Dingwall Castle Street Church of Scotland

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2007 Trustees Report

Dingwall Castle Street Church of Scotland

Achievements and Performance 2007

Worship:

• The average attendance at morning service is approximately 90, and approximately 40 at the evening service.
• The weekly Bible Study and Prayer group is attended by 15-20 people per meeting.
• There is also a small Sunday School and crèche of between 3 to 6 children.

Pastoral Care:

• The congregation provides the ordinances of religion to the congregation and parish.
• The minister and elders give support and pastoral care to any within the congregation and parish area who need assistance.
• A few members also take part in a Hospital visiting scheme.
• The minister is chaplain to St. Clements Special Needs School, plus visiting Dingwall Primary School.

Ecumenical Activities:

• A joint service was held with Dingwall Free Church to mark the Highland Year of Culture.
• A joint service was held with St. Clements Church of Scotland, St. James Episcopal Church, and St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church for Christian Aid week.
• Joint services were held with Dingwall Baptist Church.

Regular Activities:

• Between 20 and 25 ladies attend the Guild, with occasional visits by male members of the congregation.
• A Parent and Toddlers Group, open to the community, commenced during the year, and is used by an average of 12 parents each week.
• The congregation continues to run a weekly coffee morning which is well attended by both members of the congregation and the general public, and produces generous donations to Church funds.

Special Activities

• The congregation hosted a choir from Romania/Hungary/Chile which is connected with the organisation Friendship International, which does work among the poor and orphans in these countries.
• The congregation also hosted the Ayeyi Kuo choir from Ghana which visited Scotland on an exchange visit organised by the Church of Scotland in connection with the 200^th anniversary of the abolition of the slave-trade. The Ayeyi Kuo choir was joined by the Dingwall Gaelic Choir at a special service in Castle Street Church to mark the Highland Year of Culture.
• The congregation was also visited by the Rev. Stephen and Mrs. Linda Botha of Malawi.
• Special collections were donated to: The War Blinded, Zomba Theological College in Malawi, The Botha’s work in Ekwendeni in Malawi, the Church of Scotland World Mission Fund, Christian Aid, and to the Ghanaian and Gaelic Choirs.