New Church in Larbert
The Cluster Group representing four churches – Airth, Larbert East, Larbert West and Stenhouse and Carron, which are planning to unite, met at the end of January to pick up from where it left off at the end of June.
In December we heard from the Presbytery of Forth Valley and Clydesdale that the plan which all 4 churches had already agreed, was now accepted by the Presbytery planning group. It will now go to the next presbytery meeting in March, and if passed, will go to the General Assembly in May. The overall Presbytery Plan affects almost all congregations in forming unions, in response to the shortage of ministers and the overabundance of buildings. The first meeting was held in Larbert East, and subsequent meetings will be held in rotation around the four churches, with the four Session Clerks also taking turns to chair each time. There will also be opportunities in coming months for members of all the congregations to participate in discussions about the future church, and events and services to bring us closer. Here is the first update.
Update from the ‘New Church in Larbert’ Cluster Group meeting held on Monday 29th January 2024 at 7.00pm in Larbert East Church
Representatives from all four churches were in attendance and actively participated at this very positive meeting. There will be an update on progress from each meeting which will be available to all four churches the Sunday following the meeting. This will ensure that the information is shared consistently and at the same time. It was agreed that meetings of the Cluster Group would take place monthly at 7.00pm on the first Monday of each month and that they would rotate around each of the churches. A schedule of meetings for 2024 has been agreed.
Date – Location – Chair
- 4 March – Airth – Margaret Tooth
- 1 April – Larbert West – Morag Paterson
- 13 May – Stenhouse & Carron – Carol Sergeant
- 3 June – Larbert East – Linda Donaldson
- No meeting in July
- 5 August – Airth – Margaret Tooth
- 2 September – Larbert West – Morag Paterson
- 7 October – Stenhouse & Carron – Carol Sergeant
- 4 November – Larbert East – Linda Donaldson
Note: Meeting in May moved to 2nd Monday to accommodate the Public Holiday.
Preliminary discussions took place regarding the creation of subgroups that would look at future planning of the ‘new church in Larbert’. This will be further informed by guidance and presentations from ‘experts’ in the field.
The name of the new church will need to be decided at a later date and the Cluster group have asked that all churches consider this and give any suggestions to your Session Clerk.