will be distributed to vulnerable and housebound people by the charity.

Please note that you can donate to Ferryhill Parish Church using the online secure service Givey through THIS LINK.

You can give by Freewill offering envelopes, by Standing Order or by cheque. Visitors may give in the plate collection, but we would encourage our regular members and friends to commit to giving a regular amount each week, month or quarter. If you are setting up or increasing a Standing Order, the Church Bank Account details are as follows:

Clydesdale Bank
George Street branch, 62 Union Street
Sort Code: 82-60-01
Name of Account: Ferryhill Parish Church
Account Number: 50031795

When setting up a Standing Order, please put your name in the REFERENCE section.

If you are a tax payer we can claim Gift Aid on your donations. This means that if you sign a Gift Aid declaration we can get an extra 25p in every pound that you give at no cost to you. Forms are available in church or from your Pastoral Care visitor.

If you require help with any of this please do ask.

Thank you for your contributions to our ministry and service as a congregation.

As many of you will have already seen, churches across the Presbytery have been instructed to no longer have public gathering for worship. This is sensible, the right thing to do, and accords with government advice with regards to Covid-19.

It does not mean that the church itself is doing nothing. Remember that the church is not a building, it is people of faith who make up the church. And we are still active.

Worship will still be happening on Sunday morning and you will be able to access it through our YouTube channel as usual - www.youtube.com/ferryhillparishchurch - or go to our Webcast page. We are also working on how to use technology to our advantage through group video conferencing for other ways to meet virtually, discuss and worship.

Our Pastoral Care Teams are on the case, adapting to the new circumstances, but please expect contact over the next few months by phone, postcard or email rather than in person.

Remember that we have a weekly newsletter which you can sign up to by clicking on the link on the right of the homepage.

The Friendship Team at Ferryhill Parish Church is organising a Day Conference that is open to all with a welcome extended to friends from across presbytery and the city.

Come to explore Pastoral Care:

• in the workplace;
• amongst young people;
• in support of those living with dementia;
• in providing friendship for those who find themselves isolated;
• in using music as a therapeutic tool;
• and in caring for those suffering from bereavement and loss.

The speakers bring a wealth of experience of providing pastoral care to support congregations in their mission and ministry in today's diverse and challenging parishes. You are sure to find this an informative and encouraging day. Whether you are involved already in providing pastoral care and support in your congregation or are interested in doing so this will be beneficial to you.

Speakers

	Dr Amy Bender Divinity student and candidate for ministry working with Friendship House
	Carole Clarke NHS Grampian Healthcare Chaplain and Music Therapist
	Rev Shuna Dicks Minister of Cults Parish Church
	Rev Ron Flett City Centre Chaplain with Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland
	Rev Laurene Lafontaine Minister of Kingswells Parish Church
	Linda Rendall One of the leadership team for Living Well Café
	Jay Thomas Project Manager of the youth project Thrive Aberdeen

Details

The day conference will take place on Saturday 16 November 2019
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
in Cults Kirk Centre, 404 N Deeside Road, Cults, AB15 9TD

The cost to attend the day conference is £10 per person. This includes lunch and refreshments during the day.

In the online booking process please indicate any dietary requirements when asked.

Online Registration

You can securely register and pay for your booking using this Pastoral Care in Action Eventbrite Link.

Or call the church office on 01224 213093.

Celebrate Spring - and, of course, the school holidays - with the Ferryhill Church Daffodil Tea event on Saturday 6 April, 2-4 p.m.

There will be something for everyone: enjoy tea and a 'fancy piece'; browse the stalls including the delicious Easter tombola; the Traidcraft stall and the ever-popular home baking and book stalls; try your hand at drawing a daffodil and maybe win a prize. There will be other chances to win something beautiful, with a handmade quilt and an array of raffle prizes. For children there will be an Easter bonnet competition and spring crafts.

This is sure to be a great afternoon out for all the family.

Ferryhill Church aspires to be an Eco-Congregation. This means we encourage and enable our Church to care for Creation in every part of church life and to link environmental issues and Christian Faith in worship and education. We try to take environmental and ethical action in church buildings and grounds and in finance and purchasing. We aim to work with the community for a greener world through our personal lifestyles, community projects and global links.

As Climate Change requires urgent action on many fronts, we now seek someone who can advise, inspire and encourage us to do more than we do already. The leader of this group is standing down after 10 years to make way for some enthusiastic young activists. Could that be you? You do not need to be a church member!

There are many other Eco-Congregations in Aberdeen and Scotland that share ideas, support and advice. Resource material with suggested projects and programmes is available on the website, www.ecocongregationscotland.org. Please do consider if this is something you could be involved with, and if you would like to find out more, please get in touch with the minister, Rev Peter Johnston (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or the church administrator, Julie Thompson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

What is Christianity about? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? What is faith?

We will be exploring those questions and others over four weekends in March, meeting each Sunday in the church foyer.

These meetings are open to anyone who would like to explore those questions and the issues they raise, and will be particularly helpful to anyone considering becoming a member of Ferryhill Parish Church.

Please join us from 3 p.m. in the church foyer on 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st March.

The Right Reverend Susan Brown, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will present Long Service Certificates at the Presbytery Service held at Ferryhill Church on Friday 8 February at 7.30 p.m. All are very welcome to attend.

Our Lunch Club for the over 50s meets every Tuesday at 12.30pm during school term-time. Come and join us for a delicious hot lunch (£4 per person) and a chat in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere any Tuesday you fancy. Booking is not required.

We are always looking for helpers. If you can spare a few hours every month to assist please do get in touch. For further information on helping or coming along for lunch , please contact the Church Office on 01224 213093.

We look forward to seeing you there.