# data[].attributes.body
How does Alpha work? What do I need to do to get started? Learn everything about Alpha and how to run it. Access resources and keep up to date with training opportunities...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scotland — Alpha UK - Stay Curious. Try Alpha.

# data[].attributes.body
Soul Food teams provide hot, delicious and freshly prepared meals while also offering some respite and support to anyone dealing with the challenges of homelessness, poverty or loneliness. There are opportunities to volunteer at an existing meal or could you even think about hosting your own meal...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Freshly prepared delicious hot meals | Soul Food Edinburgh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Soul Food Edinburgh is more than a meal. We provide hot, delicious and freshly prepared meals while also offering respite and support to anyone dealing with the challenges of homelessness, poverty or loneliness.

# data[].attributes.body
Edinburgh City Mission delivers a programme of ministries in partnership with churches in Edinburgh, stimulating community-engaged transformation across Edinburgh.

Programmes include The Care Van, 5 Foodbanks+, a Clothesbank+, Salaam refugee and asylum seeker support work, Nations, An Open Hand toy delivery service and Two’s Company Befriending for older people, and more...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home : We want to see the people of Edinburgh flourishing, communities thriving, the church mobilised and God glorified.

# data[].attributes.body
Fresh Start is an Edinburgh based charity helping people who have experienced homelessness establish themselves in their new home, through the provision of goods and services.

In partnership with volunteers and organisations from a broad section of the community Fresh Start seeks to deliver a range of services providing the practical and social support people need to resettle successfully.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
✨✨DONATIONS UPDATE - 18th March ✨✨

We are delighted that from Tuesday, 6th April, we will be able to accept donations again!

The warehouse will be open Monday - Thursday from 9-4pm but remain closed on a Friday for the time being.

Please only donate items that we can use in our packs, as we are unable to accept other items and it then costs us money to dispose of goods we cannot use.

Please adhere to social distancing when dropping off goods and wear a face covering (unless exempt).

We look forward to seeing you all!

Welcome to Fresh Start. If you've heard about us because you've recently moved into a new tenancy after being homeless, please get in touch with us to hear how we can help you.

We can provide support with decorating, a cooker, employment support, cooking classes and growing space volunteering - just call us on 0131 476 7741 or email admin@freshstartweb.org.uk for more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Helping People Make A Home For Themselves - Fresh Start

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The warehouse will be open Monday - Thursday from 9-4pm but remain closed on a Friday for the time being. Please only donate items that we can use in our packs, as we are unable to accept other items and it then costs us money to dispose of goods we cannot use.

# data[].attributes.body
Bethany is a national charity based in Edinburgh which is dedicated to ending homelessness in Scotland. Their mission is to relieve the suffering and meet the long term needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland. To do this they partner with communities, churches, organisations, local and national government, to offer tailored support and services.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bethany Christian Trust, Edinburgh. 7,142 likes · 147 talking about this · 83 were here. Ending homelessness in Scotland, one person at a time.

# data[].attributes.body
Cairn is a network of missional practitioners working together to see a vibrant Christian community in every location and network in Scotland and Ireland.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A network of Church Planters, Church Leaders and Missional Practitioners

# data[].attributes.body
Eco-Congregation is a faith-based movement supporting congregations across Scotland to care for the environment, in worship, in practical action and in advocacy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christian environmental charity addressing climate change and conservation.

# data[].attributes.body
CrossReach offers loving care to people of all ages who are in need of a helping hand, supporting them to live life to the full whatever their circumstances. They work hard to understand the needs of the people who turn to them for help and with them have been at the forefront of pioneering services which have literally changed thousands of lives for the better.

They are one of the largest care providers in Scotland, with experience across a broad range of services but are still growing, learning and improving, thanks to the incredible people they have the privilege to support, and all those who support their work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to our resources page.

There are so many ways you can support our work, whether volunteering, spreading the word or praying for us. Here you can find all sorts of useful information and tools to support you in these tasks.

If you can't find what you're looking for, please let us know by emailing info@crossreach.org.uk or calling 0131 657 2000.
Church of Scotland website

Please support us

Are you able to help CrossReach again at this most crucial time? You can set up a regular donation or make a one off donation below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to our resources page. There are so many ways you can support our work, whether volunteering, spreading the word or praying for us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The lady seemed overly surprised and beyond happy that someone had come to her door. Our friend had arrived, with flowers. The lady said "Thank you so much for remembering me, on my birthday", and shared that no one else had come to see her. Our friend had no idea it was her birthday. But God did. When our friend had asked God earlier that day, whom He wanted her to be in touch with, it is no surprise that He pointed this lady out. What a day they both had! There was no coincidence here; our friend is trying a practice called Acorn.

Acorn is a movement that seeks to connect Christians with the work God is doing in others through caring conversation. Acorn does this through missional discipleship, by involving some Christian friends and sending them out to try the acronym A-C-O-R-N;

sk - 'Lord, is there anyone beyond the church You want me to connect with today?'
When God alls and reveals a person for us to get alongside,
we simply bey and follow through by contacting them in any way appropriate.
We then just ask the person "How are you?" God is already there, with the other. Our job is to find out what God is doing and join God in that conversation. God then reveals deeper hurts, desires and opening for the Gospel.
Christians then frequently gather to disciple and encourage each other by;
eporting what God has been doing in and through them, and by
oticing together what God is up to and doing in the other person.
Christians are then encouraged to mentor other Christian friends in this way of life.

Michael Harvey, initiator of 'Back to Church Sunday', has developed this practice and many Christian lives are being changed and invigorated, instigating well over 12,000 God conversations in Scotland in 2021. Acorn is helping them in their lives, to put God in charge, to put mission first, to be faithful and fruitful.

The General Assembly in 2021 urged churches to try this practice. One of our elders saw a webinar and was so impressed with the positivity and passion, she wanted to try it too. A year later, she has become more confident in herself, more convicted in her faith and more committed to Jesus and His mission. She has started a group and is telling others. People in her church are starting to see the change in her.

Another participant shares: "On Tuesday, God gave me the name of my next-door neighbour who was in hospital. He repeated her name on Wednesday. On Thursday, I thought, 'I'll get my kids to write a card', which by Friday evening had not happened. On Saturday again, God revealed her name while I procrastinated further. On Sunday, my wife said, 'Guess whose birthday it was yesterday?' My heart sank. On Monday the hospital released the neighbour, and the belated flowers were warmly welcomed.

What did I learn? I learned that God knows people deeply, and loves them profoundly. He sent His son to prove it. So, when He calls me to obey, love will always be the underlying motive and when I do, I will be better off. I have a lot to learn, for my sake, my neighbours' sake, and the sake of His Kingdom."

Paul Haringman, Mission development worker in Inverness shares: "Honestly, in 17 years of missional work in the Church of Scotland I have not seen anything as effective and powerful as Acorn. It has transformed me. I cannot wait to see churches starting to adopt this practice at large."

Want to try it? Contact Rob Rawson, rrawson@churchofscotland.org.uk or Paul Haringman Paulharingman.mission@gmail.com

Back to Bulletins

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Acorn, the simplest way of following God in mission - Ascend

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The lady seemed overly surprised and beyond happy that someone had come to her door. Our friend had arrived, with flowers. The lady said "Thank you so much for remembering me, on my birthday", and shared that no one else had come to see her. Our friend had no idea it was her birthday.

# data[].attributes.headline
Scottish Action for Refugees - Resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Scottish Action for Refugees - Resources

# data[].attributes.body
SFAR provides a guide for Scottish faith groups called Sanctuary in Scotland.  The guide includes facts and figures, definitions, current issues and ideas for practical action by faith communities in Scotland.

Other publications available...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees » Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our guide for Scottish faith groups is called Sanctuary in Scotland [PDF: 3.8 MB]. Re-published in autumn 2020 by Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees, this booklet is now available for free download. Includes facts and figures, definitions, current issues and ideas for practical action by faith communities in Scotland. It is part-funded by the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

# data[].attributes.body
Try Praying is a resource that enables people to share their faith, churches to do mission and groups of churches to work together.

# data[].attributes.body
Seeking to educate, encourage and support volunteers, health and social care workers, members of faith communities and other agencies to increase their understanding of spiritual care and issues around ageing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Faith in Older People – Enabling a better understanding of the importance of the spiritual dimension to the well-being of older people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enabling a better understanding of the importance of the spiritual dimension to the well-being of older people

# data[].attributes.headline
Scottish Bible Society - Share the Bible

# data[].attributes.subject
Scottish Bible Society - Share the Bible

# data[].attributes.body
Let us partner with you as you take God’s Word to your community. Whether you want to share the Bible with your neighbour, children, friends, your own church, or with people around the world we can provide you with the resources to do it with confidence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Resources

/ Share the Bible - Testimonies

The Bible is a book to be shared.
We want to equip as many individuals and churches as possible so that they can share the Bible in their own communities.
If you want to share the Bible with people in your church, with your youth group, with your neighbour, or your family, we want to support you.

We've created four films, exploring four reasons why the Bible needs to be shared. They're available for you to download and share for free.

© 2025 The Scottish Bible Society
Scottish Charity No. SC010767
Registered Office: 7 Hampton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5XU, United Kingdom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Share the Bible - Testimonies | Resources

# data[].attributes.body
Imagine your church being a place where people receive not only spiritual encouragement but also trusted health care advice and compassionate support. That’s the vision of parish nursing—a registered nurse working with your church to offer whole-person care: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Parish Nursing Ministries UK enables local churches and Christian organisations to empower nurses in the local context, enhancing whole person healthcare in communities.

# data[].attributes.body
Christians Against Poverty has been providing free professional debt help through local churches across the UK since 1996.

We recognise that the UK is made up of four unique nations that each have their own culture, government and policies.

In Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales we have teams working to advocate for the unique needs of each nation. These teams have developed a deep understanding of the differing laws, policies and procedures, and this ensures we can tailor our services and resources to best serve these contexts.

# data[].attributes.body
Edinburgh Street Pastors have been sharing God’s love by listening, caring and helping on the streets of Scotland’s capital since 2009. When the opportunity arises we share the Good News of the Gospel to a city in need of the truth that is Jesus Christ. We currently have teams going out each Friday and three Saturdays per month. We can be found in all areas of the city centre including around the Omni Centre, Cowgate, Grassmarket, Princes Street, George Street, talking to and assisting folk to help them stay safe and happy, sometimes when they are at their most vulnerable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our lead partner Ascension Trust, is a Christian inter-denominational organisation with a passion to empower individuals to work together within their local community and nation, to contribute positively to society and to improve the quality of life of the disadvantaged and vulnerable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our lead partner Ascension Trust, is a Christian inter-denominational organisation with a passion to empower individuals to work together within their local community and nation, to contribute positively to society and to improve the quality of life of the disadvantaged and vulnerable.

# data[].attributes.body
Resources to help you discover what God is doing in your church and community and equip you to develop your plans to be a transforming presence for good.

COMMERCE • COMPASSION • CONGREGATION • CULTURE

Focusing on the idea of Christian hope, of mission, and the future of the Church.

Emphasising the need for the Church to move beyond nostalgia and anxiety about its declining influence and to embrace a dynamic, forward-looking faith.

Advocating for the Church to reclaim its confidence in God’s abundance and the transformative power of the Gospel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HeartEdge - Catalysing Kingdom Communities

# data[].attributes.body
Different and more varied ways of being church are central to Fresh Expressions. Thinking afresh about church is a mission priority. To re-imagine church requires a clear picture of what church is. What can change and what has to stay the same?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A movement of mission-shaped communities Connecting Networking Calling Equipping ordinary people to form new Christian communities with our extraordinary God. "A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Research and resources to encourage and equip you to be Talking Jesus

Don’t go into faith conversations blind. Discover research into the state of faith in the UK, and evangelism tools and resources based on the findings, to effectively reach people for Jesus in today’s cultural context.

# data[].attributes.body
Sparking conversations and exploring life-changing ideas around the big and not-so-big questions of life. We are a Christian charity that helps people of all ages discover how to live well and find meaning and purpose in life.

Discover how our resources make a difference in a wide range of contexts, and see some top recommendations for what might work well for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspiring people to find life in all its fulness. We are a Christian charity that helps people of all ages discover how to live well and find meaning and purpose in life.

# data[].attributes.body
A selection of training and events designed to help you as you look to support children and families, including, mental health awareness and an introduction to trauma informed support..

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We want to empower you with the best possible training as we work together to make sure that no one feels alone.

# data[].attributes.body
Brendan Research specialises in statistical, qualitative and geographical analysis for Christian organisations and denominations so they can take confident steps in a changing world.

We seek out existing data, and identify the areas we need to survey. Whether quantitative, qualitative or geographic, we bring data to find answers to your questions.

We delve into the data - we visualise, map, test, summarise. We find answers to your questions with expert cross-disciplinary methodology.

We share what we have learned in creative ways. From infographics and dashboards through to summary reports and technical documents, we communicate effectively for your audience.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At Brendan Research, combining statistics and Christian mission is a passion and a talent

# data[].attributes.body
Working Together

As a neutral facilitator, ROC’s role, when invited by a specific community, is to raise awareness of the existing groups and schemes within the area and help all involved to get to know each other and affirm the good work already underway. We train, equip and resource local volunteers to address the specific issues impacting their areas, enabling them to become change agents helping to restore the fabric of their communities. As pioneers in community engagement for over 20 years, we work to ensure that local solutions and challenges are brought to the attention of decision makers at regional and national levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In response to recent riots and protests across the UK, Redeeming Our Communities and Welcome Churches have joined together to launch the 'Finding the Peace' initiative.

ROC (Redeeming Our Communities) empowers local people of goodwill to work together for safer, stronger communities

Our Vision

Our dream is to foster safer, kinder and more resilient communities with a sense of shared ownership by facilitating community engagement and collaboration.

In every locality, the majority of people share an unspoken aspiration: to live in a safe, strong and kind community. Many groups are working hard to deliver projects that help to address specific needs such as providing positive activities for young people, befriending for lonely people, mentoring for families in distress, practical support with food, clothing and household tasks. The surprising fact is that, in many cases, there is a lack of awareness of the good work being done and little communication between everyone. This means that many projects are under-resourced and even competing with each other.

As a neutral facilitator, ROC's role, when invited by a specific community, is to raise awareness of the existing groups and schemes within the area and help all involved to get to know each other and affirm the good work already underway. We train, equip and resource local volunteers to address the specific issues impacting their areas, enabling them to become change agents helping to restore the fabric of their communities. As pioneers in community engagement for over 20 years, we work to ensure that local solutions and challenges are brought to the attention of decision makers at regional and national levels.

At the core of all our activity is a structured, year-long community engagement programme, the highlight of which is a dynamic, interactive event that overflows with energy and vision and provides a launch-pad for exciting new collaborative work. Click below for a sample of the event.

Transforming Communities

All our community projects have been developed and funded from the resulting ROC Conversation in the community that it has taken place in.

ROC Café

A ROC Café is a safe, fun place for young people to come and build relationships and receive support from positive adult role models.

The FUSE

A community hub which houses a number of projects under one roof. The Centre is locally owned and locally managed.

ROC Wellbeing

Creating spaces, programmes and supports that cultivate positive mental health in people and communities.

ROC Angels

ROC Angels support young people at night-time events and festivals. The project helps to enhance safety, health and wellbeing whilst reducing antisocial behaviour and violent crime.

We're really pleased to share some great news for Peterborough... There is fresh momentum building across Peterborough as Redeeming Our Communities (ROC) continues its work to strengthen local connections and empower community-led change. Caroline Hutchings has stepped...

read more

We're delighted to announce that Geoff Baxter OBE is joining ROC as our new Executive Director, leading on business development. Geoff brings extensive experience from a distinguished career across the charity and faith sectors. He is the founder of Reflex Prison...

read more

Job Title: ROC Community Action Group Coordinator Organisation: ROC Peterborough Location: Peterborough Type: 1 Year Appointment with a 3 Month Trial Period Salary: £25,000 FTE; part time post 1 to 1.5 days p.w. negotiable Expressions of interest to -...

read more

We're really pleased to share some great news for Peterborough... There is fresh momentum building across Peterborough as Redeeming Our Communities (ROC) continues its work to strengthen local connections and empower community-led change. Caroline Hutchings has stepped...

read more

We're delighted to announce that Geoff Baxter OBE is joining ROC as our new Executive Director, leading on business development. Geoff brings extensive experience from a distinguished career across the charity and faith sectors. He is the founder of Reflex Prison...

read more

Job Title: ROC Community Action Group Coordinator Organisation: ROC Peterborough Location: Peterborough Type: 1 Year Appointment with a 3 Month Trial Period Salary: £25,000 FTE; part time post 1 to 1.5 days p.w. negotiable Expressions of interest to -...

read more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ROC Redeeming Our Communities | The Community Engagement Charity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ROC empowers local people of goodwill to work together for safer, stronger communities. Our dream is to transform the whole nation from the grassroots through our unique Asset-Based Community Development programme.

# data[].attributes.body
Are you a church leader looking for ways to connect to and support the lonely in your community?

We’ve seen befriending make a profound difference not only to those being supported, but also to the volunteers who offer their time. Linking Lives UK helps local charities, churches, and organisations establish and run befriending schemes that promote inclusion, connection, wellbeing, and improved health for people who might otherwise experience loneliness or social isolation. Our adaptable model can be delivered through telephone befriending, home visits, or meeting in community spaces such as coffee shops.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are you a church leader looking for ways to reach the lonely in your community? Find out how Linking Lives UK can help you.

# data[].attributes.body
This report explores new young adult journeys to the Church of England, drawing on the stories of thirty individuals aged 18–30 who began attending an Anglican church for the first time in the five years following the Covid-19 pandemic. These journeys begin from a place of distance from Christianity, frequently including phases of New Atheism or alternative spiritualities. Online content commonly sparked initial curiosity, through social media, Christian influencers, podcasts, or passing references to the Bible. For many, this curiosity develops into a period of active exploration, marked by independent reading, research, and engagement with Christian ideas and scripture. For others, the move is more immediate, emerging through a sense of calling or in response to challenging personal circumstances