Aberdeen Passion Plays
ANNUAL REVIEW And Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July 2014
Aberdeen Passion Plays is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SC044128)
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Contents About Us
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Reference & Administrative Information
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Structure, Governance & Management
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Objectives & Activities
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Council of Reference
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Chairman’s Report
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Artistic Director’s Report
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Financial Statement
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Charitable Giving
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Friends of The Aberdeen Passion
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About Us
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Founded in 2011, Aberdeen Passion Plays aims to use the theatrical arts to spread the gospel message to those living in the North-East of Scotland and to provide opportunities around which Christians across all denominations can synergise. We believe people’s lives get better when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. We equally believe the global Church is a stronger vehicle for positive spiritual & social change and improvement when all Christians are united and work together. Art and in particular the theatrical arts, is a powerful agent for doing just that. Alongside this Aberdeen Passion Plays is part of a wider movement to preserve the historical practice of passion plays, and so stages a major biennial production within the city. As the project grows our prayer is for the establishment of the passion play as part of an officially (City Council) sanctioned Easter programme for the City of Aberdeen and to use the staging of the play as a platform for raising funds to support other charitable organisations that live out the Gospel message of love and compassion to all people through spiritual & social improvement and individual betterment activities, both locally and further afield. Aberdeen Passion Plays is the parent charity for the theatre group whose players are drawn from Christians and non-Christians alike across the North East of Scotland. The charity benefits greatly from the talents of its group members be they performing, technical or production. All group members give their time voluntarily and become members purely by being involved.
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
Acts 3:15 Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
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“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:5
Reference & Administrative Information Charity Name
Charity Trustees
Aberdeen Passion Plays SCIO
Frazer Ramsay
Chair - Founding Trustee
Craig Smith
Elected - December 2013
Andrew Sykes
Artistic Director, Founding Trustee
Elaine Sykes
Chair FoTAP, Elected - January 2014
Charity Number SC044128
Other trustees who served during the year
Principal Office
Alan Campbell
Founding Trustee - Until 19th May
The Church Office Bridge of Don Baptist Church Centre
Additional Office Bearers
Dubford Road Bridge of Don
Ian Gourlay
Aberdeen, AB23 8GS
Finance Director
Appointed December 2013
Structure, Governance & Management Constitution
Appointment of Trustees
Management
The organisation is a Scottish Charitable
The APP Board, which meets on a regular
The trustees are responsible for the
Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). It is
basis, are the charity’s trustees. Membership
strategic direction and governance of the
governed by its constitution which was
of the Board is open to any person aged 16
organisation as well as the day-to-day
adopted June 2013. The organisation was
or over, and who subscribes to the purposes
management. The trustees are aware of
granted charitable status by Office of the
of the organisation and wishes to see them
their responsibilities for Health and Safety,
Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) on 10th
fulfilled.
especially for children. The organisation
July 2013.
Trustees are elected at the Annual General
Prior to 10th July 2013 the organisation was
Meeting. Under the constitution there must
an unincorporated association of members.
be a minimum of three and there is no
Following conversion to an SCIO all assets
maximum. The trustees can elect further
were transferred accordingly.
trustees during the year if they consider it to be in the interest of the organisation to do so.
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holds comprehensive insurance and maintains a risk assessment register.
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
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“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
Objectives & Activities Activities During the period covered by this report Aberdeen Passion Plays successfully: •
Staged the production “The Aberdeen Passion: One Hope”.
•
Increased the number, quality and level of involvement of performers and technical personnel.
•
Agreed a timeline for the commencement of acting workshops within the community.
Our Purposes
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To provide an environment where
•
Raised, through both the production
individuals are encouraged to develop
and associated fund-raising events,
The organisation is established for
skills, gifts and talents in the performing and
money for the two chosen charities
charitable purposes only, and in particular,
technical arts.
– the Lighthouse Support Centre and
the objects are: to advance religion; and to advance the arts & culture. In more detail:
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the Solid Rock Café. These included a
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ceilidh, quiz night, coffee mornings and
To use art as a means of promoting
the launch of the second volume of the
and encouraging Christian harmony
‘Made With Passion!’ cookbook.
through actively engaging with individuals,
To regularly stage a passion play in
churches and communities across all
the City of Aberdeen or its immediate
Christian denominations within the North
to generate capital to offset part of the
East Christian Community.
production budget of “The Aberdeen
surrounds. This should be a new play to the
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general audience each time, of high quality, firmly rooted in scripture and be accessible and acceptable to a wide audience.
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Ran a number of fund-raising events
Passion: One Hope”.
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To identify and provide financial
•
support to good causes, including
Developed and expanded the ‘Friends of The Aberdeen Passion’ organisation.
Christian endeavours, with a purpose of To encourage support for, and
social improvement & individual betterment
involvement in, the Aberdeen Passion
through the distribution of part, or all, of
bring additional knowledge and skills
from as much of the North East Christian
any monies arising from the productions
to both the oversight of the charity and
community as possible.
and associated activities after all costs have
the actual activities it undertakes.
•
Brought on-board new trustees who
been met.
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• To work towards seeing the Aberdeen Passion established as an event as part
of the Aberdeen City calendar.
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Appointed an experienced Finance Director who also has extensive
To raise and maintain funds which
knowledge of Scottish charity
shall be applied to the above aims.
requirements
Council of Reference Members Dr. Andrew D. Clarke
Aberdeen Passion Plays is blessed by a group of wise advisors who help to guide and direct our work.
Senior Lecturer in New Testament University of Aberdeen Pastor Iain Duthie Kings Community Church Aberdeen Rev. John Greenshields Ministry Development Coordinator Baptist Union of Scotland Fr. Keith Herrera St. Mary’s Cathedral Aberdeen
Council of Reference
Jason McAuley Artistic Director New Scottish Arts
The Council of Reference is a group of
Members are currently drawn from within
individuals who support Aberdeen Passion
the Christian community both locally and
Plays’ ethos, aims and objectives, and
nationwide and we seek to ensure the
are willing to be publicly recognised as
interdenominational nature of the project is
providing ‘reputational sponsorship’ for the
reflected in the membership of the Council.
project. We have deliberately set no limit on the Members of the Council also give occasional
number of members of the council as we
advice and encouragement as they are
believe that God will raise new members as
able. Some members are in a position to
and when we need them and so artificially
provide more input than others due to
capping the group could limit His moving
their commitments; however, together the
through it.
Council brings a broad perspective to the work of Aberdeen Passion Plays which is
During the coming year the trustees will be
invaluable.
looking to how the relationship between the of members of the council of reference and
It is also the members of the Council of
the board can be developed to support the
Reference who provide the main theological
development of the Passion Play project.
Rev. Eddie McKenna South St. Nicholas Church Kincorth, Aberdeen Rev. Jarod Meenan Bridge of Don Baptist Church Aberdeen Rev. Manson Merchant Dyce Parish Church Aberdeen Rev. Gary Smith Crown Terrace Baptist Church Aberdeen
sounding board for aspects of each production as well the final theological proofing of the scripts.
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
Ian White International Singer/Song Writer
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Chairman’s Report Frazer Ramsay Chair, Aberdeen Passion Plays Board
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; on him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
The Difficult Second Album 2013-2014 marked our first year as a charity and the second staging of The Aberdeen Passion.
This was also the year when we would know if the passion play project could have a life beyond the 2012 production. From early on in the development process, within the Trustees we began referring to Passion 2014 as the ‘difficult second album’. The Aberdeen Passion 2012: One Life had been an extremely well received production and as a result we were all were very much aware of the importance of ensuring the second production was both a worthy successor and one that would lay down the foundations for a sustainable long-term project. To that end much of the work that has happened within Aberdeen Passion Plays over the past year has been focused on planning for the future while delivering on the needs of the present. When we first started the project the steering group, who would go on to become the founding trustees, also took on the role of production planning and delivery. It was a model of project management that worked well and allowed us to deliver the first passion play with less than one year of work. They were tough months but ones in which we learned a lot. As we stepped up to consider the Passion 2014 production we adopted the same working model and to an extent it served us well. However, as we entered this year as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) the increased demands this entails have led us to reassess our management structure. As a result we have decided, as we move into planning for the 2016 production and additional projects, to separate the routine production planning from that of the core work of the governing board. This will make it easier to work on productions in a more focused manner while also laying the foundation for having more than one production being worked on at the same time without causing our board meetings to become clogged down in details
Keep up to date For the latest news check out our website: www.aberdeenpassion.com
that need not be discussed at that level. We anticipate this move will also foster an environment into which the board
can grow to meet the increased demands which will be placed on the charity as the project grows and develops. In particular, by removing production operational discussions from the board meetings the formal board meetings allow for greater time to focus on vision and long term strategy. Equally, by decreasing the frequency of board meetings from their currently monthly cycle we hope to be able to attract additional, experienced, people to attend the meetings, either as trustees or advisors to share their wisdom and experiences and help direct the charity forward. In staging the 2014 production we deliberately sought to produce a work that was both ambitious and challenging. Not because we were seeking acclaim or any other form of recognition, but because we strongly believe telling the story of Christ’s sacrifice and the hope and salvation that it brings to everyone deserves to receive our very best efforts and be presentable in a manner that will be as interesting and engaging as possible to everyone, be they seasoned church goers or ardent atheists. And so across the Easter weekend 2014, the
important that there is always some form
however, we are equally aware of the rising
of follow-up opportunity surrounding
costs of staging the plays and as such are
the productions and as such we will be
fairly sure that even with trying to reduce
exploring this in greater detail over the
the non-fixed costs elements of the 2016
coming year, in particular whether this is
production we will not meet our outgoings
something Aberdeen Passion Plays should
through just ticket income. To address this
be coordinating or whether it is best, and
the board has been looking at different
possible, to operate through the local
models for funding the productions on an
Churches instead.
ongoing basis.
company of amateurs gave themselves
Finances continued to be an issue for
In saying this we were very blessed this
wholly to declaring the gospel message
staging the productions. The passion plays
year to receive dedicated fund-raising
of hope and salvation and did so with a
are very expensive to stage, particularly
support from so many people, especially
professionalism to rival that of the most
with regards to venue hire. It would be fair
the work of the Friends of the Aberdeen
hardened West End producer.
to say that the 2014 production made a
Passion in organising so many fund raising
loss of around £10,000 against ticket sales
events. We were also particularly inspired
alone and it was only through sponsorship,
and blessed by the efforts of Chika Edeh,
donations and fund raising that we met our
Pastor of Vinespring Church, who led the
costs and managed to give a small amount
“Walk for Passion” during November 2013.
of money to the charities.
Along with his daily walkers Chika walked
second Aberdeen Passion production was staged with almost 140 people involved on-stage or in the background. Months of rehearsals, prop and set building, technology testing, music arranging, costume making to name but a few of the activities required to stage the production all came together as a single element over those 3 performances. Once again this
A total audience of around 1850 witnessed the performances, and feedback received to date has been on the whole positive with solid indicators that future productions if handled correctly will be equally well supported. One area where we were not as successful as we had hoped was in the provision of follow-up sessions which were designed to help anyone who wanted to know more about the Christian faith. Themed around the central question of “Who Is This Jesus?” these were informal evenings of a meal and a discussion time. As a board we feel it is
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
We were always aware that the type of venue required for the size of production the passion play is, and the associated costs of having so many people involved, could only be met through either commercial level ticket pricing or large scale fund-raising. We feel we are at the
around 120 miles along the North East coast, from Stonehaven to Portsoy, and in the process raised almost £800 towards the production. Our “Made With Passion!” team were also back in force again this year with the follow-up cookbook, “Soups, Savouries & Snacks”.
top end of where we can pitch ticket prices
We are also very thankful for the continued
for the type of production we are staging;
support from BreadPR and Graham Dargie
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Photography who donate their services free
project it was something that only had a
amazing community of supporters within
of charge to the project and from which we
visible life every two years. To this end the
the Friends of the Aberdeen Passion that a
benefit greatly. The 2014 passion production
board agreed to not pursue the idea further
project such as this can flourish.
also became the first to receive financial
for the time being. It is hoped as future
sponsorship with Ken Sturgeon Training
projects come on stream the portfolio of
Ltd. very kindly sponsoring the sound
work emanating from Aberdeen Passion
requirements.
Plays will mean developing arrangements
The situation regarding the number of
such as can be returned to at a future date.
people involved in production tasks has
The joys of the past year have only been
improved over the reporting period. We
tainted by loss we felt as a board with the
are also very pleased to see a number of
stepping down of Alan Campbell, one of
those previous involved stepping up their
the founding trustees, as he and Helen, his
commitment and involvement; however,
wife, made the move down to Edinburgh to
as with most projects of this nature we
be closer to their grandchildren. Both Alan
continue to see a core grouping carrying a
and Helen were involved in the project from
large number of roles and as such the board
the very beginning and gave an enormous
is committed to supporting the productions
amount of time and energy to seeing the
to seek out additional workers to relieve
productions come about - much of which
burdens. If you are skilled in an area of use
went unseen. We are forever grateful to
to the project please get in touch and we can
them and miss them both greatly.
discuss how you can get involved.
And so in closing we wish to thank everyone
The board had been working to develop
who in one way or another has contributed
more formal relationships with a number of
to this remarkable project. We as trustees
churches; however, as we worked through
are a small group and one who ourselves
this over the past year it has become
are wholly unable to bring about the
clear that this was not going to be a viable
productions and foster the impact that
option for the time being given the size of
the passion is having. It is only through our
the charity and that to most outside of the
extended family of cast & crew as well as our
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Again we thank you all but give the glory and honour to our Lord Jesus, maker of all things.
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
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Artistic Director’s Report Andrew Sykes Artistic Director, Aberdeen Passion Plays
“According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
Challenging Ourselves, Challenging the Audience After our first venture into producing a large scale Passion Play the challenge was to do a second that built on the lessons learned from the first and to move things forward. So I tried introducing some new elements. Now I would accept that not all of them were universally liked but the aim was to challenge the audience and so I think it’s inevitable that there will be a range of opinion. The new elements were a challenge to the actors and the technical team as well as to me. The use of pre-recorded material projected on a big screen did, I believe, add greatly to the look of the Aberdeen Passion 2014. The striking image of Jesus on the cross as the audience entered the room made a statement from the very outset. The use of this filmed material was an artistic challenge - how to mix this with on-stage action in a way which didn’t distract or confuse the audience. And it was as also a technical challenge to get an image that size at a good quality. We are indebted to Gillian Martin and her team at Aberdeen College and Adam Bolton for their help. And it wasn’t just new technical elements that were tried. The idea of a narrator in the person of Barabbas was something which set the tone for the play and allowed the character to speak directly to and challenge the audience. I know not everyone was keen on the noise of the cherry picker as it raised Barabbas above the action and brought him back down into it but I rather liked it. And at the end of the play, the disciples changed into modern dress to signify the change in their lives after Jesus’ resurrection and the relevance of the story today.
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These were elements incorporated into the play to surprise and challenge the audience. And they can all be seen as a risk - a risk as to whether they would work in the way intended but I felt they were risks worth taking and I was very pleased with the final product. Everyone involved gave everything they could to make the play work and the combination of music, singing, drama, lighting and technical came together as a moving and powerful telling of a great story And since then? Some might think I would hibernate for a few months before emerging to begin the process again but there is a heightened atmosphere of creativity during the performances that I have tried to use and sustain by looking to the next project. And of course after the difficult second album the expectation is to step it up a level again. I don’t want to give too much away at this stage but you can be sure that I will do my best to dream big and aim high so if you’re up for it, we’d love you join us again for a whole new Passion journey.
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
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Financial Statement Ian Gourlay Director of Finance
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11
Financial Statement As a charity we take great care in ensuring our financial dealings are in compliance with the relevant regulations. As Christians we aim to go further in seeking to be honouring to our Lord’s name. economic conditions, in the knowledge
Reserves Policy
that production income will replenish the
The Board of Aberdeen Passion Plays have designated a reserve fund. The general purpose of the fund is to help to ensure the organisation’s ability to meet its financial commitments associated with its activities
reserve. Designated reserves at the end of the year were £1000.00 with additional funds due to be transferred by board decision at the AGM.
majority of its income following the events play; however, much of this is in the form of ticket sales through a third party agency and as such the organisation does not receive any monies until after the event has been staged. Almost all of the charity’s expenditure associated with staging the
Risk Management The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and in particular those relating to the operation and finances of the charity and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate the charity’s exposure to any major risk.
production is required to be made in
Donated Facilities & Services
relies on interest-free loans from private individuals to underwrite the production
During this year the charity received freely
cash flow; however, the Board recognises
donated services and support from the
this is not a sustainable model to operate
following commercial businesses:
under.
a Board-Designated Reserve Fund to achieve the following objectives: 1. To enable the organisation to meet the advanced expenditure associated with staging productions and associated
confidence in the long-term sustainability of the project by preventing a chronic cash flow crisis that can diminish the reputations of both the organisation and
•
The turnover for the period was £42,662. donations of £8,074; fund raising activities of £7,759 and Friends of Aberdeen Passion Plays £985. Costs for the year amounted to £39,534 leaving a surplus from the production and fund-raising of £3,128 after making charitable donations to the Rock Solid Café in Fraserburgh and the Lighthouse Support pre-SCIO bank balance of £5,343.53 from a previous production and fund raising activities which are reflected in the surplus shown of £8,471. This amount has been carried forward as a reserve into the new
•
As at 31 July 2014 the charity held an
(photography)
unrestricted reserve of £8,471. The ultimate
BreadPR (public relations services & press liaison)
•
Sir Jack and Lady Stewart-Clark, Dundas Castle (loan of costumes)
•
Alford Heritage Centre (loan of props)
In addition, Bridge of Don Baptist Church freely donated: •
Rehearsal space
3. Allow the organisation to focus on its
•
Fund-raising event hosting
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Turnover
Graham Dargie Photography
associated groups/individuals; and
primary objectives in times of varying
Administrative support.
financial year.
activities; 2. To promote public and supporter
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Centre in Aberdeen of £1,850. There was a
advance. Currently Aberdeen Passion Plays
Aberdeen Passion Plays therefore maintain
Short-term storage
raised through ticket sales of £25,825;
long-term. The charity generates the it stages, in particular the biennial passion
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aim of the trustees is to build a sufficient reserve in a designated fund to meet the costs involved in producing a performance without the need to borrow funds for cash flow purposes ahead of ticket income flowing.
STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS For the period 10 July 2013 to 31 July 2014
Notes Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
RECEIPTS Ticket sales
2
Donations
1 13,418 13,418
25,765
25,765
Friends of The Aberdeen Passion
985
985
Fund-raising
7,759
7,759
Miscellaneous 18 18 TOTAL RECEIPTS
£47,945
£47,945
PAYMENTS Venue hire
14,479
14,479
Scenery, lighting and sound
11,358
11,358
Costumes, wigs, props and make-up
345
345
Other production costs
72
72
5,729
5,729
Fund-raising costs
3
Tickets and posters printing
2,301
2,301
Programme printing
2,060
2,060
Gifts 1,976 1,976 Insurance 522 522 Postage and stationery
298
298
Website costs
215
215
Storage for scenery & costumes
100
100
Miscellaneous costs
19
19
TOTAL PAYMENTS
£39,474
£39,474
£8,471
£8,471
SURPLUS
4, 5
NOTES 1.
Donations - The donations figure includes the pre-SCIO bank balance of £5,343.53 for the unincorporated organisation as at 10 July 2013 when Aberdeen Passion Plays was granted charitable status.
2.
Ticket Sales - Donations of £796 were made to allow those less well-off to attend performances. This figure is included under the donations heading.
3.
Fund Raising Costs - The fund raising costs of £5,729 includes the printing of recipe books, some of which the charity holds in stock
4.
Surplus - The closing balance excludes £17.76 in the charity’s PayPal account.
5.
Surplus - There is an outstanding liability of around £900 due to PRS in respect of music used during the 2014 performance. The company has not yet calculated our liability.
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
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Charitable Giving Craig Smith Trustee
Helping those in need is one of the major themes of the Bible and of Jesus’ ministry. As far back as the thirteenth century B.C., the Hebrews’ law institutionalised assistance to the poor: When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God. (NRSV, Leviticus 19:9-10) Both the Old and New Testament writings give many examples of the importance of service and charity:
make the world better for someone else and to help them find true meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Unfortunately this year, due to increased much funds as we would have hoped; however we are committed to protecting this aspect of the passion project and are actively looking into how we can increase that element of our work for future years.
how you can help these charities, or others you know of. Each of us has something to give. Some have wealth, some have talents, some have time. Whatever gifts we have been given - large or small - we should share generously and the Lord will make good use. And [Jesus] looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a certain poor widow putting in two small
“What then should we do?” In reply he said
this poor widow put in more than all of them;
to them, “Whoever has two coats must share
for they all out of their surplus put into the
with anyone who has none; and whoever has
offering; but she out of her poverty put in all
food must do likewise.” (NRSV, Luke 3:10-11)
that she had to live on.” (NAS, Luke 21:1-4)
To show unconditional love by respecting and valuing each individual
•
To develop self esteem and self worth
•
To provide one–to-one support
•
To act as role models, mentors and advocates
•
To encourage spiritual development through life courses and pastoral care
The project is dependent on a team of committed volunteers, from churches, who are involved in running drop-in sessions for men on a Monday and women on Tuesday & Wednesday mornings (due to the ever swelling numbers of women). On Thursday mornings the project is now also running two groups alternatively. A creative craft group for ladies to help develop skills and self esteem and a parenting support class for mothers. On Thursday afternoons the project has
But whoever has the world’s goods, and
abide in him? (NAS, 1 John 3:17)
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We would ask that you prayerfully consider
copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you,
heart against him, how does the love of God
The aims of the Lighthouse community is:
costs, we have not been able to raise as
And the crowds asked [John the Baptist],
beholds his brother in need and closes his
weekly.
The Lighthouse Support Centre
started a “Celebrating Recovery” group. This group focuses on addiction issues and
The Lighthouse Support Centre is a
includes a step by step programme towards
community outreach project situated in
freedom. Last year 7 people completed the
It is with this in mind, for each passion play
Tillydrone Shopping Centre. The project
25 session course!
production we work with two locally active
offers one-to-one and group support to
charities that visibly demonstrate Christ’s
socially excluded and disadvantaged people
comPASSION to help raise their profile and
in the surrounding community.
to seek to raise some money for their work. The scriptures tell us our good deeds should be motivated by a sincere desire to help others and that public recognition should not be the goal. That is something we recognise in the humble, Christ-like service our two charities for the 2014 production show every day as they selflessly seek to
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The Lighthouse Support Centre works in partnership with other social action agencies such as Bethany Christian Trust,
Holistic (emotional, material and spiritual)
Prison Fellowship, Integrate and St. Machar
support is provided to men and women who
Parent Support Project.
have life controlling issues such as alcohol or drug addiction; ex-offenders and families of prisoners; single parents; lonely and isolated individuals. Help is given with form filling and accessing essential items of furniture and household goods. Food is distributed
For more information please contact John Merson, DCF Church (01224 733979)
We were very pleased to have been able to support the Lighthouse Support Centre and Solid Rock Café as our two partner charities this year.
The Solid Rock Café, Fraserburgh The Solid Rock Café has been at the very heart of Fraserburgh since the North East town was first ravaged by the effects of drug abuse in the late 1990s. The outreach initiative provides desperately needed help for those battling addictions, as well as support for families, who often suffer greatly when loved ones become entangled in drugs. Operating a host of services, including a drop-in centre and one-onone appointments, Solid Rock’s dedicated team of staff and volunteers
Along with hopefully increasing awareness of the amazing work they do we also managed to raise funds towards their work. We thank everyone we came along and supported the fundraising events and also those who came to the play from which money was also raised.
work hard at building relationships, offering assistance and providing counselling to those in need. The café – which is often the first port of call for those looking to change their lives – acts as a feeder to the Teen Challenge programme, referring local, hurting people to centres across the UK. Solid Rock, which is open between 10am – 5pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, recently introduced ‘Street Church’ on the third Sunday of every month. At the sessions, attendees enjoy a free meal before having the opportunity to listen to a sermon, as well as an inspiring life story from someone who has overcome their problems to live a life free from drink or substance abuse. And the café – which also hosts drug prevention seminars for local schools and youth groups to raise awareness of the dangers of substance misuse – has now joined forces with the Apex Church in Peterhead to bring ‘Street Church’ to the town. For further information on the Solid Rock Café, please call Paul Innes on 01346 515608 or dolly.solidrock@gmail.com
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
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Friends of the Aberdeen Passion Elaine Sykes
Chair, Friends of the Aberdeen Passion
“…who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:21
A Community of Support Following the Aberdeen Passion 2012 we were encouraged and blessed by the sense of community which had grown up around the project. We had a number of people who were keen
were pleased to welcome friends and their
to keep in touch in the years in between
families.
productions, they wanted to be able to support us both financially and through prayer. These people wanted to see the Good News of the Aberdeen Passion spread further afield and they wished to see the project grow and thrive. They wanted to stay as a community.
take a lead on the fund-raising activities which are so important to being able to fund the staging of the shows and to give money to the supported charities. A small steering group works with Elaine Sykes to plan and run events in the time leading up
The Aberdeen Passion steering group
to each production. This year the Friends
took advice from many good friends in
of Aberdeen Passion also supported the
the Aberdeen Christian community and
launch of the second Aberdeen Passion
considered how we could do this. It was
cookbook – ‘Soups, Snacks and Savouries’.
decided to form what has become known as the ‘Friends of Aberdeen Passion’. This was launched in 2013 and to date we have 84 memberships.
Being a Friend is more than just signing up for updates and information, it is crucial in helping to enable staging a major passion play for the North East of Scotland every
Becoming a Friend means you commit
two years. Friends are among our biggest
to a small financial payment once a year,
prayer support and because they span
£10 for an individual and £25 for a family
across the country they spread the news of
membership. When people became a
each passion play meaning people come
Friend they received regular newsletters
from far and wide to each production.
which kept them up to date on the latest Passion news, including the work of the supported charities. As a welcome gift they received a car sticker, a postcard advertising the Aberdeen Passion – One
We hope that Friends of Aberdeen Passion will continue to grow with many people joining us to support this project and all the things it could become.
Hope and a keyring. Friends were also
If you would be interested in becoming a
given invitations to Friends events.
Friend of the Aberdeen Passion either sign
Friends events this year included a Beetle Drive, a quiz night and a ceilidh, these were all fun filled family events and we 30
The Friends of Aberdeen Passion also
up on the Aberdeen Passion website or send us an e-mail at: friends@aberdeenpassion.com.
Annual Review for the Year Ended 31st July 2014
31
The Aberdeen Passion: One Hope, Cast & Crew
Aberdeen Passion Plays Aberdeen Passion Plays c/o The Church Office Dubford Road Bridge of Don Aberdeen AB23 8GS Telephone: 01224-826256 Email: admin@aberdeenpassion.com Web: www.aberdeenpassion.com