Parish Profile

Introduction

This scenic island parish, with quick and easy links to the mainland, is seeking a Minister with leadership and pastoral skills.

Our vision for the future is of a Church of Scotland congregation continuing in the centre of the historic Royal Burgh of Rothesay which ministers to the spiritual and social needs of both those within the church walls and those without.

To achieve this we will continue to work with and for all age groups in the community, changing, adapting and expanding as the need arises, led by an enthusiastic minster who is interested in and cares for all God’s people in the Parish.

The Charge

Rothesay : Trinity is a charge without restriction. It is in a Parish Grouping with the United Church of Bute, our sister Church of Scotland charge on the Island. Consequently, the Parish boundary for both charges is the whole Island.

The congregation was founded at the Disruption in 1842 and is now the result of several unions going back to 1929 when the congregation joined in the union of the United Free Church of Scotland with the Church of Scotland and the name Trinity came into being. Several other unions have take place namely:-

1938 with St James Church 1942 with Craigmore High Church 1979 with the West Church

The present congregational roll is 330. Worship

Throughout the year Sunday Morning Worship is held at 11 am, with an Evening Service on the first Sunday of each month at 6.30 pm. There is also a 30 minute service on Thursday mornings at 11.15 am, which is held in our Small Hall. Communion Services are held on the first Sunday and Thursday in February, June and November. Informal celebrations of Communion are held at Christmas, Easter, Whitsun and in August. Tea / coffee is served after the Sunday Morning Services.

Members regularly read the lessons and lead us in prayer. The Worship Group, Guild, Sunday School and Summer Sunday Workshop have occasionally conducted part of the Service. The Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade have organised Youth Carol Services in the past, with other uniformed organisations also taking part.

The Sunday Schools meet in the Church for the first part of the Service before going to the hall for their classes.

A team of drivers bring members who need transport to Church on Sunday mornings, using the Community Links minibus. Pulpit supply is available and paid for by the Congregation. Parish duties, such as funerals, are usually undertaken by the Minister of our sister congregation during holiday leave and vice versa.

Music

Worship is greatly enhanced by the music of both organ and mixed voice choir. The organ is an Allen Digital Computer Organ of 43 stops, dedicated in 1988. The choir has 12 members and is augmented by others on occasion. Choral contributions to worship are prepared for services such as Communion, Christmas, Easter, Harvest etc. The Fourth Edition of the Church Hymnary has been in use since 2010. Occasional use is made of ‘Mission Praise’. Publications

A ‘Pew Leaflet’ is printed weekly and the Morning Services are recorded for distribution to the homes for the elderly and the housebound.

The ‘Congregational Record’ magazine is produced three times a year in line with Communion Services.

Ecumenical Services

The Island clergy meet together from time to time as the ‘Ministers’ Fraternal’. There are regular joint Ecumenical Services throughout the year and during Holy Week. Communion Services are held in the Sheltered Housing complexes as requested and monthly Services are held in Ferfadd Court, which are shared, on a rota basis, with the United Church of Bute, the Baptist, Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches and Rothesay Christian Fellowship. School chaplaincies are shared. The Island Churches also jointly run ‘Messy Church’ once a month, and have taken part in a Scripture Union week long Holiday Club for the past four summers. Congregational Life

Children are involved in Crêche, Primary and Senior Sunday Schools. The Summer Sunday Workshop takes over from these during July and August. The 1st Rothesay Boys’ Brigade and the 1st Rothesay Girls’ Brigade are affiliated to Trinity and meet in our halls, both of which are very well attended. Other organisation include the Guild, Visiting Committee, Walking Group, Gardening Club, Ladies Bowling Club and Badminton Club. Trinity hosts the Luncheon Club, for Senior Citizens twice weekly. The halls are well used by other community groups for meetings and fundraising. Administration

The Parish and Congregational affairs of Trinity are administered under the Model Deed of Constitution.

The Kirk Session has 34 members and meets on a regular basis.

Since 2001 the temporal affairs of Trinity have been looked after by the Congregational Board. It consists of 18 Elders, 2 Deacons and 10 elected members and meets as required on the first Thursday of the month. It operates committees for Finance, Fabric, Halls, Ways & Means and AV/IT.

Finance

A simplified Statement of Accounts and / or an OSCR compliant form of Accounts for 2015 can be obtained on request. Our funds are healthy, thanks to increased giving by our members, fundraising, mainly organised by our active Ways & Means Committee, and the good stewardship of our Treasurer. Over the last few years we have raised funds to re-roof the Church, repair the stained glass windows and, this year, to rewire the Church and halls.

Soup ‘n’ Sweet Fundraiser The Manse

The manse is a fine stone built semi-detached property situated in the quiet area of Crichton Road, approximately 3/4 mile from the town centre, with excellent views of Rothesay Bay and Loch Striven.

The ground floor consists of a sitting room, living room,. Dining room, kitchen, bedroom, toilet and entrance porch. Upstairs consists of a further three bedrooms, a study, boxroom, and bathroom. The house is centrally heated and in 2008 the Ventrolla system of window draught proofing was installed. There is a garage and gardens to the front and rear.

Map of town with Church and Manse marked in red

X Trinity Manse

Trinity Church

Buildings

View of the east side of the Church and halls

The Church building is B listed. The Architect was Archibald Simpson—whose work is more common in the north east of Scotland.

The hall accommodation attached to the Church consists of:- Large Hall accommodating 150 Small Hall accommodating 50 Castle Street Hall accommodating 50 Vestry and Samuel Room Flat above Castle Street Hall has a sitting room, bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. The accommodation is widely used by our own organisations and the community e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous, H.E.L.P Group, Bute Arts Society, Saturday Art Club and Bute Flower Club.

View from the west

The Church Interior of the Church

View from the Gallery The Community Position of Bute on the Clyde Location Rothesay Trinity is situated in the heart of the Royal Burgh of Rothesay, the main town on the island of Bute. The Island lies in the estuary of the River Clyde and is linked to the mainland by a thirty five minute ferry crossing to Wemyss Bay, from where it is only a forty-five minute car or train journey to Glasgow. There is also a five minute ferry crossing from Rhubodach, at the north end of the Island, to Colintraive in Argyllshire. The population of the island is about 6,000 with the majority resident in Rothesay. There are three sheltered housing Education complexes and 2 residential homes for the elderly. Within the town, a high standard of education is provided by Rothesay Primary School and Rothesay Academy, which is a six year comprehensive. Both are located in the Joint Campus, along with the Pre 5 View over town Centre and Argyll College. The smaller North Bute Primary School is in the village of Port Bannatyne. St Andrews, a Roman Catholic Primary School is in Rothesay. There are a number of childcare facilities on the Island including nurs- eries, play groups and registered childminders. The Community continued

Health Employment The Heath Centre is the base for 7 Tourism, Farming, Flexible doctors, Practice Nurses, Technology, Bute Fabrics and Community Nurses and Podiatrist. HEROtsc ( a telephone call centre) Next door is the Victoria Hospital, are some of the major employers where regular clinics are held by on the Island. various Specialists from the mainland. Serious cases are A large number of people commute transferred to hospitals in Greenock in both directions daily for work. Paisley or Glasgow by helicopter or plane. There is also a variety of shops, There are two community including a supermarket. pharmacies. Dental Services are provided by both Community and Private Dental Practices.

Leisure

Facilities for sport and leisure on the Island are many and varied. They include an indoor leisure pool and gym, walking, three golf courses, fishing and horse- riding. There are football, rugby, bowling, cricket, shinty, sailing, badminton, bridge, curling, dance, art and music clubs, W.R.I. etc. There is a small cinema in the Discovery Centre. The Church is a very popular venue for concerts given by visiting choirs and musicians, both local and from the mainland. Presbytery of Argyll

The Presbytery of Argyll meets four times a year for ordinary business. Three of the meetings are held in Tarbert and one is held in various locations. All are during the day to allow as many island based Presbyters as possible to attend without having to spend a night on the mainland. Much of the regular business is conducted by standing committees under delegated powers using e-mail and telephone. There is ample scope for ministers to contribute to the work of the committees.

Thank you for showing an interest in our Vacancy by reading our Parish Profile.

For further information please contact.: Interim Moderator Rev Owain Jones UCB Manse Bishop Terrace Rothesay Isle of Bute Tel : 01700 504502 email : [email protected]

Clerk to Nominating Committee Mrs Elizabeth Speirs Cairncraig 56 Crichton Road Rothesay Isle of Bute PA20 9JT Tel: 01700503480 email: [email protected]