A newsletter filled with ideas, courses, events, and more!
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| Adventures in Faith
January 2026 |
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Welcome to Adventures in Faith: where everyone in the Diocese of Edinburgh can explore, learn, and grow in faith and fullness of life. |
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| Hello, and welcome to our first Adventures in Faith Newsletter of 2026! The DMMC Team, and all in the Diocesan Office, wish you every blessing for the coming year. To help us along the way, we offer a few things in this newsletter that you may wish to consider in 2026. In particular, there is a focus on spiritual direction and what it can offer. Alternatively, you may be inspired to sign-up for the Daily Meditations from The Centre for Action and Contemplation. |
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| The Theme for 2026 is "Good News for a Fractured World", which feels particularly needed and hopeful. You can sign up for daily mediations via email or, if that seems a little overwhelming, opt for the weekly summary each Saturday. |
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| We would also like you to consider one easily made and kept New Year's resolution, which is to forward on this email to someone you know and encourage them to sign-up to receive it, too. We want to share all the possibilities of the Adventures in Faith journey with many more people this year, and you are a big part of that. So, thank you in advance! |
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| Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18–25 January) |
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| Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (with the theme "One Body, One Spirit") are available on the CTBI website. These have been prepared by the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with their brothers and sisters of the Armenian Catholic and Evangelical Churches. |
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A number of our churches are sharing ecumenical services during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. SEECAT (South-East Edinburgh Churches Acting Together) are holding a service on Monday 19 January at 2pm at St Barnabas, Moredun, and then on Thursday 22 January at 7pm at Liberton Kirk. Murrayfield Churches Together, which includes the Church of the Good Shepherd at Murrayfield, will hold a service at Murrayfield Parish Church on Sunday 25 January at 10.30am.
Posters for services involving Bathgate Churches Together, St Salvador's, Stenhouse and St Columba's by the Castle are below. |
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| Left to Their Own Devices? Early Bird Offer. Don't miss the early bird offer on tickets for 'Left to Their Own Devices?', a Care for the Family event, which will run on 20 May at Ps & Gs, Edinburgh. Buy a ticket before 20 January and get it for £5. Find out more here. |
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| The theme for Thy Kingdom Come 2026 (14–24 May) has recently been announced: "God With Us". Two free online workshops will be held on 22 January for anyone looking to prepare for this prayer event in good time. They will explore different ways churches can pray and collaborate together, from across traditions and denominations, and will also provide plenty of space for participants to share best practice and gather new ideas. More information here. |
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| January Prayers for Peace, 24 January. For January's online prayers for peace, Christian Aid will be joined by Church of Scotland partner, Parent’s Circle. This is a group of Israeli and Palestinian parents who have lost children to the conflict. Despite their profound grief, the members have chosen a unique and courageous path: to transform their pain into a force for reconciliation, dialogue, and peace. Register here. |
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| Lent 2026 begins on Wednesday 18 February. The Diocese is not producing a Lent course this year. Instead, we will collate ideas and examples of other courses that people may wish to follow, alongside any new books for 2026. Previous Lent courses are available on the diocesan website, along with signposts to other resources. These can be accessed here. |
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| Kinnoull Monastery near Perth are offering a Holy Week Retreat from Monday 30 March to Good Friday, 3 April. Throughout the week, participants will experience: Guided and silent prayer time Opportunities for quiet reflection and meditation Shared worship in the monastic rhythm of daily prayer Extended times of silence to deepen spiritual focus
The retreat concludes with a reflective Stations of the Cross following lunch on Good Friday. More information. |
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| Exploring Spiritual Direction |
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| If you are wondering what the next step of your faith journey looks like in 2026, you might want to consider finding a spiritual director. |
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Spiritual direction is a deeply personal and sacred relationship between two people where the journey of faith and our life with God can be explored, celebrated and deepened. A spiritual director will usually have received specific training in a form of spiritual direction but is primarily a fellow companion on The Way. Indeed, many people talk about spiritual accompaniment or soul friendship (Anam Cara) to emphasise the equality of relationship that is fostered, and the reality that it is the Holy Spirit who is the true director in our life of faith. |
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What does spiritual direction do for those who undertake it? Here are a few quotes from people who have worked with a spiritual director. |
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"Over the years, my conversations in spiritual direction have continually reminded me that God is always waiting to extend grace and love to me in order for me to extend grace and love to others." (From Seeking God Together: An Introduction to Group Spiritual Direction by Alice Fryling.) |
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"Spiritual direction has enabled me to survey the landscape that has led me to where I am in my journey with God and to understand how I see, and react to, God in the circumstances and events of my life. Meeting my spiritual director monthly prompts me to take notice of where God might be working in my life, and to explore which faith practices might be most beneficial for me in order to allow God to do this work. Recently I found it really useful when my spiritual director drew parallels between something I was going through and an event in the Bible. This insight helped me to see my life event as something that was firmly within God’s care and God’s plan." |
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"Spiritual direction helps to open my eyes to where and how God is present and active in my life. I take the insights gained back into my day-to-day life, helping my notice God's presence in the moment." |
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"Spiritual direction has been central to my growth as a Christian: it has been truly 'formative' in that sense. For over a decade, I have been gently and faithfully encouraged to notice God at work in my life and to respond to God's invitation in all circumstances. I have also learnt so much more about myself and the person God made me to be. Altogether, it gives me increasing confidence to trust God and respond faithfully to life - and to embrace life in all its fullness." |
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| Interested in finding out more? We have a dedicated page all about Spiritual Direction on the diocesan website which gives more information, answers frequently asked questions, and provides links to key resources. |
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Our Advisor for Christian Life, Revd Fee Reynolds, holds a small directory of spiritual directors that she can share with you. Contact Fee via details below. |
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| Are you already in Spiritual Direction and wondering if it might be your calling to offer this ministry to others? The main training centres in Scotland for spiritual direction are the Epiphany Group and the Ignatian Centre in Glasgow. Candidates often start by working through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and/or a Growth in Reflective Living Course, then a Spiritual Conversations course, before looking at Spiritual Accompaniment. |
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| Are you already a Spiritual Director? First of all, we would love you to be part of our Diocesan Directory. This is shared only with people who ask for it: it is not publicly available online. We have a small number of directors listed at the moment and would like to offer a broader range to enquirers. For more information and to share your information, please click here. |
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There are various ways to remain current in practice, one of which is to engage in further learning. The London Centre for Spiritual Direction offers monthly courses for directors, online, cost £50. These take place on a Friday from 10am-3pm. Forthcoming courses are: Companioning the Discernment and Embodiment of a Rule of Life: 6 February. Working with a Directee's Shifting Images of the Divine: 6 March Ignatian Wisdom: Practices for Desire, Discernment and Deep Encounter: 10 April.
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| Events and Learning Opportunities |
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| The Adventures in Faith: Courses page on the diocesan website is where you can find a whole range of courses running in the coming weeks and months. Many providers have just announced their courses for the first half of 2026 so it's definitely worth a look 👀. AND check out our Events Calendar for something local that might take your fancy! |
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The Conversation Spring Series from St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, sees 9 public speakers and writers interviewed to explore how we imagine the world with curiosity, knowledge and wisdom. All conversations (except one) are on a Tuesday, 7–8:30pm, and are being livestreamed, Each event costs £10 online, or book all 9 together for £45. 27 January: Ian McEwan, What We Can Know 3 February: Gary Younge, An Act of Resistance 10 February: Armistead Maupin, 50 Years on Barbary Lane 24 February: Sarah Churchwell, The American Dream at 250 MONDAY 9 March: Carole Cadwalladr, How to Survive the Broligarchy 24 March: Hallie Rubenhold, The Women 7 April: Daniel M Davis, World Health Day 21 April: Mya-Rose Craig, Birdgirl 28 April: Kate Bowler, Joyful Anyway
Explore further and book here. |
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| Sarum College has a full and exciting spring programme which includes an English Mystics series. Here are its schedule and speakers.
26 January: Margery Kempe with Hetta Howes 23 February: Richard Rolle with Tim Glover 30 March: The Cloud of Unknowing with Becky Field 27 April: William Blake with Mark Vernon 25 May: Evelyn Underhill with Jane Shaw
Each session costs £20 (or pay £85 total for the full series), is online and runs from 7:30–9pm. Find out more and book on the Sarum College Short Courses page. |
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| Heriot-Watt Chaplaincy Annual Public Lecture: Monday 2 February, 7pm. |
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| SCCAN Workshop: How to Talk About Climate A free interactive online workshop on 17 February at 10am to explore real feelings on climate change, shape better conversations, and navigate division. The session combines information sharing, hands-on exercises, and group conversations so you’ll leave with practical skills to communicate climate in ways that connect, engage, and inspire action. Click here for more information. |
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| The Psychology of Flourishing: Life before Death, 21 February. Often in spirituality we are concerned with life after death. In this day-long event, Fr Roger Dawson SJ, a spiritual director and clinical psychologist, will introduce and explain an approach to flourishing as life before death, with examples and practical exercises, and will make the link with our faith and Ignatian spirituality. Online and at the ISC in Glasgow. More details. |
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| The Epiphany Group have announced dates for their new session of God's Invitation to Relationship: An Introduction to Ways of Praying, a six-week online course running on Mondays from 23 February to 30 March. It's a short prayer course to support people ecumenically into a deeper prayer life. The course covers: General introduction to prayer, stilling and examen Praying with Scripture – Lectio Divina Imaginative prayer Praying with art and poetry
For more information, visit the Epiphany Group website. |
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| Two churches dedicated to St Matthew in Midlothian (Roslin and Rosewell) are offering an ecumenical pilgrimage to Rome and Salerno next year: 13–19 October 2026. This 7-day trip will include St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and Salerno Cathedral. There will be opportunities to worship together and free time in each city. The full cost per person is £1589 (single supplement £295) in 3* hotels. Secure your place with an initial deposit of £450 by 30 January 2026. Details and booking here. |
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| Pilgrimage on Iona, 20–25 March 2026. Facilitated by spiritual directors who trained with the Epiphany Group and with Sarum College, this walking pilgrimage is a time to walk in silence, reflect in companionship, and listen for the movement of God in your life. Find out more and book here. |
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| 2026 Franciscan Peace Pilgrimage. This series of pilgrimages across England is being planned for July-October 2026. Each individual pilgrimage – rooted in history, culture, and spiritual tradition – offers its own sacred rhythm, inviting you to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover what truly matters. At this stage, the organisers are asking people to complete the intention form. This does not commit you or them to a specific date or route, but indicates an opening of yourself to the possibility of pilgrimage, and aids in planning. Read more on the Spirit of Francis website. |
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| Upcoming retreats at The Bield at Blackruthven:
The Holy Risk of Empty Space: 11–13 February, £250 full board.
Labyrinth of Creativity: A Sound and Arts Journey: 20–22 February, £250 full board.
Silent Retreat Day: 24 February, £70.
Soul Care Poetry: 25–27 February, £350 full board.
Introduction to Enneagram: 7 March, £75.
Journey Into Healing: 21 March, £90.
Multi-Day Silent Retreat: 24–27 March, £375 full board. For more information, visit The Bield's website. |
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| The next few months at Abernethy Kilmalieu :
What Next, Lord? Discerning Your Next Steps
16–22 March, from £480. Look at the Birds: A Birdwatching Retreat
27 April–1 May, from £480.
Mountain Pilgrimage
11–15 May, from £480.
Individually Guided Retreat
22–26 May, from £360. Meeting God in Creation
1–5 June, from £480. |
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| HerWildness Retreat at Abernethy Kilmalieu Valerie Allen is offering a HerWildness retreat at Abernethy Kilmalieu from 21 to 25 September. Valerie says: "This retreat is for all women who want to let their spirit dance wild! For four days we’ll leave behind our gentle dove and fly free with the wild goose, the Celtic symbol for the Holy Spirit. Using embodiment and creative arts we’ll explore different aspects of a wild spirituality, one that invites us to embrace the fullness of who we are. We’ll enjoy wild swimming, wild painting, wild walking, wild poetry, wild dancing, and the silence of wild space." From £425. Spaces are limited! More information on the Kilmalieu website. |
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| You can find more than 25 retreat venues that we have come across, or that have been used by members of the diocese, on our Retreat Venues page. There is also a map, so you can see at a glance where the listed retreat centres are based. |
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| In this section, we share a resource that might help you explore, learn, or grow in your faith: it could be a book, a podcast, an email subscription, or something else!
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The Re-Enchanting Podcast is the flagship podcast of Seen & Unseen, which aims to provide 'Christian perspectives on just about everything', and has been running since April 2023. In Re-Enchanting, hosts Justin Brierley and Belle Tindall explore how Christianity can re-enchant culture, politics, the sciences, history and more. They speak with a wide range of guests, some of whom have a faith and some of whom don't, and they have built up an impressive back catalogue of conversations that you can dip into. New episodes are currently being released every Wednesday, and are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Acast. |
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| Adventures in Faith: All Day Every Day! |
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| Homepage – Outlines what Adventures in Faith is, with links to other landing pages. Newsletter – Links to all previous newsletters and to sign-up for emails. Calendar – Events happening across the Diocese, in congregations and partner organisations. Courses – A list of courses & retreats from across the UK: something for everyone! Awareness – Awareness days that link in with our faith and Marks of Mission. |
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| 😃 We hope you have enjoyed exploring this Adventures in Faith newsletter. 🔼 Check out the AiF webpages via the menu above. 📧 Please forward this email to congregational friends, who can sign-up using the button below. 👈 Share the QR code via church magazines, noticeboards, pew-sheets, etc. 👇 Check out our other newsletters via buttons below. |
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