The following report was presented at the congregation's Annual Stated Meeting on Sunday 4th March 2007:

Last year was another busy and fulfilling time in the life of the Congregation at Cumbernauld Old. You only have to quickly scan any week's Sunday's Church News or flick through the quarterly Church Magazine to see at a glance the many things that are going on week in and out. A wide and varied range of activities and events take place at Cumbernauld Old, not just for the Congregation but also for the wider community. This is the result of many people giving of their time and talent and getting involved in the day to day running of this Church and if you want to get involved then Cumbernauld Old is the place to be.

Membership: at 31st December 2006, the roll of Cumbernauld Old stood at 492 Communicant Members. Over the year we lost 11 members by death and 2 by Certificate of Transfer. During the same period we gained 5 members by Profession of Faith, 5 by Certificate of Transfer and 7 by Restoration or Resolution of the Kirk Session. I am delighted to be reporting an increase of 4 members from the previous year and hope that we can all play an active part in growing this number over the coming year.

Last year I had made a plea to all members to help me keep the roll current by giving timely notification of all changes of address. The maintenance of the roll for a large congregation is not an easy task and keeping track of changes of address presents by far the biggest challenge. My thanks to everyone who has kept me updated on changes over the past year, particularly those who have given me notice in advance and I would again ask that you continue to keep me notified, either directly or via your District Elder, over the coming year.

Kirk Session: The Kirk Session met regularly throughout the year to discuss the issues and challenges facing this congregation and, as you can imagine, agendas were always busy. Business however was always conducted thoroughly and in an amicable and respectful manner. At 31st December 2006 the number of Ruling Elders stood at 40 with each of them playing an active role in the life of the Church. Sadly, one of our number, the much loved and respected Walter Walker, passed away in March 2006. Walter was the elder statesman of the Kirk Session whom we often turned to for advice. His presence is missed by all. Another of our number, lan Butchart, left for pastures new in January 2006 and we all wish him and his wife Jean the very best wishes for the future.

In December 2006 we were delighted to welcome David Boyle, Alistair Robertson & Irene Whyte onto the Kirk Session following their Ordination to the Office of Ruling Elder. Several of our Elders represented us in the wider work of the Church: Ivy Fletcher continued in her role as Presbytery Elder over the past year. Ivy is also the World Day of Prayer Coordinator for the Churches of Cumbernauld, Wilma Shepherd continued as our Cumbernauld Churches Together representative; Murdie Fletcher as our representative for National Mission and Ivar Struthers as our World Church representative. Sandra Graham, Nan Dyer and lain Ogilvie continued with their work on the Cumbernauld Christian Aid Committee and Sandra Graham continued as Stewardship Convener in 2006.

World Mission: In October 2006 the Church of Scotland's World Mission Council made a decision to terminate the contract of our Missionary Partners in South Africa, Graham & Sandra Duncan. Whilst the Kirk Session were saddened and deeply disappointed to learn of this decision they did not accept it with reticence and strongly urged the World Mission Council to reconsider. Unfortunately our protestations were unsuccessful and it was with reluctance that we finally had to accept their decision. The termination of Graham & Sandra's contracts also brought to an end the Partner Plan letters and I would like to thank Effie Farrar for being our Partner Plan Correspondent over the years. The Kirk Session were, however, delighted to learn that Graham & Sandra's work in South Africa will continue, as a locally supported partnership with the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, and that their association with the Presbyteries and Congregations in Scotland will be maintained and that Cumbernauld Old can continue to support them through the Mission Circle. If you would like to be involved or find out more about the Mission Circle please speak to Elizabeth Snedden.

Elders' Forum: Over the year Cumbernauld Old were well represented at the Cumbernauld Elders Forum. This forum gives Elders from the five Churches of Scotland the opportunity to meet and discuss ways of working together and share ideas and resources. Ivar Struthers & Susan Dougan represented us on the Planning Group which organised training events, a talk on evangelism and a Fellowship Meal over the past year and the group are planning a week-long Cumbernauld-wide series of events for September entitled 'Connect 07'. You will hear more of this later.

The year 2006 saw the continuation of a number of exciting ideas and initiatives. In the spring we completed the 'Two By Two' leaflet drop visitations in conjunction with Sacred Heart Church. Over the past three years we have covered the area of the parish that we share with Sacred Heart and hope to work with Croy in the near future. A huge thanks to all of the volunteers for taking the opportunity to get involved in something different. I know that all of the visitors have benefited from the experience.

Another initiative that continued throughout 2006 was Meeting Point which is open to anyone with spare time on their hands and gives people the opportunity to meet and chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Meeting Point is usually held on the last Friday afternoon of the month in the Session House and, although reasonably well attended over the year, does need your support so please keep an eye on the Intimations for future dates and times.

Other initiatives that are now well established and well attended include quarterly Toddlers' Praise services and the annual Rainbow Service in December.

In 2006 the Fellowship & Commitment Group were again very active. In September they organised a hugely successful 'Doors Open Day' in conjunction with North Lanarkshire Council. Around 30 people helped welcome, steward and provide tea & coffee for visitors and over the two days that the doors of the Church were open a total of 81 people signed the Visitors Book. In November the group held an early Carol Service which again was well attended and in December we enjoyed another trip to the Kings Theatre, Glasgow to see the pantomime Aladdin. The Fellowship & Commitment Group is making an appeal for new members. One or two have joined since the appeal was made; however, one or two more would help the group function more effectively. If you are interested in joining the group please speak to Ann Birnie.

Fruits of Faith: Last year was again a busy year for the Fruits of Faith Group with the main focus being a review of the outstanding actions from the 2002 Congregational Action Plan. The group has been exploring a number of ideas and suggestions in the plan – including the involvement of more people in worship, particularly young people; the possibility of setting up a Praise Band; the publication of a Church Directory and production of a Visitors Leaflet for Balloch. The idea of holding a Summer Mission was also borne from the 2002 Plan, developed through the Elders' Forum, and has now evolved into a Cumbernauld wide plan scheduled to be held in September 2007.

The group also continued to progress Cumbernauld Old's Training Plan and was instrumental in setting up local training on Bereavement Visiting and Presbytery-led training, held in Abronhill Parish Church, on Leading Worship. Elder and Board Member training remains an ongoing task with new Elders ordained and Board Members elected annually. With the demands that face us in an ever changing world it is vitally important that we maintain the focus on developing people's skills and talents in preparation for the challenges ahead. To ensure that we do maintain the necessary focus on training & development the FoF Group decided to set up a Training Sub Group to oversee all future training & development requirements. This group is now up and running as a stand alone unit reporting directly to the Kirk Session.

Looking ahead, the FoF Group plans another Information Card drop and a 'Getting to Know You Service' in 2007. However, they urgently need more people to join the group if these plans are to become reality. If you are interested in joining the group please speak to myself or Sandra Graham.

Child Protection: During the past year the Child Protection Group continued to discharge their devolved responsibilities with thoroughness and integrity. Their remit is to ensure that the Kirk Session is kept fully aware and up to date on the evolving legislation which governs the welfare of young people and to support the various Youth Organisations, leaders and voluntary helpers. This entails owning the local registration process, maintaining the register, keeping documentation up to date, coordinating training, dealing with any local issues that arise, giving advice and carrying out visits to the various Youth Organisations. As the safety and security of young people are paramount, the role that the Group play in the life of this Congregation is key and, as you can imagine, the task is not an easy one. We are fortunate to have such a committed and focused team and owe huge thanks to John Telford, Annette Campbell and Alex Edwardson for serving us well.

Worship & Ministry: Over the past year the Worship Group – Catriona, Val and Ivar – formulated and shared the Preaching Plan that includes morning, evening and special Services. The Ministry Team was also responsible for preparing and leading the Lent and Advent Bible study groups and the Enquirers and Baptism classes. These are, however, just some of the team's responsibilities as a parish with 14,500 residents, at last count, brings a huge challenge. Last year alone 29 Baptisms, 12 weddings and 55 funerals were conducted by the team. We are deeply indebted to them for their dedication and commitment which, I know, none of us take for granted. We are very fortunate to have such an excellent Team here at Cumbernauld Old.

Project ROCK continued to stimulate interest within the Congregation and in the community throughout the year. ROCK was launched in 2004 with the aim of renovating the Church and the outbuildings. The success of the project, however, depends on every one in the Congregation playing an active part in its delivery. So far, the hard work and generosity of this Congregation has raised the magnificent total of over £20,000 towards the project. You will hear more of this in the Property Report.

Youth Work: The various Youth Organisations continued to serve the Congregation and the community well over the year and we owe our thanks to everyone involved for giving of their time and talent. Youth is both the present and the future of the Church and the Organisations have given the youth of the church and the community the opportunity to meet and develop together. Particular thanks to the leaders and helpers of the youth organisations for their hard work and dedication. Unfortunately we have been unable to restart the Girls Brigade Company that had to disband in August 2005 following the resignation and retirement of key members of the team due to personal commitments. The Kirk Session would be delighted to make this happen in 2007. If you are interested and can help please speak to Catriona.

I am also happy to report that both the Sunday School at Balloch and the J-Team at the Village continue to function well. The J-Team, despite being homeless, increased their number to 15 over the year which makes the need to have the outbuildings renovated all the more urgent. Hopefully our plans will come to fruition in the not too distant future. Again many thanks to the leaders and helpers of the Sunday School and the J-Team for their hard work and commitment over the past year.

The Ladies' Circle at Balloch, the Ladies' Group in the Village and the Men's Group have all continued to grow in numbers and fellowship with a varied programme of activities over the year from 'in house' guest speakers to numerous visits to external locations. The Village Ladies' and Men's Groups came together again last year for a joint Burns Celebration in January which has now become an annual event in the calendar. Last year's event was again well attended with everyone enjoying the entertainment provided by members of the local Burns Club.

The Thrift Shop has once again played an important role within the church and in the community and I would like to thank all the ladies who faithfully staff it. They have served us well and supported the Church in so many ways over the years, resolutely sticking to the task despite having to suffer conditions that have been very uncomfortable at times. They, as much as anyone, deserve to reap the benefit of Project ROCK. The Thrift Shop are currently working with the J-Team on the renovation of the outbuildings that should see the current accommodation upgraded and extended in the near future.

In conclusion, this year's report has hopefully given you a good overview of the many things that are going on at Cumbernauld Old. However, similar to a quick scan of any Sunday's Church News or a flick through the quarterly Church Magazine, it is by no means comprehensive and does not tell the full story.

Everything that goes on at Cumbernauld Old doesn't just happen, it's the people here that make it happen and it's their involvement, commitment and effort that makes Cumbernauld Old the place that it is. Whilst a lot of the work is unseen it is not any less important or less appreciated and I would like to offer my thanks to each and every one of you who have worked so tirelessly behind the scenes over the past year. You have all played a valuable part in keeping things running smoothly and seamlessly.

Your contribution, given selflessly, and often without prompting, has been immense and very much appreciated. Cumbernauld Old's success is the result of many people giving of their time and talent and getting involved in the day to day running of this Church and if you want to get involved then Cumbernauld Old is the place to be.

© 2006, 2007 Cumbernauld Old Parish Church