16/04/2017 Reporting Scotland

A survey of Christians claims that the number of regular

church goers in Scotland has fallen by more than half in 30 years.

The Scottish Church Census said the number of attendees

was now at a record low - and that elderly people make up

In that year, around 854,000 people regularly attended church. That

figure fell to around 390,000 by last year. The research also

revealed that 42% of churchgoers were over the age of 65. The number

of congregations in 2016 was around 3700. Down from around 4100 in 1984.

So, do the figures indicate a crisis in Christianity across Scotland?

This report shows to us what we already sense, the scale of the

challenges facing churches in Scotland today. Scotland is a hugely

different country which has changed a lot over the last 50 years but

there is still a huge appetite to understand what Christianity is all

about, but churches also have to change the way in which that it is

celebrated and presented. But the Census also revealed growth

amongst some denominations in some parts of Scotland.

It's not as if all churches in Scotland are feeling at the same

time, all churches are deserted at the moment, many churches have been

filled today, it is is today. And I think that you have to look at the

filled today, it is is today. And I churches that are growing at the

moment. This church has grown by 20% year since last year, and that

indicates that some churches are doing very well at a time when some

are not. While they do not necessarily make

happy reading, the figures are being seen by some as an opportunity to

bring Christianity to a new generation.

The parents of a young girl with cerebral palsy have praised

volunteers at a Scots charity who travelled from Glasgow

to Newcastle to deliver a vital feeding tube.

Molly Grace was suffering from severe complications

because the one she had was the wrong size, but got the help

she needed after a plea from her family on social media.

Molly Grace has cerebral palsy and cannot walk or talk. The

seven-year-old from Newcastle has to be fed through a tube attached to

her bowel, but the one she had was not the right size, and last week

she became very sick. Getting hold of the device she needed quickly was

proving difficult because of a of the device she needed quickly was

national shortage, and in desperation her parents made an

appeal on social media. It made us feel better by putting

the appeal out, we felt like we were doing something in the meantime, not

expecting at all that it was going to work.

The response was staggering. My phone was pinning with all sorts

of messages and shares and requests to help, really unbelievable.

The right bit of equipment was found in Glasgow, and volunteers at the

medical transport charity drove it to Newcastle. They even got to meet

Molly and her family. Very humbling, obviously, to meet a

brave girl like Molly and speak to her mum and dad and see what they

have been through and what Molly has been through as well. And get to

know that this could potentially give her a bit of rest and respite.

There was something really special and the fact that we had made such a

great difference, and mum and dad have reached out to us as well on

social media, so hopefully we will get to hear some updates of how she

is getting on. Molly was fitted with her new tube,

and has been recovering in hospital. Her family helped the drivers with

this home-made card, and have started another home-made campaign

to raise money for the charity which came to their aid.

Football, and Ross County drew 2-2 against Celtic in the Premiership,

Liam Boyce scored from the spot, then Celtic captain Scott Brown

Ricky Burns says he won't quit after losing his super-lightweight

unification fight against Julius Indongo

The Coatbridge boxer had put his WBA belt on the line,

with the unbeaten Namibian putting his IBF and IBO

Let's get the weather forecast for this evening

Thank you, good evening. It has been a mixed bag of weather today with

rain giving way to sunny spells and some showers. This evening, the

showers were largely diet, leaving most of the country dry during the

overnight period, with some clear spells and perhaps a touch of frost

developing in shelter. A few wintry showers moving in across the

northern isles come the end of the night on a cold northerly wind. Lows

of around minus two Celsius, more typically around 2-4 . Tomorrow we

will have wintry showers affecting parts of Sutherland, Caithness, the

north-east. Through the day, however, they will become confined

to the borders under South East, leaving mostly dry conditions with

plenty of sunshine, and a distinctly cold feel with brisk northerly

winds. Thanks, Christine.

Our next update is just after the 10pm news.

Good evening if you spend Easter under cloudy skies with rain

hopefully I can promise you