Church of Scotland
Presbytery of
Dunfermline
Forth Churches Group
Aberdour :
Dalgety :
Inverkeithing :
North Queensferry
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Church of Scotland
Presbytery of
Dunfermline
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Forth Churches Group“that through the churches’ fellowship and working together, all within the parishes served by our grouping may hear clearly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, see the life of his Spirit among his people, and come to know the love of God the Father”
Schedule of Parish Grouping Activity IntroductionThis Schedule is a "plan for our journeying together" and will be subject to constant review and reform by the Joint Kirk Session. WorshipSunday MorningsOccasional rotation of worship leaders will be a part of our shared ministry. Evening WorshipWe will share in worship through regular joint evening services, using different venues on a rotational basis. FestivalsWe will share in and publicise worship opportunities around the major Christian Festivals. Worship TeamsEach congregation will explore development of a worship team. ResourcesWe will identify worship resources that can be shared within the parish grouping. This will include people, their skills, books, equipment and buildings. We will compile a catalogue of resources that might be available to all within the Parish Grouping. MusicWe will develop an awareness of the potential, and develop our skills for music and praise in congregational singing and participation. Nursing and Residential HomesWe will collaborate in the provision of worship opportunities in Nursing Homes and supported accommodation within the grouping area. Pastoral CareHospital VisitsWe will explore opportunities to develop collaborative methods of offering pastoral care in hospitals. Baptisms, Wedding and FuneralsWe will develop opportunities to share the preparation and follow up, and where appropriate the conduct of services in these pastoral encounters. Parenting SupportWe will explore opportunities to develop collaborative methods of offering parenting support. Shared Ministerial CoverWe will operate a system whereby one minister will always be “on call”, and “time off” can be secured. Elderly/ HouseboundWhile recognising the importance of local contact, we will explore opportunities to develop collaborative methods of offering pastoral care to housebound, elderly & bereaved persons. Crisis CareWe will explore opportunities to develop collaborative methods of offering crisis care. Lay TrainingFrom the larger lay membership of the Parish Grouping, there will be greater involvement and opportunities for training of members, encouraging and enabling them to share in a pastoral ministry; the congregations will work together to share ideas and develop programmes in this field. Christian EducationChildren's & Youth MinistryWhilst retaining existing congregational activities, particularly with respect to Sunday School, we will develop our educational programmes for Children's Church and youth work. Adult EducationWe will develop Collaborative Adult Christian Education in areas including: Elder Training, New Communicant Groups and will ensure that all learning opportunities and events (Guild meetings & opportunities for Prayer and Bible Study for example) are well publicised within the group. Parish MissionOutreachWe commit ourselves to taking up new opportunities to enable outreach into the parish. Community ProfileEarly in the life of the Parish Grouping, we will work towards a detailed “Community Profile” studying and analysing the Census 2001 statistics which will be available to us, by parish, in the National “Statistics for Mission” Project. Stats have FacesEarly in 2004 we will use the "Stats have Faces" booklet as the basis of small group study, discovery and learning. SocialWe commit to share times of fellowship and fun including: ceilidhs, quizzes, St Fillan’s annual pilgrimage to Inchcolm Abbey for example. FinanceAny shared costs incurred must have the prior approval of all the Congregational Boards. Shared costs will be on a pro-rata basis in proportion to the ‘Annual Income Base Figure’ (as used to calculate each congregation’s contribution to the Mission and Renewal Fund.) CommunicationWe commit to developing a sound internal structure for churches working together, and an external structure to support the delivery of the parish grouping ministry. Initial projects would include: A Joint NewsletterWeb Presence - www.forthchurchesgroup.org.ukHoly Week and Easter Leaflet & Web SiteWe will develop the existing practice of sharing information about all Holy Week and Easter services to all in the area through a printed leaflet and the www.holyweek.info website. Administration & StaffingCentral OfficeAn office staffed (initially voluntarily) each morning will provide a Central Contact Point for internal group communication and administration and also will be an accessible contact with all in the grouping communities. Development GroupIn addition to the annual Joint Session Meeting there will be a Development Group comprising Ministry Team (ministers and others as may be appointed - youth worker for example) and 2 members from each congregation. Day to day development and planning of collaborative ministry, as remitted by joint K/S, would be entrusted to such a group. The Development Group will be chaired by a Co-ordinator appointed by the group. Additional Ministry Team StaffWe will explore the possibility of Parish Development Fund Funding for collaborative projects and staffing. Lay InvolvementWithin the Parish Grouping there will be greater opportunity for lay training and involvement in various aspects of our shared ministry – as already indicated under the headings Pastoral & Worship. EcumenismThe congregations of the grouping commit to maintain and develop ecumenical links and opportunities in the area.
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