KAY PARK PARISH CHURCH LONDON ROAD, KILMARNOCK KA3 7AA Scottish Charity Regulator # SC008154 1 Who are we? We are a warm, welcoming, Together we have taken on new challenges and formed innovative congregation of new organisations with new around 425 in the heart of leaders. Kilmarnock, drawing our members from every part of our We welcome many members of community. other congregations in the town, who visit many of our In 2012,after a presbytery services, come on our reappraisal, Kay Park Parish pilgrimages and join our clubs. Church arose out of a union of two congregations, Old High Kirk and Henderson Church, which must be one of the The reception area at the front happiest ‘marriages’ in the Church of Scotland. Our members, of the church is equipped with Kirk Sessions and leaders merged together seamlessly and coffee tables and chairs and has both congregations claim to have gained the most. a little kitchen , so that members and visitors can enjoy Together we decided to change our name to an entirely a chat over coffee. new one as a first step to a new congregation. We welcome everyone in God’s Together we decided to remove the pews from the name, whatever their age, ethnicity, gender identity, sanctuary and undertake a complete refurbishment of the sanctuary and halls. physical or mental ability. ……………………… a welcoming Church at the heart of the Community What can we offer? A church building and manse which are well maintained and cared for and an excellent suite of halls. One of the most modern church interiors in Ayrshire, which is quickly becoming a first choice venue for conferences and concerts and is widely used by the community. The sanctuary is equipped with screens and sound systems as well as the loop system. A first-class musical director and a first-class choir, as well as a Praise Band, all of whom enhance our worship. We are also fortunate enough to have a magnificent pipe organ. A manse within walking distance of the church and good schools in the parish. An office equipped with computers and a state of the art printer, as well as Wifi throughout the building. Excellent administrators of church roll and finance. Young Church leaders who are ready to take on new challenges under new leadership A supportive Kirk Session which has voted to be inclusive and accept applications from suitable candidates, including those applicants in same sex marriage or civil partnership. Enthusiasm Support Fun…………… 2 Leadership, Staffing and Structure The Kirk Session Our minister is supported by an active Kirk Session, in which all debates are conducted in an atmosphere of fellowship and where wisdom as well as good humour assist our decision making process. All members of the Kirk Session are Trustees and the gender division is 35 male and 42 female elders. This charge operates as a unitary constitution. A 12 page colour magazine, “Reflections”, is produced and printed in-house every two months and is delivered by the elder to each house in his/her district. The magazine is the main means of communication with the whole membership. Structure All the work of the Kirk Session is delegated to leadership groups: each group represented by its convener on the Planning Committee, convened by the Session Clerk two weeks before each Kirk Session Meeting. This committee plans the agenda for the following Kirk Session Meeting. Leadership groups are: Worship - Choir, Media Team, Young Worship Group, Musical Director Fellowship - Social Committee, Guild, Friendship Club, Flowers and Decorations, Publications & Publicity, Website, Sunday Coffee, LunchBreak, KPPC Strollers, Fellowship of Kilmarnock Churches Pastoral - Area Elders’ Committee, Pastoral Visitation Committee, Roll Keeper Church & Youth - Young Church, Crèche, Safeguarding, Kilmarnock Youth Project Fiscal - Finance, Stewardship, Property, Health & Safety, Hall Lets, Nominations, Employee management Staff We currently have four members of staff who have been with us for a considerable time: Organist / Choirmaster - also conductor of the Aeolian Choir which performs annually to a packed house in our church. Minister’s Secretary - undertakes all the usual secretarial duties for the minister, but also keeps the church roll in order online and records the FWO offerings on a Sunday as well as the monthly BACS and distributes the information to the Gift Aid treasurer and Congregational Treasurer, so that the Gift Aid and GASDS claims can be made promptly. Receipts for giving are issued quarterly to the members. The printing and distribution of the weekly Order of Service is another of the duties undertaken by the Secretary. Hall Lettings Manager / Caretaker - has the responsibility of managing the Hall Lets, setting up the Church and Hall for the clients, making arrangements for seating/tables/media etc. Billing, completion of contracts etc is in also in the remit of the manager, who is supervised by a Hall Lets Committee. At the moment he also undertakes the work of caretaker. Church Officer - is present at weddings (and rehearsals) as well as funerals, to open up the church, liaise with the family on the day and generally make sure that everything goes to plan. We receive many compliments about the conduct and helpfulness of the church officer after these occasions. Cleaners - we currently have two cleaners who work together, and separately, on a rota which suits them. The Hall Lets Management Team has been given permission to employ industrial cleaners after whole-church lets where every room in the building requires restoring to its usual pristine state. Church Office The office is situated inside the back door at the entrance to the suite of rooms and halls situated on the ground floor. The office is well equipped with two computers, a desktop printer/copier/scanner and a large Ricoh printer/copier on which internal publications, including the magazine, are printed, as well as orders from outside organisations. 3 Worship The Kay Park congregation embraces innovation in worship. A magnificent Hill, Norman and Until our vacancy regular Sunday worship started at 9.45 with Beard organ is a undoubted asset as a small number of people enjoying an informal service of well. music and discussion in the Side Chapel area. This suited Holy Communion is celebrated people who prefer a more intimate style of worship as well as twice a year as a Carded those who do not enjoy large congregational services. Communion, for which each A more traditional service is the norm at 11.00 a.m. but we member receives a printed have enjoyed performance services, as well as services led by invitation. It is also celebrated twice a year as an Uncarded the Guild, Sunday School or Kirk Session and many of our Communion and at the end of the 11.00 a.m. service bi- members participate in worship by Scripture readings each monthly, as well as at Christmas and Easter. Sunday. Since the refurbishment of the Sanctuary we have been An afternoon service was experimenting with different ways of serving communion to held at 2.00 p.m. on the first see which one brings the meaning Sunday of each month for of the sacrament more closely to those who are unable, our hearts. either through employment We appreciate that our or disability, to attend in the congregation, like most others, is mornings. ageing, however gracefully, and we The media desk in the long to connect with more younger sanctuary is manned by a people. Many of our Young Church team of volunteers who put information, hymns, graphics on folk are lost for a while as they go the screens and adjust the sound system and microphones in off to college or University in their the sanctuary and chancel. late teenage years. It can be difficult to attract the young while Musically, we have a rich store of talent which enhances our keeping the older members happy, worship immeasurably. A large choir, led by our talented but our older members have organist/choirmaster, has a repertoire which ranges from the enjoyed the opportunities afforded by having many student classical to the contemporary and, along with our Praise Band, associates and assistants to experience new music and new is joined from time to time by Kilmarnock Concert Brass, who ways of worshipping. practise within the church. Young Church Our Young Church is run by a dedicated team of 6 leaders. At the moment the children attend the first part of Sunday morning worship before leaving and going to our hall for their own activities. Children can start Young Church from the age of 3 and proceed through the various classes until the end of Bible Class. They enjoy taking part in a Christmas nativity play and summer outings and are very keen to participate in morning worship when invited. The older children go with a leader to Costa Coffee once a month where they enjoy a lively discussion over a coffee. There is also a creche each Sunday, for children under 3, run by a team of willing volunteers on a weekly basis. The leaders of Young Church are sometimes frustrated by the lack of time they have between going downstairs at the end of their part in the morning service and the service ending at 12.00 when parents/carers come to collect the children. Kirk Session have taken this into consideration and feel it would be best to leave any new arrangements until the arrival of a new minister. 4 Stewardship and Finance Kay Park Parish Church is in sound financial health. 2018 Income is The current financial aim is to have a balanced account for the projected to be year 2018. Last year, 2017, resulted in a loss, when the £173,000.