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KILLEARN KIRK AWAY DAY
GARTMORE HOUSE
SATURDAY 14 MAY
Introduction
This Away Day at Gartmore house on 14th May is the first step in an exciting process of looking how to strengthen and expand the Church for the future. The meeting was informal with involvement of all 45 attendees (including 3 young people) in the formal discussion and during lunch and breaks. It was planned as the first of several such meetings, with the next in September.
There were 3 sessions during the day, backed up by workgroups reporting back ideas to the whole meeting;
Session 1 A Vision of The Future
“Dreaming Dreams – What Type of Church Do We Want?”
Lee stressed that the way forward had to come from the congregation rather than the Minister or the Session. He quoted from a number of Christian writers:
“My vision had been too limited.”
“If most of our members never invite anyone to join them at one of our services, what does this say about the state of our Church?”
“The point is not the style of the worship but whether we felt there was something provocative in his Church.”
He related the example of the “Liquid Church” termed by Peter Ward which puts more emphasis on relationships and fellowship and people rather than buildings and formality.
Chris Williams pointed out that many fine Church buildings in Glasgow have been converted into flats because the buildings became redundant. Most people drive past Killearn Church and do not stop. How can we change this? How do we prevent the future of Killearn Kirk being a "for sale sign"?
The Church Profile prepared by the Nominating Committee set out the Church Mission very clearly and we must work now to fulfill its aims and move forward with a renewed vision. Copies of the Profile were distributed and discussed.
Comments received:
- The Church should be more open, in terms of access and outlook
- Making the physical space on a Sunday smaller to encourage a greater ‘togetherness’
- More family events
- A greater emphasis on Social Activities e.g. Soup Kitchen
- An emphasis on the church as being a family
- Build on the strengths of the Book Club as a means to reach out
- Encouraging folks to come to worship services
- Reaching members who have fallen away
- Sunday Evening Events
- Church Hall as a venue for Saturday morning coffee mornings
- Church members getting more involved in community meetings
Session 2 Ministries & Youth
Andrew Weir spoke on the Ministries of the church, and the opportunity to use many individual gifts in the work of the church. Worship is directed by the minister but many others could be involved. He emphasized the Team approach to worship leading and the creation of a Ministries group to support the minister with ideas and comment. In other areas he raised the issues of visiting and a possible Pastoral care group to supplement the work of the elders. Chris spoke on the need to widen the membership of committees to include more congregational members and revise both the committees and their remits. We spoke of the “silent” members of the church who rarely attend or get involved in the wider life of the church and emphasized that everyone has something to give and receive.
Comments received on this may be summarized as follows:
• Leadership and worship training was important.
• We should be more visible
o Church accessible always - an attractive, welcoming and all-inclusive place.
o Possible drop-in coffee bar on Saturdays
o We should be outgoing, loving and caring
o More social events, meals, family events.
o Involvement of Church members in the village organisations.
o More involvement in pastoral care.
o A happy and welcoming church
o Activities to attract
• We should expound the gospel more.
• People have got out of the habit of going to church
• Invite friends and neighbours to a family service, church meal.
• More visits to the elderly.
• Many want to hear lead Lee preach. Some thought he should preach the sermon backed up by the worship team.
• The more relaxed atmosphere was liked with a variety of people taking part
• More people should lead prayers and readings; video clips are popular.
• Music: full-time organist (with congregation involved in recruitment); more modern upbeat songs and hymns; more singing; threefold amen is liked by some.
• Less pressure for services to be perfect.
• A critical comment - the church was too obsessed with dogma and structure
and unwilling to accept the truth in other religions.
• Visiting:
o The Minister should visit the whole congregation;
o Volunteers and training for pastoral group
Lee spoke on the issue of sermons. He emphasised that he could not undertake this all alone and that in past charges he had a team of preachers.
He also required "spiritual feeding".
Young People, Kirk Kids, The Youth Worker
Chris and Tim spoke on current youth work. The Friday Night Thing was a particular success where the emphasis is on fun with an optional faith-based "epilogue" at the end". Tim and James from Drymen have been given an office at Balfron High and are creating good relationships with the pupils. They are also involved in religious and social teaching and have been invited to teach in some classes on faith. Chris discussed committees and roles for church members. These are like the illustration in 1 Corinthians that all church members have a role – and bring different strengths, gifts, and interests and personalities.
Kirk Kids is about to lose Morag Millar who has acted as leader. Volunteers are also sought. If no one is found, there will have to be a change in the format of Sunday morning youth provision.
Current problems in youth work include time pressure, lack of volunteer helpers and the need to provide separate activities for different age ranges. The young people present spoke of the need to tailor activities to age groups with the older ones wanting less directed activities and the younger supporting the existing programme.
Comment on this session included:
• There is enough work for a full-time youth worker to expand the work being done.
• Start a youth fitness club; drop-in cafe.
• Advertise the crèche and seek new helpers.
• Start activities in the new village hall including a possible drop-in cafe
• Ask the young people what they want; “cool titles” for group.
• An alternative Sunday evening worship
• Volunteering should be time-limited if desired to avoid open-ended commitment.
• Provide for mother and toddler's - drop-in coffee
• Young people involved in worship.
Session 3 Killearn Church Refurbishment and Change
Lee introduced this session by saying that there were some specific improvements had to be made soon such as replacing carpets, modernising the toilet at the back of the Church, etc. The Church needed to be brighter and more welcoming. The
building is large and not easily adaptable.
Richard Drew spoke of how cathedrals use chairs for flexibility depending on the type of occasion or service and quoted the example of Drymen’s development as a successful solution in adapting an 18th century building to suit the needs of the day.
Comments included:
• The current building
o Dull and dark; new curtains; carpeting; sliding glass door at entry or at the back of a larger vestibule with more light and openness; a traditional side chapel; use the new hall foyer as the main entrance; entrance oppressive and dark; fix the loo!; Second AV screen.
• Flexibility
o many (11) commented on the limitations of traditional pews i.e. remove central pews and keep side; the lovely building was limited in use because of pews; no pews, brighter colours; small chapel area; install individual chairs; make the space more flexible; remove old organ console; keep organ console as balances pulpit; use transepts for side rooms; raise the floor of the chancel and remove all the pews; semicircular shape; reorient choir and dedicated space for worship group ; don't wait 10 years; how much would it cost?
The meeting concluded with a short communion service served symbolically by including one of our young people.
In closing, Lee emphasized again that this was the start of process in which he wanted to involve the whole congregation and to respond to their opinions and needs. As this had been such a successful occasion a second of several such meetings would occur in September after the holiday period.
We closed by sharing the Benediction with each other, seeking God’s Grace and love on our future together.
17 May 2011
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