"They were all filled with awe and praised God..." Luke 7.16 Around the same time as Tom Allan was Tell(ing) Scotland, the Holy Spirit was moving in the Outer Hebrides. Many have heard of the Lewis Revival of 1949-52, yet not everything happened in the way that is often assumed. For a start it was not an isolated incident; it was one of a number of revivals which have been sweeping through the Western Isles for the best part of two centuries. Credit is given to two old ladies

"Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19.18 Are the lights going out in Afghanistan, as they did in Burma when the Generals resumed control earlier this year? Behind the chilling headlines, some might find hope in the brave souls who are resisting totalitarian rule. Kyaw Moe Tun is Burma's ambassador to the UN. Refusing to recognise his new political masters in favour of continuing lo

"Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." Tom Allan died before his 50th birthday. In his 18 years of ministry it would be tempting to say that he achieved more than all of his contemporaries in Scotland put together. But on realising that would include the likes of George MacLeod and Duncan Campbell to name but two, one is inclined to be more modest in one's assessment. Nevertheless

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." 2 Timothy 4.5 The key to understanding parish ministry in the Church of Scotland is to be found in the Third Article Declaratory of the Church's constitution, which "acknowledges its distinctive call and duty to bring the ordinances of religion to the people in every parish in Scotland through a territorial ministry." This means that the respo

"... so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17.23 In the year 1953 the 'Tell Scotland' evangelistic campaign was launched. With the voluntary exception of the Roman Catholic Church, it united all the main churches in Scotland. Tom Allan was appointed as full-time coordinator. The movement adopted 3 principles: Mission is not an occasional or sporadic activity, but a continuo

"And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2.47 Tom Allan returned from the war and took up parish ministry with gusto. He was immediately struck by the chasm separating his comfortable congregation from the surrounding community, which was spiritually starving but indifferent towards a church which seemed itself to be indifferent to the needs of those outside its walls. So Tom set about addressing the mutual indifference, through an ambitious

"... this Jesus, whom you crucified..." Acts 2.36 One doesn't always have to look far to find inspirational figures. Tom Allan is a familiar name to many in the Church of Scotland. Famous for his part in the 'Tell Scotland' evangelistic campaign of the 1950s and for his ministry, which he described in 'The Face of My Parish', Tom's personal story may be as significant as his work, certainly it underlies and explains it. Of Ayrshire stock, industrious and gifted, Tom suffered

"Grandchildren are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Proverbs 17.6 After everything we have been through, Somerled's 16th birthday feels like an achievement as well as an occasion for celebration! It is certainly a blessing, for which we give thanks to God. Parenting is a challenge, bringing with it soaring highs and crushing lows. For some it ends in shame and tears, for others there is relief and joy. It is rarely straightforward. Then again

"The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ)." John 1.41 Last night I heard about the latest outreach tool to be embraced by the Church of Scotland, ACORN. There's a mnemonic behind the name but, essentially, it involves waking up and receiving the first name that pops into your head as a prompt from the Holy Spirit to pray for that person and then to look for an opportunity to draw alongside them an

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." John 1.12 I am delighted to announce that Strath & Sleat is coming good on its promise to invite the community to a follow-on outreach Alpha Course. We ran the first between Easter and the summer holidays, as an in-house opportunity for believers in the church to refresh their awareness of the key tenets of Christian faith and to familiarise themselves with the