May
7 May: Kirk Session Meeting in Fossoway Church at 7.30pm.
April
23 April: meeting of the united congregation in Kinross Church at 7.30pm to elect the nominating committee whose task it will be to find the second full-time minister for the Kinross-shire Team.
9 April: Kirk Session Meeting in Kinross Church
After a respectful and open debate, the Kinross-shire Kirk Session voted to remain with the historic and current position of the Church of Scotland on questions of human sexuality.
March
19 March: Kirk Session Meeting in Kinross Church
The Kirk Session updated the membership roll and welcomed four new members and a new adherent. Young people are to be encouraged to be on the electoral roll and to be put forward for the Nominating Committee for the vacancy of a second minister for the new parish.
• Parish Profile: A group was appointed to prepare a Parish Profile for the vacancy.
• Cleish Manse: A group was appointed to inspect the manse for the vacancy.
• Edicts: The Congregation has since been read these Edicts, relating to a decision to be taken by the Kirk Session on 9 April on Ministers in Civil Partnership or Same-sex Marriage and a Congregational Meeting on Wednesday, 23rd April at 7.30pm in Kinross Church to elect a Nominating Committee of thirteen.
• Finance: A Finance group and convener were approved.
• Grant: Presbytery has awarded us £800 towards printing and distributing a leaflet about the new united congregation.
• Church Buildings: Cleish and Portmoak churches have been surveyed for valuation purposes.
• Elders: Active Elders are to confirm with the Session Clerk which teams they wish to be part of: Worship & Discipleship; Youth & Families; Fellowship & Pastoral; Outreach & Community; Service (with sub groups for Admin & Comms, Finance, and Property). These groups will report to the Kirk Session. Elders on the Kirk Session are also the Trustees under charity law.
February
26 February - Presbytery Advisory Committee meeting with the Kirk Session. Meeting of the Kirk Session with the three representatives of the Presbytery appointed to advise us in the search for the second full-time minister in the parish. The Rev Mairi Perkins from the parish of Ardoch and Blackford, the Rev Fraser Penny, minister of Dunkeld Cathedral, and Mr Ed Morton, an elder from St Ninian's Old Parish Church in Stirling who is also the depute Presbytery Clerk, will journey with us through the vacancy process. This initial meeting will help the Kirk Session to create a parish profile which will be used in advertising for the new minister and also to ensure that we are on top of the formal processes, including the drawing up of an electoral roll and the election of a nominating committee that is representative of the congregation.
January 2025
30 January - Kirk Session Meeting, Orwell Church
New Structure: Progress was made on a new governance structure of a smaller Kirk Session, of around 12 members meeting regularly and acting as the formal Trustees, and a wider ‘eldership’ of all active elders meeting four times a year. A suggested structure is to be submitted to Presbytery and the church’s law department.
New Teams: The work of the church will be divided into five teams reporting to the Kirk Session: Worship and Discipleship; Youth and Families; Fellowship and Pastoral; Outreach and Community; Service (with Administration and Communication, Finance, and Property sub-groups). These teams will be led by elders but open to all interested members.
Worship Arrangements: Sunday Worship at 9.45am at Fossoway, 10.30am at Kinross, and 10.30am at Orwell. Songs of Praise at Portmoak 3pm on last Sunday of month; service at Cleish at 11.15am on first Sunday of month. All to be reviewed in June.
Vacancy: Rev Beverly Stevenson, currently Locum and Interim Moderator at Cleish and Fossoway, is retiring in February. Presbytery has appointed Rev Marc Prowe as Interim Moderator to oversee the process of filling the vacancy of charge B in Kinross-shire Parish Church. A locum will be sought meantime. The next steps will happen soon: a Presbytery advisory committee, updating the congregational roll, electing a Nominating Committee and approving a Parish Profile.
26 January - Songs of Praise at Portmoak Church from 3 - 4.30pm.
25 January - Praying in the Parish, Kinross Church, 7am - 7pm
News from the Kirk Session Meeting held on 11 January
Positions: Interim Session Clerk - Jaffrey Weir; Treasurer – Linda Stewart; Safeguarding Coordinator - Cara Chalmers; Interim Roll Keeper: Anne Miller.
2025 Budget - approved. Expected deficit - £30,000.
Worship: Sunday Services: Fossoway - 9.45am, Kinross - 10.30am, Orwell - 10.30am. Portmoak - Songs of Praise at 3pm, last Sunday of the month (aimed at the whole new congregation). Arrangements for Cleish and Arngask to be decided.
Ministerial Vacancy (Charge B): Rev Beverley Stevenson is Interim Moderator of the Nominating Committee. Members of the 13-person Committee will be sought.
Kirk Session: The Kirk Session comprises all the active elders of the previous congregations. and next meets on 30 January. Going forward, the intention is to have a smaller formal Kirk Session as the body recognised by OSCR as charity trustees.
9 January - Service of Union for the new Kinross-shire Parish Church, Thursday 7pm in Kinross Church, conducted by Presbytery.
5 January - United Communion Service, 11am at Fossoway Church.