I have a confession - I'm not an avid church go-er. But that doesn't mean I don't respect others for doing so, or appreciate the serenity of being inside an old chapel or a new place of worship. I love the old musty smell and the light spilling through the stained glass windows.
But most of all, I really appreciate the clergy who are accomodating towards visitors. In St Columba's, visitors are not just welcomed, but encouraged by the foward thinking, friendly congregation to come in and have a look around. You can walk in to the main hall during the day and admire the delicate design of the building, and move through to the small but packed visitor's centre which hosts a wealth of information about the church's origins. Here, you can find information regarding the church, Largs's oldest religious settlements, Brownie and Guides groups and even some sombre war spoils amongst tributes to Ayrshire's military. There is no admission charge and the modest information centre is tastefully displayed and valuable to the town's culture.
As for the church itself, there are a number of groups here who host coffee mornings, youth workshops and quiz nights, getting the community involved in ways that don't just revolve around worship. The parish community seem close knit but forward thinking, with Bebo groups and Podcasts set up to get the kids interested. The clergy seem to work hard to not only welcome everyone, but to maintain a healthy community spirit within Largs.
Me and my boyfriend stumbled into a bake sale where aside from the cakes, retired ladies were sitting around gabbing and playing chess. There was something cosy about it and everyone was really pleasant, like in the days before life became about IPods and community isolation. Seems like St Columba's have an outreach program that extends to all groups and ages, and a hub of community activity that I haven't seen in a parish for a long time. I was very impressed. read more
