In advance of the presentation to this week’s meeting of the General Assembly, the Rev. Neil Glover, convener elect of the General Assembly’s Ministries Council, spoke to Presbytery at its meeting earlier this month. Neil focussed on the changing shape of ministry. A flourishing ministry and a flourishing church are a little like the chicken and the egg - it is hard to say which comes first. A flourishing ministry will lead to a flourishing church. A flourishing church will result in a flourishing ministry. Since the two are so interwoven, positive action on one should naturally produce positive results in the other.

The General Assembly of 2014, aware of the challenges facing both ministry and the Church, made addressing ministry its priority. It declared a Decade for Ministry beginning in 2015 which has been launched at this year’s General Assembly. The Church has chosen a Decade for Ministry because it recognises the pivotal role that parish ministers in particular have played in nurturing a healthy church and enabling the whole people of God to engage in mission in the world.

The recruitment element of the Decade for Ministry is encapsulated in Tomorrow’s Calling, launched by the Moderator of the General Assembly at Heart and Soul earlier this week. At the centrepiece of this has been this video here

https://youtu.be/CL1qCz7p9eo

At the 2014 General Assembly, one of the Commissioners asked the Convener of Mission and Discipleship if the Council had any plans to produce Church of Scotland based material for new communicants. He was given a very polite but non-committed answer to his question. However it began a process of development of material to be used in this context and with a wider remit that may inspire others to eventually add their own content. Hence a pilot framework was undertaken in the autumn of 2014 in conjunction with Very Rev. Albert Bogle and Sanctuary First at St Andrew’s Parish Church in Bo’Ness.

In each session of the ABC of Discipleship the four themes of acceptance, belonging, commitment and discipleship are interwoven, infused and put alongside the Church of Scotland membership vows.

• Do you believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and confessing Jesus Christ, as your Saviour and Lord?
• Do you promise to join regularly with your fellow Christians in worship on the Lord’s day?
• Do you promise to be faithful in reading the bible and in prayer?
• Do you give a fitting proportion of your time, talents and money for the Church’s work in the world?
• Do you promise depending on the grace of God, to profess publically your loyalty to Jesus Christ, to serve him in your daily work, and to walk in his ways all the days of your life?

The sessions can be used flexibly for outreach events, the basis for new communicant members classes or as a bible study framework designed to foster and deepen the faith of each participant. The format will include the following sections and each of these can be used as the leader or group considers appropriate.

• The Vow, with comment by a speaker
• Teaching section: linked into the concept of the cycle of grace and the cycle of works (provided by the Very Rev Albert Bogle)
• Short films and reflections
• Bible Studies
• Faith exercises
• A variety of forms of Prayer
• Endings: meditative and reflective exercises

The length of each session would be 45 minutes to an hour, with time added for discussion and appropriate fellowship time for tea/coffee. The material can be used as a series or altered according to ‘taste’ and the context of participants. We would be delighted to receive feedback and any additional local material, go to www.connectingpoints.org.uk

Peter Chirnside, an Elder at Bargeddie Church of Scotland, visited Cuba in March 2015 to see how the Church here in Scotland can form positive partnerships with the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba. At the recent Presbytery meeting Peter reported on what he found out about the Church in Cuba.

Change is an ever present reality especially so for those living in Cuba. The history of Cuba is littered with revolutions against colonial powers, involvement in international skirmishes when Cuban leaders were promoting a communist ideology and forming relationship with known sympathisers. The Church suffered during these times and is now preparing for more changes when the blockage that the United States of America imposed in the early 1960s is lifted. This will bring an influx of tourism and commerce from the West and the Church needs to be ready for this change.

Some of the pastors are preparing their congregations for this change and one of the most important things they are doing is teaching God’s Word but to do this they need Bibles. Rev Alain Montano, General Secretary of the Bible Commission, has requested the import of one million Bibles to be distributed throughout Cuba. This will help to form a solid foundation for the development of a new community and society which is inevitable in these changing circumstances.

But pastors are also aware of the present need where a divided society is developing between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Many people have left Cuba over the past 50 years to build a new life in Florida. These people now send money back to their relatives in Cuba, who have become relatively rich - the “haves”. The others have to survive on their own initiatives and enterprise, maintaining a “make do and mend” philosophy. There are still ration books, work in the civil service, such as teaching and hospital work is poorly rewarded. A recent relaxation of restrictions by Raul Castro now allows some private enterprise - for example, a cycle rickshaw owner can earn more in two or three days from tourists than a well educated and trained Government Employee could earn in a month.

The Church is providing help for the poorest of society through different schemes such as supplying clean safe drinking water, providing a laundry service, delivering breakfast clubs. They are also reaching out to the young people through film clubs and organising rock concerts. But the Church would value our support in a variety of different ways - not least in our prayers as they go through this transition.

We can help in four ways: (1) Give to the Scottish Bible Society to fund the purchase of Bibles, (2) Encourage your minister to do Study Leave at Matanza Theological College, (3) Link up with a local Church in Cuba to pray and support them in its work and tell them about your Church, (4) Ask someone from the World Mission Group to speak to your church about Cuba.