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WHAT sometimes passes for summer in Scotland will be upon us by the time this issue reaches your hands.
June marks the end of the traditional church year, as many organisations wind down for the summer break.
Services in some places may change, along with pulpit faces as ministers and congregation alike seek refreshment in a different place for a short time.
In some places summer means opening doors to visitors as the church is located in a popular tourism area. For others it means winding down, perhaps a reduction in services.
Yet the summer months can still bring unexpected visitors to church doorsteps.
One of the fastest growing interests in our communities, fuelled by programmes such as the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, is an interest in our heritage and our forebears.
Churches and old parish records provide valuable information for those interested in their family tree. Whilst many records are now available online for research purposes, some people like to gain a sense of place and visit the land once home to their ancestors. Very often the church is one of the few places remaining from a particular time, or with information that can fill in the blanks when research halts in a particular place.
I can well remember researching my own family tree and finding that one set of great-grandparents had lived in a Stockbridge tenement in Edinburgh, less than a mile from where I lived at that time.
Many churches (although not their halls) are often only open on a Sunday for a single or multiple services. Some, particularly in rural areas, may reduce their services over the summertime. Whilst church noticeboards can provide information about how to contact the minister or session clerk, they won’t always necessarily provide information on other local churches which may be open.
I’m not suggesting that all churches keep their doors open on the off chance that a visitor may pop by, but rather that there is a need for a sharing of information: some churches are open to visitors at certain times of the year and rather than simply presenting visitors with closed doors, offering an option of a visit to a neighbouring or nearby church offers the opportunity for a welcome, rather than disappointment.
For those researching family trees, an alternative congregation may not supply the answers, but may offer vital contacts and pointers to help with their work.
Local congregations are not in competition with each other, but should endeavour to support and care – and offer a light for visitors seeking their help or act as a place of sanctuary at an unexpected time of trauma for those seeking the peace of Christ to still their troubles. Lynne McNeil Editor
“ Churches and old parish records provide valuable information for those interested in their family tree.