About the Church of Scotland in Dumbarton
Following a number of changes to the Presbytery of Dumbarton’s plan for the area it was decided that the three congregations within the town of Dumbarton (St Andrews, Riverside and The West Kirk) should be linked with a view to some form of union at a future date. This triple linkage was completed on 17th January 2018 at a Presbytery service of linkage and induction. The Rev. Ian Johnson is the minister for all three congregations. He leads our ministry team which now includes Development Worker Marie Clare Dungavell and Pastoral Assistant Maureen Burke.
Worship
Under normal circumstances worship would be continuing at each of the three parish churches in Dumbarton, but due to Covid-19 church services are restricted. We are now running joint services, initially in Riverside, for all three congregations with video streaming for those who cannot attend due to the limited numbers we can accommodate due to the 2m rule – watch our livestream on our YouTube channel – “Church Of Scotland Dumbarton” (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY0mnB7Rg_RDEPVjEaHKNvg) or follow the scripted service below:
- Sunday Worship, 20th September 2020Contents: Welcome; Hymn God we praise you, God we bless you; All age time; Prayer; Reading Philippians 1: 21-30; Hymn For the beauty of the earth; Reflection; Prayer for others; Hymn Like fireworks in the night; Blessing
Click on the date above to view the full service of worship.
Thought for the Day
Since the start of the Corona Virus Lockdown in mid-March the Minister has been publishing daily thoughts and prayers. The most recent ones are listed here:
- Thought for the day 21 SeptemberWorld Alzheimers Day Most people know someone who has dementia, or families living with dementia, and many have experienced it at close hand in a friend or loved one. It is a cruel illness that robs someone’s personality – sometimes changing it as well as taking away treasured traits. Many …
- Weekly Prayer Diary – Week Beginning 20th SeptPrayer-Diary-Week-Beg-20th-Sept.pdf
- Thought for the day 19 SeptemberWest Dunbartonshire Doors Open Day Today should have been West Dunbartonshire’s Open Doors Day. But like all other similar events this September, and many other events over the last 6 months, it isn’t happening this year. We do have a spell of dry and sunny weather at the moment, so …
- Thought for the day 18 SeptemberOnce in a holy passion I cried in heartfelt grief, ‘Lord, I am vile and wicked – of sinners I am chief!’ Then swooped my guardian angel and whispered from behind, ‘Vanity, my little man! You’re nothing of the kind!’ Anon
- Thought for the day 17 SeptemberQ1 What is your favourite British/ Scottish food? Q2 What is your favourite café or restaurant selling British/ Scottish food? Sometimes it is hard to say what our ‘favourite’ is as there are a number of possible answers. There may not be fairs or markets to showcase British or locally …
- Thought for the day 16 SeptemberThe local Covid testing site seemed yesterday to be in the Burgh Hall car park, and seemed quiet. Getting access to tests and getting results back quickly has become a major source of frustration and debate around the country. I know of some folk in Cambridge who were told by …
- Moderator’s note to all Clyde congregations 6 September 2020
Last Tuesday, the former Presbyteries of Dumbarton and Greenock & Paisley united to form Clyde Presbytery. I have the honour of being its first Moderator.
For many years people across the Church of Scotland have felt that the Church’s structure – designed for circumstances pertaining 40-50 years ago – needs to be overhauled drastically to meet the very different world of the 2020s and beyond. The creation of Clyde Presbytery is part of a wider programme of change across the Church of Scotland – a programme that will probably be extended and speeded up to reflect the challenges and opportunities arising from the Coronavirus pandemic.
The union of the two Presbyteries, and the changes that will in time flow from it, are designed to refocus the role of Presbytery: instead of primarily having an administrative function, it will in future provide congregations with support in a variety of ways. It will take time for Clyde Presbytery to settle into its new role and for new support staff to be recruited (not helped by the limitations in place thanks to the pandemic).
To the Minister or Interim Moderator, Kirk Session, Office-bearers, members and the wider church family of your congregation, I bring the greetings and good wishes of Clyde Presbytery. We give God thanks for all that you have been doing over recent months to continue his work in your congregation and community, and pray for his continued blessing on you as you continue striving to do his work.
Ian Johnson
Moderator Clyde Presbytery
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – COVID-19 Mobile Testing Unit – Dumbarton
Please pass this information onto anyone that might be interested:
A new mobile testing unit, will be located at the Meadows Centre, Meadows Road, Dumbarton from 03/09/20. The centre will operate on alternate days including weekends & testing will be available by booking an appointment through NHS Inform.
https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/your-health/health-issues/covid-19-coronavirus/
Regards,
Communities Project Worker – Communities Team
Housing & Employability
West Dunbartonshire Council
- Formation of Clyde Presbytery
Service of union of Dumbarton presbytery with Greenock and Paisley presbytery at 7:00pm Tuesday 1st September 2020. Stream will start at 6:30pm
A small quorum will meet in Renfrew North Church on 1st September at 7.00pm to constitute the new Clyde Presbytery. Watch from home on the live stream.
The creation of the new Clyde Presbytery is part of a plan by the wider Church of Scotland and the congregations in the area to reshape the Church’s structure to make it more suited to the needs of the 2020s and beyond.
For our minister, who has the honour of being its first Moderator, it brings together three parts of his life: he was baptised in Paisley, licensed by the Presbytery of Dumbarton, and ordained by the Presbytery of Greenock.
1st September at 7.00pm
This is the joint website for Dumbarton: St Andrews, Dumbarton: Riverside and Dumbarton: West Kirk.
Due to the challenges of the Corona Virus COVID-19 and the need to do as much as possible online we are combining our efforts on this page to avoid duplication and to streamline our efforts around worship, Bible readings, prayer and wider community support.
Further details about the three Church of Scotland parishes in Dumbarton can be found below:
