About Ourselves

The Old West Kirk is a building with an interesting history, a fine collection of stained glass, beautiful carving, a peaceful and reverent atmosphere and colourful, well-kept grounds. But it is also more than a building.

It is a place of worship: somewhere to be still with God, to laugh and have fellowship with other followers of Jesus, to recharge the batteries for the week ahead. Our Sunday morning service is at 11.00 am, and all are welcome. The young people go out to Sunday School and Bible Class after about 20 minutes, and there are crèche facilities available. Special activities for young people are arranged during school holidays and at holiday weekends. Communion is celebrated on the fourth  first Sunday of March June and October and after the service on Advent Sunday (end of November/ beginning of December). There are special services at Christmas and Easter.

It is a place of activity. The church has a number of organisations that meet each week over the winter Indoor Bowling, the Church Of Scotland Guild the League of Friendship. There are also social events and coffee mornings/afternoon organised throughout the year by the church coffee afternoons, trips, meals and Summer Coffee Mornings.

It is a place for the community, which means more than just letting the halls to community organisations. The Church of Scotland to which the Old West Kirk belongs has a parish structure that covers the length and breadth of Scotland. We have a long tradition of working with neighbouring parishes and other local churches, and in May 2007 Old West Kirk joined in a Parish Grouping with two neighbouring congregations – Ardgowan and Finnart St Paul's. We share resources and experience, organising together such activities as open air Songs of Praise and barbecues, holiday club, study group and joint services midweek and at the Christian festivals.

We are a living community with a future as well as a past. Come and visit us, come and join in our worship,
or maybe join our organisations. You will be most welcome.

Rev. Ian Johnson

Our Sunday Morning Service is held at 11.00am


ORGANISATIONS
The Kirk Session - At least officially, ministers don't "run the show" in the Church of Scotland - whether at national or local levels. Rather there is a team approach involving ministers and elders. In the higher councils of the Church of Scotland - the General Assembly and the area/district Presbyteries - the number of ministers and elders are roughly equal. In the local Kirk Session, elders far outnumber the parish minister.

Kirk Sessions used to have responsibility for matters like Poor Relief and Primary Education, but during the Nineteenth Century many of the tasks were taken over by national or local government. This leaves the Kirk Session nowadays to focus on the life and well-being of the congregation, and concern for the spiritual needs of the parish. In particular this includes:
    •    taking an interest in church members. Elders have a group of members assigned to them, whom they visit regularly, and who will hopefully regard them as friends 
 
    •    arranging for services to be held (though the minister arranges the content) 
 
    •    oversight of church organisations, including the Sunday School 
 
    •    seeking ways to take the love of God and the Good News of Jesus to all people of our parish   

In The Old West Kirk, the Kirk Session comprises the Parish Minister and  28 elders (13 women and 15 men).
If the Kirk Session feels that it needs new elders it considers suitable names, invites them to consider becoming elders, and if they are agreeable duly elects them. On an appointed Sunday they are ordained and admitted to the Kirk Session.

The Kirk Session currently meets five times a year. There are four Committees (Worship, Outreach, Pastoral and Christian Education) which take forward many of the Kirk Session's areas of work.  

Session Clerk - Mr. Peter Tait

The Board - The Congregational Board, which consists of the Minister, the elders and a number of elected members, is responsible for the material well-being and finance of the church. It has four standing committees to do most of its work: Property, Finance, Fund-raising and Social, and Heritage. The Property Convener and his committee do their best to keep the buildings in good repair, doing some of the work themselves and arranging for tradesmen to do the rest. The use of any of the premises has to be approved by the Board. An excellent Treasurer keeps a watchful eye on our spending, budgets for our commitments and balances our accounts.

Teams of volunteers clean the church and halls and occasionally help our devoted gardener.

On Open Days and at other events some volunteers act as guides to show visitors round the church and relate some of its history, while others provide tea, coffee and home-baking.

In an active community there is always something going on and the Church is well supported by its faithful members.

Chairperson - Dr. Helen Dunsmore


The Sunday School - The Sunday School of The Old West Kirk caters for children of 3 - 15 years of age.

Our aim is to teach the young people about the 'Teachings of Jesus' through fun and fellowship.
As well as our Sunday School classes, we also have outings. One favourite location being Finlaystone Park at Langbank (young people and adults) where the young people have a great time exploring the Adventure Play Park. We all came together later on to enjoy a Bar B. Que.

Some of our other outings include going swimming, going to the cinema, and also going indoor bowling.

Mrs. Margaret MacKay

The Choir - Our church choir is small in number, but very faithful. Some Sundays we present an Introit which is pertinent to the service. Presently we have six members. We would be delighted to welcome any new members to our fold and hopefully further enhance the service. The choir meet before the service every Sunday morning.

Organist and Choirmaster - John A. Bell


The Church Of Scotland Guild - The Church of Scotland Guild is a movement within the Church of Scotland which invites and encourages women and men to commit their lives to Jesus Christ and enables them to express their faith in worship, prayer and action."

The aim of the movement is underlined in its motto
Whose we are and
Whom we serve"

Our Guild has a membership of thirty six members - we meet fortnightly on Tuesdays at 7.30pm in the Lounge of The Old West Kirk. We have a good attendance at our meetings and the fellowship and friendliness is absolutely superb. We are a very happy group.
The Guild Project Partnership Scheme, established in 1997, encourages members to support projects from a range chosen by its Projects and Topics Committee.  The success of this scheme has been proven not only by the raising of one and three-quarter million pounds in nine years, but also in encouraging members to expand their knowledge of different issues of concern in the world.  This new set of six projects, chosen under the strategy of ‘Let’s Live: body, mind and soul’ running from 2006 to 2009 will surely inspire and encourage members to support them with worship, prayer and action.

Our speakers are varied and interesting. It is wonderful how, when asked, people are so willing to give of their time and talents. Our minister, Rev. Ian Johnson is very supportive of giving of his time.

The Guild have a commitment which has been running for a number years - we support a young boy from Indonesia - Adi, paying for Adi's education, and sending birthday and Christmas presents.

Who can join?  Every woman or man who comes within the influence of the church in any way. Those who already belong to groups - choir, country dancers, bowlers, Probus Club, flower club, League of Friends, badminton club, or those who belong to none of the above. They may be our next door neighbour who comes under the influence of the Church because of us; or it may be the woman or the man who sits near us on Sundays - anyone we meet who is likely to have some affinity with the aim of the movement.

Our dedication service at the beginning of our session is always well attended by the Guild, and again our minister, Rev. Ian Johnson is very helpful and we all feel very much at ease during this service.

Every second year the Guild hold a Burns Supper. We are most fortunate in having excellent speakers within the congregation.
From May through until September, the Guild hold Coffee Mornings - an opportunity for friends, from within and outwith the congregation to enjoy two hours of coffee and conversation - a very worthwhile tradition.

The Guild would like to thank all who work for them in many and in any way and do not wish to be named - they are so grateful for all their help and support.


Syllabus - 2007 - 2008










The League Of Friendship - Meetings held on a Thursday morning in the Pirrie Hall of The Old West Kirk.

The League Of Friendship started in 1938. At one time, about two hundred people attended.
We meet on a Thursday afternoon to praise God with uplifting talks, evangelical hymns, Gaelic mouth-music, modern music, even on occasions, country dancing.
There is always the welcome cup of tea, home baking, happy chat and an atmosphere of love, laughter and friendliness, as the name suggests.


The Prayer Group - The Circle Of Prayer meets on the second Monday of each month in the Lounge at 7.30pm
All are welcome to attend. If you would like the group to pray for you, for someone you know or for a situation that concerns you,
there is a box for prayer requests at the front of the church.

Indoor Bowling - Meet in the Pirrie Hall every Monday and Thursday evening from 7.30 - 9.30pm

The Badminton Club - Meet every Wednesday from 7 - 9pm in the Pirrie Hall

Mothers And Toddlers - Meet in the Youth Hall (John Morrison Hall) every Thursday from 10 - 12.00


Our Halls are also used during the week by Alcoholics Anonymous, Greenock Flower Club, Post Office Retirees,
Probus Club, Inverclyde Ladies Probus Club and St. Andrew's Ambulance Corp.

GENERAL DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS

Dates 

To be updated shortly...