Church Plants
Scotland is, according to recent church attendance statistics, an unreached country for the gospel. We see the effects of this in our city, yet rather than just self-preserve, we want to go out with the good news of Jesus and plant churches.
Planting churches is no new thing - every church anyone has ever been in was, at one time, a new church. So rather than seeing church planting as a fad, the leadership at St Columba’s see starting new churches as the most effective way to take the gospel out into a culture which, by and large, has rejected the mainstream institutional church in Scotland.
Almost every area of the city would benefit from having new, outreaching churches acting as salt and light. At present we have started a church in Morningside, and are working towards starting one just south of the city in Midlothian. These have been small groups of people from St Columba’s who have felt called to begin a new work in the part of the city where they live. Mostly, the way we do this is by being a community together, and by trying to reach out relationally to those we live and work amongst during the week.
We sense the challenge of doing this, and feel ourselves to be very small - but we recognise at the same time how great God is, that all the necessary resources are his and that He has the power to build His church.
Haddington Community Church
Haddington Community Church was planted in September 2018 by Ali Sewell and a group of Christians from the local area. We're a church with a range of ages, stages and backgrounds as we try to represent a cross-section of the people who live in this rapidly growing part of East Lothian. The church stands on the two pillars of the centrality of the Bible and the necessity of prayer, and through these we're trying to build a community which is welcoming, growing, serving, and joyful. We want to build up and encourage one another on Sundays and throughout the week by sharing Jesus with each other, and also reach our to our neighbours with the good news of Jesus Christ.
We'd love you to come and join us some time. Our services are fairly relaxed, with the bible at the heart of all we do as well as prayer and singing our raises to God. We also run Kids' Church and creche for little ones. We don't yet have our own church building, but regularly meet on Sundays at 10:45 in the Maitlandfield House Hotel, 24 Sidegate, Haddington. Check our Facebook page, our website, or email hello@haddingtoncommunitychurch.org to confirm where we'll be!
Esk Valley Church
Esk Valley is the second of the St Columba's plants, starting life back in 2015 in Midlothian just South of Edinburgh and planted by Tom Muir. EVC is also a part of the Free Church of Scotland, and has partnerships with Generation - the Free Church mission agency, and the City to City church planting network. At EVC we want people to know that no matter who they are, where they come from or how close they may feel to Jesus, there's a place for them here. We meet on Sundays at 3.30pm in the new Rosewell Steading community facility, but also have various midweek and community groups and events. We have a range of ages and stages, including plenty of young families, so we invest in children's ministry on a Sunday so the whole family can feel welcome. But whatever a person's situation, whether retired, working, studying or playing, we want to care for one another as an extended family. EVC is a place to worship God, grow in knowing Him, serve one another & our communities, and tell of the good news of the gospel of Jesus. To find out more, please visit the Esk Valley Church website.
Cornerstone
In early 2014, we planted a new church in the Morningside / Bruntsfield area of the city, which is now independent of St Columba's Free Church. We want this church to be for those who are not religious and would never normally consider being part of a church. We put a high value on relationships and community and are working hard to be a group of friends who are accepting, open and honest. The congregation is a multi-generational group made up of a variety of people and families. Some of us have been Christians a long time and others are new to Christianity. We are at various stages of belief and understanding, so it is a good place to come along to explore and ask questions even if you are not a Christian personally. A lot of the time we are just about being friends and doing the kind of stuff that friends do. Every Wednesday evening we all come together to share a meal and then spend time studying the Bible, applying it to every-day life and praying. Some of us meet for prayer in the mornings and we like to hang out together on a Sunday afternoon. To find out more, please visit the Cornerstone website.
