Building community in troubled times: Sunday Assembly comes to Stockbridge

Sunday Assembly Edinburgh comes to Stockbridge next month

Sunday Assembly Edinburgh, the city’s ‘secular church’, has a new home in Stockbridge.  Starting Sunday 2 April 2017, services will be held on the first Sunday in the month at the Life Care Centre in Cheyne Street.  

All are welcome at these lively meetings, which feature TED-style talks, music, poetry, reflection and refreshments in a non-religious and family friendly atmosphere.  Admission is free.  

Sunday Assembly (SA) is a global movement of wonder and good which encourages everyone to ‘Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More’.  Started in London in 2013 by comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, the group now has 70 congregations worldwide including across the UK and USA.

 Sunday Assembly Edinburgh was one of the first groups to start, and has been meeting at Summerhall in recent times.  “Our new venue will give us the chance to welcome even more people for a lively and inspiring Sunday morning together”, says SA Edinburgh committee member Sebastian Meller.  “We are totally volunteer run and are always keen to meet new people from all walks of life.”

The first Stockbridge event at 11.30am on Sunday 2 April 2017 is on the theme of ‘Keep On Running’.

It features a talk from Susan Morrison from Parkrun Edinburgh about how that organisation has helped hundreds of people to run together, share experiences and build community.  This connects with Sunday Assembly’s own agenda for community building and volunteering.  There will also be poetry, pop songs to join in singing with the SA Edinburgh band, a talk about the Science Festival, the chance to meet other congregation members and after-service tea, coffee and cakes.  

“On Sunday 5 May 2017 we are thrilled to be welcoming Nicola Turing, niece of legendary mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing, to speak about the work of the Turing Trust in supporting people in rural African communities to become computer literate.

“I love the way that Sunday Assembly combines really interesting talks with a chance to let our hair down and sing together” says band member Mark McKergow.  “It’s such a great way to start a Sunday – all the useful bits of church but without religion.  And people can go on afterwards to the farmers market, Stockbridge’s cafes and bars and other delights.”  For more information, search Sunday Assembly Edinburgh on Facebook or Twitter.    

Sunday Assembly Edinburgh meets on the first Sunday of every month at 11.30am at the Life Care Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH4 1JB.  All welcome, free admission, donations collected.  Services normally last around an hour.  

Information about the Sunday Assembly movement is at http://sundayassembly.com.  Sunday Assembly Edinburgh is at http://edinburgh.sundayassembly.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/sundayassemblyedinburgh.