In the Presbytery of

A Church of Scotland Parish Dyke and Edinkillie Parish Profile

An Unrestricted Call

Dyke Church

Edinkillie Church

Together in faith and fellowship

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Contents Introduction ...... 3 History of the charge and congregation ...... 3 Our Vision for the Future ...... 3 The Congregation ...... 3 Mission and Outreach ...... 4 Dyke Church Access for the Future Project ...... 4 Community Profile...... 6 Worship Life ...... 7 Pastoral Care ...... 7 Christian Education ...... 7 Ecumenical Context ...... 8 World Church ...... 8 Stewardship and Finance...... 8 Staffing ...... 9 Church, Manse and Halls ...... 9 The Manse ...... 10 Weblinks ...... 11 Further Information ...... 11

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Introduction Dyke and Edinkillie Parish Church in the Presbytery of Moray is seeking a minister on an unrestricted call, due to the translation of the previous Minister in December 2013. The parish lies to the west and south of the ancient Royal Burgh of in the county of Moray. There are two church buildings, one located in the village of Dyke, the other located 8 miles south of Forres at Edinkillie.

History of the charge and congregation The congregations of Dyke and Edinkillie became a Union in January 2018, having been linked since 1979. Each has a long history with 18th century church buildings. The current Presbytery Plan for Moray allows the Union to call a Minister with unrestricted tenure.

Our Vision for the Future Our parish is blessed with enthusiastic and committed people who are looking for someone to work with us as we build on our progress engaging with our communities. In recent years we have seen increasing numbers of young adults involved in the church family, we have developed shared activities with our community halls, we have involved members of the wider community in practical work, and we have built up connections with young families. We hope to call a minister who can encourage and support us moving forward, working together as a team.

We would look for the ability to engage with children in church, and through links with Logie Primary School and Dyke Primary School and Nursery. We are aware of the potential to connect more actively with young people of secondary school age, and would hope for guidance to do that. Worship, teaching, preaching and pastoral care are important for building up the congregation to continue on this journey with God, and we hope to further develop opportunities to study and learn outside Sunday worship.

The Congregation The roll of the church is 176 members and 21 adherents. Recent Sunday attendance is around 30-40 at Dyke and about 20 at Edinkillie, of whom the majority are 60 and over, but there are some young families regularly involved. There is a children’s area and crèche at Dyke. There is also Messy Church in the Edinkillie area; both churches meet approximately monthly during term time, with other young families. Within the last 5 years at least 10 people have begun participating regularly in congregational life.

The Kirk Session is still evolving following the union and operates under the Unitary Constitution. This is an enthusiastic and effective group of people who are a great help to the Minister. It currently works with 3 main subcommittees, Finance, Property and Social committees, plus the Dyke Church Access Project groups.

The latter are three groups which include members of the congregation and the wider community, who are working on aspects of the Dyke Church - Access for the Future Project (Fundraising, Property & Planning and Communications & Vision).

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Mission and Outreach A soup-and-coffee morning is held once a month in the Dyke Village Hall. This is a joint venture between the Church and the Village Hall with members of the Church and the local community working together to provide homemade soups and home bakes. Similarly a Swap Shop is held monthly at Edinkillie Hall; the Church and Edinkillie Hall Committee working together for the benefit of the local community.

A close relationship has existed between the Church and the two local primary schools for many years, with regular visits from the Minister. Children from Dyke Primary School use the Dyke Church regularly for assemblies. The children perform a nativity play in the Village Hall, and a carol service in the Church each Christmas. The links with Logie Primary School are also developing through Messy Church and the use of Edinkillie Church at Christmas. It is important to our congregation that links with both schools are maintained and enhanced.

The Guild is very active and provides help in many ways, not least financially. At present there are 12 members who meet, every second Tuesday of the month in the Church Hall at Dyke.

The congregation offers regular support to Christian Aid, Water Aid and the Earl Haig Fund. This includes holding a Hunger Lunch annually in aid of Christian Aid, and working with other local churches to provide soup and sweet lunches during Christian Aid Week. Other organisations we have supported in recent years include the Moray Food Bank, Moray Supports Refugees, and the Children’s Society. We are also committed to supporting Fair Trade goods and regularly invite a local representative of Traidcraft to sell goods at various Church events.

The Church has erected a Contemplation Room in the Edinkillie Cemetery for people visiting the resting place of their loved ones.

A singing group meets regularly under the leadership of our permanent organist

A newsletter is produced and forthcoming events are well advertised in information sheets and on Facebook.

Dyke Church Access for the Future Project The position of the church building at Dyke does not lend itself as “disability friendly” for access and internal facilities. This has been long debated within the Kirk Session, seeking the most cost-effective way of providing these facilities.

The Kirk Session believed that there was an appetite in the local community to preserve Dyke Church for future generations. The first stage was to test this and in April 2016 a community engagement meeting was held in the local Village Hall, which was attended by about 60 people, half of whom were not church members. The overwhelming message from those in attendance was that Dyke Church is a focal point for the community, along with the School and Village Hall. The Church, Village School and Village Hall provide important religious, educational and social functions at the heart of Dyke Village and the surrounding communities.

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Many people agreed that the Church also had an important cultural and historical role. With user-friendly access and improved modern facilities, our vision is to make the Dyke Church premises more welcoming, hospitable and flexible, so better able to serve the needs and improve the quality of life for a whole range of people in the community, and visitors, who might otherwise be excluded. We wish to provide a friendly and easily accessible space for small groups to meet, building on the range of activities held at present, and safeguard the use of the church building for future generations. The first phase of this project was to provide an external path. The second phase is summarised in the “Church Manse and Halls” section of this profile below. We have almost completed phase 1, having raised all the funds we need for this, completed the building work and are just awaiting installation of the lighting. We are now finalising the plans for phase 2.

Our website is a valuable source of information which is updated regularly. Regular newsletters are also produced and forthcoming events are advertised in the local newspaper and via various noticeboards in the area.

Walking the new path to Dyke Church for the first time

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Community Profile Dyke is a lowland area (population <700) centred around its attractive village; Edinkillie is a more scattered community (population < 300) and geographically the largest upland parish area in Moray Presbytery. Together they are a rural charge. There is a pre-school and primary school at Dyke, and a primary school at Logie, serving Edinkillie; Forres Academy provides secondary education for the area. Also in Forres are three large primary schools and the independent Drumduan School (inspired by Rudolf Steiner). Forres is a thriving small country town (population >10,000) with a health centre, supermarkets, independent high street retailers, library, veterinary services, tennis and squash courts, leisure centre, community centre, football stadium and a good golf course. Thanks in part to its attractive public parks the town has won many awards. It is well served by rail and bus links to Inverness and Aberdeen, with their respective airports. Dyke lies about 4 miles west of Forres and straddles the A96; Edinkillie lies between Forres and Grantown-on-Spey. The parish covers approximately 110 square miles of farmland, forestry, the village of Dyke, the smaller population centres of Kintessack, Conicavel and Brodie, and the more scattered community of Edinkillie. The Dyke Church building is in the centre of the village, alongside the primary school and community hall; Logie primary school is located 6 miles south of Forres. The River runs north through the centre of Edinkillie and its tributary, the Divie, flows alongside the Church and the old manse. Edinkillie Village Hall is situated between the Church and Logie School. The estate/farming community is complemented by local businesses (tourism, engineering, arts and crafts, field sports), commuters working in surrounding towns, those connected with the Army base at and the RAF base Lossiemouth, and those who have retired to the area. The immediate area boasts two magnificent castles – Brodie, a National Trust for Scotland property, and Darnaway, the seat of the Earl of Moray.

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Worship Life Worship is fairly traditional. Hymns mostly come from CH4, accompanied on electronic organ in Dyke and pipe organ in Edinkillie. There is a young and very committed organist who plays in both churches. There is also a time for reflection accompanied by reflective keyboard music. Members of the congregation read the Bible readings in Sunday morning worship. Some are also occasionally involved in reading prayers. The choir sings in special services.

Sunday services takes place weekly at both places of worship, at 10am at Dyke and 11.30 at Edinkillie. However, on the first Sunday of the month only one service takes place at 11am, alternating between the two locations. At present there is no formal Junior Church, but a children’s area is provided in Dyke and a crèche in the integral Church Hall. Messy Church is held most months at Logie Steading - Edinkillie Area - after school on Thursdays. Normally ten children tend along with their families. Messy Church at Edinkillie

Members of the congregation frequently take part in services, especially during Guild Week when members of the Guild lead the service. Special services are held on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Christmas Eve. On Palm Sunday the children and adults walk through Dyke village to the church. A service of Remembrance is held with the laying of wreaths in both places of worship at the respective war memorials. The sacrament of Communion is currently celebrated on Maundy Thursday and in May, September and November.

Tea/coffee is provided after each service. This is a time of fellowship and friendship which is valued by all who participate.

Pastoral Care The congregation has an ageing membership. Church members offer informal pastoral care through their communities and neighbours. They will also keep the Minister informed of any needs they become aware of. In recent years we have an annual average of 4 funerals, 3 baptisms and 2 weddings, although this number does vary from year to year. Christian Education Christian education for young people takes place through Messy Church and school chaplaincy.

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Opportunities for adult Christian education, beyond Sunday teaching, take place through seasonal bible study series, generally during Advent and Lent, and most recently through a book group that meets monthly.

Ecumenical Context There are no other congregations or fellowships meeting within Dyke or Edinkillie parish. There are congregations and clergy of most major denominations in Forres. At a congregational level, ecumenical work occurs through the Forres area Christian Aid group, in activities and annual worship.

World Church Moray Presbytery has had a mission partner in Paraic Reamonn, of St. Andrew’s Memorial Church in Jerusalem, and the Guild hosted him on his last visit to Moray. Moray Presbytery's new mission partner is Fiona Kendall, whose work with refugees in Italy will tie in with ongoing local support of Moray Supports Refugees. As already mentioned, we support Christian Aid and other development agencies. In 2016 and 2017 we have also collected clothing and articles for refugees locally and globally. We support fair trade through tea and coffee purchases, and through hosting a Traidcraft stall at community coffee mornings in Dyke.

Stewardship and Finance This is the first year of union. The information below gives you the financial position of the two congregations prior to the Union.

Dyke Finance Last 2 years surplus/deficit 2016 deficit £15,813 2017 deficit £852 M&M contribution 2016 £9,338 2017 £9,307

Edinkillie Finance Last 2 years surplus/deficit 2016 deficit £9,417 2017 deficit £12,830 M&M net contribution 2016 £1,993 2017 £2,592

The congregation is proceeding cautiously with a deficit of income over expenditure on our General Fund for 2017. This is due in the main to one-off expenditure on property maintenance and preparing our Manse for sale. There is a centrally-held fund with the significant proceeds of the sale of the Edinkillie Manse some years ago and, more recently, the Beadle’s House. A proportion of these funds has been lodged separately as a Stipend Fund. The church hall at Edinkillie belongs to one of our benefactors and the use has been

Together in Faith and Fellowship Page 8 gifted to the Church for as long as required, with the Kirk Session responsible for the cost of the heating and lighting.

A copy of the most recent accounts is available on request.

In addition to the work to raise money for the Access Project there have been various fund- raising events specifically for Church funds, including coffee mornings, Burns Supper, quiz nights, a sponsored walk, garden openings, and a St Andrew’s Night ceilidh. Local benefactors also help the funds.

The maintenance of the graveyards are the responsibility of the Moray Council.

Recent stewardship involvement – Fiona Penny and Margot Robertson (Stewardship Consultants) led a stewardship conference at Edinkillie in March 2017 encouraging members of the congregation to consider ‘turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones’. Ideas gave rise to the Edinkillie Swap Shop and have contributed to the growing Messy Church; other community engagement ideas are being developed.

Staffing

Dyke and Edinkillie employ a part-time organist who plays at both churches, and a part-time church cleaner assists with the cleaning of the Church Building at Dyke. The Church has a voluntary church officer at Dyke and a rota of voluntary church officers at Edinkillie, who clean and do beadle duties.

Church, Manse and Halls Dyke Church Built in 1781 and extensively renovated in 1951-2 with new pews, it is a fine example of a post-reformation church. The original three-tier pulpit, consisting of a place for the preacher, the precentor’s box and the penitent’s box, still graces the church. Within the building is a church hall for Sunday School, Kirk Session and other meetings; there is also a kitchen and a toilet. The Dyke Access for the Future project The poor quality of the Church Hall facilities does not encourage participation in the activities held there and excludes the opportunities of letting the Hall to other groups. There are plans in process to alter the internal parts of the Church Building and adjoining Hall to provide Disabled Toilets and access ramps for easy movement for all persons. Details of plans and progress are available on request. The state of repair of Dyke Church, hall and kitchen is generally good and we are in the process of adopting a planned maintenance programme.

Edinkillie Church The current church was built in 1741, and is well described in the Third Statistical Account as ‘seemly, dignified and full of light’. The typical 18th century style with the pulpit on one wall

Together in Faith and Fellowship Page 9 and galleries on the others has been maintained. The pipe organ, installed in 1940, was extensively upgraded in 2007.

The church is mostly in good repair, and we are currently working through solutions proposed by a recent architect’s survey to deal with a damp wall.

There is a very small hall facility available for use behind the church, though not owned by the congregation. Interior of Edinkillie Church

The Manse

The Manse is a substantial and attractive family house, standing in its own grounds. The building is in very good condition with double glazing and central heating throughout. The accommodation comprises- Ground floor: Entrance vestibule, hallway, large sitting room, dining room, study, kitchen, utility room, shower room and WC First floor: 3 double bedrooms 1 ensuite, and 1 single bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 shower room with WC. External: Double garage with utility space and a storage shed.

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Web links http://dykeandedinkillie.org.uk/

Or find us on Facebook Dyke and Edinkillie Parish Church

Further Information Thank you for requesting our parish profile. For informal enquiries please contact the Elder - Interim Moderator Mr. Peter Taylor mail to: [email protected] 01309 674806 Locum Minister: Rev Penelope Smirthwaite mail to [email protected]

To Apply:- Clerk to the Nominating Committee Mr. Tom Foster Fir Tree Cottage Dyke Forres Moray IV36 2TF

E-mail [email protected]

DYKE & EDINKILLIE PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND (SC000585)

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