Bearsden Cross Church Parish Profile
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Bearsden Cross Church Parish Profile UNRESTRICTED TENURE Parish Profile willing to explore new ideas. Leadership is important, but, there is good Following a long and successful ministry, our Minister support from many who use their time and talents to further the work of has retired and the Nominating Committee is now the Church. We feel the congregation has the potential to do more, with looking to call a new Minister to lead our congregation fresh insight and a renewed enthusiasm. of nearly 900 into the future. Bearsden Cross Parish Church was established in 2006, The Future by the union of 2 churches in the centre of Bearsden, In preparation for the union, we worked on many issues, including this a pleasant suburb on the outskirts of Glasgow. One Vision for our church, to which we still subscribe: site was sold in 2011. Monies realised, together with • Be located at the heart of Bearsden providing a centre for Christian fund-raising and existing savings, raised over £1m to worship, mission and community activity. renovate the remaining site. The union and building renovation has been a huge project. It has consumed • Be friendly, welcoming, open and available throughout the week. much of our energy, but should be substantially • Attract all age groups, whilst retaining its existing congregation and complete by autumn this year. There has been some encouraging the wider population to participate in the life of Christ. conflict, a lot of pulling together and a huge amount of work to make it happen. But we are almost there. • Retain many traditional elements of worship whilst embracing and A new ministry, as we come out from under a cloud of applauding new approaches in an ever changing society. plaster dust, gives an opportunity, in the knowledge • Be willing to respond to the needs of the community without that the buildings and finances are in reasonable order, compromising on financial stability, overseas mission or traditional to focus anew on being outward looking and spiritually Christian values. centred. • Offer additional educational, recreational and social The church is well attended with 300 coming to services to the community. communion, baptisms and other special services as part of our strong links with the local schools and Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade. • Enthusiastically welcome and encourage The church is generally well supported, with a wide array of church opportunities to work in partnership with organisations for all ages running autonomously. neighbouring parishes in pursuit of common aims. The Pastoral Care Group is particularly strong, ensuring the housebound and those in nursing homes are regularly visited. Another feature is the strong welcoming presence of elders on Sunday mornings, making a positive out of the tricky car drop off arrangements and slope up to the church entrance! We seek a Minister to lead our congregation in continuing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily lives. The congregation could be described as traditional in terms of worship style, but, is always there is always room for an improvement or two. Church Buildings, Finance and Ministerial Support Finances Like all congregations in the church, active and ongoing stewardship is required. We have adopted the 3 year Stewardship Season approach, and after completing the “money season” this year, 2013 and 2014 will focus on “talents” and “time”. The income of the Church is about £190,000 from which we contribute some £110,000 in M&M contribution and Presbytery Dues. Historically our reserves and legacies have made up for any shortfalls, and the finances of the church are sound. Having completed major building renovations and the associated fund-raising efforts, we are refocusing on day-to-day expenditure. Support We employ a part time Secretary to support our Minister and run the Church Office, a Church Officer and Cleaners. In addition there are a myriad of enthusiastic volunteer conveners and committees organising everything from the hall and organ refurbishments to the pastoral visits, garden maintenance, sanctuary flowers and youth summer camps. Sanctuary The Sanctuary seats some 450 in traditional pews with a gallery above. Dedicated in 1955, following the destruction of the previous building during the Blitz, it gives an open area with good visibility and copious natural light. The fine 1906 Lewis pipe organ is currently undergoing a major refurbishment which should be complete by September 2012. Church Halls The halls are linked to the church, and the Sanctuary can be entered either directly, or via the halls reception area. The halls have a fully equipped kitchen, and a large hall, with a stage and capacity for some 270 People. There is also a smaller hall and further meeting rooms. Fabric condition Following refurbishment (including replacing all heating boilers) the sanctuary, halls and manse will be in fine shape by late 2012. However, Congregational Life Church Groups Bearsden Cross Church has a congregational roll The musical life of the church is strong, supported by our of 889 communicants and 6 adherent members, organist and choirmaster. The choir is some 16-20 strong, spread across some 635 households. and well led. The recently started Saturday instrumental Communion is currently held 4 times a year, with ‘Coffee Concerts’ have proved very popular. approximately 300 attending. For other Sundays There are a large number of groups meeting for fellowship the average attendance is in the order of 220-250. and study, such as the Guild, WAGs (working age “girls”), Sunday Night Community (for 18 - 30s), walking club, We currently hold extra services around Easter and knitting circle, adult bible study etc. at Christmas, and home communions are offered. There is a church website ‘www.bearsdencross.org’, a There has been a New Communicants class held regular magazine ‘Word from the Cross’ and annual Year by the minister over 10 Sundays every autumn. In Book. In addition, Easter and Christmas cards are delivered 2011, 9 new members joined by profession of faith. throughout the parish; these include details of associated Transfers in and out roughly balanced. However services. there were more funerals with 31 members passing away, and the minister also conducted Outreach many funerals of non-member parishioners. The church halls are well used, pretty much every morning On a happier note we had 8 baptisms and 2 and evening, and intermittently in the afternoons. They weddings in 2011. host a good mix of church fellowship organisations, local charitable organisations and community organisations. Children and Young People As well as opening our halls, we provide financial There is a Crèche during the service. Sunday school is also held after the support to local groups that are in line with our charitable purposes. More Children’s Address. Bible class, consisting of Juniors (S1-3) and Seniors (S4-6) significantly, our members provide many hours of volunteer time in local is held before the Sunday service. Both are supported by a well-structured outreach. programme, with activities throughout the year and there is a Bible class weekend camp. A Saturday Night Club for S1-6 is open to all. The Local Community The area still has a good churchgoing ethic, and supports 5 Church of Supporting the Sunday morning service Scotland churches in Bearsden and 3 in nearby Milngavie, with a combined We offer a popular “transport to the Church” service for those who cannot congregational roll of approaching 6,000, together with some 8 other come independently. churches of various denominations, all within 3 miles of each other. Whilst Tea and coffee is available after morning worship. As well as providing a welcome ‘cuppa’ and good fellowship, the proceeds support local charities. many of the congregation live within the parish, many do not, and the challenge is to be an attractive church to join. There is good co-operation between the churches in Bearsden, and we are part of an ecumenical group, the Association of Bearsden Churches. The local churches hold joint services, particularly in Holy Week, work together during Christian Aid Week, go carol singing together, mark Remembrance Sunday at the war memorial at nearby Bearsden Cross, and work together in other social and charitable activities. Within easy walking distance there is a wide range of specialist shops and services, as well as 2 mini supermarkets to cater for everyday needs. There are also three larger supermarkets in the vicinity. The area also has a range of excellent nurseries, primary and secondary schools, with both primary and secondary schools in Bearsden itself (a local nursery for pre-school children is run in the Church Hall!) Bearsden was initially built as a suburb for Glasgow as the railway network expanded in Victorian times. The station is a 5 minute walk with trains to Glasgow every 15 minutes, and a direct service through to Edinburgh Waverley. Glasgow Airport is a 20 minute drive. Bearsden is close to the Campsie and Fintry Hills to the north, and the stunning scenery of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is only a half hour drive away. Local Schools and other links The church and manse is located across the road from Bearsden Primary School, which uses our church for end of term services. Our last Minister was Chaplain to four local primary schools and part of the Chaplaincy team at Bearsden Academy. We would hope to see such associations continue. We also have a link with Faifley Parish Church, in nearby Clydebank. The Manse and living in Bearsden Situated next to the Church, the detached Manse provides ample accommodation with 4 bedrooms and 4 public rooms with a private garden to the rear and parking to the front. There is also a private office with access from the church halls and manse.