June 2023

A joint Kirk Session Conference of the Kinross-shire Parish Grouping was held on Wednesday 14 June in Orwell Church. It was a stimulating discussion about how we set our priorities for working together in the years ahead. We were very deliberately talking not about how to reorganise church structures but about how we build relationships across the community and be available to God in growing the Kingdom. In that context we spoke about how we can exhibit humility, generosity, courage and authenticity in our life as disciples of Jesus. If we are not simply to continue to accept the decline that has characterised the church over the last half century the more we need to begin by looking to see where God is already at work without us in the wider community and listening for what God is saying to us through that. It was a small but significant journey in our shared life as local churches, but it will require every single one of us to be listening and sharing what we hear in the coming months and years and being prepared to go where the Holy Spirit may lead us.
 

May 2023

The new Presbytery of Perth met and approved the amended Mission Plans for the old presbyteries of Perth, Dunkeld & Meigle. These will now go back to the Church of Scotland for approval. In Kinross-shire, the amended plan clarifies the route towards the end-point of a single Kinross-shire Parish with a team of two full-time equivalent ministers. This proposes an interim stage of Kinross uniting with Orwell & Portmoak and Arngask, and Cleish uniting with Fossoway. Our Session Clerk, Jaffrey Weir spoke on our behalf. He drew attention not only to our specific concern at the burden on a Kinross minister during the interim stage but of the more general impact on ministers of the proposed changed throughout the Presbytery. He also raised the need for congregations to be able to use funds from property sales more easily for mission and support purposes rather than being restricted to fabric and building improvements. Both these points struck a chord with others.

 

April 2023

Joint Easter Sunday Service at the Loch

 

1 January 2023

Inaugural Kinross-shire Parish Grouping New Year Service hosted in Orwell Church

 

November 2022

Each of the four congregations voted unanimously in favour of the proposal

 

September 2022

Joint conference of the Kirk Sessions of Cleish, Fossoway, Kinross, Orwell & Portmoak met to discuss the 11-point proposal forming the Kinross-shire Parish Grouping. All four Kirk Sessions unanimously voted for the proposal.