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Welcome to May's Newsletter!

Information on courses, awareness dates, events, etc, are available via our Adventures in Faith pages:

Diocesan Highlights

CMD Day, Tuesday 19 May
Regenerative Leadership

with the Revd Dr Gillian Straine

Do register to join us on Tuesday 19 May at St Ninian's, Comely Bank when the Revd Dr Gillian Straine will be leading our reflections on Regenerative Leadership.

What the workshop will explore. The day will engage with a holistic and theologically grounded understanding of pastoral ministry, including:

The theology of vocation and flourishing, rooted in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Exploration of a faith based approach to wellbeing
The theology and science of avoiding burnout and sustaining ministry over time
A trauma-informed understanding of ministry, including the impact of collective trauma in the post-COVID context
The systems we live and work within, and how organisational, ecclesial and cultural dynamics interact with health and wellbeing in ministry
Changing patterns of ministry and leadership, and the courage required to respond faithfully

Throughout the day, we will return to the conviction that caring for others and caring for oneself are both rooted in the Good News of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

About The Revd Dr Gillian Straine

The Revd Dr Gillian Straine is CEO of GoHealth (The Guild of Health and St Raphael, an ecumenical Christian charity with over 100 years' experience in holistic health and healing). She is a cancer survivor, Anglican priest, theologian and scientist with a strong interest in communication and teaching. She has a doctorate in Physics from Imperial College London and an MA in Theology from the University of Oxford. She is the author of Introducing Science and Religion: A path through polemic (SPCK, 2014), The Limits of Science? (CSP, 2017) and Cancer: A Pilgrim Companion (SPCK, 2017)

Register here.

Photo by Peter Backhouse

The Installation of the Rt Revd Dr Dagmar Winter

Plans are coming together for Bishop Dagmar's Installation on 30 May at St Mary's Cathedral. Please note that this is a ticketed event, with non-ticket-holders being encouraged to join the service via livestream.

▶ If you are a rector or priest-in-charge, you should have received by now 10 tickets per charge through the post. If you have not, please get in touch with Hannah Harcus: [email protected]

▶ Lay Readers and clergy who are instituted, licenced, or commissioned should have received an email invite to the service, and RSVP'd. Your ticket will be sent by mid-May, separately from the 10 allocated to your congregation.

Clergy Meet Up. A wee reminder that our Synod Clerk, Liz O'Ryan, is organising for clergy to catch-up just ahead of the installation, and is after numbers! There are 2 dates for the National Gallery cafe in Edinburgh: Friday 22 May or Tuesday 26 May, both at 2pm. You can register your availability and interest via doodle poll here.

Talking Faith. The inaugral episode of Lesley and Pip's new podcast, Talking Faith, lands on Sunday 3 May at 3pm! They are starting with a nice, easy subject, engaging with a questions many of us will have heard from others, How can you possibly believe in the Resurrection?

Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/talking-faith/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TalkingFaithPod

The Friends of St Mary’s Cathedral are holding an Open Day on 9 May for anyone interested in knowing more about St Mary's Cathedral. It includes tours of the belltower! You are welcome to look around the Cathedral throughout the day. Free hot drinks and displays are available 10am–1pm, and Fee will be there representing the Diocese. More details about the open day here.

The open day will include an Active Travel, Active Hope event, including the start of a 24 hour relay to symbolise the individual and collective energy we need to address the climate and ecological crisis, political polarisation and war; and to transform the land within our care into a place of healing and renewed hope.

Lord's Prayer in Finnish: Pentecost Approaches!

We have now updated our Porvoo Communion webpage to include the Lord's Prayer in Finnish, along with a recording of how it sounds (this is a YouTube video, which means you can slow it down to learn the sounds a little easier).

Find it here, and share with your congregation/s!

beHeld: Youth & Children’s Ministry Training Days

In 2026, all involved in youth and children's ministry are invited to a fresh series of training days at Ps & Gs Church called 'beHeld'. The next is on 23 May (future dates are 26 September, 28 November). Each event will be on a Saturday morning, 9am–1pm, with light refreshments, worship, and the chance to hear from experts on key subjects.

beHeld costs £15 per session, but the diocese will cover the cost of one ticket per charge. Just email us at [email protected] with your name and charge, and we'll book you in for 23 May.

Grants: Next Deadline 25 May. The DMMC Grants Committee meets in the first weeks of March, June, September, and December each year. If you wish to apply for a grant, your application should be with the DMMC Team by 25th of the previous month. Click on the links below to find out more:

▶ Youth & Children's Grant

▶ St Hilda's Grant

▶ CMD Grant

Pre-Retirement Day: Thursday 25 June 2026

Our next 'Pre-Retirement Day' will be held in the Walpole Hall on Thursday 25 June. There will be two parts to the day. The morning will be most relevant to those approaching retirement in the next few years, led by the Revd Canon Cedric Blakey. This will cover the 'less quantifiable' aspects of retirement, e.g. vocation, identity, purpose, etc. The afternoon will be for anyone interested in learning more about pensions and retirement housing, led by GSO's Neil Wright.

Further details and the registration form are here.

Financial Stewardship page: have you checked it out? If you're thinking about money, including grants, remember we have recently launched a Financial Stewardship page on the diocesan website. It includes everything you need to think about financial stewardship including top tips, best practice, and templates you can use to launch your own campaign.

Wondering how to cater for younger members?

Thinking about all-age worship?

Is your current Roots subscription due for renewal?

The Diocese is a subscription ‘hub’ for ROOTS on the Web, enabling congregations to sign-up for access to Lectionary-based digital resources (including the 20-year back catalogue) for the subsidised cost of £20 for the year. Interested congregations should register via this form. One-month free trial here.

Other News

New Address for General Synod Office

Ground Floor West
40 Torphichen Street
Edinburgh EH3 8JB

Christian Aid Week, 10–16 May

Christian Aid Week will soon be here. Sign up and receive a free fundraising pack, a personalised online fundraising page and access to helpful emails with tips and resources. This year there's a Christian Aid Week Hub which brings all the resources together. Find out more here.

For Christian Aid Week, Christian Aid is teaming up with A Million Acts of Hope to focus on responding to the call to love our neighbour. So, alongside any Christian Aid Week materials, why not display their 'Hope Happens Here' poster?

This year, Christian Aid is also joining with Church Action on Poverty for '26 in 26', encouraging churches to think about 26 ways they can work for justice and tackle poverty in 2026. Find out more about 26 in 26 here.

Travelling towards Pentecost

Lent Appeal 2026 – Aberlour

It's not too late to donate to Aberlour Children’s Charity, which works to provide tailored support to families facing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination. Aberlour provides support at the earliest opportunity by offering a range of services across Scotland, utilising the voices of those impacted to create and implement tools for change. Find out more on our website.

Easter–Pentecost Resources. We have now updated our webpage of ideas and resources to include Easter to Pentecost: Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost | Diocese of Edinburgh

Email us with any other Easter–Pentecost resources you've found, and we'll look to include them!

Thy Kingdom Come resources for 2026, with the theme God with us, are now available via the TKC website. They include this year's Novena, written by Archbishop Sarah Mullally; five great ideas for how your church can take part in Thy Kingdom Come; and ten daily prayer ideas. There are also ideas for church services. As TKC gears up, there are some great little videos on social media which explore people's experience of the presence of God. Check them out on Instagram or Facebook.

Pentecost Bar, anyone?

For Pentecost, the Meaningful Chocolate Company is offering Pentecost Bars, which list the Fruit of the Spirit on the front and include the description of Pentecost in Acts 2:1 on the back. Made in the UK using High Quality Fairtrade certified milk chocolate, they're available in cases of 12 for £36. Find out more.

(More) Learning & Development Opportunities

For detailed listings across a range of providers, check out the Courses page. This is updated very regularly and is a one-stop shop for you to browse any time.

The Scottish Episcopal Institute offers courses that SEC clergy and readers can audit for free, or study for credit at minimal cost.

▶ Intermediate Biblical Greek, with Dr Patrick Murray. Thursdays, 7–8pm, 14 May–16 Jul.

Interested? Email [email protected]

Beyond the Walls webinars continue...

▶ Tue 12 May: What posture and practices do we need to embody and follow in order to participate in God's Mission today? with Revd Sally Taylor

CPAS's upcoming online courses.

▶ Second Chair Leadership Training: 5 May, 9:30am–12:30pm, £25.
▶ Intercultural Church (for leaders 40 and under): 19 May, 12:30–1:30pm, free.
▶ Leading Through the Pressures of Mid-Size Church: 20 May, 12:30–1:15pm, optional £5 donation.
▶ Moving On: 2 June, 9:30–1pm, £18.
▶ Fruitfulness Without Burnout: 9 June, 9:30–12:30pm, £25.
▶ Spiritual Development vs Christian Discipleship: Building Shared Theology for Schools and Churches: 10 June, 9:45–11:45am, £20.
Further information on these and future events available via CPAS website

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) runs frequent online courses, from short tasters to full-day training. Here's what they have on offer in the next few weeks.

▶ Retrospectives: How to Quickly Identify and Learn from Mistakes
Tuesday 12 May, 10:30am–11:30am, free.
▶ Time Management in the Workplace
Wednesday 13 May, 10am–4pm, £215.
▶ Introduction to People Management: Essentials for Team Leaders, Supervisors and Managers
Tuesday 19 May, 9:30am to 3:30pm, £215.
▶ Introduction to Trauma Awareness
Thursday 21 May, 10:00am–11:30am, £85.
▶ Funding Fundamentals: Growing Support Through Giving and Events
Thursday 21 May, 10:00am–11:30am, £85.
Further information, booking, and future events on the SCVO website

Sarum College has lots online in the next few weeks:

▶ Theology Catch-Up: The Ascension
Thursday 14 May, 12–2pm, £25.
▶ Deeper, Rooted, Lasting: Your Church's Ministry to Parents and Carers
Wednesday 20 May, 10am–1pm, £40.
▶ Biblical Models of Neurodiversity
Thursday 21 May, 1–4pm, £40.
▶ English Mystics Series: Evelyn Underhill with Jane Shaw
Monday 25 May, 7:30–9pm, £20.
▶ Taster Session: Postgraduate Study in Christian Spirituality Course
Monday 1 June, 7–8pm, free.
▶ Faces of Metanoia: Francis, Clare, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero
Five Wednesdays from 3 June, 7:30–9pm, £90.
▶ Come and See ... an Introduction to Further Study in Theology, Ministry and Mission
Wednesday 3 June, 7:30–9pm, free.
Further information and booking via Sarum's Short Course webpage

"I Will Give You Rest" Summer Retreat in Daily Life.

This Retreat in Daily Life from the Epiphany Group, from 18 May to 15 June, is an opportunity to take some time out of our often busy lives to pray and to listen to God. The opening and closing sessions are online, and participants are encouraged in the intervening weeks to meet weekly with a prayer guide. Suggested contribution: £45/£25. Find out more.

Messy Church Masterclasses

Messy Church Masterclasses are running frequently online as we head into summer. So if you've always intended to try Messy Church, why not attend one? There are lunchtime and evening sessions, and all are free.

On 30 June there's a special Masterclass: Messy Church Goes Wild. This 90-minute live and interactive Zoom Masterclass is designed to help you confidently start or grow a Messy Church Goes Wild in your own setting. The session explores what it looks like to be church outdoors, sharing stories from groups already meeting outside and offering simple, practical ways to get going, whatever your context.

Find out more about Messy Church Masterclasses

Events for Young People

Exam Chillout: Saturday 9 May. A few hours for 12-18year olds to breathe and chill, 4-7pm at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh. Come and spend time with friends from across the Province, share food, and engage in a Taizé-style Eucharist. Sign up here.

Yeek 2026, "On the Way", Glenalmond College

26 July–1 August 2026

Are you ready to set off On the Way? If you are in S1–S6 then there can be no better starting point than at YEEK 26, the provincial youth week of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Over the week, join other young people from across Scotland at Glenalmond College in rural Perthshire for a slight detour on your journey of faith: full of fun, great people, and plenty that can happen on the way. All details at yeek.scot

Adventures in Faith

Remember: you can cut and paste anything from this newsletter into your own communication channels!

The monthly Adventures in Faith Newsletter from Edinburgh Diocese shares lots of ideas for your ongoing Christian life. Each month, there are news items, courses, events, and ideas for you to explore. You can read past mailings, and sign up to receive future ones, via the diocesan website (tinyurl.com/EdinburghAIF).

Awareness Days

We list Awareness Days that may be relevant for congregations to consider on our website here. Most entries have links to external websites that provide information and resources for the particular cause or event.

Edinburgh Gifford Lectures 2026. How did Christianity become global? This series of 6 lectures traces Christianity’s dramatic transformation—from a small Jewish messianic movement to a force at the heart of the late Roman state—by situating it within the vibrant religious, cultural, and political world of the ancient Mediterranean. Prof Paula Fredriksen is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Aurelio Professor of Scripture emerita at Boston University and will be hosted by the University of Edinburgh 4–14 May. For more information and to register for FREE tickets, go to the Eventbrite page.

Study and Sing: Creation

Led by staff from St Andrew’s University’s MLitt programme in Sacred Music, this ‘Study and Sing' day on 16 May will focus on music making and listening that helps us to value and give praise for God's created world.

Open to anyone who likes singing in church, as well as people interesting in finding out more about ecotheology. The end-of-day service will be hosted by St Andrew's Episcopal Church. Find out more and book.

Left to Their Own Devices? is an evening training session that explores how to raise tech-savvy kids, taking place on Wednesday 20 May at Ps & Gs, 7:30–10pm. It will cover:

▶ What our children might be exposed to online, who they might be speaking to and how they behave

▶ The teenage brain and why managing the online world is harder for them than for us

▶ Practical ways to keep your family safe online

▶ Ways to keep up with a fast-changing industry

▶ The impact social media is having on mental health

▶ How parents can be role models.

Tickets are £11. Find out more and book here.