African Children’s Choir

Welcoming back the African Children’s Choir

The African Children’s Choir are visiting our congregation in April 2025 to perform at Craigsbank. We are hosting the concert, but we also need and want to host the 12 choir and five staff in our homes for one night on Saturday 12 April. The choir members will be aged 18 or older, so hosts won’t need to be PVG accredited. If you are able to host two or more members please contact Mike Brough.

In the meantime, pop 12 April into your diary. This is not an event to be missed! Full ticket details to follow.

Christmas Chaos and Carols in the Western Expansion

Christmas Chaos and Carols – Turnhouse, Edinburgh

Sunday 8 December 4.00pm – 5.00pm, Turnhouse Golf Club

Come and join us for a FREE festive family hour of Christmas Chaos and Carols at Turnhouse Golf Club. This is a chance for those who have moved into West Craigs and the Western expansion (and those who have lived there for years) to say a relaxed hello to new neighbours – children meet children, adults meet adults – enjoy storytelling for kids, crafts, coffee and mince pies and lift your voice in Christmas Carols and songs (or just listen in!). Everyone is welcome – new friendships really can last a lifetime.

Don’t miss out on this fun event to get you in the mood for Christmas in your new home.

A warm welcome awaits from your local parish churches.

Click here to BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW ON EVENTBRITE. TICKETS ARE FREE TO ALL BUT LIMITED TO 100 in total.

Apple Saturday! Get ready for some fun

Join us on Saturday 26th October from 2.00pm – 4.30pm, starting and finishing at East Craigs Church Centre.

We are off for a community, family walk from the Church Centre round to Craigievar Park and back (weather permitting of course and failing that the event will be held within the Church Centre grounds) and will rediscover our community apple trees in both areas.

All families are invited to come along to this event and should meet at the Church Centre behind the Dental Surgery at Bughtlin at 2.00pm to register and then start the fun for the afternoon. If the weather is fair, a Treasure Hunt will see us started and will lead round to Craigievar Park where games will be organised for young and old after which we will proceed back to the Church Centre to share in refreshments with other activities. 

Network syllabus announced

Network have announced their winter syllabus with much to enjoy. The events are held on Monday evenings in the Craigsbank Chancel Hall from 7pm (probably ending no later than 9.30pm). Details below and for more information contact the Church office.

Network Syllabus 2024/2025

2024

7 October – Post War Cinemas in Edinburgh – Part 1 – Keith Walker

21 October – Sunflower Scotland – Oleg Dmitriev

4 November – Tunnels of Edinburgh – Maurice McIlwrick

18 November – Christmas Crafts – Cherry Gilmour

2 December – Teaching & Life in Zambia – Rev William Watt

16 December – Christmas Meal

2025

13 January – Post War Cinemas in Edinburgh – Part 2 – Keith Walker

27 January – Islands of the Atlantic – Craig Robertson

10 February – The Edinburgh of Burke & Hare – Eric Melvin

24 February – Restoration of the Corstorphine Astoria Cinema Organ – Ian Anderson

10 March – Issues & Incidents – did that actually happen? – Tom Gordon

24 March – Cheese & Wine and AGM

29 April – Meal out

A Summer Break for Regular Activities

The following regular activities will be taking a break over the summer weeks:

Craigsbank Toddle Tots – Last meeting for this session, 26 June. Resumes Wednesday 21 August 10.30-12.00

Toastie Thursdays – Resume Thursday 22 August

Junior Music Makers and the Singers groups – Resume in August – exact date tbc

Our heartfelt thanks to the leaders of these groups. We wish you all a relaxing summer ahead!

A Summer Community Picnic to LIFT THE HEART

Our Summer Community Picnic on the afternoon of Saturday 22 June was a great success. It was held in Fauldburn Park at East Craigs and we were blessed with a great turnout of families and perfect weather for our afternoon of fun and games.

Anne sends her thanks to all for covering every eventuality and for the extra support of Tim, Harry and the Good Samaritans who were ‘on call’ at the crucial time!! 

Fun kids activities included:

Football Challenge; Touch Rugby; Parachute Games; Treasure Hunt; Rounders and Races.

A look back at a Moving and Uplifting Easter

Easter Sunday 2024 brought communities from the streets of Craigsbank and East Craigs – and much further afield – together for a very special Cafe Church service. Those who gathered did so round tables of friends, family and strangers, and enjoyed baskets filled with hot cross buns, scones, chocolate-crispie easter cakes, coffee and tea, jams and honey. They enjoyed too the company across generations, heartfelt prayer, the sound of young voices from Junior Music Makers AND three baptisms. The children were swept up in daffodil and seed planting and a superb easter egg hunt in the sanctuary. All left uplifted.

‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.’

Hebrews 13:2

Burns Supper 2024 – A huge success

Our annual sell-out Burns Supper was a great success this year.

A four-course feast was prepared by the hospitality team and our sincere thanks go to them. The attention to detail on the tables was beautiful, the food prepared and served piping hot would have been applauded in any restaurant and the lightness of the meringues for pud was just perfect. And there was even home made tablet with the coffee – the perfect finish to an outstanding meal. All on the team were grateful that there was a new dishwasher but somehow Anna still found herself in the sink for some hours!

Before and after the meal, our Singers (led by John) entertained us with traditional songs and then the Highland Dancers from Manor School of Dance took to the stage to the delight of everyone present. They were a joy to watch and made good use of a stage that has been graced by generations past and present across the Church and community.

But you know, more than anything, it was the delight that we found in each others’ company on the evening that made it just so special. Friends old and new.