My church

Sheena MacFarlane OBE, Session Clerk, explains why Port Glasgow New Parish Church forms part of her extended family.

MY Church is my extended family. It is a place where I feel supported, cared for, encouraged and strengthened in my faith. It is a place which feels like home and where I feel extremely comfortable and at ease.

Port Glasgow New Parish Church is situated in the centre of Port Glasgow, a town in Inverclyde, and this year it is celebrating its 200thanniversary.

Our congregational roll at present is 418 and the church serves a population of around 5000. The church is a well-equipped space in the right place, with a very friendly congregation where everyone is welcomed. The congregation continues to grow with the appearance of new young families, lots of adult and youth organisations and a greater emphasis being placed on the wellbeing of our community.

Having been brought up in the church from a very early age, attending worship has always played an important part in my life, as has sharing the good news of our Lord Jesus. I have been a church member and elder for a long number of years, been actively involved in many aspects of church life including youth work through Girls’ Brigade, Sunday School /Club, pastoral care work, Kirk Session and also part of the ministry team as a worship leader.

My faith has always been an integral part of my life over the years and although my church is a well-equipped space in the right place and has a great buzz about it, I firmly believe that being part of the church is not purely about going along on a Sunday morning. It’s great to meet regularly with friends, to worship, share God’s Word, learn together and share fellowship but as a church member, a follower of Christ, it also offers differing opportunities to serve and respond to the human need within our community by showing love and care to those around us.

“ Having been brought up in the church from a very early age, attending worship has always played an important part in my life, as has sharing the good news of our Lord Jesus.

My church has changed greatly over the years and especially in the last few years. The recent pandemic forced us, like many others, to think out of the box. How do we reach out to others when the building is closed? Multimedia and social media were embraced, and the community noticed the church as a centre for good in the town. A community hub where during the week lots of external groups and church groups now meet on a regular basis.

As we move forward into our 200thanniversary, there is a lot to be thankful for in Port Glasgow New Parish Church. Changes are taking place; a welcoming growing congregation embracing the differing opportunities available to reach out to the community. There is a growing optimism as we move forward together into exciting but challenging times. Everyone feels valued, there is a great spirit of teamwork and above all God’s love is shown in our words and actions.

As a practising Christian, a member of Port Glasgow New, I greatly value the opportunity to continue serving our Lord in this place, with likeminded people whose vision is to spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ within this community. ¤