As the cold weather sweeps across the country and temperatures plummet, Gordon Roy shares an excellent example of how his congregation (Blackford Parish Church) are partnering with their local school to provide community lunches and a warm space for local residents.

Rev. Neil Urquhart reflects on a powerful and moving Remembrance assembly with Greenwood & Irvine Royal Academy students & staff. The event was particularly poignant for the Syrian & Ukrainian pupils present, for whom the wrenching and ripping violence of war is all too raw and real.

Twenty-two years ago, a group of church youth leaders in rural Berwickshire met to pray about the decline in the number of young people attending their churches. By the end of that time of prayer, they all felt that God was telling them to go into the places where the young people were - their schools.

The challenge of supporting our local school communities over these past few years hasn’t been simple or straight-forward. In the midst of lockdowns and extended periods of home-learning, many churches found their relationship with their local schools disappear all together.

While social distancing measures remain in place, churches across the country are continuing to serve their local schools in new and creative ways.

Glasgow’s Pre-Loved Uniforms was formally constituted as an SCIO in March 2020, but the work started in 2017 when Donna Henderson, member at Tron St Mary’s Church of Scotland, set up a uniform bank in Balornock, Glasgow. Donna wanted desperately to make a difference in her community and with her own three boys attending the local primary school, helping support nearby families became a priority.

I know that many of us have been wrestling with the same question over these past few months. When the majority of schools aren’t welcoming outside visitors, how can we continue to support our local schools?

It’s been an unprecedented few months and as a team we’ve been reluctant to promote the work of the project during the ongoing pandemic. We know there are far greater priorities at the moment with people’s health and safety paramount.

Emma Howard shares the lasting impact a high school mentor had on her life. The relationship was strengthened when she didn't get the exam results she needed for her desired university course and with the help of her mentor she embarked on a new career path.

Paul Shane Spear famously said that “As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.” This is certainly true of Sheena Wurthmann, a member of Netherlee Parish Church, who in her role as a high school mentor has been changing lives of young people in one of the most disadvantaged communities in Glasgow.