‘The aim is to introduce people to Jesus’

Thomas Baldwin hears from three of the new worshipping communities being developed in the Church of Scotland

ONE of the focuses in the Church of Scotland through the current reforms is the need to establish new worshipping communities in and alongside existing churches, with the vision of having one in every parish. Money has been made available through the Seeds for Growth fund to help support such projects.

Hundreds of communities are now beginning to emerge, some based on a geographical area, others working with a particular age group or other demographic. Some are based on established models such as Messy Church and Forest Church, while some are brand new, reflecting the needs of their area or the calling of those running them.

Over the next two months, we will meet a selection of Scotland’s new worshipping communities.

Crossing Together

Crossing Together started as one of six initiatives set up by the former Presbytery of Irvine and Kilmarnock post-Covid, as a strategy aimed at inspiring mission in response to addressing the narrative of decline.

It is focused on encouraging intergenerational opportunities by creating a new worshipping community in the South Irvine area. The mission pioneer, Alison Muir is supported by an eclectic mix of local talents, including the Rev Dr Jamie Milliken, one of the ministry team in United Irvine, a union of five former congregations.

“ As Christians, we have such a counter cultural message to bring, of good news, of belonging, and everybody having worth and value.

To date, they have established a variety of group activities building on the success of Tea and Toast Monday Hub including the ‘New to Me’ Clothing Exchange, and a toddler group which has a waiting list for space. Crossing Together has become an integral part of the local community, which is evidenced by its ability to partner with other institutions and agencies to reach the isolated and those on the margins.

Brian Devlin, the presbytery mission facilitator for what is now the Presbytery of the South West, says it has been ‘remarkable’ to observe how Crossing Together is reaching un-churched people groups in their area. “New Worshipping

Communities have the potential to revitalise the existing congregations and central to this is the ability to embed the approach into the local context, in order to understand the dynamics shaping people’s lives in a post-pandemic world.”

For it to become sustainable, he adds, it is important to involve the people coming in, and to allow them to shape the community as it develops: “Participants must be encouraged and allowed every opportunity to become the architects in shaping mission. This approach to creating a discipleship culture is central to mission pioneering to establish a kingdom building ethos that echoes Christ’s Gospel mission.”

A monthly worship event attracts families and children of all ages. The approach of Crossing Together is highly immersive and aimed at meeting participants where they are according to their own spiritual styles that is engaging a diverse group of churched, unchurched and de-churched people of all ages, needs and gifts. Their approach includes worship songs, arts and crafts, bible discovery together with other forms aimed at inspiring inclusive interaction. This is followed by a community dinner where people have the opportunity to chat, sing the occasional worship song and build community.

The approach taken by Crossing Together has unearthed some interesting observations. Alison and Jamie were surprised when gathering feedback that participants requested ‘more themes about Jesus’. An observation by a young child at the beginning of their journey succinctly captured the essence of what pioneering mission is when the child asked, ‘what is prayer?’, which then led into a faith exploration course and two baptisms.

InTogether

InTogether is a Presbytery Mission Initiative in Perth, formed by the Rev Anne Stott, a former teacher and Ordained Local Minister, and Lynsey Paterson, a former speech and language therapist and Church of Scotland elder. Both have extensive professional experience of working with children with additional support needs (ASN) and, recognising the challenges facing such children and their families, felt called to develop a church community for them.

“Families who have children with ASN are less likely to attend a community support or events including church, even if they have a faith,” says Lynsey. “And if they did come to church, the way we do church often wouldn’t work for them.

“As Christians, we have such a counter cultural message to bring, of good news, of belonging, and everybody having worth and value.”

Set up as a Presbytery Mission Initiative sponsored by Perth North Church, Lynsey and Anne have assembled a leadership team of eight and other volunteers. There are three main streams to InTogether’s work: learning together, listening together and being together. Among their work, they support mental health and wellbeing, provide meal vouchers, and have developed relationships with the older siblings in some of the families, taking two groups to Scripture Union camps. They have started to see people coming to faith, and are exploring what discipleship might look like in their context.

Now, thanks to funding from Seeds for Growth, they have been able to employ Lynsey as a paid worker, which will help increase capacity and develop their services. That may also include starting a second group in another location.

“We definitely feel God is calling us to develop a New Worshipping Community for these families,” says Lynsey. “We are in a period of discernment: we have lots of ideas but we’re also asking God ‘what are your ideas’.”

Welcome to Life

Welcome to Life in Inverness is in one sense very much an embryonic project, but as an extension of the work of St Columba’s Church, it has around 15 years’ experience of church planting behind it. Beginning with 30-40 people meeting in a school to do the Alpha Course in 2010, the church was raised to full status in 2021 and now has plans for its own building.

With the Welcome to Life project, the church is hoping to expand into a new area of housing being developed in the Ness Castle area of the city, which is expected to attract plenty of young families.

St Columba’s minister, the Rev Scott McRoberts, says: “We are looking for a worker who will run just one group a week initially, keeping it very simple, building relationships with people and being a link with the church for anyone interested in exploring faith.”

He adds that all options are still open as to how the project will develop. “Is it about beginning a new worshipping community, or is it about becoming part of the existing church community? That can sound pretty loose, like you haven’t got a focus, but the ultimate aim is to introduce people to Jesus, whatever the best way is to do that.”

He says that they are exploring the possibilities through prayer and reflection, and through discussions and listening to the communities they are hoping to reach.

“Whatever we are doing, we are seeking to have that mixture of ages, backgrounds and stages that we have within our existing worshipping community. We don’t want to constrain God to fit just the things we are already doing.”