A few words from our new Director

It amazes me sometimes how God is at work in your life in ways that are indiscernible.  Jesus described it variously as being like yeast that quietly leavens a whole lump, or a seed that lies beneath the ground until the conditions are right.

Such was the case for me in my surprising new role as Director of the Craighead Institute.  I’d never heard of Craighead until Lisa Curtice, our former Director, mentioned it to me.  After doing a little research of my own, I realised something interesting had already happened.  I'd written article, available here, for Theology in Scotland entitled ‘Community Organising and Gospel Plausibility: A missionary endeavour.’  It was an article following on from a course I prepared for The Scottish Episcopal Institute entitled Community Organising and Development.

The gist of the article is that our growth as Christians demands our engagement with the social issues of the day, effectively following James’ argument that faith without works is dead.  Serving alongside the hungry, thirsty, sick, imprisoned and strangers of the world, we are at the same time serving Christ himself.  In doing so, we recognise our own poverty and need for His sustaining grace.

This is what the Craighead Institute is all about, integrating life and faith for a more just world.  In other words, helping people make sense of what God is doing in their lives and enabling them to find a way forward with their own hurts and hopes for the world around them.

Moving forward we’re considering a number of ventures that include a new session of our most recent course, ‘Growing in faith, Living in hope, Serving in love.’  Our team of associates and I will be working with congregations in Troon to instil a sense of God’s work in their own hearts and the community around them.

The good news is that Christ has already gone ahead of us to prepare the way.  The leaven is rising, the seed is bursting.  Thanks be to God.

For interest in future courses and other Craighead initiatives, please see our website at www.craighead.org.uk 

Email contact: craigheadinstitute@gmail.com