4 Feb 2025, 13:20SM CommunicationsDundee
Scottish Mission Annual Training Day Held in Dundee
This article covers the 2025 Training Day in Dundee, where over 100 church leaders from across Scotland gathered for a day of learning, reflection, and fellowship.
This year’s Training Day took place in Dundee on Sunday, February 2, 2025, attracting over 100 church leaders from across Scotland. Held annually, the event serves as a key opportunity for leaders to come together, reflect on their journey, and prepare for the year ahead. With a dynamic programme tailored to equip participants, the day focused on providing essential knowledge and practical skills, ensuring church leaders are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the coming year.
The day began with a powerful devotional led by Pr Fitzroy Morris, who passionately emphasised the importance and transformative power of the Holy Spirit in guiding and propelling the church forward. His message underscored how the Spirit inspires growth, fosters unity, and empowers the church to fulfil its mission with clarity and purpose.
This was followed by a plenary session that focused on significant changes to Scotland’s disclosure system. Key updates included the introduction of the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme membership as a legal requirement, effective April 1, 2025. The new rule mandates that individuals in roles involving work with children (under 18) or vulnerable adults must be members of the PVG scheme. Additionally, membership will shift from a lifetime basis to a five-year renewal cycle. The PVG scheme is designed to ensure that those working with vulnerable groups are properly vetted to prevent harm. To help churches stay compliant with these changes, local disclosure clerks will assist in managing the disclosure processes for roles involving work with children.
More details on these changes can be found at Disclosure Scotland.
Following this update, Les Ackie, Director of the BUC Children, Family, and Possibilities Department, and Cathy Bouldeau, BUC Stewardship Director, delivered insightful talks on safeguarding. They emphasised the critical role of church leaders in creating safe environments where the well-being of vulnerable individuals is prioritised above all else. Both speakers highlighted the danger of organisations becoming more concerned with protecting their reputation than addressing safeguarding issues effectively. They stressed that true safeguarding requires a culture of transparency, accountability, and a commitment to prioritising the safety of children and vulnerable adults over institutional image. This, they noted, is essential for building trust within church communities and ensuring that every member feels protected and valued.
Following the plenary, attendees broke into specialised training sessions tailored to the needs of various roles, allowing for a deeper dive into the practical aspects of ministry. Sessions were held for deacons and elders, family ministries leaders, treasurers, Sabbath School leaders, church clerks, health and community ministries leaders, and women’s ministries leaders. These sessions addressed the unique responsibilities of each role while providing valuable resources to support their work.
Meanwhile, youth leaders seized the opportunity to gather and discuss plans for the year ahead, concentrating on strategies to deepen engagement and provide stronger support for young people in their faith journey.
The second half of the day featured a presentation by Dr Augustus Lawrence, BUC Evangelism Director. His talk, Doing Sabbath School in a Secular, Postmodern Culture: A Relational Insight, encouraged members to cultivate deep, personal relationships with God and with others. Dr Lawrence emphasised the importance of ethical principles in relational evangelism, stressing the need to respect the rights and dignity of every individual, regardless of their background.
Key principles highlighted included:
Accepting others without judgment
Providing a safe space for authentic self-expression, free from manipulation
Safeguarding the trust placed in us by others
Dr Lawrence also explored The Role of Caregiving in the Church, emphasising its significance within the Sabbath School context. He described caregiving as active listening, offering meaningful support, and empowering individuals to find their own solutions. Essential qualities for effective caregiving, he noted, include empathy, confidentiality, genuine warmth, and a non-judgmental attitude.
Barriers to effective relational ministry, such as feelings of inadequacy and the emotional demands of caring for others, were thoughtfully addressed. Dr Lawrence encouraged leaders to reflect, validate, empathise, and express heartfelt care, fostering a church environment rooted in acceptance, trust, and grace.
The event was marked by warm fellowship and excellent hospitality. A generous lunch, provided by Oy'Nissh Grandiece and assisted by Eduard Balasoiu from the Edinburgh church, received high praise for its quality and service.
The training day offered a vital opportunity for church leaders to come together, learn, and reflect on the challenges they face in their roles, fostering a sense of unity and reinforcing the Scottish Mission’s strategic vision: Gratefully Received, Abundantly Shared. The value of such events lies in their ability to strengthen the collective commitment to creating safer, more supportive, and spiritually vibrant church communities across Scotland, with God’s guidance and blessing.
This article covers the 2025 Training Day in Dundee, where over 100 church leaders from across Scotland gathered for a day of learning, reflection, and fellowship.
This year’s Training Day took place in Dundee on Sunday, February 2, 2025, attracting over 100 church leaders from across Scotland. Held annually, the event serves as a key opportunity for leaders to come together, reflect on their journey, and prepare for the year ahead. With a dynamic programme tailored to equip participants, the day focused on providing essential knowledge and practical skills, ensuring church leaders are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the coming year.
The day began with a powerful devotional led by Pr Fitzroy Morris, who passionately emphasised the importance and transformative power of the Holy Spirit in guiding and propelling the church forward. His message underscored how the Spirit inspires growth, fosters unity, and empowers the church to fulfil its mission with clarity and purpose.
This was followed by a plenary session that focused on significant changes to Scotland’s disclosure system. Key updates included the introduction of the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme membership as a legal requirement, effective April 1, 2025. The new rule mandates that individuals in roles involving work with children (under 18) or vulnerable adults must be members of the PVG scheme. Additionally, membership will shift from a lifetime basis to a five-year renewal cycle. The PVG scheme is designed to ensure that those working with vulnerable groups are properly vetted to prevent harm. To help churches stay compliant with these changes, local disclosure clerks will assist in managing the disclosure processes for roles involving work with children.
More details on these changes can be found at Disclosure Scotland.
Following this update, Les Ackie, Director of the BUC Children, Family, and Possibilities Department, and Cathy Bouldeau, BUC Stewardship Director, delivered insightful talks on safeguarding. They emphasised the critical role of church leaders in creating safe environments where the well-being of vulnerable individuals is prioritised above all else. Both speakers highlighted the danger of organisations becoming more concerned with protecting their reputation than addressing safeguarding issues effectively. They stressed that true safeguarding requires a culture of transparency, accountability, and a commitment to prioritising the safety of children and vulnerable adults over institutional image. This, they noted, is essential for building trust within church communities and ensuring that every member feels protected and valued.
Following the plenary, attendees broke into specialised training sessions tailored to the needs of various roles, allowing for a deeper dive into the practical aspects of ministry. Sessions were held for deacons and elders, family ministries leaders, treasurers, Sabbath School leaders, church clerks, health and community ministries leaders, and women’s ministries leaders. These sessions addressed the unique responsibilities of each role while providing valuable resources to support their work.
Meanwhile, youth leaders seized the opportunity to gather and discuss plans for the year ahead, concentrating on strategies to deepen engagement and provide stronger support for young people in their faith journey.
The second half of the day featured a presentation by Dr Augustus Lawrence, BUC Evangelism Director. His talk, Doing Sabbath School in a Secular, Postmodern Culture: A Relational Insight, encouraged members to cultivate deep, personal relationships with God and with others. Dr Lawrence emphasised the importance of ethical principles in relational evangelism, stressing the need to respect the rights and dignity of every individual, regardless of their background.
Key principles highlighted included:
Accepting others without judgment
Providing a safe space for authentic self-expression, free from manipulation
Safeguarding the trust placed in us by others
Dr Lawrence also explored The Role of Caregiving in the Church, emphasising its significance within the Sabbath School context. He described caregiving as active listening, offering meaningful support, and empowering individuals to find their own solutions. Essential qualities for effective caregiving, he noted, include empathy, confidentiality, genuine warmth, and a non-judgmental attitude.
Barriers to effective relational ministry, such as feelings of inadequacy and the emotional demands of caring for others, were thoughtfully addressed. Dr Lawrence encouraged leaders to reflect, validate, empathise, and express heartfelt care, fostering a church environment rooted in acceptance, trust, and grace.
The event was marked by warm fellowship and excellent hospitality. A generous lunch, provided by Oy'Nissh Grandiece and assisted by Eduard Balasoiu from the Edinburgh church, received high praise for its quality and service.
The training day offered a vital opportunity for church leaders to come together, learn, and reflect on the challenges they face in their roles, fostering a sense of unity and reinforcing the Scottish Mission’s strategic vision: Gratefully Received, Abundantly Shared. The value of such events lies in their ability to strengthen the collective commitment to creating safer, more supportive, and spiritually vibrant church communities across Scotland, with God’s guidance and blessing.
