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We, as a congregation of the Church of Scotland, are part of the worldwide church of Jesus Christ. We are part of the ‘reformed’ Christian tradition. We call ourselves Presbyterian and have roots going back hundreds of years. We are part of the Presbytery of Lanark. The Church of Scotland operate a ‘territorial’ ministry in which every part of Scotland is served by a church. Elders and elected members of our congregation have responsibility for the caring of our finances, buildings and, more importantly, those who live in our parish. Our minister is a minister of ‘Word and Sacrament’ meaning that his main roles are to lead worship and administer the sacraments. Our minister also performs many other duties including weddings, funerals, visitations, and community work. The Church of Scotland, as part of the reformed tradition, celebrate two sacraments - Baptism, where people become members of Christ’s ‘body’, the Church and Holy Communion, where we believe that Christ meets with us, and renews and refreshes us through a meal of bread and wine such as he had with his disciples on the night before his death. As a congregation: We believe that God showed his love for the world in Jesus Christ. We believe that we should follow Christ’s way and example by loving and caring for all in our midst, regardless of who they are. We believe that Christ died for all people and forgave their sins allowing them to build a deeper relationship with God. We believe that through his Holy Spirit God is with his people, challenging them to live in harmony, offering comfort, strength and peace. - We believe that the Bible was written by people and inspired by God and tells not only the story of God's people, but shares with us some truths of God.
We believe that through baptism people become members of Christ’s ‘body’, the Church, and should strive to follow the example he set through service and love for all people, playing their part in sharing God’s message with those around them. We believe that when we worship we offer thanks to God and dedicate our gifts of money, time, and talents to the work of the church in order that we can spread his message of love and peace. We aim to follow the example of God and be part of the community we serve - and serve in a meaningful and relevant way - in order that people can feel the love of God, through all that we say and do.
At Greyfriars we believe that there is a place for all people, no matter what they believe and that we cannot place limits on the power of God to challenge and inspire us through those we worship with ... whether we agree with them or not!
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