My church

Rachel McWilliam, an elder at Edinburgh: Greenbank, reflects on the impact of church life, both personally and in the community.

IN any game of word association, ‘My Church’ would immediately equate to ‘My Community’ in my head. How to paint a large active community in these few lines? Tricky, but I’ll have a go!

Greenbank Church in Edinburgh was originally recommended by an elderly neighbour over 30 years ago, for its lively and outward-looking reputation. Our faith, family and personal lives have grown within the Greenbank community ever since.

The hardest period of our faith, family and personal lives by far came in 2017 with the diagnosis of our daughter’s large benign brain tumour, with the words ‘inoperable’ and ‘too dangerous’ ringing in our heads. We then came to experience the loving arms (metaphorical and real) and prayerful support of the Greenbank community, upholding and sustaining us every step along the bumpy path of treatment and recovery. God’s hand unexpectedly led us to top neurosurgical care in London and, just before the first lengthy operation, Isaiah 43: 1-2reached us/our daughter from four different places, including our minister’s sermon. We felt God was speaking to us with reassurance, comfort and love.

During this period of personal adversity, in the busy Sunday morning post-service coffee hall, a few fellow members occasionally were moved to share privately something of a burden, past or present, they were also holding; what a privilege this felt.

The fellowship shared in the hall is also manifested in other, more worldly ways; an enthusiastic group of participants (including my husband) can be seen in a weekly huddle, analysing the football results from the previous day’s matches!

Greenbank’s dynamic history of the youth groups of QII/Quest has resulted in the 25th anniversary this year of the charity, Scottish Love in Action, founded in India by QII teenagers and leaders. Our daughter’s own faith path, beginning as a teenager during a QII project in Skye, has brought her to her current role as a minister in her church in York.

With societal changes over the years, Greenbank has reshaped itself, redefining its mission to the local community and beyond. Our ministers in recent years have left a legacy of people empowerment; members are motivated and encouraged to use their gifts to deliver activities to meet needs and priorities. Examples include:

• A Domestic Abuse awareness event (by our A Safe Listening Place group)

• Prisoners Week workshop (by our Social Justice group)

• Eco-Group events (gold EcoCongregation Award achieved)

• Our first Repair Café in March 2025

• Forest Church

• An Open Hand (project with Edinburgh City Mission to help struggling families)

• Dementia-friendly afternoon services

The creation of a weekly ‘Coffee, Cake and Chat’ social gathering in a local café has proved to be very popular, further enhancing a sense of community.

Contemporary challenges include the growing of numbers of younger people (by building on our busy summer holiday and Christmas clubs).

Finally, I asked a few folk what Greenbank church means to them in one word: Love, Community, Generosity, Family, Friendship were the replies. I couldn’t agree more! ¤