balerno parish church · 2016. 4. 18. · balernoparishchurchparish(profile((...

Balerno Parish Church

Parish Profile 2016

Balerno Parish Church Parish Profile

Balerno Parish Church: A place to BELIEVE, BELONG, GROW and SERVE:

Thank you for your interest and taking the time to read this profile as an introduction to the life and people of Balerno and its Parish Church. We believe that Balerno promises a rich seam of strengths, opportunities and challenges to the person called to be our minister. The church lies at the heart of a community with much to offer – a beautiful country setting close to a cosmopolitan capital; a wealth of local organisations offering everything from community cinema to Tai Chi; good schools and people who care for their village, their neighbours and their world. Thanks to the work of previous ministers with the church, Balerno Parish Church has long been engaged in sharing the love and fellowship of God in a wide variety of practical and spiritual ways. We are seeking a minister who will continue to help us support those in our midst, reach out to others in our community and provide a place for all to believe, grow and serve. The last twenty months has been a time for reflection and on-‐going healing for Balerno Parish Church as we come to terms with the loss of a much loved and respected minister. However, thanks to invaluable support in the ensuing interim ministry period, we are confident that the congregation is ready, willing and enthusiastic about travelling onwards in faith with our next minister. We hope that this profile will provide a flavour of the many qualities of Balerno Parish Church as a Christ centred, forward looking church which seeks to reach out to, serve and include everyone in our vibrant and active community. We have a well-‐established but flexible programme of worship and outreach which is supported by enthusiastic, capable and creative members of our congregation who are prepared to take the lead in many different initiatives. We seek a minister with the following qualities to guide us and support us on our journey of faith and mission. Does this sound like a church and a calling for you? We hope by answering a number of the questions you may have, this profile may help you decide but please do not hesitate to get in touch with any of the contacts at the end of this profile should you have any other questions.

3 What is the ministry and mission of Balerno Parish Church? 3 What kind of Minister do we seek? 4 Who are our congregation? 4 Where is our parish? 4 What Church Services take place? 5 What do we provide for young people?

5 What is our Acorn Initiative? 5 What is our local involvement? 6 What pastoral care do we offer? 6 What facilities does our campus offer? 7 What staff do we have? 7 How is our Kirk Session structured? 7 How do we communicate? 8 How are our finances? 8 How do you find out more?



What is the ministry and mission of Balerno Parish Church? Our mission statement states that Balerno Parish Church is a Place to Believe, Belong, Grow and Serve. The church lives by this in a wide variety of ways. Our worshipping and learning life underpins all that we do. Our broad, ecumenical and inclusive theology allows people with a range of beliefs and backgrounds to meet, worship and grow together in their individual and shared relationships with God. We seek to respond to the love of God by building a church confident in its faith and active in bringing knowledge of the blessings of Christ to the community we serve. That faith manifests itself in its support for people to flourish at every stage of life and to grow as the people God made them to be. Through our many events, groups and activities we learn and grow as communities and as individuals, marking the important stages of life along the way. While we know that many people value visits and time from the minister, our pastoral care team are actively engaged in supporting and providing the care needed in our parish (described below). Pastoral care extends into church run community initiatives including our volunteer run dementia café (PALM), support for local Food Banks, regular donations to the Edinburgh based homeless charity Fresh Start and delivery of harvest and Christmas presents through Balerno and beyond. Placing the church in the heart of the community is an important priority. We see this as an opportunity to serve and to help some take that important first step into our church family. Since 2012, our Mill Café has run as a community café in our St Joseph’s Centre and is a popular venue for people of all ages to meet. We help facilitate many community ventures including Balerno Village Screen, the Balerno Music Festival, the Bridge Club and the Christmas Tree Festival. As a result, the church campus is well-‐known and well frequented by all in Balerno. It is our mission to use this opportunity wisely to help our parish encounter God. Many in our congregation help to ensure that we are engaged in the concerns of the wider world. We are an Eco-‐Congregation. We share in a well-‐organised system of fund-‐raising for Christian Aid. In recent years, the Church has taken a close interest in events in Israel and Palestine and the experiences of churches there, some of which is outlined below. Like all organisations, of course, we are affected by the challenges and pressures of 21st century living: the difficulty for young families to commit to regular church attendance; the need to offer a variety of opportunities to appeal to those with different learning and worship styles; and volunteer fatigue. We know that while the traditional needs to be respected and protected, considered evolution is necessary if we are to continue to provide a relevant place for all in Balerno to feel they can believe, belong, serve and grow. As with many churches, we struggle to attract and retain committed attendance from those under 40, particularly people with young families. However, we believe that, with God’s help, we are well equipped to address many of these challenges with the many gifts and talents that we have amongst our congregation and parish and can continue to grow as a people of God.

What kind of Minister do we seek?

As our minister of word and sacrament, our congregation would look to you first and foremost as a source of spiritual guidance, support and inspiration. We are a family of all ages and many spiritual backgrounds but we share a common and committed faith that needs nurture, care and sustenance. That comes from active and engaging worship and preaching, participation in and creation of alternative learning and worship offerings and personal engagement with parishioners. We believe that a minister should be open, engaging, supportive and encouraging of the congregation and the parish to help us maintain and grow a Christ-‐centred community. Balerno Parish Church has an almost unique situation as a “village” church in the centre of a reasonably large and very active urbanised locality. As minister here, you would be enabled to engage directly with people from all walks of life both in a “public” way (through services, organisations and events) and on a one-‐to-‐one basis. We see relationship building through community as central to our whole ministry focus. We recognise the need for a minister who will help us to continue to adapt to, and reflect the changing needs of our diverse community. That includes helping us find new ways to



encourage people of all ages to feel welcome, interested and inspired to explore, learn and commit to life as part of the community of our church. As our minister, you would have the support of a congregation which is well used to team working, taking responsibility and helping the development of new initiatives. As with any busy church, of course, we would benefit from a minister who would help guide, encourage and inspire our volunteers and workers as they try to work as a united team with a shared mission.

Who are our congregation? Our congregational mix comprises all ages with the main balance being with the (very) active retired. During our last ministry there was significant growth in active participation by young families and we believe that this is an area of significant growth potential. At the end of 2015, there were 574 members on the roll. During 2015, there were 19 deaths, and one member moved away. In 2015 there were 9 new members, 7 Baptisms, 2 Weddings and 19 Funerals.

Where is our parish? Balerno is a popular and much loved place to live with good reason. It offers almost instant access to the Pentland Hills and its beautiful surrounding countryside while being directly linked with Edinburgh with all the attractions, facilities and opportunities that a capital city brings. Once a small village community, with farming and papermaking being the main industries, the last fifty years have seen great change in Balerno. The population now stands at about 6000 and it has become principally a residential area for Edinburgh. With proposals for new housing around the area, there is the chance that the area may once more change and grow. Although much increased in size, Balerno retains its strong identity and village atmosphere. There are a vast variety of thriving sports and social clubs within the community to suit all tastes and interests. Community events are regular and numerous including the Children’s Gala, Christmas Fairs, Tattie Days, Rugby Festivals and Music Festivals, many of which the church takes an active part in. The community is served by Balerno Parish Church, and St Mungo's Scottish Episcopal Church which is a busy evangelical gathered congregation. Our Church works closely with Currie and Juniper Green Parish Churches in the neighbouring villages along the Valley of the Water of Leith. There are three schools within the Parish -‐ Dean Park Primary School, Balerno Community High School and Harmeny Residential School for children with serious educational and social problems. The primary school accommodates a large local authority nursery. The village is also home to a private nursery school. There are three Sheltered Housing developments within the Parish.

What Church Services take place? Sunday Worship -‐ Our main service is on Sundays at 10.00am. The first part of the worship is for all ages, and thereafter the children go to Sunday Club. Music is an integral part of our worship; singing is led by the choir and Jubilate, our praise band. Most of the Hymns are taken from CH4, but there is regular use of music from a variety of contemporary sources. Readings are from the New Century Bible, copies of which are available in the church. Members of the congregation regularly read the bible passages and lead prayers for others. Tea and coffee is provided in the St Joseph’s Centre after the 10.00 service where visitors are especially welcomed. Holy Communion On Communion Sundays, the first Sundays of March, June and November, there is a short family communion at 9.00am at which a bacon roll breakfast is served by volunteers, a full service at 10.00am and short afternoon communion at 2.30 pm. Communion is also held on the first Sunday of most other months as part of the 10.00 am service.



Afternoon Services We have recently launched a short “traditional” Sunday afternoon service on the first Sunday of the month. This is designed to be attractive to the more elderly in our parish who find early and long services more difficult to attend. The services are conducted and organised by a team from the congregation. EvenSpace Once a month there is a short reflective act of worship in the early Sunday evening which is led and organised by a member of the congregation. This is held at a time when Chill at Church meets allowing amongst others parents who cannot always make the morning service to attend. Other Services In Holy Week and prior to Christmas, we offer a number of additional services. They are often run in conjunction with other neighbouring churches and include, for example, Good Friday services, Buggies and Bairns at Christmas and a Blue Advent service. We have for the last four years opened our Church for a large interactive and reflective Advent Labyrinth which is organised by members of the church. Learning There are a number of regular Bible Study groups run by members of the church as well as one off study courses e.g. for Lent. We have previously organised a Retreat in Daily Life with the assistance of the Epiphany Group.

What do we provide for young people? A Creche for pre-‐school children is available every Sunday morning during the 10.00am service. Sunday Club for primary school children is held at the same time as the morning service with the children attending Church for the first part of the service. The Club is staffed by a group of parents and involves stories, games, music, drama and craft. Chill@Church takes place on Sunday evening and gives children from P5-‐P7 a chance to explore questions of faith and life in a fun and dynamic way. Several of our 10.00am services a year are led by our Sunday club and/or Chill at Church, including our Nativity, Family Carol Service and the end of year Promotion Service followed by a church picnic. Our Acorn worker has recently started a lunch club on Fridays for teenagers in the community. Girls Brigade is held in the Church Hall every Tuesday from 6.00pm until 7.30pm. A Safeguarding Co-‐ordinator is responsible to Kirk Session for ensuring that all staff have been certificated.

What is our Acorn Initiative? The Acorn Initiative reaches out to people to help them explore and share their Spiritual journey. The vision for the project is that it will help to provide a range of different access points to “church life” for people in Balerno. While the emphasis is on children, young adults and young parents, seekers of all ages should feel included. The initiative was inaugurated with a project supported by a grant from the Church of Scotland ‘Go For It’ fund, matched by Parish funding to employ a part-‐time project worker. However, the initiative is seen in the Church as a long-‐term one that will extend beyond the period of this grant support. During the summer, our outreach worker organised a family week ‘Mid-‐summer Madness’, which successfully involved a number of families, including some who were entirely new to the Church. The outreach worker is also responsible for organising Messy Church, which has become a regular event, with repeat attendance from young families.



What is our local involvement?

The Mill The Mill is a community café which is largely staffed by volunteers, but the responsibility for operation lies with paid co-‐ordinators and a sub committee of the Kirk Session. Schools All our previous ministers, including our interim ministers, have maintained an active connection with our local schools, conducting assemblies and being available as chaplain. Our Acorn outreach worker is a Scripture Union leader in Balerno High School. Community Events The church takes and active part in many other community activities.

! The church plays a major part in the organisation of the Balerno Music Festival each year. www.balernomusicfestival.org.uk/

! The church is the co-‐organiser of the Balerno Christmas Tree Festival. ! The church holds a Christmas Fair each year in the High School. ! A series of Dinner Discussion Meetings are held each year in the Hall, with

eminent speakers giving their personal insights on a wide range of topics. ! At the children’s Gala each year the congregation provides teas and coffees and

last year had a float in the cavalcade. ! Our Fair Trade group runs a large event every year and we are a Fair trade village.

What pastoral care do we offer?

Elders Districts/Pastoral Care Areas The Parish is divided into Elders Districts/Pastoral Care Areas. Pastoral care is provided by the Minister, Elders and Parish visitors. Members of the Congregation are visited at least 3 times a year by an Elder/Visitor usually just before Communion and on request. Bereavement A recent initiative is the creation of the bereavement group who provide support and an opportunity to chat over coffee. Helping Hands This group of volunteers provides help within the community -‐ transport to and from hospitals, the surgery, hairdressers, light gardening work, light housework etc. PALM This is an initiative by the congregation to provide support through a café for those with dementia and for their carers, and by developing a dementia friendly community project

What facilities does our campus offer? Balerno Parish Church benefits hugely from a refurbished, well equipped and heavily used church campus. The Church itself was refurbished in 2006. The modern and bright interior provides comfortable individual seating which can be rearranged to accommodate different types of service or activity. Overhead projection is used to enhance worship by providing the words of Hymns as well as other useful information and illustration. In 2012 a major refurbishment of the halls created the St Joseph’s Centre which integrates the St Joseph’s Hall, the Ogston Hall and the Shepherd Room as well as providing toilet and kitchen facilities. The facilities are well used both by the congregation and the wider community, with organisations such as Kids Insight (an after school club), Rainbows and Cubs, Scouts, Pentland Singers, Young at Heart, Tai chi, Pilates, tenants meetings from sheltered housing, country dancing and yoga, all using the premises regularly. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of our community cinema (which is a joint venture by the church and Balerno residents), both halls are fully equipped with cinema screens and surround sound. Details of the cinema can be seen at www.balernovillagescreen.co.uk.



The campus has limited but useful garden space which is well tended by church members. In 2015 a garden area was laid out to provide a space for reflection in the space between the church and the manse, in memory of our late minister.

What is the manse like? The modern manse was built in 1987 and is right beside the Church (albeit with a separate and discreet entrance). It has 2 public rooms, a study and four bedrooms. The kitchen was refurbished in 2013. Our new minister will be able to choose new carpets and curtains ready for them to move in! It has full wifi provided. The diagrams below are simply for illustrative purposes. Downstairs Upstairs

What staff do we have?

The position of Minister is that of a single charge, supported by a part-‐time Acorn worker, a part-‐time church administrator, a team of volunteer Church Officers, an Organist / Choir Master, and cleaners. The Kirk Session has always been happy to support arrangements for study leave and other opportunities for our minister’s professional development. In giving consideration to their position on same-‐sex relationships, the Kirk Session voted to opt out of the Church of Scotland’s traditional stance.

Who are our current missionary partners? We have a partnership with Rev. Paraic Reamonn, minister of St Andrews Jerusalem. We have had visits from speakers to describe the work of the Church of Scotland and other organisations in Israel/Palestine, and we have raised funds for medical and educational charities there. We have discussed a formal twinning with St Matthews Episcopal Church in the West Bank, and hope to progress this further in the near future.

How is our Kirk Session structured? The church has a Unitary Constitution with 73 Elders (39 men, 34 women). We have two (joint) Session Clerks. The Kirk Session meets eight or nine times a year. Much of the work of the Kirk Session is carried out by Committees which are themselves represented on a Steering Group that monitors and supports activities as well as providing strategic planning and advice. The current committees of Kirk Session are (in alphabetical order):

" Fabric " Fellowship " Finance " Green Team " Mill Operating Committee " Mission & Outreach " Pastoral Care " Steering Group " Worship & Learning



How do we communicate? The congregation is making increasing use of modern communications as well as using the traditional methods. We acknowledge that this is an area in which we could and should be more active in order to improve our accessibility to all. At present:

! e-‐mail is used extensively for administrative purposes, ! There is a church website -‐ http://www.balernochurch.org.uk. This is currently

undergoing some reorganisation following migration to new software. ! A Facebook presence -‐ http://www.facebook.com/Balerno-‐Parish-‐Church-‐

533581376737125. ! A monthly magazine, The Bridge, is distributed to members either by e-‐mail or in

paper form. ! PowerPoint is used in church services, to provide the words for hymns,

illustrations and information. ! An audio CD of Sunday services is provided to members who are unable to attend

Church. ! A DVD is created and given on the occasion of a baptism. ! DVD recordings have also been made of particular occasions.

How are our finances?

Income to unrestricted funds for the year ended 31st December 2015 was £151,787 with £127,777 of that amount being voluntary income. This figure includes Gift Aid of £23,433. Income to designated and restricted funds, excluding church organisations, was £111,837. Our income for the year ended 31st December 2015 at Balerno, whilst less than the previous year, should be seen in the light of extraordinary donations of £56,000 from church members during 2014 towards our St. Josephs Development Fund and it is pleasing to report that, as anticipated, all our indebtedness in respect of the development has now been cleared and the Balance Sheet shows a nil liabilities figure in that regard. This was an amazing effort be all concerned and was achieved one year and three months ahead of schedule. Thanks in no small part to the repayment of our loans, our total funds rose over the year by £38,510, an increase of almost 43%. The St Joseph’s Centre is the increasingly popular social hub of our village and letting income from the facility last year was £21,182, an increase of 12.8% over 2014. Generous donations from our active Church Organisations provided income of over £13,000 during 2015. Our audited accounts for 2014 are available for inspection at www.oscr.org.uk and copies of the 2015 accounts can be obtained from the clerk to the nominating Committee.

How do you find out more? Both Patrick Green, our Joint Session Clerk, and John Burnside, convener of our Nominating Committee, would be delighted to assist with any further queries, as would our interim moderator, George Whyte. A copy of the statistical profile, published by the Church of Scotland Statistics for Mission Group, can also be downloaded from our website -‐http://www.balernochurch.org.uk.

Thank you for reading and engaging with our parish profile. May you find God’s blessing as you consider whether you are called to Balerno Parish Church at this time.

Contacts: Interim Moderator: Clerk to Nominating Committee: Convener of Nominating Committee: Rev George J Whyte 10/1 Palmerston Place

EDINBURGH EH12 5AA

0131 225 9137 [email protected]

Patrick Green 01506 431033

[email protected]

John Burnside 0131 449 4742

[email protected]

balerno parish church · 2016. 4. 18. · balernoparishchurchparish(profile((...

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