How long have you been attending Falkirk Old and St Modans Church?

I have been attending here for five years.

What attracted you to this church?

With my family I visited several churches in the area before deciding which one to join.  When we came to this church we found it warm and welcoming and decided to stay and join the congregation.

Can you tell me something about yourself?

I am married to Susan and we have two daughters, Ruth (11) and Eleanor (9). I work as a Civil Servant in the education department in Glasgow.  I am a keen reader and also like to listen to music.  I enjoy hill walking but have less time for that now, due to my work and family commitments.

What does your faith mean to you and how has it shaped your life?

When I was growing up I was involved with the church with my own family but during my student years this involvement fell away.  I felt my Philosophy studies helped to strengthen my faith and after I met Susan I renewed my regular involvement with the church.  We regularly attended church Balmerino Parish Church in Fife which is where we were married and also where Ruth and Eleanor were baptised.

My wife Susan and I are Pastoral visitors and although Susan does more visiting than I do, I find this a rewarding role to play in the church family. Recently I attended most of the eight ‘Threads’ meetings which I found enlightening.

Why do you feel it is important to give priority to attending church on Sunday?

I think it continually reinforces the sense of what is good, which I learned from my own family.  I think it is important that my daughters grow up in the church and that attendance and worship is a regular part of our family life.

What has the church got to offer children and young families today?

At present young people can attend S-kids which my girls enjoy.  It is good for youngsters to be involved in Nativity plays, bible readings and other small dramas in front of the congregation, which I think boosts their confidence.

I think that as youngsters enter their teens they should stay in the church for the main part of the service.  The lack of youngsters attending church regularly at present is a cause for anxiety.

What do you think are the challenges which parents face in today’s world?

With society offering children so many opportunities to grow up too fast there is a risk that they will miss out on the joy of childhood.  Parents have to strike a balance that does not leave their children feeling isolated from their friends because they are not joining in all their activities.  This can create tensions within families.  I suppose that these challenges are no different than the challenges that parents have faced all through time—only the causes will be different.

What traditions in the church would you like to see maintained?

I hope that the church continues to have the organ music play the important part in the services that it does at present.

What would you like to see changing in the church?

When we worshiped in Hallglen during the refurbishment, I felt there was less formality in the services.  I would like to see this continued now that we have returned to the sanctuary.  It would also be good if there was more freedom of response during the services.  Now that the church can be used in a more flexible way I would like to see it being utilised more for non-worshiping purposes.

Having attended the ‘Threads’ meetings I think it would be worthwhile to have similar follow up meetings and for the congregation to be involved in a project either locally or internationally.

How do you see the Church in the future?

I hope that our church can become more central to the local community as it open its doors for non-worshipping events.

What do you hope it will offer of relevance and interest to the children of today as they grow up?

I hope that involvement in the church will give children the chance to meet and learn from a wide range of people with different knowledge and experience from that in the family.  I also think that in the church they can learn to look at events from a standpoint

that is different in emphasis from what they encounter in the media on a daily basis.