The World Church Committee is Reid Memorial’s response to changing and challenging international situations, operating under the Church of Scotland World Mission Council’s aim to participate effectively in God’s worldwide mission with partner churches.

The Reid World Church Committee currently comprises Lindsay Wood, Hazel Melrose, Elizabeth Clark, Stevie Douglas, Alison Macleod and David White. They organise profile-raising and fund-raising initiatives, bringing overseas needs to our church, and vice-versa.

Having assumed the office of Session Clerk in January 2017, Elizabeth stood down as Convener at our February meeting, and David was elected to replace her; we’re very grateful to Elizabeth for all the work she has done in leading the Committee

The World Church Committee meets regularly, the Committee supports a fortnightly Fair Trade Goods stall, the annual Christian Aid Week collection, and regular Overseas Sunday events.

Last year our initiatives have included:

A stamp collection in aid of World Mission Council’s initiative to support an eco-spirituality centre in southern India, promoting vital and ecological innovation for sustainable living. We continued our appeal to the congregation for used postage stamps over Christmas to post in the collection box at the back of the church to further support this pioneering venture.

Let Us Build a House, which across Scotland has raised over £220,000, literally to rebuild communities in Nepal after the devastating earthquake in April last year. Over £1,000 of this money (at least two houses’-worth) came from Reid Memorial collections – half of it from Sunday Club, who advertised the initiative with a fun song and dance last year.

Christian Aid Week, which raised a wonderful £1,675 in May last year to help support those struggling to survive in the world’s poorest communities.

Our Malawi Emergency Appeal, which gained only a low media profile, raised £157 in August last year, matched by the Scottish Government.

Overseas Sunday, on 20th November, which continued our appeal last year for support for James Gillespie’s High School’s annual trips to its partner schools in South Africa, where school life is very different from Scotland. We were honoured to welcome the school’s Head Teacher, Donald Macdonald, whose presentations alongside Zoë from the Reid, helped make the day a great success. Following this, a highly successful appeal was made for funds and donated items for the three South African partner schools.

The Blythswood Care Shoebox Appeal, which received 7,643 shoeboxes from Edinburgh alone in November, packed with gifts for children and adults across eastern Europe and southern Asia who faced poverty over the winter. Many of the volunteers who processed the boxes and gifts were from this church and Craigmillar Park.

The committee would like to thank our congregation so much for their continued generous response to our initiatives: we will continue to work hard for those overseas who need our support.