St Margaret’s Parish Church, Dalry, North Ayrshire

Parish Profile: 2007

Life and Work of the Church

The roll of St Margaret’s Church stands at eight hundred and fifty with a third communicating regularly. The congregation is drawn from all age-groups. One of the biggest challenges for this as for many other churches is to attract young people to attend.

Our church organisations include a large and thriving Baby and Toddler Group; a highly successful and enthusiastic Line-Dancing Group; the Sunday Friends incorporating a  Crèche, during Sunday’s public worship; a Sunday Night Fun Club; Girls’ Brigade; Boys’ Brigade; the Guild, and our Choir. We have an annual Family Fun Day which is held at the Blair Estate, with an open invitation to the entire community. Whatever the weather, hundreds attend!

The Church Shop, which is open five days a week, has developed over a period of twenty years. It has become an established part of the community as a meeting-place. Its value as a means of outreach and social provision is considerable, quite apart from its major ongoing contribution to the finances of the church.

The present ‘quoad omnia’ Kirk Session is large, with over fifty elders, who bring a wealth of diverse experience and expertise. The Session has an admirably simple committee structure, which has added to its efficiency. There are three main committees: one for General Purposes, one for Ministries and a third for Social and Enterprise work. Monthly meetings are held and committee reports are made at Kirk Session meetings. A VISA group, whose members include the conveners of the three committees above, the Session Clerk and the Minister, manage the church shop and support the Minister. Our Pastoral Care Group – part of the Ministries committee – provides particularly good support to the minister. A feature of its strength is in the large numbers involved, including individuals who are neither on the committee nor the Session. We have a church office and a part-time secretary and an Elder trained in the Worship Leaders course.