SU Scotland

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Scripture Union Scotland is part of the worldwide family of Scripture Union movements that began in the nineteenth century and now operate in over 135 countries across the world. They are a Christian charity working in partnership with local churches. More than 2,000 volunteers are involved in helping to run their activities, together with around 100 staff and associate workers.

SU Scotland's vision is to see the children and young people of Scotland exploring the Bible and responding to the significance of Jesus. They achieve this through the following ministries:

Outdoor Centres

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SU Scotland own and operate 3 outdoor activity centres in Scotland, at Alltnacriche near Aviemore in the Highlands, Lendrick Muir near Kinross in Perthshire and Gowanbank in Darvel in East Ayrshire. During school term time, the centres are busy hosting school residential events with schools across Scotland. At weekends the centres provide a base for church groups and other groups to hold weekend retreats or get togethers and for SU's regional schools ministry to host weekend holidays/camps for young people. During the school holidays, the centres host many SU Holidays (camps) for young people from across Scotland.

Holidays & Weekends



SU Scotland have been organising holiday events for P5-S6 children for over 80 years, with the aim of giving young people a superb holiday experience and providing a simple introduction to the Christian faith. Children and young people of any faith, or none, are welcome at all SU Holidays.

Missions

Missions and holiday clubs provide a fabulous setting for children to have fun together and find out more about Jesus. SU Scotland partner with churches, providing support, advice, training, teams and resources. They help churches realise their vision for mission and evangelism amongst young people.

Schools

SU Scotland work with schools across Scotland, providing pupils with opportunities to explore values and beliefs from a Christian perspective through classroom work, assemblies and residential experiences. From Shetland to Dumfries, Argyll to Fife, they've been partnering with schools across Scotland for over 70 years, contributing to the curriculum and the spiritual development of young people. SU Scotland facilitates extra-curricular clubs (SU Groups) in primary and secondary schools, empowering children and young people to explore the Christian faith.

SU Scotland help schools to deliver Religious Observance as part of Curriculum for Excellence and provide resources and information for teachers, volunteers and supporters. They also run an exciting programme that teaches children in P5-P7 the whole storyline of the Bible in a series of interactive multimedia lessons, called 'Bible Alive'. It fits with all four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence, as well as covering many of the experiences and outcomes in RME.

Discipleship

SU Scotland runs a discipleship programme for young people in S4 and above, providing conferences (Go Conference), small groups (Connect Groups), practical leadership training (Commission) and other events that help young people live for Jesus. SU Scotland's discipleship programme help young people explore their faith, delve into the Bible, develop great skills for life and get trained up for leadership roles. It encourages young people in what it means to serve God in their school and in the future and helps them build networks with other Christian young people across Scotland.

Magnitude



Magnitude is a five-day annual Christian youth festival for young people aged 11-18. Based in the breathtaking Lendrick Muir near Kinross, it is a week like no other: a space to encounter God, enjoy community and experience nature together.

SU Scotland's heart is to raise up a generation of young people who are secure in their identity and purpose in God’s bigger story, united in living fearlessly as followers of Jesus and passionate about changing the world for His Kingdom.

At Avendale & Drumclog, we support the work of SU Scotland in various ways. For a decade, our member's Chris & Claire Macrae have led various SU Holidays for young people in S2-S6 at SU Scotland's Alltnacriche outdoor centre near Aviemore each summer. They have also led SU Scotland's family camp ('Messy Church Camp') at Gowanbank. Many members of the Avendale & Drumclog congregation have volunteered with SU Scotland in different capacities and with Gowanbank only being a 20 minute drive from Strathaven, members have helped in various ways in establishing the centre.

To find out more about SU Scotland, please visit their website here.

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!

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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