Our Parish in profile The Church of Scotland www.keithnorthchurches.org
Travel Times from Keith Aberdeen - 1 hour Inverness - 1 hour 15 mins Elgin - 20 mins Cairngorms - 1 hour 15 mins www.keithnorthchurches.org
An Introduction... Hello and welcome to our parish profile. We are looking for a minister who through leadership, will build upon our strengths and help us grow in faith through imaginative and meaningful worship. We require a good shepherd who will engage with people of all ages and encourage us to care for one another, in doing this increase the numbers in our flock. We are fortunate to be situated in the North East of Scotland, in beautiful Moray and in part historic Banffshire. Moray stretches from the majestic Cairngorm Mountains to the Moray Firth. Our rich cultural and historic heritage offers a wealth of things to see and do any day of the week. Moray boasts the largest share of fine Malt producing distilleries in Scotland. We have some of the best golf courses and fishing on our doorstep. While Moray attracts tourists, in particular families, it remains uncluttered and unspoiled, for all to enjoy. Moray is a safe and healthy environment for children to learn, grow and bloom. Moray is largely a rural area, where the principle town is Elgin with a small population of 26,000. Elgin, which dates back to early times, possesses fine Medieval to Victorian architecture including the grand ruins of Elgin Cathedral, dating from the 13th century. The coastal towns and villages of Moray are filled with charm and steeped in history. Lossiemouth and Cullen boast particularly beautiful beaches. We truly are blessed to be in such a fertile, beautiful and historic region of Scotland. We are truly blessed...
Congregation & Worship Keith North, Newmill, Boharm and Rothiemay became a united charge in January 2002 when Rothiemay was added. There is an all age congregation of around 565, with 33 elders in the Kirk Session. There are three places of worship, Keith North Church, Rothiemay Church and Boharm Village Hall. One service is held at Keith North Church every Sunday, with one service being held at Rothiemay Church on the last Sunday of the month and one service being held at Boharm Village hall on the first Sunday of each month. At Keith North Sunday s Cool meets in the hall after joining the congregation at the beginning of the service and a crèche is available every Sunday. Tea and coffee is always available after services. Messy Church also takes place on the third Saturday of the month in the church hall. This is organised by members of the congregation and is open to all families in the local community. This is now a recognised part of church life. There are monthly services in Taylor Court sheltered housing complex and Glenisla Residential Home, both of which are in the town of Keith. www.keithnorthchurches.org
Keith North Parish Church Keith North church was built in 1845 and became part of the Church of Scotland in 1929. The church is situated at the foot of Mid Street, directly across from the Manse. The church hall which was built in 1990, and adjoined to the church, is a spacious facility which is well-used by the local community, as well as the church. In addition to the main hall, there is a wellappointed kitchen which is greatly utilised for coffee mornings as well as for the soup and sweets (one of our main fund-raising events of the year for Christian Aid in May). The hall is used for hosting these type of fundraising community events on a regular basis. Upstairs there is a large session room and, in addition to the main sanctuary, there is a smaller chapel dedicated to R.W. Garrow which can be used by small groups for worship. The church has five stained glass windows, the most recent of which is the John Robertson memorial window, erected in 2007 in memory of our longest serving minister. Our weekly services in Keith North, are at 11am. The Sunday School (Sunday s Cool) meets in the hall after joining the congregation at the start of the service. Tea and coffee is always available in the hall after worship. There is a car service available for members who have difficulty in getting to church. The church services are recorded for anyone who may ask, especially for those who are unable to attend. During Holy Week, there are joint services with other local churches who take turns to host them. We also have an annual Service of Hope held towards the end of the year for the recently bereaved and take our turn to host the Thinking Day Services. www.keithnorthchurches.org well-used by the local community
Newmill Newmill is a village with a population of around 300 lying approximately 1 mile North of Keith. Although a small village, Newmill has a Primary School which was rebuilt in the late 1980 s, a well used village hall, shop, pub and Chinese takeaway/restaurant. The church was closed in the 1970 s, was subsequently sold and is now a private dwelling. Since the closure of the church, transport has been put on to help members without a car to attend services at Keith North. Boharm To the west of Keith lies the rural parish of Boharm, the focal point of which, sited five miles from town, is the hamlet of Mulben where the village hall is the hub of the community. Since the closure of the church there in 1983 this is where worship has taken place one Sunday per month. A well organised community committee run a series of fundraising events throughout the year to maintain and upkeep the hall. Although Mulben no longer has a school, several new houses have been built over the past few years and school children from an increasing population are transported to school in Keith.
Rothiemay The district of Rothiemay covers a wide area with parishioners in Knock, Kinnoir as well as several who have retired into Huntly. The main settlement is the small village of Milltown where you will find the church, primary school, pub, village hall and a local shop and post-office. The first church was founded by a Celtic monk, St Drostan in the 6th Century on the banks of the River Deveron in front of Rothiemay Castle. The church was removed to its present site around 1752 on the orders of the then castle owner. The present church has occupied the site since 1807. Several artefacts from the original churches can be seen in and around the present church. At present services are held on the last Sunday of the month throughout the year with special exceptions made for Easter, Remembrance and Christmas. There is a designated area set aside for parents with younger children so they can attend church services. Until recently there was a very successful Wednesday s Cool Group for primary school age children. founded by a Celtic monk, St Drostan in the 6th Century...
Groups within our Church In keeping with an active church, various groups meet on a regular basis throughout the year. The Guild meets on alternate Mondays with a wide and interesting programme. A major undertaking by the Guild is the filling of Blythswood boxes for distribution in Eastern Europe each Christmas. To keep us in good shape, the Walking Group meets on alternate Mondays with a variety of walks, both local and further afield, to suit all abilities. Dance exercise meets each Thursday evening and is a keep fir group based on music and dance. The very successful Coffee and Company on Wednesday afternoons is a great way of getting to know each other, with a variety of activities and a friendly chat. The banner group meets on Monday afternoons. As well as having a social function, the group produces colourful banners on various themes which are then displayed within the Church.
Our Messy Church meets once per month on a Saturday. The emphasis here is on enjoyment and fun, and has already attracted many families to the Church. Due to the central location of our Church within the town, our premises are widely used by other groups and are booked through the church shop. The local camera club meet once a month. Barbera Stearn keep fit/aerobics class is held every Tuesday evening. Our hall is used once a week by the local Amateur Dramatic Society for rehearsals and on Wednesdays by 1st Keith Brownies. Saturday is always a busy day, with many local organisations using the hall for Coffee Mornings and Soup and Sweets. Early in June, Keith hosts the T.M.S.A. Music and Song Festival, and most of our premises have been used as competition venues. As our contribution to the Festival, Sunday worship is in the form of a Doric Service with contributions from the congregation and Festival guests. Messy Church is well attended...
Church Office and Shop... The Minister will be supported by a part time secretary in the office situated directly opposite the Church in Mid Street. Incorporated within, is our shop BEE FAIR at the Kirk Shop selling mainly Fairtrade goods but also Christian books, cards etc. The office is open weekdays 9am-1pm. It is a well-equipped office with the usual IT and printing facilities and handles all the administration for the church. It is often the first port of call for people who wish to speak to the Minister, pass on information or make bookings for the use of the church and its facilities. The office is also a point of contact for booking the Keith Community Minibus. The shop, recently expanded, sells FAIRTRADE gifts, food (chocolate!) as well as a wide range of Bibles, books and cards. The shop has a manager but is run mainly by volunteers from the church and is open most days. The church produces a quarterly Scribe magazine containing items of interest, rotas and a letter from the Minister. The church is also promoted via our web-site www.keithnorthchurches.org and on Facebook pages. www.keithnorthchurches.org
Finance and Fundraising The congregation was fortunate to have received a large endowment in 1982 from R.W. Garrow which continues to support its ministry and mission. With its help we are currently able to fulfill all our commitments to Edinburgh. In past years there have been well organised Stewardship campaigns which have raised both Givings and Gift-Aid commitments. The people of Keith, Newmill, Boharm and Rothiemay are kind and generous and willing to support with the right encouragement from an enthusiastic minister. It was heartwarming to see how readily money was raised for the beautiful John Robertson memorial stained glass window in the church a number of years ago and also when initiatives like Give a Goat were introduced. The array of soups and sweets available on Christian Aid week is not to be missed! www.keithnorthchurches.org
Parish - Local Area... Keith, with a population of around 5000 is part of the beautiful district of Moray. It is a bustling town located on the A96 trunk road and nestled alongside the River Isla. Keith is equidistant from Aberdeen and Inverness and there are regular bus and rail services to these cities both of which have international airports. Within the town there are three schools; the newly built Keith Primary School, St Thomas RC Primary School and Keith Grammar School. Facilities include a Community Hospital, Family Health Centre, a well appointed Library and a Sports and Community Centre. The Sports Centre boasts a swimming pool, newly refurbished gym, and a large sports hall. Other sports facilities in the area include a full-size synthetic pitch, squash courts, golf course, football grounds, bowling green, tennis courts. Locally we have the Balloch and the Knock for some gentle hill walking and we are within short distance of fishing either on some of the local rivers such as the River Deveron or the River Spey or some of the local fisheries. Situated within Keith there is also another Church of Scotland, a Roman Catholic Church and a Scottish Episcopal Church. Keith has a strong musical tradition which boasts a Silver Band, Pipe Band, various Ceilidh bands and the North East Fiddle and Accordion Club. Annually in June Keith plays host to the Traditional Music and Song Festival and in August the agricultural community take over with hosting Keith Country Show. This is a combination of stock judging and family entertainment and has taken place for over a hundred years. Keith, the friendly town...
Keith North Manse Situated across from the North Kirk our manse is a spacious, well maintained, Victorian stone built property. It has full double glazing and gas central heating. Ground floor: 2 large public rooms, a study, modern dining kitchen and shower-room. First floor: Basement: Outside: 5 bedrooms (one with en-suite shower room, toilet and wash-hand basin) and a family bathroom. 2 rooms and a toilet (the basement has had various uses over the years). Fairly new garage and excellent outhouse storage. Large walled garden.
Interested? As you can see our congregation is blessed in so many ways. Our situation in the North East of Scotland, offers a better quality of life than most could hope for in the UK. Moray is a wonderful place to bring up a family, indulge in heritage, pass-times and live a healthy lifestyle. We have an operational church office and shop, with staff to aid in the day to day duties of our minister. Our congregation is welcoming, active and willing to embrace change and the future of the Church in Scotland. Our church works hard to attract youth into our congregation, by running Messy Church meetings monthly and maintaining an active and well led Sunday school. We however need the vital ingredient of a minister to guide and nurture us, in life and prayer. Could this be you? If you would like to find out more or arrange an informal chat please feel free to contact us in confidence Louise Morrison (Clerk to the Nominating Committee) email: ianlouisemo5@btinternet.com Tel: 01542 887199 Informal enquiries to Rev. Robert Anderson (Interim Moderator) email: robert@carmanse.freeserve.co.uk Tel: 01340 831381 Strathisla, Keith