Campsie Parish Church Parish Profile

Introduction

This vacancy has occurred, sadly, because of the demission on grounds of ill-health of Rev. Sandra Farrington. As part of God's Kingdom, the members of this enthusiastic, supportive and hard working church now seek a Minister who will lead us on our spiritual journey and who will walk with us as we seek to develop a strong Christian witness in the village. Under Sandra’s leadership our church grew in faith and enthusiasm, and we look for a new Minister who will continue this work, and bring new insights and initiatives to our mission in the parish.

Our mission statement affirms that we are a voice for Jesus in the life of Campsie  Together listening to God’s Word  Responding to his love  Faithfully and prayerfully loving, worshipping and serving our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience and humility  Sharing God’s love with others and working through the power of the Holy Spirit for the coming of the Kingdom

Our new minister

We are looking for a minister who will  Nurture the faith and enthusiasm of the whole congregation  Put pastoral care at the centre of his or her ministry  Give priority to reaching out to the local community  Be an effective and inspiring preacher, able to communicate the Gospel’s message  Be open to new developments in worship  Have excellent communication skills and get on well with all kinds of people  Develop and use the talents of all members  Provide leadership to the office bearers and others in the congregation  Develop a vision for the future of our church

Church Website http://www.campsie.org.uk

Campsie Statistics for Mission http://cos.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/statistics_for_mission/parish_profil es/160852.pdf

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The Parish of Campsie The Parish of Campsie lies at the foot of the Campsie Fells, in the valley between the Campsie Fells and the South Braes. is conveniently situated 9 miles from Glasgow city centre, with Edinburgh only 45 miles on the motorway, with Falkirk, Stirling and Glasgow Airport all within comfortable commuting distance. The parish consists of Lennoxtown, and the hamlets of Haughhead and the ; the latter is a conservation area, and lies at the entrance to Campsie Glen, a local beauty spot. There are also a few surrounding farms. Over the past thirty five years, a number of housing developments have been built in or near the original village. Lennoxtown is a great base for outdoor activities with extensive walking/cycling paths. The beautiful Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is only 30 minutes drive from Lennoxtown. The nearest town is , known as the Canal Capital of . In origin the parish is pre-reformation. The ruins of the original church, which was built c.1175 can be seen in the Clachan. It took its name from St Machan who brought Christianity to the area. The church was built over his grave, and was the religious centre of the parish until the eighteenth century. The present church is the result of a number of unions, the most recent of which was between St Machan’s Church Campsie Trinity and Campsie High in 1979. Lennoxtown has a population of about 4,000 people, although many today have no church connection at all. Celtic Football Club has its training facilities in the grounds of the former Lennox Castle Hospital and local youngsters are invited to enjoy their sporting facilities. The main commercial business in the village is the local spring water bottling plant, which sources natural spring water from the Campsie Fells. This plant is currently owned by Highland Spring Ltd. The village has a residential nursing home and the building of a second care home is planned.

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The Nursing Home and the bottling plant are the main employers in the area and consequently most people travel further afield for employment. Housing in the village ranges from stone built villas and council houses to flats and new modern private estates. The village has a number of shops, including a pharmacy, a small supermarket, Post Office, hairdressers, optician, dentist and several fast food outlets. There is a health centre, a library and some Council offices; these are to be brought under one roof in a new Community Hub, now under construction. The local hotel is a popular venue for conferences and social functions. Leisure activities are catered for with a bowling club, football parks and a golf course. There are also several public houses and two tearooms. The Memorial Hall (run by a Community Trust) is used as a meeting place for committees, clubs and village events. Like many other suburban areas Lennoxtown does have its share of anti- social behaviour. However, this is not a predominant feature of life in Lennoxtown. There are three places of worship in Lennoxtown: Campsie Parish Church (Church of Scotland), St Machan’s Roman Catholic Church and a Free Church of Scotland. Our neighbouring Church of Scotland congregations are at (2 miles), Torrance (3 miles), (4 miles) and Kirkintilloch (5 miles). There is a religious retreat and shrine at Schoenstatt –which is run by the German order Schoenstatt of 'The Sisters of Mary'. There are two primary schools in the village: the non-denominational Lennoxtown Primary School (with nursery attached) and St Machan’s Roman Catholic Primary School. The Minister of Campsie Parish Church has traditionally been Chaplain to Lennoxtown Primary School and end of term services are generally held in Church for pupils, and their Lennoxtown Primary School families. A joint carol service is held each year. On leaving primary school, many students continue their secondary education at nearby Kilsyth Academy; however, an increasing number now go to other schools in the area.

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The Church

The Building After the 1979 Union, the Trinity building was used for worship until 1985, when it was demolished due to structural problems. The present multi-purpose building was constructed on the same site and was dedicated in December 1988. The Sanctuary is capable of seating 292 people and is linked by a moveable partition to a hall which can seat a further 126. This can be combined to form a single space if necessary. There are further rooms at the rear used for the Kirk Session, Sunday School, Crèche and other meetings.

Local craftsmen were employed in furnishing the new building

Elm Communion table, with decorative panels depicting the four seasons set within God’s creation. Created by Neil Baird.

Font

Font, made from hand-thrown pottery, with design based on a drawing by a Primary One pupil from Lennoxtown Primary School.

Designed and constructed by Dave Norman

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Stained glass panels

The above panel in the foyer is based on artwork created by Primary School children (a world first) and depicts the story of Christianity coming to Lennoxtown. In the sanctuary the stained glass panel highlights the promise of Christianity remaining in Lennoxtown with the shadow of the cross falling on the Campsie Hills. Created by Bryan Hutchison.

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the Church, a third glass panel was commissioned from Bryan Hutchison with local Primary School children again involved by submitting artwork. This new panel hangs in the foyer and illustrates various Bible stories with the infant Jesus as the centre-piece.

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Sound System The Church has a modern sound and audio-visual installation (upgraded in 2015), a Clavinova electronic piano and a new Gloria organ.

Kitchen Facilities

A few years ago a major refurbishment and extension of the kitchen was undertaken and we now have a much improved working area. The kitchen is fitted to the highest standard and the improved facilities are used regularly to facilitate catering for various events such as Alpha suppers, coffee mornings, a monthly Rainbow Café and other fundraising activities. Membership The Church currently has 145 members with a regular congregation of between 50 and 70. There is a small but lively Sunday School and Bible Class, with a Crèche for children under 3 years of age. The congregation is enthusiastic and lively and is made up from a variety of strands –those with local roots and many new members who have moved into the area.

Photo of Congregation

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Baptisms, Marriages and Funerals In 2014, there were three baptisms, one marriage and fifteen funerals. Worship Worship takes place at 11.00am every Sunday, with an evening service on the second Sunday of the month, except during the summer months. Extensive use is made of audio-visual communication in our services. Words of hymns, bible texts, notices and illustrative material for the sermon are displayed in this way. Communion is celebrated twice a year, normally in June and October.

Profession of Faith - 3 New Members Monthly services are also held at the local Nursing home and are conducted by a team of volunteers from the Church. On Christmas Eve the Watchnight Service is generally well attended and prior to this service Carol singers from the Church tour the village taking Christmas greetings to all. Special services are held during Holy Week.

Sunrise Service

At dawn on Easter Sunday a Sunrise service is held high on the Campsie Fells. This popular service attracts Christians from other parishes.

Music The music used in worship displays a wide variety of styles ranging from traditional hymns found in CH3/4 to modern songs from many sources. Complete Mission Praise is our primary hymnbook. The accompaniment is provided by organ, piano or the praise band as required.

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Youth Work

Sunday School/Bible Class All children and teachers join in worship in the sanctuary for the first part of the service before going through to the Sunday School rooms where they all work well together and take part in various activities. Although small in number the children are all very enthusiastic and respond well when asked to help others less fortunate than themselves. As well as contributing to Operation Christmas Child, the children have also supported Mary’s Meals.

Holiday Club

We normally run a Holiday Club using Scripture Union material each year, which is open to all children in the village of Primary School age. The Club is led and supported by a team drawn from members of the congregation both young and old.

The 1st Campsie Boys’ Brigade Company was established in 1927 and has played a large part in the lives of many local boys. The four sections cater for boys aged between 5 and 18 years. The groups meet in the church on a weekly basis with a Bible Class meeting on Sundays prior to Morning Worship. A wide and varied programme is followed, including fund raising activities. The Pipe Band is very popular and always heads Remembrance Day Parades.

Organisations for Girls We have very active Rainbow, Brownies and Guide groups. All are open units and are presently full to capacity with waiting lists for membership.

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Activities

The Guild meets fortnightly on a Tuesday afternoon from October to March. We adhere to the National Guild theme - this year Be Bold, Be Strong - which is further enhanced by a variety of speakers. Each year there is a different focus - Go in peace, joy and love. We are now linked with New St Andrew’s Guild, Coatbridge, and both enjoy the mutual fellowship.

Home Groups The Church encourages further Bible Study and prayer through informal House Group meetings. Currently there are groups catering for a wide range of ages, and involving a number of both men and women. Although each of these groups is run separately, joint evening meetings are held occasionally.

Pastoral Care We have an active Pastoral Care team, whose members regularly visit the elderly, the housebound and those who are unwell. Each team member has responsibility for one or two people, so that long-lasting relationships can be established. Members in Nursing Homes are also visited. There are also occasional social events organised.

Alpha courses are regularly held in Church. The next one will be held in September. 2015. We have offered several variations on the standard course including Youth Alpha.

The Rainbow Café, serving light lunches, is held on the first Tuesday of the month from September to June. Profits are divided each year between a number of designated charities.

There is a monthly collection – “Bring a Tin” – for the Glasgow Lodging House Mission with which we have regular contact.

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The church supports Operation Christmas Child, collecting filled shoeboxes and loose goods; these are sent to Eastern European countries for distribution to under-privileged children. Members of the congregation have travelled to Belarus and to Romania to help with this work.

There is a small but lively photographic club, which welcomes members and non-members to monthly meetings and occasional field-trips.

Social Events The Events Committee organises a variety of social and fundraising events throughout the year, including sponsored walks, hostess teas, and a Scottish evening.

Sponsored Walk April 2015

Outside use The church is used regularly by the Campsie Floral Art Club, and on demand by other individuals and groups from the community.

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Constitution and administration

Constitution The Church adopted the Unitary Constitution in 2013.

Administration The Kirk Session consists of six men and nine women. When the Unitary Constitution was adopted, a number of committees were set up to carry on the work of the church; for various reasons, this structure has not developed as was foreseen, and needs to be reviewed. Currently, there are active committees for Finance, Property, Events, Youth and Communications. There is a part-time Church Officer and a part-time Church cleaner. One of the elders acts as church administrator.

Safeguarding The church has a Safeguarding Officer and a Safeguarding Committee. All relevant members of the congregation have passed the appropriate checks.

Publications

The Church magazine called 'The Gateway' is published twice a year and delivered to members, adherents and friends prior to Easter and Christmas. The magazine is lively, informative, and in addition to giving information on special services, it also includes contributions and news from Church organisations, articles of encouragement, personal reflections and anecdotes.

A weekly Order of Service sheet is distributed at Morning Worship. This leaflet is prepared by a team of volunteers working on a rotational basis. In addition to service details this leaflet also contains information of forthcoming events, matters of interest and detailed prayer topics.

A monthly Prayer bulletin is circulated to members of the Prayer Circle and gives details of urgent prayer requests, ongoing prayer concerns and updates on answered prayer.

Annually an information booklet is prepared for Session members and Committee Convenors. This booklet gives full contact details of Kirk Session members, Convenors and Committee members.

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Finance The financial position of Campsie Parish Church is currently healthy. As with all similar organisations, we work hard to encourage increased giving, via gift aided donations and through ordinary giving. In 2014 our average income base was £63,259 with the Ministry and Mission allocation being £36,200. We have endowment income of approximately £2,200 and receive a rental from church land of £240.00. We hope to be in surplus in 2015. While the future is always difficult to predict, we are confident that with the help of God and the dedication of our Members our church will prosper and flourish in Campsie.

Stipend The appropriate stipend plus travelling expenses are paid.

The Manse The Manse, built in 1978, is set in a small private estate. The detached house is split level and has recently been completely re-carpeted. The house consists of a large lounge, dining room, family kitchen, 3 bedrooms all with inbuilt wardrobes, a study, utility room, separate shower room and a family bathroom. The kitchen was refitted four years ago and has a modern gas cooker, fridge freezer and dishwasher already installed. The bathroom has also been recently upgraded, re-tiled and fitted with a new modern suite, bath and separate shower cabinet. The easily maintained rear garden is totally enclosed and at the front of the property there is a large integral garage. There is also a driveway which provides off-road parking. Recently installed iron railings add a finishing touch to the driveway.

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Contact information

Campsie Parish Church 130 Main Street Lennoxtown Glasgow G66 7DA Scottish Charity no. SC000835

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Wale Clerk to the Nominating Committee 9 Glenward Avenue Lennoxtown Glasgow G66 7EP [email protected] Tel: 01360 319901; (mobile) 07983 558964

Enquiries and recommendations to the Interim Moderator

Rev. Dave Slater 26 Inchnock Avenue Gartcosh G69 8EA [email protected] Tel: 01236 870331; (mobile) 07722 876616

Closing date

30th September 2015

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