I was angry at myself for not pressing the ‘Request to speak’ button as a Commissioner at General Assembly. May I make amends with this letter?

Thanks to those at Guild Office and the Conveners for their sterling efforts to help Guilds meet virtually, but also encourage them in their ‘physical doorstep’ pastoral work for members and the wider church. I appreciated the weekly E-News which always had an inspiring ‘devotional’, upbeat stories from ordinary wee Guilds sharing great ideas for practical caring. We used one of them (knitted Prayer Squares) to reach out with God’s love and prayers of hope and encouragement, along with our Kirk News, containing uplifting stories of the Guild’s project partners, who continued to minister in courageous ways, supported by astonishing generosity from reduced numbers of smaller Guilds. We are BOLD, we are STRONG, we are the GUILD was our strapline a few years ago. I think we proved it once again through this pandemic, especially through the regional and Guild Office leadership teams. Thank you!

The CrossReach report on their magnificent work was nearly ‘fast tracked’ without comment. Thankfully, the Very Rev Dr John Chalmers leapt up just in time to give our thanks to them. I would have liked to say that I use the CrossReach Prayer Diary in my own Quiet Times and would want to encourage every church with weekly notices to include the name and description of the CrossReach service noted in that diary each Sunday to help congregations see the breadth and depth of caring that goes on in our name and on our behalf. Young, old and in-between, abused or confused, poor in pocket or mind, hurting or homeless, there ‘our’ CrossReach staff, volunteers and projects work in Christ’s name. God bless you with strength and peace!

And finally, if the Church was to hand out medals, I would nominate the Rev Rosie Frew, Convener of the Faith Nurture Forum, who was at the ‘despatch box’ answering questions with grace, dignity and smiles for hours on three of the five days of Assembly! And Catherine McIntosh of the Tech Team whose texts conveyed real patience and kindness to those in technical need!

Margaret King DCS, Fochabers, Moray

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