WEEKLY NEWS
Volunteering
On Monday we issued the list of those appointed to the Nominating Committee. They will focus on recommending to the congregation first our parish minister and then our pioneer minister. They will be conducting their deliberations in confidence and when the time is right they will report. Many on the Nominating Committee already play a very active role in the life of the congregation. Is the anything you can do to help give them more space and time to concentrate on the vacancy process?
Over the past year I have on several occasions sought assistance from the congregation to help fill positions and I and the Kirk session are very appreciative of those who have come forward and those who continue to carry our tasks to help us function as a congregation.
In addition, to alleviating the burden on those on the Nominating Committee we still have a number of areas needing help:
The groups which oversee our activities can all do with additional input. If you feel you can contribute to the discussions that would be great. If you can take notes to record discussions that would also be very helpful. As a reminder these groups cover (with convener’s name):
• Children, Youth, Students and Families (Ailsa Garland)
• Communications (Pauline Weibye)
• Fellowship and Community (Aileen Nimmo)
• Pastoral, Care and Nurture (Pauline Robertson DCS)
• Pioneer Ministry (Diane Cross)
• Mission (Fiona Ferguson)
• Resourcing (Andrew Steven)
• Worship (Alastair MacGilchrist)
We also still have vacancies for some specific roles:
• Gift aid treasurer
• Rota organiser for the Bethany Mayfield team
If any of these areas are of interest to you please get in touch with the convener or myself. We are all busy gearing up for Christmas and I have not even started on correspondence and cards! However, as we move into the New Year any assistance you can provide would be appreciated.
God bless, Boyd
1. OPEN TO ALL Coffee and tea will be served in the Bill McDonald Hall at the close of the Sunday service. Everyone is most welcome.
2. Services of Worship Next Sunday 10.30am All-Age Service of Worship and 7.30pm A Choral Celebration of Carols for Christmas (M)
3. FUNERAL SERVICES
The funeral of Maura Harkness who passed away just two weeks after Bill, will be on Thursday 18 December. More details to follow.
Elizabeth Peploe's funeral will take place on Monday 22 December at 2.00pm at Mortonhall Main Chapel, to which all are invited. Please keep Lucy, Guy and all Elizabeth's family in your prayers.
Sadly, Willie Brownhill (Priestfied/ NT senior elder) died on 9 of December. Please keep wife Margaret, daughter Jan, daughter in law Ali and all family and friends in your prayers. Details to follow.
4. PASTORAL CARE If you or someone you know would like a pastoral visit or phone call please contact Pauline Robertson, Parish Deacon. Pauline’s email address is
5. SRI LANKA From Debbie Edirisinghe who visited us on 9 November. Dear Friends and Supporters, As Sri Lanka continues to grapple with the devastating impact of severe flooding, countless families across the country are facing unimaginable loss. In this time of urgent need, we are reaching out to our friends overseas who wish to stand with us and support our ongoing relief efforts.
Your contribution can bring immediate and meaningful assistance to those who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and access to basic essentials. Every donation helps us provide food, clean water, emergency supplies, and support the rebuilding process for families striving to recover and regain stability. If you are sending support from outside Sri Lanka, please use the link below to make your donation: From the UK: www.justgiving.com/campaign/slflood
6. Christmas Arch Preparation - 24 December at 9.30am The Christmas arches and candles will be installed on Wednesday 24 December at 9.30am. If you are able to help with this, please let William Mearns know: 0780 801 1234 or
7. Community Carol Singing - TODAY! An invitation to come and sing carols in the community after church on Sunday 14 December at 1.00pm in the garden at Nicolson Square. This annual event is arranged by Newington Churches together and is a great way to bring church to the community at Christmas, as well as to enjoy the thrill of singing with the Salvation Army band!
8. Do you have a free hour after the second service one Sunday? FLOWERS Our beautiful flower ministry is up and running again. Thanks to all who have already donated or who are about to donate and arrange flowers. What we need now is a rota of volunteers to deliver flowers from the congregation to our friends who might need cheering up. Depending on the number of volunteers the commitment would be say one hour on one Sunday every six weeks. If you are interested in helping this way please contact either Carole Stiff
9. MORNING PRAYERS ON TUESDAYS We meet for prayers every Tuesday at 10.00am in the Salisbury Room opposite the Office.
10. STAMP APPEAL Many of us will be receiving more stamps than usual through the letter-box in the coming weeks. Please remember the Church of Scotland’s World Mission Stamp Appeal, who will be grateful to receive them – just snip them off the envelopes and pop them in the red box (marked ‘STAMPS’), on the table in the Halls entrance.
The Stamp Project has been a pivotal part of World Mission Council, collecting much needed money for projects from Partner Churches around the world simply by collecting used stamps. From 1995 to 2024 an amazing total of £96,459.67 has been raised for projects such as the HIV programme and Mount Olivet Boys' home in Jamaica & Cayman Islands. Most recently, it has been supporting the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.
Sadly, the project will be coming to an end in February 2026. We will stop collecting at Newington Trinity in mid-January, in order to send off our final contribution before the end of the month. But in the meantime, please do bring us your stamps – there’s still time to make a difference to a very worthwhile cause. Thanks to everyone for their support over many years. If you have any queries, please contact Kate O’Brien at
11. YOUTH GROUP DIARY.
Sunday 14th December:
NB Family Social after the 09:30 service
6pm Annual Gingerbread Building Challenge
Tuesday 23rd December:
Involved in Christingle making (2:30pm) & Involved in leading Christingle Service 6.30pm Hot chocolate and fellowship afterwards in the Bill McDonald Hall
Details from Bettina
12. MESSY CHURCH: NATIVITY Christmas Eve 4.00pm at NT-Priestfield: All families welcome! We would like donations of clean, jam jars (lids not required) to be used and taken home by families at Messy Church on Christmas Eve. Could these be handed in to Bettina/the office by Sunday 21st December please. We would also like to borrow a free-standing clothes rail for use as a costume department on Christmas Eve. Good care will be taken! Contact Bettina for details/ help
13. THURSDAY CLUB The next meeting will be on 18 December at 2.00pm in the Bill McDonald Hall at Newington Trinity - Mayfield when the Club will have Christmas Party with Walter’s choir. The Club will resume on Thursday 8 January 2026.
14. Blessings We are planning to deliver “Blessings” again at Christmas time to those who help in the community throughout the year: doctors, dentists, posties, care homes etc. If you would like to provide a tin of sweets (tubs of e.g. Celebrations, Heroes, Roses or something similar are always well received and Sainsbury’s and Tesco sometimes have special offers at this time of year!) or a box of biscuits, please let Fiona Ferguson know, who is coordinating on behalf of the Mission Group.
15. ACCOMMODATION SOUGHT Hannah Wapenaar has a colleague who is at the end of her PhD but unfortunately has to leave her flat (her home mate in shared accommodation left, so she had to move too). Hannah has clarified that her friend has accommodation until end of December. She will only stay in Edinburgh until the end of January approximately before going home to write, so she is looking for accommodation until then. If anyone has space to host her for a month do let Hannah know. Email is easier for Hannah
16. FAMILY SOCIAL Sunday 14 December. We’re having a family social immediately after the 9.30 service on Sunday 14th. Youth and children invited with their parents / carers (and young church leaders too!) for coffee and snacks in Church House. We’ll have some games / Christmas crafts and a chance for everyone to catch up. Planning to finish around 11.30 ish. Please let Ailsa know any dietary requirements
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17. CROSSREACH PNS THANKS. The congregation raised over £1,300 for CrossReach perinatal services from the collection after the services on Sunday 16 November which was CrossReach Sunday. A huge thanks for the support which is so much appreciated by CrossReach PNS and really helps them in providing their counselling and other services.
18. CHURCH GIVING Regular and one-off donations are possible online at www.give.net/20311853 or scan one of the QR codes throughout the building. Alternatively, please contact our Freewill Offerings Treasurer, Hugh Somerville on 0131 466 2446 or by email at
Forthcoming Deadlines
Order of Service: Thursday at 10.00am
Next Parish Magazine: Friday 23 January 2026 at 6.00pm
www.newingtontrinity.org Scottish Charity SC000785
