Category: blog

As we head towards Union with Corstorphine Old Parish, we are looking at the structure of the teams of volunteers who make us who we are. Our Church only works if folk come forward to help. The best gift you can give is you.

Over the decades we have been incredibly fortunate with the time and skill-sharing that the people of Craigsbank and East Craigs have brought – from baking or gardening to building maintenance and communications. But now we are starting afresh and looking again to see who might be out there with just a little time to spare.

So… the teams we are currently considering are listed below. Please don’t feel that you need to know what you are doing in all the areas mentioned. It may even be that you have no particular experience but feel that this is an area that you’ve always wanted to explore. What have you got to lose? Volunteer for an hour or so a week or more – you will be welcomed with open arms and (we hope!) enjoy what you do.

Contact the church office for more information.

1. Worship Team

This team will work collaboratively to plan and lead two distinct weekly worship services, ensuring that both styles of worship reflect the diversity of the united congregation. They will coordinate musicians, vocalists, liturgical leaders, and other participants to create meaningful, spiritually enriching worship experiences. The team will also be responsible for preparing the liturgy, overseeing the technical elements of worship, and fostering an environment where all can encounter God through worship. Their role is pivotal in uniting the congregation through shared and varied worship expressions.

2. Pastoral Team

This team will provide pastoral care and support to church members and those within the parish, ensuring that all feel valued and cared for. They will organise regular visits to those who are sick, homebound, hospitalised, bereaved or in need of spiritual encouragement, as well as offer emotional and prayer support during difficult times. Additionally, they will coordinate care initiatives such as bereavement support, prayer support, district visitors and ad hoc home visits to maintain the church’s strong commitment to pastoral care. The team’s work will embody the church’s commitment to being a compassionate, caring community.

3. Mission Team

The mission team will focus on outward-facing ministries, sharing the love of God in practical, relevant ways within the parish and beyond. This includes supporting chaplaincy in local schools and workplaces, coordinating community outreach efforts such as the Care Van, and working with local and global initiatives like Christian Aid. The team will also focus on growing disciples of Jesus Christ, through evangelistic efforts and service projects. Their mission is to equip and inspire the congregation to live out their faith in service to others, making a tangible impact in the local community.

4. Social Group

This group will focus on fostering relationships and building friendships among church members, particularly as the two congregations merge into one. They will organise social events, gatherings, fellowship groups and small group activities that create opportunities for fellowship, mutual support, and shared hospitality. By encouraging personal connections, warm hospitality and a sense of belonging, the social group will play a vital role in helping the congregation bond and develop a shared identity, making the transition smoother and more enjoyable for everyone involved as well as affording newcomers to the congregation a warm welcome.

5. Pioneering Team

The pioneering team will lead the initiative to plant a new worshiping congregation in the Western Expansion area, responding to the growing needs of that community. They will be responsible for visioning, planning, and implementing innovative approaches to ministry that reach not only active Christians, but also unchurched or dechurched people in that area. This may include developing new forms of worship, small groups, and outreach events that resonate with the local context. Their mission is to be active in the presence and work of God, nurturing a wholesome sense of community, establishing a church presence, and creating a fresh expression of faith that engages the Western Expansion community in relevant, impactful ways.

6. Creative Arts Ministry Group

This group will nurture creativity as part of a life of faith within the congregation and develop the Craigsbank auditorium and halls into a vibrant, missional hub for creative and performing arts. They will organise artistic events, performances, and exhibitions that connect the church with the wider community. Additionally, they will encourage and support members of the congregation in expressing their faith through various creative outlets, whether visual arts, music, drama, or other forms of artistic expression. The group’s role is to create spaces where faith and creativity intersect, making the church a centre for cultural and artistic engagement.

7. Young Family Ministry Team

The work of this team will be essential to growing a vibrant, multi-generational church where young people are not only welcomed but integral to the life and mission of the congregation. They will lead the “Growing Young” programme, focusing on engaging and ministering to younger generations—children, youth, and young families—in ways that are contextually relevant and impactful. They will create and run programmes, events, and small groups that nurture the faith of young people, helping them connect with the wider church community. The team will also equip parents and guardians with resources to foster faith at home and support children to mature into spiritually and emotionally healthy adults.

8. Property, Finance & Human Resources Team

This team will oversee all aspects of financial management, including budgeting, accounting, and stewardship. They will ensure the optimisation and usage of the church’s property, managing maintenance, upgrades, and any logistical needs related to the facilities. In addition, they will oversee human resources functions such as recruitment, employee and volunteer management, training, and compliance with employment laws. Their role is to ensure that the church’s assets—whether financial, human, or physical—are managed effectively to support the mission and ministry of the united congregation.

9. Communications, IT & Technology Team

This team will be responsible for all internal and external communications, ensuring the congregation and the wider community are kept informed of church events, updates, and initiatives. They will manage digital communications, including the church website, social media platforms, and newsletters, as well as oversee administrative and data management systems. Additionally, they will maintain and operate audio-visual equipment, facilitating live worship services, enable online broadcasts and other multimedia productions and grow our online presence. Their work is crucial to enhancing communication flow and engagement both within the church and with the broader community.

10. Administration, GDPR, Health & Safety and Safeguarding

This team will oversee all administrative functions, including accurate record-keeping, database management, and ensuring GDPR compliance. They will manage health and safety procedures to protect staff, volunteers, and visitors, ensuring all policies are in place and followed. The team will also lead safeguarding efforts, ensuring measures are in place to protect vulnerable individuals and that all legal requirements are met. They will provide training and ensure staff and volunteers adhere to safeguarding and health and safety protocols, fostering a safe and organised environment.

Craigsbank threw open the doors to the church and halls over the weekend, 28 and 29 September 2024 as part of the annual Edinburgh Doors Open Festival.

67 people came through our doors during the day on the Saturday and the afternoon of the Sunday. Here’s a taste of what they thought:

‘My wife had visited a few years back and thought I would like it – she was right!’ (A well known Edinburgh writer)

‘I never realised this was here. It is absolutely lovely, serene and peaceful. My top place of Doors Open Days 2024. Thank you.’

‘Very impressive. One of the best modern churches I have visited. And very welcoming.      (Glasgow)’

‘What a fascinating find – I had no idea this church was here. I love the concept of the Covenanters’ gatherings in the hollows of the Pentlands reflected here.   Thank you’

‘Very impressive! Thanks for letting us see it.’

‘Thanks!  A very interesting and inspirational building! Super space with such a lot of thought put into the planning. Thank you for showing me around and sharing the knowledge and history of the building.’

‘A wonderful space! Thanks for the kindness of everyone.’

‘I’ve always wanted to visit Le Corbusier’s Church in France – it will probably never happen so it’s a delight to visit Craigsbank – A stunning design inside and out – Also a welcoming space which inspires a quiet awe…’

‘I’m so happy to have seen the interior of this remarkable building. Thank you for your warm welcome and information. I particularly liked the design on the chairs and altar (square shapes drawing included)’ 

‘Thank you for showing us around, we live nearby and it’s been interesting to learn more about the history and activity of the church’

‘I liked the bell and the doors…’ ( age 3 )

‘A beautiful space with beautiful people –thank you for opening up your church for us.’

‘Thanks for the hospitality! Very calm and peaceful spaces – we’re big fans of Modernist design and the use of natural / artificial light, natural wood and moss green is perfect.  Delighted your refurb has solved the water leak issues so you can continue to enjoy your space.’

‘Thoroughly enjoyed our visit today. Wonderful peaceful time viewing all the various spaces belonging to the church. We were made so welcome by everyone. Enjoyed reading about the history. Thank you (from Glasgow)’

‘Kudos to Architect for such a brave initiative in 1966. It brings so much peace just sitting in.  The only window on the façade is the mistake but it brought different character to the building.’

‘I really enjoyed the structure of the church! And the way the architect styled and designed the church. Thank you for the tour.’ ( age 11 )

‘Stunning !  Amazing design. The natural light flooding in is absolutely phenomenal. Very peaceful and inspiring experience. Thank you’

‘A wonderful space full of life and light!’

‘Fabulous church ! What an impressive and tranquil design. Many thanks.’

‘Been living in this street since 2013, yet I didn’t get to come in once! Such a fascinating building and history. Thanks’

‘Beautiful Building. Very friendly and informative people showing us round. Thank you so much.’

‘A great architectural building …nice rooms…cool shape…family friendly…clubs 😊…very nice people…’ (age 11)

‘A hidden gem of Architecture in Edinburgh. So happy to have seen it. Thank you’

‘A truly beautiful space and a very warm welcome. Thank you so much for a lovely Sunday afternoon.’

‘An amazing relaxing and inviting space. Gorgeous…’

‘Thank you  😊’

With grateful thanks to John and Els Baker and all who volunteered over the weekend

As we come to a crossroads in the life of Craigsbank and East Craigs, we look back on the lives of some of those who started with us in infancy.

On the baptismal roll records that line the wall behind the cross at Craigsbank, the first name is Michael William Wood. The second is Margaret Adams Campbell. We have, i suspect, lost sight of both of these individuals. The third, Ronald Macpherson Small, was baptised in the then new, stone hall-church in 1938.

Craigsbank offered him a grounding in the lessons of the bible and Christian guidance for life. His father was an elder at Craigsbank and his grandfather would go on to help lay the foundation stone for the sanctuary in later years. His older brother, Ian (or Kiwi to many) returned to Craigsbank and was an elder there until his death. Ronald became known as ‘Sam’. He was in the Scouts at our church thoughout his childhood and early adult days, and performed in many a play on the stage of the Craigsbank hall.

Following school (Heriots), Sam did his national service – a peacetime conscription – in the navy and truly travelled to lands so distant that few of us will see them. His service took him to the Republic of Fiji and New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Singapore and Kenya, Aden, and the Gulf of Aqaba, and through both the Panama and Suez canals on HMS Ulysses – a Type 15 Anti Submarine Frigate F17. And, on one occasion, into a fighter yet in the skies above.

It was a life he cherished but also one which took him to Christmas Island as part of Grapple Squadron for the Nuclear Tests (the largest bombs of the British hydrogen bomb programme). On April 28 1958, at the age of 20, he sat on a naval boat in his shorts – the summer uniform -with no protection. He was faced away from the explosion until instructed to turn towards it, 60 seconds after the blast.

At the time, it was simply an order carried out. They even played football on the island after the test.

It took 66 years for the government to acknowledge the sacrifice made by those serving in the area who became part of the experiments. At the beginning of this year (2024), they received a commemorative Nuclear Test medal. Through the post. Sam was one of the 1717 to receive the medal in recognition of his service at that time. It is estimated that around 40,000 British personnel witnessed the nuclear testing alongside military personnel, scientists and civil servants from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Kiribati.

The certificate accompanying the medal simply states:

This Nuclear Test Medal is presented to you in recognition of your significant contribution to Britain’s nuclear test programme.

Sam has gone on to enjoy a very full life, well lived. He and his wife Elinor adopted two wonderful boys, now young men with families of their own. The couple moved to Musselburgh and live there together still, surrounded by their grandchildren.

Sam returned from the navy to set up his own business in the building trade, providing employment to many over decades (and returning often to Craigsbank to re-lay carpets and resurface wooden flooring). He has been heavily involved in the Rotary Club and the golf club and always has others at the forefront of his mind. He is generous of spirit and time and love and has been a grand example to his friends and extended family over the years.

Edinburgh’s fundraisers are on day two of their major annual campaign to support vulnerable communities around the world.

Craigsbank and East Craigs held a coffee morning as part of Christian Aid Week 2024. The baking was outstanding and our thanks go to the organisers and all who attended. A full report on money raised will follow.

Money raised during Christian Aid Week will help the organisation’s partners empower vulnerable communities to find practical and sustainable ways out of poverty.

This year’s appeal – from 12-18 May – is focussing on work in Burundi, one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in Africa. Heavily reliant on agriculture, it’s also one of the least prepared to combat the effects of climate change, including droughts, floods and landslides. The global cost of living crisis has intensified the challenges: more than 70 per cent of the population live in poverty and more than half of children are chronically malnourished.

Christian Aid has been working in Burundi since 1995 when it first offered humanitarian assistance to people surviving the civil conflict. Now, alongside local partners, the organisation helps establish Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). These community-led groups mean people can save and borrow money, making small businesses possible, offering reliable and diverse incomes so families can eat regularly, get medicine when they need it, and build safer homes.

Thirty-five-year-old Aline Nibogora is the chairperson of a VSLA which supports some 25 families in a remote village, in Makamba Province. Aline escaped an abusive marriage only to find herself on the streets begging for a place to stay.

Her life changed when she went to a three-day, Christian Aid-funded community workshop. With a small start-up loan, Aline began trading avocados and peanuts locally. She’s now a grocery wholesaler and living on her own plot of land where she’s building a home for her family. In the next five years she hopes to expand, so one day she can buy a mill. This will provide a source of income without the need to transport heavy goods over long distances.

Christian Aid Week offers seven days and so many ways to make a difference – to find out more, visit https://www.christianaid.org.uk/.

Remember, Christian Aid envelopes will be available at the door before and after the service on Sunday. but click here for a new and easier way to donate to Christian Aid

Today marks the start of Christian Aid Week and we encourage everyone to consider whether they can support the work of this remarkable organisation.

What your donation will do:

• £5 could buy a savings book for a member of a VSLA, setting them up to start their own small business and become finically independent.
• £30 would help a family buy two Jerrycans to collect water from the river to carry back to their farm. Jerrycans provide irrigation to crops, especially during the dry season, maintaining food production for the family.
• £50 would mean a vulnerable family can purchase a water storage tank. Water can then be stored for a few days rather than travelling to the communal water point, allowing instant access to water for washing, cleaning and cooking.
• £100 could help a woman set up her own small business with a starter kit; including money to purchase her first few items to sell. This means she could supply local grocery shops or restaurants with vegetables, set up a roadside shop, or buy maize to sell in bigger markets like Bujumbura.
• £100 could also help buy a family a bicycle meaning easier transport to school, quicker access to medical treatment in emergencies or support carrying produce from farm to market.

There are envelopes at the doors at church services but do remember that we have made it even easier this year. You can now give safely and securely online. Click here for a new and easier way to donate to Christian Aid

Today and tomorrow in Edinburgh, you can attend the Christian Aid Book Sale at Bruntsfield. The George Street sale is not happening this year (it will be back in October in New Town Church, (formerly St Andrew’s and St George’s) but the Christian Aid Book Sale at Holy Corner at Bruntsfield is definitely on. This sale has taken place every year for 30 years. They welcome support from across the city and beyond.

Have you been along the Turnhouse Road or Craigs Road recently? If you have, you will have seen the sudden burst of energy in the new West Craigs Village as home builders race to complete the houses and flats that lie to either side of Turnhouse Road and along the western reaches of Craigs Road. The West Town – 205 acres for 7000 houses – lies to the East of the airport, on the site visible along the Glasgow Road. The Turnhouse area takes the total to 10,950 new homes. Then add the newly announced Maybury Quarter and you reach a total of 11,950 homes, families (so far).

West Craigs was once only called home by those who lived in the houses built in the late 1950s behind what is now the Casino at the Maybury, in West Craigs Avenue and West Craigs Crescent. There was a short stretch of housing on the main Turnhouse Road, a farmhouse part way along and four cottages, and then Lennie Cottages beside Turnhouse Golf Course and the farm on the farside of that. Those of us with longer memories will recall the RAF base and housing towards the old Turnhouse airport and the oldest housing of all at the very end of the runway. And of course the commercial units at the quarry and around the end of the runway.

Now? Well, if you haven’t done so already, a late afternoon walk along Turnhouse Road is highly recommended. Don’t go on a weekday before 3pm as the roads are just teeming with heavy trucks and builders’ vans. But just a little later and the lights are on in the windows of newly occupied houses – houses and flats becoming homes.

The western expansion is vast. In this area alone new housing is transforming mixed use land that has lain in some neglect for a number of years. Those who move in, do so with the expectation of a 20 minute town. No more than 20 minutes by foot to transport hubs (tram and train – with bus still to be announced), education and GP level healthcare. The first of three new primary schools in the full area is now open. No plans as yet appear to be in place for cafes, cinema, library, arts centre, shops, community buildings… church.

The building is not one style throughout. There is variety, there are parks, there are green spaces. Take a look at how it is shaping up. That variety makes it a lot more interesting than many of the new build areas around Edinburgh at present.

And if you do take a walk through the area, be sure to say hello to any new neighbours you might meet. A month ago there were hardly any. Today there are really quite a few homes complete and cars parked in the drives (ironically, for an area promoted as an ‘active town’).

Photographs for creative contemplation on Earth Day

Dear Mother Earth, gift of God, we thank you,
for you are our life, our breath and our blood.
You bear us in your arms and receive us at our death,
and will never refuse us.
The rolling sea in our heart, the mountains in our bones,
the wind in our lungs, the flowing rivers in our blood,
the many-splendored creatures living within us
all sing praise to God and remind us we are of you.

Dear Mother Earth, we confess:
though the forest and desert are our own flesh
we have wounded you,
we have treated you selfishly, as “the least of these.”
We have betrayed our oneness
with the grasses and the hawk, the beetle and the whale.
Even as we use you, we repent;
even as we torture you you forgive us.

Dear Mother of Life,
as you renew the earth in spring, restore our mercy;
return us to our place in the great circle of life;
give us the generosity of your fields,
the humility and wisdom of your small creatures.

Dear Mother God, hear our praise and our confession,
and renew in us the beauty of the earth,
for the sake of all life. Amen.

From a prayer by Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding Light

At Craigsbank we are always grateful for the commitment of our tiny but mighty Eco Group who do so much. They engage, they plant, they educate, they nourish, they protest and they encourage. They are an example to us all.

A group of us (Alan, Jan, Alison, Jackie and Gavin) were sent back to school in February for twelve weeks. This was the Pioneering and Church Planting course run by Edinburgh University at New College. So, grand wood-panelled rooms and a wonderful view of the city from the top of the Mound. That was only two Saturdays though. The rest of the time was huddled around a Zoom session with the class of about fifteen, a mix of ministers and other Church of Scotland folk. Students do it online these days.

One of the first things we learnt, which we knew already, was that church attendance has been falling. What we didn’t appreciate was that membership of the Church of Scotland has fallen in every single year since 1957. This course was set up to try to address the problem by making church more relevant to people who don’t attend. There was a bit of theology, a lot of research on why people have turned away from church and what kind of church does attract new faces.

The bottom line is that a church based on a parish system, largely unchanged in three hundred years, doesn’t meet the needs of a society which is driven by technology and where people are typically time-poor. The answer is a form of church which allows people to come together in their own space. Three hymns and a sermon have gone out of fashion. These new churches, called ‘fresh-expressions’ are more informal than traditional and based on relationships more than a strict liturgy. We were shown several examples where the new approach is thriving.

With the western expansion taking place on our doorstep, and not a church anywhere in sight, we have an opportunity to explore fresh-expression in this area, taking the gospel with us. The course has given us a blueprint to work to along with a lot of dos and don’ts. We have seen what is possible elsewhere and have a rough idea of how to set out. This will not be quick. It will be a long-haul with possible dead-ends and changes of tack. There are no certainties, only what emerges as we follow the Spirit and our noses.

Anyone interested in joining the adventure should get in touch with Alan Childs or one of the team.

Gavin Ryalls

Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations

 

On Easter Saturday, the Edinburgh Easter Play took place in Princes Street Gardens to a crowd of some 600, following the street players as they moved around the gardens acting out the life of Jesus. The actors always give everything to this annual event and the sound carries right across the gardens. No matter how familiar from our reading of the bible, some scenes were deeply moving, powerful, upsetting. It is entirely different to see the story played out before you.

The crowd was made up from local Christians, interested by-standers, tourists and those who had never before heard the story of Christ.

At one point, I stood next to a young Scottish woman in her late 20s who knew the name of Jesus, knew he was in the bible but this was her first introduction to the story of his life, death and resurrection. She was deeply moved and very interested to know more.

And then there was the young man who was obviously enjoying his Easter weekend and exclaimed in horror, ‘they are crucifying someone in Edinburgh in broad daylight!’. And indeed they were, under the towers of New College.

Both left with memories they will not forget. As did I.

This sign was spotted on the door of St Mary’s Church in Bridgwater, Somerset. It certainly makes you think! We are equally inclusive but perhaps we need to shout louder.