Church Sees Changing Society as an Opportunity, Not a Threat

In its report to the General Assembly, the Church of Scotland's Ministries Council will highlight the challenges facing the Church but also say that the Church is presented with a "unique opportunity to evolve and develop a pro-active vision for the 21st century" in the face of an ever-changing Scottish society.

One such challenge facing the Church of Scotland is the rapid growth in the number of new large housing developments across Scotland, often situated on the edge of towns.

While research has found that the majority of people living in Scotland believe in God, many established churches have found themselves detached from the growing number of families who are now moving to these housing developments.

To address this problem the Church of Scotland's Emerging Ministries Task Group has been established to develop worshipping communities that are accessible to all.

The Ministries Council report will also reveal plans to establish a Local Ordained Ministry to identify and authorise people locally who have gifts for the ministry.

The focus of a Local Ordained Ministry would be that of conducting worship, preaching and the administration of sacraments.

The Ministries Council will also report to the Assembly of their continued support for the Support Group For Ministry Among Deaf People which has seen local churches provide signed interpretation for services and for sermons and prayers to be made available in print form.

The council believes that future long-term planning is "essential" for effective ministering to the deaf community including training some ministers in British sign language.