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. Follow our regular Sunday service using the links below:
- Sunday Worship, 11 April 2021I pray that your inward eyes may be enlightened, so that you may know how vast are the resources of his power open to us who have faith. Ephesians 1: 18-19
- Sunday Worship, 4 April 2021, Easter Day‘We are here to give you the Good News, that God has fulfilled the promise by raising Jesus from the dead.” Acts 13: 32-33
- Daily Worship for Holy Week, Holy Saturday, 3 April 2021Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains that and nothing more; but if it dies it bears a rich harvest. John 12: 24
- Daily Worship for Holy Week, Good Friday, 2 April 2021Is it nothing to you, you passers-by? If only you would look and see: is there any agony like mine? Lamentations 1: 12
- Daily Worship for Holy Week, Thursday 1 April 2021Holy Thursday/ Maundy Thursday You desire faithfulness in the inmost being. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51: 6-7
- Daily Worship for Holy Week, Wednesday 31 March 2021The LORD is strength to his people, a safe refuge for his anointed one. Psalm 28: 8
- Daily Worship for Holy Week, Tuesday 30 March 2021A great prophet has arisen among us, God has shown his care for his people. Luke 7: 16
- Daily Worship for Holy Week, Monday 29 March 2021Let us strive to know the Lord, whose coming is as sure as the sunrise. He will come to us like the rain, like spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6: 3 (Watch the service here)
- Sunday Worship, 28 March 2021, Palm Sunday6th Sunday in Lent Sunday worship is resuming today in Riverside, St Andrew’s and West Kirk, though with restrictions on maximum numbers in place. Welcome: Now is the hour of judgement for this world; now shall the prince of this world be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth I shall draw everyone to myself. John 12: 31-32
Click on the title/date 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 15 April15 The sun is shining, and the temperature is forecast to be higher than parts of South East England today (though maybe not at sun-bathing levels!) Good weather raises our mood, while cold and dampness tends to pull us down. There’s probably a good medical explanation (chemical or psychological), but …
- Thought for the day 14 April14 It was a very pleasant surprise yesterday to hear that travel restrictions in Scotland will be lifted on Friday. For some people it means being able to see family and friends that they haven’t seen for months; for others, who feel a sense of claustrophobia from ‘living local’, it …
- Thought for the day 13 April13 Parkinson’s Awareness Week (11-17) Parkinson’s Disease is reckoned to affect about 145,000 people in Britain. It is a neurological condition: as it develops, cells in the brain stop working properly and are lost over time. Symptoms start to appear when the brain cannot produce enough of a chemical called …
- Thought for the day 12 April12 The Parliaments and Assemblies of the UK have been recalled today for members to pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, who died on Friday. Although his lifestyle was very different from that of most people, there were many areas in which his life experience, and opinion, was not …
- Thought for the day 10 AprilHow are you coping with the slightly eased restrictions? Feeling relieved that you can do a bit more, or frustrated about the things you still can’t do? Hard as it is having to wait, there’s no benefit in wishing away the next 3 weeks (or longer, depending on what you …
- Thought for the day 9 AprilHow many of us have managed to book an appointment to have our hair cut, or maybe even have had it cut? 18 months ago, who would have imagined that getting one’s hair cut could be such a big thing in our lives? It is partly that many of us …
- Lent Studies
On Zoom
- Thursdays 25 February – 25 March 10.30-11.30am
and
- Tursdays 25 February – 25 March 7.30-8.30pm
Theme: Getting to know each other
- 25 Feb Human bingo
- 4 Mar Desert island hymns
- 11Mar Sharing our stories
- 18 Mar Understanding different generations
- 25 Mar What do I call you?
- Lent Lunches
On Zoom
- Thursdays 25 February – 30 March. 12noon-12.45pm
- Bring along your lunch and chat to others online.
- Short reflection at the end
- contact the minister for the link
- Lent and Easter Activities for Younger Members
Building on the Mary, Joseph and the Donkey approach in Advent, Marie Claire is planning to make some decorated stones with symbols associated with the Easter story, and hide them around Dumbarton. Pictures will appear on Facebook, people will be encouraged to look for them and make their own stones to add to the collection. Copies will be shared with schools. Further details will be given in the ‘notices’ in a Sunday service, and on the Facebook pages
- Activities for Lent 2021
Lent Studies
- Thursdays 25 February – 25 March on Zoom 10.30am or 7.30pm
- (contact minister for access link)
‘Lent Lunches’
- Thursdays 25 February – 25 March on Zoom
- Bring your own lunch, chat with others and short devotions
- (contact minister for access link)
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:
