LETTERS

‘Gossip the Gospel’

Once again, our Church of Scotland has adopted a new ‘policy’ and is producing more words.

I have been part of it since 1955 when I became a member in Aberdeen. I have read about and taken part in many new ‘initiatives’ of one sort or another, the first being the ‘Tell Scotland’ Movement when I was a student.

We were a nation of church goers then, and there was much enthusiasm and many people at that time, including myself, made decisions to follow Jesus. Of course, things have changed. But one thing is certain: if there are no evangelists, there will be few new believers. We must have more people willing to tell the Gospel story in all areas of life, and bring people to Jesus. What seems to be happening is the closing of churches because of the shortage of ministers, but Jesus’ followers do not need degrees in Systematic Theology – we, the ‘ordinary’ members need a great deal of encouragement, a little training, and the opportunity to use our God-given talents in various ways in our own localities.

We should never confine activities to the ‘Sanctuary’ on a Sunday, we should be able to use our church spaces for Knit and Natter groups, cups of coffee (even if we spill on the carpet) cookery classes, keep fit classes, do-it-yourself classes, table tennis, walking football, etc etc, and equip our lay leaders with the skills to ‘gossip the gospel’ as we take part.

I suggest nothing should happen without a little time of prayer or worship as part of it, and this is often much more telling if a lay person does it, as they speak the same language as the people attending. And in this way people will come to see our lives as built on our faith.

Thomas Baldwin (Life and Work, March) says the Church of Scotland needs to attract more believers for the sake of its own health. I suggest everything we do should be towards saving all the lost souls out there and nurturing them in their faith.

We (the membership) need some training in discipling and nurturing those whom we invite to come through our doors. And above all we must be trusted by the clergy.

In the Very Rev John McIndoe’s obituary he was quoted as writing, ‘the true succession of the church lies not in its ministers but in its congregations.’ Elizabeth Macaulay (by email)

Duty of Care Concern

We, as a Kirk Session, are deeply concerned that we are barred from helping our minister bear personally the greatly increased cost of heating the manse he occupies. This has to be paid for from his fixed stipend. We believe that the Church has a duty of care to ensure that the modest pay which our ministers receive is adequate to cover his or her day-to-day needs.

We would like to see a cap on the level of the energy bills which a minister has to bear personally and allow the opportunity for local congregations to contribute practically to their minister’s basic living needs. The Kirk Session, Milngavie: Cairns

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