Edinburgh Greenbank Parish and Congregation
Profile
We are a friendly, welcoming and supportive congregation- We value worship, pastoral care, Christian discipleship
- and outreach to young people and families
1. Introduction
Greenbank Church is an active, forward-thinking congregation of over 700 members in Morningside, south Edinburgh. 
We were founded in 1900 as a United Presbyterian Church congregation and became a Church of Scotland parish church in 1929, just after the existing sanctuary was built. Adaptations and additions have taken place since then. The most significant was the construction of the Centenary Hall and meeting rooms at a cost of £1.25 million in 2001. This was done to serve the needs of our parish and as a statement of our faith in the future of our congregation.
3. Constitution
We have a Kirk Session and a Board.
4. Parish
We are, at heart, a parish church with 93% of our members living within three miles of the church. It is an attractive place to live, lying close to large parks and to the Pentland Hills. There are few commercial or public buildings in the parish. Just outside the parish is the main primary school for the area; the Minister is chaplain.
5. The Present and the Future
At this vital time in our congregational life we decided to consult the congregation about our current strengths and challenges and to clarify our hopes for the new Ministry. Around 100 people attended discussions and around 120 returned a questionnaire distributed to the members.
6. Worship Life
Worship is central to the life of Greenbank and takes many forms. The congregation has always had an inclusive theological ethos. It believes in the importance of the Minister preaching/teaching each Sunday. All the activities that happen throughout the week are a reflection of the faith expressed during worship.
7. Pastoral Care
We attach high priority to the spiritual and practical care of our members, whether in the Parish or beyond, and to all people living in the Parish itself.
- The congregation is divided into 80 elders’ districts. Responsibility for care of the congregation is shared amongst the Ministerial team, District elders and District visitors.
- Every member in the Edinburgh area, including the Minister and family, has a District Elder and Visitor. Some elders continue to visit at each quarterly communion but the pattern is now tailored to meet the needs of the member. Contact is also made by email and telephone. District Visitors also visit and deliver Connections, our newsletter.
- The Associate Minister visits the elderly and housebound and may provide home communion. Elders and Visitors are expected to keep the Ministerial Team informed of pastoral issues. Once a year the Associate Minister’s visiting list is reviewed by the elders.
- The Ministerial Team, District Elders and Visitors visit members living in care homes (none is in the Parish); the Ministerial Team share in leading worship there.
8. Christian Education and Discipleship
Greenbank has a longstanding interest and commitment to children and young people. As part of our investment in young people we have appointed a full time Youth Associate. We launched our YACHT (Youth At CHurch Today) initiative in 2014 as a 5-year fundraising programme to lay down money to resource, support and encourage our work with youth and children in Greenbank.
For our adult members we offer opportunities for Bible Study and prayer during the week, though numbers taking part are small. Other opportunities for study are available.
9. Communication and Outreach
We publish Connections, our magazine, 9 times a year in paper form and online. We did a major redesign in 2016 to give it better appeal for the congregation and wider community. The early autumn edition goes to the full Parish, as do cards at Christmas and Easter. We are currently updating and refreshing our website.
The congregation has a strong commitment to taking help to those who need it.
10. Organisations
We run organisations for people of various ages, and provide accommodation for others. We have an active Guild with about 40 members, from our own congregation and outside. The Friendship Club for older people also has members who are not in the Congregation. The Work Party makes and supplies clothes for children to the Edinburgh Clothing Store and ERI baby unit.
There are also our own Badminton and Country Dancing groups; and external Bridge, Community Choir and Yoga groups. The congregational website gives further details.
Right: A Friendship Club outing to the Kelpies.
11. Stewardship and Finance
The Congregation participates in the Church of Scotland’s National Stewardship Campaign. We ask
members to review their giving each spring.
The congregation is registered as an Eco-congregation. It is adopting in-house energy efficiency and green initiatives, and identifying with wider campaigning on Climate Change issues. For example, we have installed an intelligent heating system and replaced much of our lighting with LED bulbs from an imaginative funding scheme called “Light a Light”.
13. Staffing
Using our own financial resources we employ a full-time Youth Associate (not ordained), a part-time ordained Associate who helps with pastoral care of the elderly and housebound, and an Organist/Choirmaster. We also have a very friendly support team of church administrator, caretaker/ handyperson, cleaner and Sunday beadle. They are managed by a Staff Elder.
14. Church, Manse and Halls
The congregation has no major property issues in any of its buildings but, with such a large estate, maintenance and improvement is always a challenge. The Board has accepted this and in the last two years has increased the allocation to property maintenance and to the property reserve. Hall letting is managed by our voluntary Halls Administrator. The Congregational Board sets letting rates. Our own organisations make donations.
Church
The Sanctuary is a large, light, modernised, traditional building with fixed pews and several spectacular stained glass windows. It was refurbished in 2010 after we received an unexpected large legacy. This enabled us to include modern lighting and a better audio-visual system. Currently, we are extending Wi‑Fi into the sanctuary which will permit us to stream services. In the refurbishment project and in the earlier Centenary Halls project we were mindful that the church is more than its buildings, however good they are, and so made donations to outside projects to further the church’s work at home and abroad.
Halls
Our halls fall into three groups:
The Main Hall served as the church from when Greenbank was established in 1900 until the present church was built in 1927. The Lower Hall, the Pentland Room and the Church Office date from 1900 too.
The Upper Hall was added in 1958. Insulation is poor and heating inefficient there. Its improvement is part of our longer term Eco-congregation plans.
In 2001, we added the Centenary Hall, the Hermitage Room and the Braid Room in such a way that the premises are completely integrated.
We have a well equipped kitchen which can cater for large groups of people, a servery for Sunday coffee and two other serveries.
Our halls are in heavy use by our own organisations for Christian education and social activities, and by a range of organisations, including nine sections of the Scout and Guide movements. The Centenary Hall is used during the working day by Greenbank Pre-School, and the Lower Hall by a Community Playgroup.
Right: Braid Room
Manse
The Manse is at 112 Greenbank Crescent.
In addition to the Manse, the church and the halls, we own and rent out a traditional main door flat close to the church with a lounge, kitchen/diner and two bedrooms.
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