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Our GDPR Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice 

Murrayfield Parish Church Scottish Charity number SC 005198 (the “Congregation”)

Purpose of this Notice

This Privacy Notice outlines the way in which the Congregation will use personal information provided to us.  Personal information includes any information that identifies you personally, such as your name, address, email address or telephone number.

The Congregation recognises the importance of your privacy and personal information and we have therefore outlined below how we use, disclose and protect this information. The Congregation, jointly with the Presbytery of Edinburgh is the data controller, because we decide how your data are processed and for what purpose.  Contact details for us are provided below. 

How we use information 

We use the information you give to us:

• to administer membership records, including a Communion Roll and Supplementary Roll;

• for pastoral care purposes;

• in relation to participation in Congregational activities;

• to provide you with information about news, events, and activities within the Congregation or the wider Church of Scotland;

• to provide the services of a parish church to the local community;

• to fulfill contractual or other legal obligations;

• to manage our employees;

• to further our charitable aims, for example through fundraising activities;

• to maintain our accounts and records (including the processing of Gift Aid applications); 

• if CCTV is in place we have this for the prevention and detection of crime. 

Disclosure of information

The Congregation will only share your personal information where this is necessary for the purposes set out above. Information will not be shared with any third party outwith the Church of Scotland without your consent unless we are obliged or permitted to do so by law. 

Basis for processing personal information

The Congregation processes your information in the course of its legitimate activities, with appropriate safeguards in place, as a not-for-profit body with a religious aim and on the basis that our processing relates solely to members, former members or people who have regular contact with us, and that this information is not disclosed to any third party without your consent. 

We also process information where this is necessary for compliance with our legal obligations; where processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and such interests are not overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms; and where you have given consent to the processing of your information for a particular purpose.  

Storage and security of personal information

The Congregation will strive to ensure that personal information is accurate and held in a secure and confidential environment.  We will keep your personal information for as long as you are a member or adherent or have regular contact with us or so long as we are obliged to keep it by law or may need it in order to respond to any questions or complaints or to show that we treated you fairly. We may also keep it for statistical purposes but if so we will only use it for that purpose.  When the information is no longer needed it will be securely destroyed or permanently rendered anonymous.  Further information about our data retention policy is available at http://www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk

Getting a copy of your personal information

You can request details of the personal information which the Congregation holds about you by contacting us using the contact details given below.  

Inaccuracies and Objections

If you believe that any information the Congregation holds about you is incorrect or incomplete or if you do not wish your personal information to be held or used by us please let us know. Any information found to be incorrect will be corrected as quickly as possible.

You have the right to object to our use of your personal information, or to ask us to remove or stop using your personal information if there is no need for us to keep it.  There may be legal or other reasons why we need to keep or use your data, but please tell us if you think that we should not be using it.

If we are processing your data on the basis of your explicit consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time.  Please contact us if you want to do so.

Contact us

You can contact us by getting in touch with scott@murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk

How to complain

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about anything relating to the processing of your personal information by the Congregation.  You can contact the ICO via its website at http://www.ico.orgUk or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

February 2024

S Club - the Film Crew

The first session of our new S-Club Film Crew took place on Sunday 8th October. What a great start it was. It was a fun session and we are already looking forward to when we next meet on Sunday 12th November at 4 pm in The Dove.  If you have any questions, please email Julia using the link below. We hope to see you there!
 

For those in P7 and above
We meet on some Sundays from 4 to 6pm in the Dove Room to have fun creating short videos! Through film making, these sessions will give our young people the time and the opportunity to creatively interact with the faith stories they are being taught! This film crew will be for Primary 7 and above and will provide a bridge to encourage them in their faith. If you have any questions, please email Julia using the link below. We hope to see 

contact Julia here

Parish Grouping

A Parish Grouping has been proposed in the Presbytery Mission Plan (agreed in Spring 2023). Murrayfield is to work with St. Stephen's Comely Bank and Palmerston Place/Gorgie Dalry Stenhouse in a grouping. More information will follow when available. 

Who’s Who

more

Body, Mind and Soul

Join Joanne for 'Move it or lost it' gentle exercise at 2pm on Tuesdays in the Main Hall (£5 per class) followed by refreshments and good company at 2.45 pm then at 3.15pm optional worship.
Come to one, come to all and bring a friend
Interested or know someone who you think might be? contact Jane Smart by email using the button below or call the Church Office on 0131 337 1091Come to one, come to all and bring a friend. A warm friendly welcome awaits you

Contact Contact Jane here

Community Activities

Community News and Advice

The Church Hall is a hive of activity all through the week!

As well as Church activities our Church Centre is used for a wide range of community activities which are run by outside bodies. These activities show how our buildings are a fantastic community asset. Our Church Centre is in use morning afternoon and evening throughout the year.

To give you a flavour of what is on offer we have - or have had - Indoor Bowling, Bridge, Jo Jingles, Tumble Tots, Zumba, Clubbercise, Gilbert & Sullivan, Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, and Ballet!  New groups have joined us, so the community calendar is growing every week

Please see the Church Calendar  for more details of what is on offer and who to contact. Some of these activities also have their own dedicated websites.

Booking

Our Halls are allavailable for bookings, and are suitable for a many uses. 
 

Bookable by the session, this fabulous modern centre is perfect for business, leisure, community or social use. It’s ideal for clubs, classes, conferences and meetings and is hugely popular for parties and fundraising functions.

The Main Hall: This is an adaptable space of 50ft x 30ft comfortably seating 120 guests with the advantage of a sprung wooden floor, an optional stage area and a coffee station. The facility is served by modern toilets and baby changing facilities.

The Upper Room: This very popular space which is suitable for up to 60 people. With its own coffee station this spacious light-filled carpeted room is approximately 26ft x 29ft and has its own toilets and disabled lift.

The Dove: This smaller space is ideal for meetings of up to 30 people. It is sized 26ft x 14ft with French doors which flood the room with light and open out onto a small terraced area with optional summer tables and chairs.

The Stage: At 24ft x 20ft this is the smallest of our spaces. It is suitable for meetings and small get-togethers.

The Centre also has a fully equipped kitchen which is available to hire to those holding an Elementary Hygiene Certificate.

The centre is DDA compliant with wheelchair access, disabled toilet, and a hearing induction loop systemin the upper hall

Cool and airy in the warmer days of spring and summer and heated and snug during the colder autumn and winter months, it’s perfect for your function – whatever the weather.

Email or phone the Church Manager, 01313371091 for more information, 

St Andrew’s Church Jerusalem

The partnership, and the letters below, unfortunately ceased, along with so many other things, with the pandemic, and our link to St Andrews ceased.

But, St Andrews Jerusalem is still there, still serving the Christian community, and still trying to offer support. where it us needed

To see what they do, read about it on https://www.standrewsjerusalem.org/

We were prayer partners with Rev John McCulloch who was minister of St. Andrews Church in Jerusalem. John was ordained and inducted to the Church of Scotland congregation in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday 2018 - he was there with his wife Annette and children. We have strong links with Jerusalem because one of our previous ministers, Rev Clarence Musgrave, served there after he demitted from Murrayfield in 2000. We also have historic links because it was an elder from Murrayfield, Ninian Hill, who proposed to Edinburgh Presbytery, in the 1920s that a congregation should be created in Jerusalem. Ninian went on to be its first minister. We did receive regular updates from Rev John McCulloch but, as in so many other areas, the pandemic brough this to a close. The letters received can still be read below

Letter from John McCulloch_Dec_18.

Report from Kate_Mcdonald.Dec 2018

Letter from John McCulloch April 2019

Letter from John McCulloch December 2019

Letter from John McCulloch January 2020

Letter from John McCulloch March 2020

Our Next Steps

A Parish Grouping has been proposed in the Presbytery Mission Plan (agreed in Spring 2023). Murrayfield is to work with St. Stephen's Comely Bank and Palmerston Place/GDS in a grouping. More information will follow when available. 

The global pandemic has meant that the implementation of our Next Step was put on hold. 

1. Increase provision for the young people associated with the church

- Talk about why this is an expression of what you believe? Why does this “fit” the time and place in which you work?

We are not currently providing any regular input for our young people outwith Sunday morning. We notice a sharp ‘drop-off’ once the children who are growing up in the church reach secondary school age. Children are brought to church by their parents but don’t have space to explore faith and grow in faith in a setting outside Sunday mornings. Our concern is that our children grow up without coming to faith. Often they get involved in other activities that are taking place on Sunday mornings (eg. sport). Very few of our children, if any, are confirmed as church members. We want them to get excited about faith and grow in commitment

- How will you do this? How will you make a start?

We will try to start up a ‘youth fellowship’ group that would meet regularly and would provide a mix of fun activities with a faith dimension and biblical input. We will research other congregational settings from whom we might learn lessons and adopt good practice. We will organise a programme leading to confirmation. We will continue to try to blend traditional worship with more contemporary elements. We will consider other worship options.

- When will you begin and when will you review the initiative?

We have started carrying out research and will continue to do for the remainder of 2018. We will aim to start a ‘youth fellowship’ group as soon as the resources and leadership is in place and we will review annually. We are in the process of appointing a youth worker (see below). The results of this should be known by the end of 2018 when further decisions will be made.                                                                                                                               

- Talk about the people, training, resources, space that will be required – and what help you will require.

We need someone to take a lead in organising a ‘youth fellowship’ and to that end have allocated financial resources for 1 year part time (0.25) youth worker post. We have begun attempts to recruit for this youth worker post. We need a plan B if we cannot recruit a suitable applicant. We will need some volunteers from our church members on a rota basis and we may need some equipment depending on activities planned. We would anticipate meeting in one of the rooms in the church centre.

2. Offer opportunities for adults attending Messy Church and TOTs so that they can begin to take steps on a faith journey                                                                              

- Talk about why this is an expression of what you believe? Why does this “fit” the time and place in which you work?

We have made very positive strides over the last few years with the new initiatives of Messy Church and TOTs. Through them we are in touch with families who are on the fringe of church or who have no church involvement. We have identified that there is currently too large a gap between people coming along to these events and them making initial steps on their faith journey and integrating to the wider church community. For us this is an evangelism opportunity that fits with the work we have already started.                               

- How will you do this? How will you make a start?

We will reflect on the approaches suggested by Messy Church who have identified a similar gap nationwide - they suggest three possible approaches. We will intentionally develop relationships with those attending Messy Church and TOTs with a view to engaging those who are interested in the Christian faith. We will seek to bring together a small group of interested people and provide for them a suitable forum or course to explore faith further.

- When will you begin and when will you review the initiative?

We will begin during the 2018-2019 session although we are realistic and know that progress might be slow. We will review progress annually at the end of the session. We will use feedback forms with those attending Messy Church and TOTs.                                      

- Talk about the people, training, resources, space that will be required – and what help you will require.

We need to work with our current volunteers and help them attune to the intentional approach. We will try and encourage one or two staff or volunteers to attend Mission Shaped Ministry and/or similar training events. We will need to find suitable people to run whatever opportunities are deemed most appropriate.  

3. Connect better with the wider community and provide opportunities for those in the community who are interested to explore faith further.

- Talk about why this is an expression of what you believe? Why does this “fit” the time and place in which you work?

The church halls were extensively refurbished in 2005 in order to help us be more community facing. The new church centre is now a well-established source of rental income and used by a diverse range of community and commercial groups. Our sense is that we can better engage with the many people who use our buildings. We also have several occasions a year when our church building is used by schools/nursery and also a very busy Christmas Eve church service and so we feel there are connections with the community that can be built upon. The church is also situated very prominently in the Murrayfield area and is a well known building. We feel there are many people in our community with some sort of historic link to church. So we should have more visibility in the parish area - to give people a chance to see what we are doing.                                                                                        

- How will you do this? How will you make a start?

We have made a start through the work of the Kirk Session’s Communication group in renewing our website, producing leaflets/booklets that introduce the congregation’s activities, and posters in the centre that promote our values and advertise our services. One idea is to have a more intentional presence around the church centre, trying to cultivate relationships with those using the building. Another idea is to encourage more church members to attend some of the activities at the church centre and make connections in that way. A further idea is to run a short course for the community on faith basics (along the style of Alpha with a meal component) or a course for people experiencing eg bereavement, relationship breakdown, parenting difficulties. We also would like to have the actual church building in use more and made more of a flexible and welcoming space.                             

- When will you begin and when will you review the initiative?

This is the least developed of our steps. This is a much longer term initiative which will require further reflection during 2018-19 with outline planning during 2019-20.             

- Talk about the people, training, resources, space that will be required – and what help you will require.

This step requires the kind of change in mindset and congregational culture that is encouraged by the Path of Renewal pilot scheme in which we have taken part. The scheme encourages congregations to adopt a ‘missional’ approach and to look outwards and to move beyond Christendom models of course. Any work making the church building more flexible e.g. with stackable seats or having a physical connection to the halls or improving lighting would require financial resources.                                                           

4 Help church members and attenders grow spiritually through Christian education and discipleship groups                                                                                                    

- Talk about why this is an expression of what you believe? Why does this “fit” the time and place in which you work?

For many of our church members church is a Sunday only event and we want to encourage people to take up other opportunities for them to grow in faith. The Path of Renewal project has encouraged us to see the importance of discipleship programmes with the outcome of spiritual growth. We are strong in service but weaker in areas like faith-sharing and discipleship. We feel that as people grow spiritually their confidence in faith sharing will increase.                                                                                                                           

- How will you do this? How will you make a start?

We have already made a start but are conscious that much more needs to be done. We need to remove obstacles that might prevent people from getting involved eg by communicating better, by finding out what format and frequency works best, by inviting people, by reducing things that might intimidate people. We need to help the current groups to bed-in and try to plant the seeds for new groups.                                                               

- When will you begin and when will you review the initiative?

We have already started several new groups over the last few years. We need to consider how to help these groups grow stronger and in due course our dream is they would multiply. The Mission & Discipleship Group of Kirk Session will review this each year as part of its oversight of this area of congregational life. In conjunction with the leaders of existing groups, the reviews will identify areas of faith development that need strengthening.

- Talk about the people, training, resources, space that will be required – and what help you will require.

For the most part this step does not require much in the way of resources and any e.g. course books /DVDs can normally be purchased relatively cheaply. A greater need is to help people understand the value and importance of this side of church life and to help them feel comfortable in a small group environment. We need a few enthusiasts who will encourage others along.                  

5. Continue to integrate younger people into leadership roles

- Talk about why this is an expression of what you believe? Why does this “fit” the time and place in which you work?

The current make up of our Kirk Session does not fully represent the congregation and we feel it is important at this stage to encourage more of our younger members into leadership roles. We feel it is important also for the continued evolution of the congregation that younger people are empowered into leadership.

- How will you do this? How will you make a start?

We will carry out a review of Kirk Session with a view to ensuring that we have a trustee body ready and willing to face the many challenges ahead. We will also continue the approach of populating the Kirk Session Groups (i.e. committees which have delegated responsibility for discreet areas of congregational life) with a mix of Kirk Session members and those who are not on Kirk Session. We will carry out some research via questionnaire with our younger church members to ascertain issues around their engagement with congregational life.                                                                                                      

- When will you begin and when will you review the initiative?

We will begin straight away and will review after 2 years. In the autumn of 2018, we plan to have a Session discussion on governance succession. Action will follow during 2019.       

- Talk about the people, training, resources, space that will be required – and what help you will require.

We need to start by understanding the different ways our younger church members engage with congregational life and actives compared with previous generations. Some of the Path of Renewal material has highlighted generational characteristics which goes some way to highlighting different ways of relating to church. We will need to explain well to all parties what is involved in leadership. 

ECUDARE

What is Ecudare?

Ecumenical Day Care

Ecudare is a Murrayfield Churches Together project which began in 2003.  It’s aim is to provide quality of life and holistic care for women and their families who are living with, and affected by HIV/AIDS.  Women and families affected by HIV have been supported to set up their own businesses and a school has been established.  It has a Christian ethos and is based in Ngong, one of the poorest areas of Kenya to the south west of the capital Nairobi.  It is run by Esther Wanjohi with whom we are in regular contact and who sends updates to us by letter. 

The Covid pandemic  had disastrous consequences for the families in Ngong: lockdown and curfew led to an inability to carry our their small businesses which led to a lack of income and food.  Vaccinations are scarce and expensive. Lack of food became a real issue and many of the gains made by the project were lost.  We continued to support families during this difficult time.

MCT Ecudare Group has committed to the continuation of their commitment to ECUDARE for a further 5 year period from 2023-2028.  This involves running fundraising events throughout the year which are organised by a small group of members form each of the three MCT Churches.

A survey was conducted in the summer of 2023 to seek approval for the continuation of the project from the congregations.  The results showed that ECUDARE is very much supported by members.

 “It is a great support for the needy in Kenya and continuous support required to keep making a difference in the lives of those in great need.”

“Ester and everyone involved are working so hard they need and appreciate our support to continue”

“It appears to be a long standing partnership which has benefitted both sides, makes a difference to people's lives in Kenya, and thereby helps to spread the word of God”

“The project has a two way energy with good feedback from Esther to keep everyone up to date with how the fundraising is used to help the women suffering from HIV aids and their families  .  “

“Good for MCT to look beyond its locality to offer prayerful and financial support to others.  Works 2 ways as we learn from Ecudare too.”

How to support ECUDARE

New group members are always welcome to help with fundraising.  If you are interested in joining the group, please contact The Minister.

We have 2 main fundraising campaigns each year which are well supported:

Christmas  campaign  - funds are required to purchase chapatti flour for families and a range of other items much needed at this time eg goats, chickens, mattresses. 

Funds are raised by selling potted hyacinth bulbs and we also offer  a range of virtual Christmas  gifts which are items identified each year by Esther.  .  

Summer campaign - each year a project is identified by Esther, for example in 2023 we raised funds for a women and girls’  hygiene and sanitary project

We hold a summer themed event to raise funds.  In July 2023 a’ Songs, Strawberries and Sparkles’ event was held in the gardens and halls of the Church of the Good Shepherd.  This presented a lovely opportunity for members from all three MCT congregations to join together for a joyful afternoon and raise funds for ECUDARE.

Donations can be made at any time by Bank transfer or cash and gift aid is gratefully received.

Latest Letter from Esther

 In November 2023 Esther wrote:

“I trust you are well. I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the MCT brothers and sisters for your unwavering support to the women, the school and the community at large. Your generosity and commitment have played a significant role in our success and we couldn’t be more grateful.

We are excited to share  that we recently celebrated a very successful graduation for four classes, with our students moving on to the next level of their education and personal growth. It’s a testament to the positive impact your support has had on the community.

As we officially close our school for the year ,we are busy preparing the classrooms for the new year ahead.

We’d like to extend an invitation to you to join us in our annual Christmas celebrations, where we can come together to bring joy to the elderly and vulnerable members of our community by donating to the woman’s kitty, helping us make this Christmas extra special

Once again , thank you for your ongoing support and for being an integral part of our community. We look forward to seeing you someday.

Every Blessings to you all.

I should also let you know Kenya had a lovely time with King Charles and Queen Camilla over the past one week.

With warmest regards,

Ester – Wanjohi”

Ghana Partnership

For the latest news from Kwamebikrom, sent to us by our partners there, please read the article in the October '21Magazine

 We have reached the end of the last partnership agreement (July 21) so have been wondering how we can celebrate out 24 year old partnership link. A video is to be shown at Presbytery shortly, and news of Kwamebikrom and what next will be included in the next Church magazine.

Murrayfield Parish Church has been richly blessed by a partnership with Kwamebikrom community in Ghana. The partnership was one of the ways we marked our centenary in 2000. The link came about through the Church of Scotland's Board of World Mission to whom an urgent need in the west part of the country had been identified by the Presbyterian Church in Ghana in 1997. Through this partnership we have expressed a clear desire to engage with the wider church in the world. 

Over the past years we have completed some projects which have made a real difference to life in the village. The first of these projects was the improvement of medical support facilities. Other major projects have included the building of a guest house and library, assisting with the provision of electricity to the village and a range of income generating schemes. 

One feature of the Ghana partnership has been a series of visits to Kwamebikrom by teams from the congregation and also a number of visits made from the village to Edinburgh. These visits have been a wonderful way of growing friendships and expanding our horizons in terms of life and faith. After many wonderful years the partnership is currently entering its final phase. Part of this includes completing work on a latrine block in the village. 

Click here for latest partnership agreement

Local Schools

We welcome schools educational visits

Eco-Congregation

ECO Matters

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I am interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families."  Isaiah 58 v 6-7

This Bible verse reminds us that all those suffering the effects of the climate crisis are our brothers and sisters. In God's family we are one not separate. We are called to care for our whole family on this Earth, which is our common home.

We believe that care for the planet is part of our calling as Christian people. We have occasional church services which provides the opportunity as part of the service to explore an eco theme. As part of the Harvest Thanksgiving service we celebrated our beautiful world and highlighted the need share even when it is difficult. 

The ECO group meets throughout the year and seeks to raise general awareness of how we can care better for the planet and to explain how our Christian faith motivates us in this area of life. Please find out more at www.ecoconregationscotland.org

Fresh Start

For the latest on tge current situation and what is needed fir tge essential work tgat Fresh Start do, please read Jennifer Paterson's article in our magazine -  September_Edition_
Good news from Fresh Start is that they are busy, as ever, helping folk who have been homeless and who are moving into flats that they have been allocated.

Fresh Start are appealing for items for their “Starter Packs” which help to provide the basic needs to equip their new homes.

If you would like to help, donations of goods can be taken directly to Fresh Start at 22-24 Ferry Road  Drive, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9am and 3.30 pm by prior arrangement. Please phone Fresh Start at  0131 476 7741 to arrange a drop off time. These arrangements are necessary to comply with current safety rules. A track and trace system is in operation and names and telephone numbers are kept for 14 days for this purpose.

Items needed for starter packs include:- crockery, cutlery, mugs, tumblers, bed linen, towels.

Small electrical items (such as lamps, toasters, irons, blenders, alarm clocks).                
No duvets, pillows or cushions.

Further information about Fresh Start, including how to contribute to the “Cookers for Christmas “ appeal can be found below

https://www.freshstartweb.org.uk/

Fairtrade

For our Fairtrade Representative, Fiona Dinsmore's latest update on the current situation at Murrayfield and acroiss tge wirld, pkease read our September Magazine September_Edition_2023_

jWe care about poverty and justice issues across the world. One area of concern is that products we often take for granted are fairly traded. To this end we promote the work of Fairtrade. To find out more please visit www.fairtrade.org.uk

We aredelighted to have our Faitrade stall back in the Church, usually the first Sunday of the month,where all the usual items, and many new ones, are on sale. We also have had the opportunity to enjoy tasting sone well known confectionary which is now fair traded!

Duting the Coronavirus pandemic, there were no coffe mornings, and we were not able to purchase our usual treats after the Sunday service,but fairtrade has a vibrant online shop, where all your purchases, and more are available. 

The One World Shop at St Johns is very  well stocked  with gifts and tasty treats, and well worth a visit. They do deliveries by ecobike. https://www.oneworldshop.co.uk/

Christian Aid

For the current situation within Murrayfield, please read David Parkin's report in our magazine - September_Edition_2023_pdf
We support Christian Aid and have done so for many years. Christian Aid as a charity works towards ending poverty in the world. One of our ways of supporting Christian Aid is with MCT, through the annual Quiz, which was held in March 2023.

There is also a joint annual Christian Aid service of prayer, with our friends of MCT. This year's service was held in May at Saughtonhall URC.

We arealso one of the churches used by Christian Aid fir their crisis apoeals

Please find out more at www.christianaid.org.uk

We are also one of the churches used by Christian Aid for their crisis appeals.
 

Murrayfield Churches Together (MCT)

We are part of Murrayfield Churches Together. MCT brings together Saughtonhall United Reformed Church (SURC), Scottish Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (COGS) and ourselves Murrayfield Parish Church.

MCT is a long standing covenanted ecumenical partnership. The last covenant was signed in November 2015 for a further 7 years. A steering group populated by members of all 3 congregations offers oversight. The 2015 covenant expired during the Pandemic, and we arecurrently undertaking a new covenant agreement

We share joint worship several times of year - such as during The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January and Christian Aid week in May. We come together for special services at Easter and Advent and Christmas and we also run Messy Church together. MCT supports Fresh Start and also a project in Kenya called ECUDARE. We also support in MCT the Murrayfield Club, with all three minsters taking regular worship with the Club

Family Events

Making provision for the whole family is on the top of our list when organising events. We hold a number of events over the year which our Families can enjoy with the Church and Community Family. Some of the regular events are detailed below. Watch for further details, information and new activities on our website

Picnic – At the start of the Autumn Term, we have our family Picnic, This is followed by Family Fun - perhaps a Games day in Roseburn Park - the perfect opportunity to catch up after the summer holidays. This is an annual event, suitable for all ages and all are welcome to join in

Our History

​We are a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The first services on the site of the church buildings, a half acre plot on the corner of Abinger Gardens and Ormidale Terrace, were conducted in October 1900. The church has been served by six ministers prior to the current minister.

Our Ministers

Robert Johnstone : 1904-1914

J Rossie Brown : 1915-1953

Ronald H G Budge : 1953-1964

George B C Sangster : 1964-1980

Clarence W Mugrave : 1980-2000

William Brown : 2000-2013

Keith Edwin Graham : 2014-present

Pastoral Care

Please contact the minister directly, or alternatively contact the church office to let us know of anyone requiring pastoral support, or of anyone in hospital.

Discipleship Groups

We have a range of recently launched groups whose purpose is to help nurture Christian faith by providing an opportunity to meet together to reflect on the bible and on theology to pray together.

Monday Group
We are usually seven or eight in number and often meet in one another’s homes on a Monday at 7.30pm, or on on Zoom. We enjoy study followed by much chat and support. We normally meet every second week in Autumn until Christmas and January towards Easter. Our subjects vary. We have used study material from many sources and all take turns to present. For more information contact
Jane Crispin or Isobel Kiltie

MCT Faith Discussion Group

2025-2026Meeting on Tuesday Evenings at 7.30 at Saughtonhall URC, starting  29th September

Meeting also available by Zoom. For more information contact Richard Nunn by clicking button below.

For more information contact Richard Nunn 

Adults

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Messy Church

Messy Church has started again. Watch out for emails, articles on our website for the next  one

 

Families

Families are very important to us at Murrayfield Parish Church. We are always looking for ways to keep our church as family friendly as possible and put a lot of effort into making it accessible for all ages, both in Sunday worship and by providing opportunities for people to grow in faith and to socialise together.

Children are essential to our church family and the S Club offer activities for all orinary school aged children. Our 10.30 service begins with the whole church family worshipping together before the children leave for S Club.

There’s a real buzz around our church as families arrive on Sunday mornings and we love to welcome new families.

S-Club

S Club 

S Club continues to run on a Sunday morning during the 10.30 am service fir chidren aged 4-12 years. S club and S Club juniors meet together in the Upper Room So, bring your children to church on Sunday morning. As always, the service will start with the children in church and then off to the Upper Room for their own learning, fun, crafts and activities.

S Club News

Over the last year we continued with our usual activities including a video at Christmas and for the first time since lockdown, the older children were able to perform “live” at Easter. They were delighted to be able to do this as for the past to years everything has been videoed. Hopefully you all found this drama enjoyable. 

We hope to start the new session with a picnic and games in Roseburn Park.

Children

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Our Activities

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Our Governance

At a local level our leadership is the Kirk Session. The Kirk Session is the equivalent of the management board of a company. The Kirk Session is made up of elders who act as local charity trustees. At present we have 22 trustees. 

In 2010 we moved to operating under Unitary Constitution. For us this means that we have a number of Kirk Session groups with delegated areas of responsibility. At present these Kirk Session Groups are…

• Centre
• Communicaitons
• Families
• Mission & Discipleship
• Pastoral Care Team
• Property
• Staffing
• Stewardship & Finance
• Wider Church

It is an aim of ours to involve as many of our younger members as possible in the running of our church and in due course to pass on the leadership mantle to the younger generation. One way we have begun to achieve this is to have a mix of elders and younger non-elders on the Kirk Session Groups, in some cases convening these groups.

On our who's who page, you will find details of those more specifically involved in each of the above areas

Our 3 Year Plan

Our Strategic Plan 2024-2027

The Kirk Session has very recently considered a Three Year Strategic Plan for the congregation. The plan will help to shape our priorities and guide our activities. 

The format adopts various categories that were used in the Church of Scotland Local Church Review documentation. The areas covered are: Worship, Discipleship, Service, Evangelism, Fellowship, Ministry Team, Property, Stewardship and Communication.The end product is reasonably lengthy but at the same time it is not difficult to digest. We have had an initial attempt at prioritisation which is indicated by A, B or C. 

You can read the plan by clicking on the button below (printed copies can be requested from the office). The Kirk Session would like to receive feedback and comments. Please send over any remarks to me. In particular we would like to hear if you have any other ideas, and whether or not you think the proposals are heading along the right lines. Please feel free also to speak to me or one of the session clerks if there is anything you would like to discuss in person. 

_Strategic_Plan 2024-2027_

Path of Renewal

We are currently part of a Church of Scotland scheme called Path of Renewal. In short this means we are seeking to be open to and discern how to open ourselves best to our community and how best to witness to those around of us of the good news of Jesus Christ.

The Path of Renewal is the natural progression of The Church Without Walls conversation that has been going on within the Church of Scotland for over a decade.

Read more

Our Finance

We are entirely responsible for paying our own costs. These costs include a significant contribution to the central church. This contribution is called Giving to Grow and was £87,342 for 2024. We are also responsible ourselves for the maintenance and improvement of our church buildings and payment of heating and lighting costs and staff costs and insurance costs as well as much more. Our total costs for 2024 were £211,038.

Most of our finances come from regular giving by church members. In addition we have some rental income from letting our the rooms in the church centre. All members are encouraged to contribute to the finances of the church.

Over the years we have benefited from church members leaving the congregation a gift in their will. These legacies have enabled us to invest in areas of our work which would have otherwise not been possible. Please prayerfully consider whether you would like to give to the church in this way

More information on congregational finances is available here

More information about leaving a legacy to Murrayfield Parish church is available  here

A copy of our most recent stewardship leaflet is available here

Our Buildings

Our buildings comprise of a church sanctuary and church centre on the corner of Ormidale Terrace and Abinger Gardens. The attractive church sanctuary retains most of its original features including several stained glass windows and some carved wood features. At the front of the church is the chancel area which is furnished with a pulpit, lectern, baptismal font and communion table. Most of the seating is downstairs on comfortable chairs arranged either side of a central aisle. There is also some seating on pews in a gallery.

In summer 2021, we undertook to upgrade the church lighting, an upgrade which was becoming more and more necessary. The church has become a much brighter place.

Dunlop’s Kirks of Edinburgh describes the building in these terms:...

Murrayfield Church is one of the finest ecclesiastical edifices of the 20th century in the Edinburgh district. The nave and south transept were dedicated on 12th October 1906, the architect being A. Hunter Crawford, and the cost £8000. The rest of the church was dedicated on 24th October 1931, the architect being A. Balfour Paul. The style was early decorated gothic.

The stone, external and internal, is from Hailes quarry and the dressings round windows from Prudham quarry.

The building is cruciform, with pitch pine timbered roof and chancel at the East end. The South transept is a chapel created in 1961, in memory of Rev. Dr. Rossie Brown, by J. Wilson Paterson, architect.

The memorial stained glass is of high quality by Douglas Strachan RSA, H. Hendrie ARSA, James Ballantine and William Wilson OBE, RSA.

The church has a small back gallery and a short square tower.

The church centre was extensively renovated in 2005. As a result we have a flexible suite of rooms - a main hall, a medium sized meeting room [the Upper Room], a small meeting room [the Dove] and another small room [the Stage Room]. These rooms are all available to rent.

We have a charging structure in place and we are very glad that the facilities are well used with many regular bookings from a range of external groups. Call  0131 3371091 or email us to discuss making a booking.

The Lord’s Supper

We celebrate communion on the 1st Sunday of the month as part of regular Sunday worship and additionally on Easter Sunday. In February, June and October a fuller liturgy is followed. On the other months communion is at the end of those service and those who wish to leave are given opportunity to do so. Communion is open to all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and have made public profession of faith.

Prayer

Prayer is a major element in both our corporate worship and our personal devotional life. 

Prayer typically is part of our worship The minister is available to pray with anyone who requests some private prayer time.

Funerals

The minister is always available when possible to conduct the funeral service of one of our church members. On occasions a service can be held in the church building, this very much depends on the wishes of the family. 

Through its parish system and territorial ministry the Church of Scotland seeks to serve all the people of Scotland and not just the membership of the Church. Nobody in the situation of bereavement should hesitate to seek the services of the parish minister, either directly or through the undertaker. 

Weddings

Ministers of the Church of Scotland are authorised to perform marriages. The Church does not regard marriage as a sacrament and ministers are free to marry people who are not members of the Church of Scotland. Please contact the minister to discuss further.

A copy of our wedding guidelines are available here or via the office.

Normally if neither the bride nor groom is a member of the Church the first approach should be to minister of the parish in which one or other of them resides. Having said this it is not uncommon for someone to wish to be married in church setting where there is some family or childhood connection. 

Baptisms

Baptisms

Baptism is one of the two sacraments recognised by the Church of Scotland, the other being the Sacrament of Holy Communion. In the case of infant baptism the Church expects at least one parent or other close family member either to be a member of the Church or willing to become a member.

In the baptismal service those appropriate adults profess their own faith and promise to give the child a Christian upbringing.

In the case of adult baptism the person themsleves makes the appropriate promises.

Baptism is administered at Sunday worship in front of the congregation. This emphasises the nature of the sacrament as incorporation into the body of Christ and the life of the Church.

The Thanksgiving and Blessing of a Child

Since 2003, the Church has provided orders for the thanksgiving for, and blessing of, a child. The blessing ceremony takes place at morning worship following the same pattern as that for Baptism, except the wording and promises are different, and no water is used. Nothing is required of the parents in either commitment or belief.

Coming to Church

We are very happy to welcome all comers to church. Please feel free to visit us if you are looking for a suitable church for yourself, for example if you have moved into the local area or if you are moving church. Please feel free to visit us if you are exploring faith and want to find out more. Please feel free to visit us also if you are wanting to return to church after a period away.

Anyone is welcome to come to a church service. Whilst we gather to worship and take seriously coming into God’s Presence with reverence, we also try and make sure that worship is accessible to people of all ages, including families of young children. The service starts at 10.30am and last for around an hour. We follow a fairly classic Church of Scotland format - we sing hymns, we pray to God, we hear the scriptures read, we listen for God speaking to us through the sermon and we uplift an offering.

There are plenty of door welcomers and people on duty to help you with any queries. We have an induction loop system.

Our Faith

We are a congregation of the Church of Scotland which is the largest Christian denomination in Scotland. The Church of Scotland, as with any large denomination, represents a range of views on different issues. We hold to the ecumenical creeds of the church catholic and use the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed on occasion during worship. We sit within the Reformed tradition and emerged as a denomination as part of the reformations of the 16th century. Originally our confessional basis was the Scots Confession from 1560. This was replaced by the Westminster Confession of Faith in 1647 which remains the subordinate standard of the Church of Scotland. The Word of God contained in The Holy Scriptures are the supreme rule of faith and life. The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian in outlook. If you would like to find out more about the wider structures and governance of the national church please go to the website.

We think that faith is a both a life-long commitment and also a life-long learning opportunity. One of our goals is to offer ways for our church community to nurture its faith. Lively faith always expresses itself in action and further research on this website testifies to this over a range of concerns.

Sunday Services

Our main church service is at 10.30am every Sunday of the year.

Our services normally last around an hour, occasionally a little longer if there is extra content. Our worship format is fairly traditional although we are seeking to blend traditional hymns with some contemporary church music. We stand to sing our hymns and songs, the words of which are displayed on our screen, and we stand at the very beginning of the service when the bible is brought to the lectern. Most of our hymns come from the Church Hymnary 4th edition. Our bible readings come from the the New Revised Standard Translation.

On the first Sunday of the month we celebrate communion. 

We hope that through our worship you will be able to grow spiritually and be inspired in your daily living.

We start worship with the whole church family together and then a little later there is an opportunity to use our creche and for children to leave for age appropriate worship activities (S-Club)

We make every effort so that our worship and our other activities and events are accessible to families.

Our Partners

We are part of Murrayfield Churches Together [should say this in a few places and have the MCT logo well displayed]. MCT brings together Suaghtonhall United Reformed Church (SURC), Scottish Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (COGS) and ourselves Murrayfield Church. MCT is a covenanted ecumenical partnership which formally came into being in ????. The last covenant was signed in 201? for a further x years. A steering group populated by members of all 3 congregations offers oversight. We share joint worship several times of year eg during The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and Christian Aid week. We come together for special services at Easter and Advent and Christmas and we also run Messy Church together. MCT supports Fresh Start and also a project in Kenya called ECUDARE. 

Kwamebikrom in Ghana - Since 20?? we have had a link with…

ECUDARE project in Kenya - Since 20?? MCT has supported an initiative in Kenya whose full name is…

Local schools - We have a friendship with St. George’s School for Girls and the minister offers some chaplaincy to the Junior + Lower schools of St. George’s. We have, for several years, had a close relationship with Wester Coates Nursery

Christian Aid:

Fairtrade:

Fresh Start:

Parish Grouping - A Parish Grouping has been proposed in the Presbytery Mission Plan (agreed in Spring 2023). Murrayfield is to work with St. Stephen's Comely Bank and Palmerston Place/GDS in a grouping. More information will follow when available

Our Structure

At a local level our leadership is the Kirk Session. The Kirk Session is the equivalent of the management board of a company. The Kirk Session is made up of elders who act as local charity trustees. At present we have 4?? elders. 

In 20?? we moved to operating under Unitary Constitution. For us this means that we have a number of Kirk Session groups with delegated areas of responsibility. At present these Kirk Session Groups are… TBC.

It is an aim of ours to involve as many of our younger members as possible in the running of our church and in due course to pass on the leadership mantle to the younger generation. One way we have begun to achieve this is to have a mix of elders and younger non-elders on the Kirk Session Groups, in some cases convening these groups. 

Our Aims and Principles

Our Aims

• to prioritise worship
  
• to grow spiritually
  
• to grow numerically
  
• to love each other better
  
• to impact positively on the world around us

Our guiding principles

• we value Christ centred worship
  
• we value others
  
• we value being accessible
  
• we value involving people
  
• we value partnerships

Our Vision

Our Vision

We exist as a church:

“To enable those in our parish and congregation to love the Lord their God and to love their neighbour”.

This mission statement is sometimes called ‘The Jesus Creed’ and is based on Jesus’ words in the gospels. You can read it for yourself in the bible at Matthew 22v34-40.

How we love God and love neighbour is worked out in many different shapes and forms throughout our lives. We hope that we can help you grow in faith and service.’