Life & Work Magazine
Life & Work Magazine


2 mins

From The Editor

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JUNE is generally the month which marks the end of the Church year.

In Scotland it is a month of warming temperatures and excitement about the summer to come.

In Church there are usually outings for the younger members of congregations and sometimes presentations to look forward to.

This June will be very different to any other experienced in our lifetimes. Many things which traditionally take place in June have been cancelled, for example, the Royal Highland Show, amongst others. But other events later in the summer have also paid the price because the critical planning which takes place now could not and this summer we have no Edinburgh Festival, Fringe or Book Festival (among the many other events which have had to be cancelled)

At the time of writing, we are still under lockdown and in the grip of the Coronavirus Covid-19, although there are shoots of hope appearing that the number of cases has plateaued. Plans are beginning to be made for workforces to be slowly re-engaged and deployed anew after weeks of confinement to home.

For the Church (and this magazine), it will be a time of re-engagement, remembrance and thanksgiving. Our cover feature this month pays tribute to those who have been working on the frontline in the battle against Covid-19. We owe them a debt of gratitude beyond measure.

The Church which emerges from this crisis will look very different to the one which existed earlier in the year.

The Church which emerges from this crisis will look very different to the one which existed earlier in the year.

New technologies and new ways of reaching out have been deployed and new communities of faith have been formed and grown. The Church has been transformed.

However, there will be financial realities to face. Income from church hall lets, for example, has fallen. Whilst a proportion of people give to their church every month via standing order, many still like to place their offering in the collection plate every week. Some may still do that when they return to their church, but there will undoubtedly be gaping holes in both local and central church finances.

This magazine, which has been a lifeline for some in connecting with the Church of Scotland during this unprecedented time of crisis, is not immune. The team would like to extend deep gratitude to everyone who buys a copy each month. May I also take the opportunity to appeal to everyone who enjoys Life and Work to share it and encourage others to purchase a subscription at www.lifeandwork.org/ subscribe as we all forge a new way ahead in our changing world, rooted in a newly reformed Church of Scotland. 

This article appears in the June 2020 Issue of Life and Work

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  COPIED
This article appears in the June 2020 Issue of Life and Work