The following areas of ministry have been or continue to be pursued:

A proposal to commence a food bank is being discussed in the church although no final decision has been made as yet. A Carrubbers team has commenced serving with the Street Café in the Cowgate. This is in partnership with other churches and runs on the third Friday of each month

At the Parliament, we are represented at Parliamentary Prayer Scotland –the Prayer Gatherings at the Parliament take place every 6 months. Two days of prayer for the Scottish Referendum was organised and held at Carrubbers in partnership with Parliamentary Prayer Scotland just prior to the referendum vote.

We continue to work with Edinburgh City Council. The church has met with all our local councillors for the area and have had discussions with them regarding its role in the community. The issues raised included the possibility of the Council’s sale of Trinity Apse. It seems that due to the trust deeds it is very difficult for the Council to dispose of this building even though it is only used for about four weeks every year. A representative of the church also meets with the City Council Prayer Fellowship once a month to pray for the city.

The church is part of the email community, “Royal Mile Neighbourhood Partnership” who liaise on issues relating to the Royal Mile and is part of the Edinburgh Churches for Sanctuary who have been lobbying the Council to accept refugees from Syria.

The church has a good relationship with the manager of the Fountainbridge Court which is a sheltered housing facility. A Christmas carol service was held for the residents there in December.

Carrubbers is part of the Old Town Clergy Community. This informal group meets every six months for a time of discussion and an opportunity to learn what others are doing in our community.

In partnership with Bethany Christian Trust, the church hosted the winder Night Shelter on three occasions for three nights each time providing essential shleter to those in need in our city.

The Carrubbers Arts Group is newly formed informal fellowship for those interested in the Arts and involves discussion on how the Christian faith can be communicated through this medium.

The church seeks to connect with local businesses every few months using the café as a bridge. The church has also connected with the wider business community through “Business Matters” and we have held discussions regarding how we could partner in better serving the business community. The first City Prayer Breakfast was held at Central Church with a view to having a regular City Prayer Breakfast and Carrubbers has been offered as a possible venue for the future

There is a growing interest in the international community and in International Minstry at Carrubbers and and we are keen to explore how to serve this community better. In particular we are keen to develop work with the Chinese and Nigerian communities in Edinburgh.

The Community Engagement umbrellan also covers:

Discovery Programme – this continues to meet twice per week on a Tuesday and Thursday and seeks to share the Good News of Jesus with people in the community who have challenges in their lives.

Summer Festival Programme – the church runs a series of shows at 65 High Street during the Festival and seeks to share in a relevant why the message of Jesus with the Festival community. This programme also includes a free Children’s Puppet show sharing in a relevant way the message of the Christian faith.

Edinburgh International Outreach – the church hosts in partnership with Friends International a café each Monday evening plus one month of extensive events focused on International students – this is during the month of July.

City Tots – this is an opportunity for the church to serve mums and children in the community and meets once per week on a Wednesday.

Carrubbers Café – this is a major connection for the church to the community through serving wholesome and competitively priced meals. The café uses a number of volunteers who have significant challenges and would not otherwise obtain employment. During the past year an extensive renovation of the Café was carried out in order to better serve the community.

Sunday Free Breakfast Service – the church serves a free breakfast every Sunday of the year – around 50 people, a number who have slept overnight in the streets, attend this service.

The Celtic Tour - the church partners with Christian Heritage Edinburgh as they provide a service to visitors to Edinburgh seeking to understand some of the significant history of the Christian faith that took place on the Royal Mile. The Tour finishes at the Carrubbers Café with a time of discussion, questions and refreshments.

Points of praise...

• The work carried out on the renovation of the Café and for finances to cover this project. The increased space provides new ministry opportunities.
• The commencement of the Discovery Tuesday Lunchtime service.
• The development of a team from Carrubbers to be involved in the Street Café in the Cowgate on the third Friday of each month.
• The partnership with Bethany Christian Trust in the Night Shelter ministry during the winter.
• Following lobbying of churches the Edinburgh City Council, has agreed to accept a small number of Syrian refugees.

Things to pray for...

• Wisdom during the ongoing research into whether Carrubbers should host a food bank.
• The @65 Festival Programme – for church members to staff the events, for those who will provide music, interviews and the short talks on the Christian faith.
• The possible commencement of the ministry among to the Chinese Community.
• The Edinburgh International Outreach Team as they work from Carrubbers during the month of July.