1. Banff Churches Together
An Overview

2. Banff Churches Together Being Church in a Rural Town
Banff Churches Together seeks to serve
God, each other, and their Community
Through prayer, friendship and action

3. Participant Churches
Banff Methodist Parish Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Parish Riverside Trinity Church & Harvest Centre Saint Andrew’s Scottish Episcopal Parish Saint Mary’s Church of Scotland Parish

4. Banff Methodist Church

5. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Parish

6. Riverside Trinity Church & Harvest Centre

7. Saint Andrew’s Scottish Episcopal Parish

8. Saint Mary’s Church of Scotland Parish

9. Banff

10. Banff – Some Statistics
POPULATION % Change
3,991 3,990 3,
AVERAGE Annual EARNINGS 2012: Banff: £21,994:00 Aberdeenshire: £31,851:00
AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: Banff: £120,584: Aberdeenshire: £210,272:00
UNEMPLOYMENT (Monthly Av. 2012): Banff 2.7% Aberdeenshire 1.3% Scotland 4%
RESIDENTS’ WORKPLACE:
Banff: 48.4% Aberdeen: 11.5% Aberdeenshire: 84.3% Other: 4.2%
Source: Aberdeenshire Council – Banff Profile August 2013(

11. Banff Churches Together Development of Ideas
2000 Ad Hoc Prayer Group
2003 Monthly Prayer Group
2005 Monthly Prayer & Action Group
2007 “Churches Together”
2008 Church in the Community
2010 The Journey Continues

12. Banff Churches Together Being Church in a Rural Town
Banff Churches Together as a group support each other and their individual Church activities, in addition to their joint initiatives. The churches are open most days and offer opportunities for quiet prayer and reflection

13. Banff Churches Together Being Church in a Rural Town
All of the Churches offer a wide range of Christian observance. On a practical level the buildings themselves offer facilities for meetings of various sizes and uses by Aberdeenshire Council, Cardiac Rehab, Banff Running Club, Drug Awareness Forum, Pilates, English Language Classes

14. Banff Churches Together Communication
Ecumenical Workshops:
Action of Churches Together in Scotland Gen. Sec. Bro Stephen Smyth
A Vision for Banff - Ray Simpson
Church in the Community – Heather Crick
Banff Churches Together Website
Articles in Local Newspapers
BCT Info on town Notice Boards;

15. Banff Churches Together Communication
“Welcome to Banff” for tourists
Service Times & Church Details in all Banff Hotels, Caravan Sites and B&B
A voice for justice, welfare and charitable issues
Numerous fundraising activities on behalf of local and national charities

16. BCT Charity Lunches

17. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
Banff Farmers’ Market
Fairtrade – Awareness & Promotion
Pensioner’ Lunches
Pre/Post Schoolchildren’s Clubs
Schools – ‘Its Your Move’ Booklet
Concerts
Quiz Nights
Partners in Banff & Macduff Community Trust
Participants in B&M Community Council

18. Charity Events

19. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
Chaplaincy Services: Primary & Secondary Schools Hospitals Residential Care Homes Assistance to Emergency Services Social Services

20. Banff Primary School - Red Nose Day
School Chaplaincies
Banff Primary School - Red Nose Day

21. Residential Care Homes
Banff Churches Together
Christmas Carols at Banff Care Home

22. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
Organisation & Participation in Civil Events
Banff Annual Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service.
Organised and hosted A Respectful Public Debate on the forthcoming Scottish Referendum

23. Remembrance Sunday

24. A Respectful Debate Referendum 2014

25. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
Organisation & Participation
in Civil Events
Banff Reflects – Outbreak of World War 1 Commemoration Service at Duff House.
The Coast Festival has been supported in a variety of ways, and this year with the inaugural Blessing of the Fleet at Banff Harbour.

26. Banff Reflects

27. Blessing of the Fleet

28. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
The Organisation and Provision of:
Foodbank
Home Starter Packs
Credit Union
Domestic Budget Advice
Counselling Services
Rooms for use by local organisations

29. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
The Food Bag Ministry (Foodbank) is located at Harvest Centre, High Street, and is open Tuesday and Thursday 10-12pm to the general public. Agencies themselves may collect food bags mornings 9-1pm from the Harvest Centre office.

30. Community Engagement
Boxing Day Christmas meals for those in the community who are alone at Christmas or who would find it difficult to prepare this for themselves
The Well, a community café open from pm at the Harvest Centre
Banff Cinema operating monthly

31. Banff Churches Together Community Engagement
Events Planned for the Future Include
November/December - Open one hour lunchtime sessions to explore the meaning of Christmas in the 21st century
We already go Carol Singing in December but another new venture is the recording of some carols at Banff Castle for The Talking Banffie
A summer’s day Community Social Event

32. Banff Churches Together Open Worship

33. Banff Churches Together Open Worship
Seafaring Sunday
Blessing of the Fleet
Remembrance Day – Parade and Service

34. Blessing of the Fleet

35. Remembrance Sunday

36. Banff Churches Together Open Worship
Christmas Carol Singing
Lenten Worship offers
An Ecumenical Way of the Cross
and
‘Walk of Christian Witness’

37. BCT Carol Singers

38. BCT Walk of Witness

39. Good Friday Service Banff High Street

40. Pilgrimage

41. Banff Churches Together Open Worship
Services and events for men and women, the elderly, and age appropriate groups
Messy Church - for families to join together with their children in a creative exercise which is followed by lunch and a short service

42. Lunches

43. Kids’ Clubs

44. Banff Reflects

45. Banff Churches Together
Thank you for watching this presentation If you require any further information Please speak with any of our representatives We would be delighted To answer your questions

46. This presentation is copyright of Banff Churches Together
Grateful thanks to the following people
for their photographic contribution
to this presentation
Mr John Cox
Mr Andrew Taylor
Rev. John Woodside
Please advise Banff Churches Together if they have included your photograph without due acknowledgement of source