WEEKLY NEWS
1. POPPIES White Peace Poppies and Red Poppies An opportunity to donate - available again in Church at Remembrance Time. Boxes will be in the Sanctuary on Sunday 1st November and again on Remembrance. Sunday 8 November. Please give generously. No Cash ? You could make a contactless poppy donation by phone – just be ready to scan the QR code (on the Red Poppy box) or donate via websites www.poppyscotland.org.uk - or (white poppies) to the Peace Pledge Union www.ppu.org Thank you !
2. WORSHIP DURING HEATING WORKS As mentioned the other week, we still have a couple of formal approvals to secure before starting the heating project at NT- Mayfield. Nevertheless we continue to plan for our last service of worship at Mayfield being on Sunday 15 November. [The Kirk Session agreed earlier this week that the 9.30am service will continue to be held at NT- Mayfield in the Bill McDonald hall. That will also be the location for evening communion. The 10.45am service will be held at NT-Priestfield. This service will be held at that time until Sunday 20 of December when there will be a nativity service there at 10.30am. We will be issuing information about attending services at NT-Priestfield in the next week or so. More information to follow.
3. DEATH Lorn Cowie has died. A Service of Thanksgiving will take place at Newington Trinity Mayfield on Friday 13 November at 3.00pm. An obituary can be read at: https://scottishrugby.org/news-and-features/obituary-lorn-cowie/
4. OPEN TO ALL Coffee and tea will be served in Bill McDonald Hall at the close of the Sunday service. Everyone is most welcome.
5. Services of Worship Next Sunday 9.30am All-Age Service and 10.45am Traditional Service.
6. Coffee Morning - 28th Scout Group The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts will be holding our annual Coffee Morning in the NT-Mayfield halls on Saturday 14th November from 10.30am until Noon. Please come along to meet friends and over a cup of coffee and scones. As usual, we shall be having stalls selling - Home Baking, Home Produce, Jams, Chutneys, a Raffle and a Tombola, Children’s Books, Games, Books, Toys and Children’s outdoor wear and equipment. In keeping with the retro trend, we shall also be selling Vinyl records.
7. Livestreaming The 10.30am and 10.45am morning services are streamed live on YouTube and can be viewed on either our website or YouTube page.
8. REV DR MARYANN RENNIE CONTACT DETAILS MaryAnn’s email address is
9. PASTORAL CARE If you or someone you know would like a pastoral visit or phone call please contact, Pauline Robertson DCS. Her email address is
10. CROSSREACH PERINATAL SERVICES - SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2026 CrossReach perinatal services (PNS) provide support to families with young children and those expecting a baby; the support includes counselling and infant massage. On Sunday 15 November we are having bucket collections for CrossReach PNS after the 9.30 and 10.45 services. Gift aid envelopes will be available as well as details of how to give online. Thank you.
11. Jam and chutney sale It’s that time of year again, the fruit trees are laden and we are planning to hold our popular Christian Aid jam and chutney sale after the service on Sunday 6 December. So if your thoughts turn to pickling and preserving, please consider making a little extra for our stall – we’d really appreciate it! Details of when to hand in your contributions will follow. In the meantime, if you need extra jars please help yourself from the box in the Halls entrance. We have plenty to spare! Thank you. The Christian Aid Team
12. Christmas Fairtrade StaLl on Sunday 15 November! Advent calendars, Christmas cards, Christmas decorations, in fact all things Christmasy. Lovely handbags using recycled materials, plates from Palestine, Cardigans from Peru, jewellery from India, toys & stocking fillers. For the foodies, coffee, tea, spices, cooking sauces, Kilombero rice, biscuits, and lots of chocolate!! Cash or card acceptable, and happy to take orders if you can’t be there on the 15th or there are any special requests!
13. GIFT SERVICES Sunday 29 November Two of the regular recipients of your donations I would like to highlight are Gilmerton Early Years Centre (a care service for children aged from birth to five years) and Edinburgh Women's Aid (for the children of women fleeing domestic abuse). Suitable items would be new soft toys or dressed dolls. Play doh, kinetic sand, colouring books and pens/pencils are good ideas. Duplo, boxed toy cars, bath toys and bath books are all welcome for Gilmerton where many of the attending children are aged three or under. Edinburgh Women's Aid would be grateful for Gift Vouchers (Morrison's and Sainsbury's supermarkets in particular) or cash. This enables the women in their shelters to choose appropriate items for their own children. In addition, this year Women's Aid have asked if toiletries could be included. All items should be new and alcohol cannot be placed. Wrapping paper and gift tags are welcome. Anne Graham
14. MORNING PRAYERS ON TUESDAYS We meet for prayers every Tuesday at 10.00am in the Salisbury Room opposite the Office.
15. AFTERNOON SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION ALL are warmly invited to an Afternoon Service of Holy Communion on Tuesday, 17 November at 2.30pm to be held as usual in the Bill McDonald Hall. Revd Dr. MaryAnn Rennie will officiate and so it will be an opportunity to meet her over a cup of tea afterwards. This will be the last Afternoon Service for 2026 and everyone involved is thanked most sincerely for arrangements, lifts, preparing and serving teas and for welcomes. More information in the October/November issue of NT NEWS Magazine page 16.
16. THURSDAY CLUB Next meeting is this Thursday 12 November at 2.00pm: Bill McDonald Hall NT-Mayfield with Jackie Sangster – Art Deco Days. All welcome. For more details contact Deirdre Eustace 07785 301 182.
17. Foodbank Thank You: Many thanks for all the generous donations - a whole carload! - brought for the Foodbank on Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday. The store-room shelves are now groaning with the weight of these and similar harvest donations from the other NCT churches. What a blessing! Thank you for remembering the needs of others in our community.
18. Labyrinth Looking for peace in a world of turmoil? Polwarth Church invite you to their next Labyrinth drop-in session, at Polwarth Church Sanctuary on Thursday 12 November from 7.00pm to 9.00pm. The ancient Christian practice of walking the Labyrinth can calm the mind and bring peace to the soul.
19. St Andrew's Day Service A St Andrew's Day Evening of Prayer will be held at St Columba's RC Church, 9 Upper Gray Street, on Monday 30 November at 6.00pm. We are invited to attend, along with other NCT churches. Refreshments will follow.
20. VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
i) Wanted Drivers During the heating works and while we worship at the Priestfield site, it may be that there will be additional requests for a lift on a Sunday morning (for 10.45/10.30am services). Can you help? Even temporarily? Ideally you would only drive once a month if sufficient offers are made. Let me know : Diana Tudhope 07831 835879
ii) The Welcome Team would very much appreciate a few extra volunteers both to keep the team up to strength and to help as we move out for the heating project and they look to increase their numbers. If you can help please contact Honey Ballantine.
iii) Sunday Refreshment Rota would appreciate some new hands. If you can help please contact Susan Wooding
21. PRAISE AND PRAYER (12 November) This small group meets every two weeks at Newington Trinity - Priestfield. Anyone is welcome to join others for this time of prayer from 7.30pm until about 9.00pm. Do check the Newington Trinity website calendar for any changes.
22. FLOWERS IN CHURCH The rota from 18 October to Easter 2027 is now available if folks would like to donate/ arrange or distribute flowers. To donate, arrange or help distribute flowers, please contact Carole Stiff or Pauline Robertson DCS. The flower diary covers the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.
23. LADIES BADMINTON We meet every Tuesday afternoon from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Newington Trinity Mayfield. This activity has been going for over 40 years. We need new members. If interested contact Anne Aithie
24. ECO tip For everybody who has children or grandchildren who are keen on LEGO (it's plastic but not single use!) in the run up to Christmas it is helpful to know that webuybricks.co.uk purchases old preloved Lego, sorts, cleans and resells at a fraction of the price of new. It's early to be talking about Christmas but many like to plan ahead.
25. ANNUAL LEAVE
- Boyd is away 12 to 16 November inclusive.
- MaryAnn is on leave 16 to 23 November inclusive but is conducting the afternoon worship on 17 November.
- Pauline Robertson will be on leave 23 to 29 November inclusive
26. Christian Aid Harvest collection We are grateful to everyone who contributed to our recent collection, which raised an excellent total of £1,562. With your help, Christian Aid can support people in countries like South Sudan to respond and adapt to the climate crisis. A huge Thank You from the CA team!
27. Invitation: Uniting for Peace and Friendship Service In a world often marked by conflict and division, the annual Uniting for Peace and Friendship service stands as a beacon of light, hope, and community strength.
On behalf of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, we cordially invite you to join us for this inspiring gathering, bringing together Scotland’s diverse faith and cultural communities to celebrate unity, stand against hate, and promote peace.
Wednesday 11 November 7.00pm to 8.30pm at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh.
28. OFFERINGS Thank you to those who have responded so far to the stewardship season in relation to regular giving. It would help considerably with the administration if you were able to complete the relevant form online that The link is available on our website at: www.newingtontrinity.org/give
This will record your current giving, any changes you intend to make or if you are giving for the first time. You will still need to instruct your bank as necessary but will help Sean McKenna considerably with overseeing contributions and, where appropriate gift aid. Many thanks.
Regular Donations To set up or alter your regular donations please visit the link on the church website: www.newingtontrinity.org/give Alternatively, please contact our Freewill Offerings Treasurer, Sean McKenna, for more information:
One-Off Donations One-off donations are still possible online at this link:
www.give.net/20311853 Alternatively, please contact our Treasurer, Charles Garland, for more information:
Bible Readings
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide
Forthcoming Deadlines
Order of Service: Thursday at 10.00am
Parish Magazine: Friday 27 November at 6.00pm
www.newingtontrinity.org CCLI 857881 Scottish Charity SC000785