In November 2021, Glasgow will host COP26 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference). Emphasising community action, the conference seeks to bring global powers "together for our planet". For many Christians this is an important and much anticipated event.

We feel called to fulfil our duty of care towards the creation which God called 'good', and every living thing. Come November, however, many of us will sit as onlookers to the conference, frustrated to be so distant from the action. 

Faith, Hope + Climate Change invites churches and faith groups from across the UK to join us as we gather online together for our planet, and together in our faith. Trinity College Glasgow will host seven evenings, each aiming to equip you with the inspiration to approach climate change activism within your wider communities. Each evening, we will invite you to learn from high-profile scholars and speakers, and get involved through three innovative action tracks, which will inspire you and support you over the 7 weeks to take creative and prophetic action in your church and community.

Over seven evenings from 15 September to 27 October, we invite you to join with us online as we gather together for our planet, and together in our faith. We will join with Trinity College Glasgow’s weekly countdown to COP26, each session aiming to inspire an approach to climate change action within our wider communities.

The course will take place on Wednesday evenings, 7 - 9 p.m. via Zoom. Details for participation by our Riverside Churches group are now available. Please contact Peter (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for a copy of the Welcome Pack which contains the Zoom information you need to join the discussions. We are registered as one church group, but can individually join the presentation and discussion that follows.

On 23 March 2020, the UK went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many organisations came to the fore to help and support their communities, including the Riverside Parish Churches. A leaflet was produced giving important information and also some ideas on how to keep busy while stuck at home. One challenge was to create knitted or crocheted squares for the purpose of turning them into blankets to yarnbomb trees around the Riverside community to provide some brightness as people took their walks around the community at that time.

The Coffee Shop is open each Saturday between 9.30 a.m. to 12 noon for sit-ins as well as takeaway. There is no need to book a table however you can do so by phoning the church – 01224 213093 - from 8.45 a.m. onwards on Saturday morning. You can also phone in your takeaway orders.

A new Coffee Shop menu is on offer with weekly specials, children’s snacks and drinks and vegan friendly options.

There are also lots of extra items on sale such as fresh bakery products, wonderful tablet & fudge, face masks and handmade cards.

We accept cash or contactless card payments.

** New volunteers to help us on a Saturday would be appreciated! Please get in touch if you are available; you can help as little or as often as you can. **

Ferryhill Parish Church is pleased to be a distributor for the latest issue of Pushing Out the Boat, North-East Scotland's magazine of new writing and visual arts. Nurtured by a team substantially based in Ferryhill, this 16th issue of the magazine includes prose, poetry and art to delight and stimulate, and is available to purchase at the Coffee Shop or whenever the church is open. Only £5.99.

In the above video Peter gives a guided tour of the church to show the changes that have been made and precautions that have been taken to enable people to gather for worship at Ferryhill Kirk.

We have a new service available whereby you can listen over the phone to the weekly bible reading and message, along with a reflection when available on that theme. This is ideal for those who cannot access the online service over the internet.

The phone number to use is 01224 002502. This local number means costs will be minimal or free for those calling. This allows access both to the current week's reading and sermon, and to the previous week's by pressing "1" when asked.

Please do pass this information on to family, friends or neighbours who you think might appreciate listening to these parts of the Sunday service. Note that it is available at any time with the audio updated each weekend.

Every Wednesday, there will be a chance for you to donate food for local charity Instant Neighbour at the church. Non perishable food items and toiletries can be dropped off between 1 and 2 p.m. and between 7 and 8 p.m. Items will be distributed to vulnerable and housebound people at this difficult time. Distancing instructions will be adhered to at all times. Thank you.

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.

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