Meet Barthol Chapel here
The congregation
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Roll: 78
Regular attendance: 15-30 Session: 9 elders + 1 emeritus elder Board: 6 members |
The parish
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Barthol Chapel is a rural parish with most people living outside the village. The village has a primary school and the Church. The school doubles as the village hall but is only available in term time.
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Our strengths
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Worship: we regularly contribute to and sometimes lead services. We initiated a pets blessing service, an invitation St Andrews Day service and the '2010 - a year of Mission' in Gordon Presbytery. We have an
enthusiastic troupe of musicians and singers who play at family and special services. Fellowship: Christmas Party, fireworks, Guild meetings and outings, Soup 'n' Sweet for Christian Aid, involvement in all community events, including Bingo and Burns night, and lots of chat before and after services.. The Presbytery Review Group said they hadn't laughed (with anyone) so much as when they visited Barthol Chapel.
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Our challenges
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Ministering to a rural community. The parish is so dispersed that it could be easy for people to go unnoticed by the Church and vice versa. We need to find ways of engaging better with the whole community.
Although the Church looks in fine fettle, the roof needs a lot of work. We also want to develop the interior so we have more space for meetings, Sunday School, and social events, and a place that the community can also use. The Church is the only public building in Barthol Chapel that is open all year round - and the largest.
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