Safeguarding

Promoting a Safer Church

The Church of Scotland lives the Gospel message which declares that the least, the last and the lost should be at the heart of what we believe and how we respond in our faith. Safeguarding underpins this theological imperative to care for the most vulnerable people we engage with in our life and work. Everyone has the right to feel safe and cared for in the Church and it is also the responsibility of everyone in the Church.

Harm or abuse of children and adults at risk can happen anywhere – even in Church communities. As a result, Safeguarding, protecting children and adults at risk from harm, is a permanent and necessary part of Church life. Abuse is incompatible with our Christian values.

We believe that our church life should include a safe space for all to meet in. All who work with our young people and "vulnerable adults" must first be interviewed about the role they will undertake. It is mandatory that they also possess an up-to-date PVG certificate.

Please help us maintain this safe space. If you become aware of any actual or potential compromise of the Church's Safeguarding Values or Policy (see below), then please get in touch via the Contact Us page of this website.

We want to be rigorous in abiding by the Church of Scotland's Safeguarding Values and Policy, which are:

The love of Christ compels us to care and protect those who are vulnerable in the Church and society.
Priority: safeguarding children and adults at risk known to the Church.
Acting in the best interest of the person affected by harm or abuse is paramount.
Zero tolerance: no type or level of harm to people known to the Church or using Church services is acceptable or justifiable.
Duty to protect people: we all have a duty to protect as well as a duty of care.
Immediate reporting: if you suspect or witness harm or it is reported to you, you must immediately report it to your Safeguarding Coordinator or your line manager.
Safeguarding is a multi-agency activity. The Church of Scotland will ensure that the social work department, police and health services are involved, as appropriate, when harm is witnessed, suspected or reported.
Communication and information sharing: is essential within the Church of Scotland and with other agencies to promote joint decision making.
Confidential information sharing: the duty to protect takes precedence over individual confidentiality if they or others are at serious risk of harm or have been seriously harmed. But information sharing will be proportional: the person will be advised before the appropriate amount of information is shared with only the minimum number of people that need to know.
For adults at risk of harm – balancing risks and rights: we recognise the balance between the duty to protect and the right of the adult who has capacity to make decisions to choose to live in a situation that puts them at risk of harm. We will work with them to ensure that such risks are understood and minimised. Risk taking, with appropriate support, can be positive and life-enhancing.
Any safeguarding intervention must be the minimum necessary and proportionate to the risk of abuse or harm.

What do we mean by Safeguarding in the Church?

Safeguarding is about protecting children and adults at risk in, or known to, Church congregations. Safeguarding is broader than child and adult protection and a collective approach to safeguarding aims to encourage every local church and every individual member to play their part in:

Creating and maintaining a safe environment for all especially children and adults at risk, so that the dignity of each person is respected.
Being informed about different forms of harm and abuse and how to respond appropriately, making it clear that any harm or abuse is unacceptable.?

The Church of Scotland’s Safeguarding system seeks to adopt a preventive approach to safeguarding through:

Safe Recruitment practices
Safeguarding Training and awareness raising
Safe working practices e.g. risk assessments, ensuring correct ratios of workers to children, safe use of social media
Managing safe worship of those who may pose a risk
Ensuring good Safeguarding Practices?

Where possible, the aim of the Church is to prevent harm or abuse. However, where that is not possible, we wish to ensure a timely and appropriate response to any safeguarding concerns.

For more information on the Church of Scotland's Safeguarding policies, practice and procedures, as well as details of how to contact the Church of Scotland Safeguarding Service, please visit the Church of Scotland website.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

The church meets every Sunday at 9.30am at Drumclog and 11am at Avendale.

Sunday worship continues to be live-streamed from Avendale each Sunday at 11am on the Avendale & Drumclog YouTube Channel.

At Drumclog we meet at:
Drumclog Memorial Kirk
Drumclog
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6QG

At Avendale we meet at:
Avendale Old Parish Church
59A Kirk Street
Strathaven
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6LB

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it at both Avendale & Drumclog. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up and show you where the disabled toilet is located if required.

Our Service - Drumclog Memorial Kirk

Drumclog

At Drumclog, the service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. During the service we usually sing 2 or 3 songs/hymns. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.

The service lasts approximately 45 minutes. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

Our Service - Avendale Old Parish Church

Avendale Wide

At Avendale, the service begins at 11am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. Before the service begins, we will show a loop of news and notices on the screens in the church. This is a good way to find out what's going on in the life of the church. During the service we usually sing 3 or 4 songs/hymns, often led by our church praise band 'The Elastic Band'. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it's all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. Throughout the service, we may also show videos on the screens in the church to help us reflect on what is being shared during worship or in the sermon. We then share news and notices, usually about what's going on in the life of the church.

The service last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

images: Services

What about my kids?

At Avendale, we have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 4 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/carer at all times.
His Kids (5-10 years)
Yoof (11-18 years)

Children stay with their parent or carer at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and short Children's Talk. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the Children's Talk, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy the first time you come along to church.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

For more information about what happens in the children's and youth work please visit the Children's Ministry page and/or the Youth Ministry page.

N.B. - there is no children's programme or youth programme during the service at Drumclog.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our Home Groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Home Groups page and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a Home Group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group. If you would like us to put you in touch with a Home Group leader, please let us know via our Contact Us page.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team here.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Other Groups in the Avendale & Drumclog Community

The following groups are also part of the life of our church:

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Rev Calum Stark - Minister		David Moreland - Session Clerk

To find out more about our staff and leaders, please visit our Staff & Leadership page.
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

Calum Stark - Minister