Open Sanctuary

The Community of the Open Sanctuary Nourish & Flourish Retreat and Ordination Ceremony 2026 St Mary's, Perth | 28–30 September 2026 by Reverend Angela Maughan We are delighted to announce the details of this year's Community of the Open Sanctuary Retreat and Ordination Ceremony, taking place at St Mary's, Perth, from 28th to 30th September 2026. Our theme for this year's gathering is Nourish & Flourish — an invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what truly sustains us. In the midst...

31st May 2026 by Aileen Palmer, Community Celebrant What a truly remarkable day it was, nestled amongst the rolling hills of Dumfriesshire, at the end of May, for the Clan Jardine Gathering at Applegarth Church. As a local celebrant and community minister-in-training, I had the distinct honour of holding the space at this special occasion, and I am still filled with gratitude for the warmth and connection that permeated the air between people of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds....

Weddings, Glens, Rituals, and the Joy of Showing Up Written by Rev. Thomas Baxter Every so often, I look back over a fortnight and think, “Well… that was a fair old mix.” The last fourteen days have been exactly that — a joyful, slightly chaotic, deeply meaningful tapestry of ministry in all its shapes and sizes. If anyone ever wonders what a community minister actually does, I could simply hand them these two weeks and say, “This. All of this. And somehow it all makes sense.” The River Dee...