In March 2002, Friends of St Augustine’s was given a kick-start and re-organised itself into a much wider, more inclusive, and extremely organised and creative movement, designed to keep the congregation together during the Restoration and reach out to others who were not on the Parish Roll.
The Friends of St Augustine’s were originally formed to serve the community of Dumbarton in an ecumenical way by serving tea and coffee in a warm friendly setting. This not only raised the profile of our Church in the town, but also created an interest in our beautiful building, and helped raise funds for the proposed restoration of the building.
However, the organisation has developed and grown to be something more dynamic and refreshing!
We wanted to further that interest by reaching out to a wider group of people. – people who did not necessarily live in the town or even go to church, but who had an interest, for whatever reason, in helping us, not only to complete the Restoration but to share in our commitment to live out the Gospel by keeping St Augustine’s alive and able to fulfil our mission statement.
Friends today holds monthly Parish Events, keeping the congregation together, inviting people on the fringes into the social life of the congregation which can be fairly “wild” at times, and raising money for St Augustine’s in the process. People who live far away are given updates on our life and work and receive a hard copy of our monthly magazine. Friends raise upwards of £2000 per year for church funds!
During the last ten years, we have gone through a period of radical change and modernisation. The building has been restored and is now warm, friendly and very functional. We are committed to opening our building to the community in new and exciting ways, hosting events like Medieval Banquets and Victorian Evenings, Hyacinth Bucket Candlelit Suppers, Murder Mystery Nights, Pantodine, an odd game of Bingo and the odd ceilidh or two! That same Spirit, which led us through the Restoration, is very much alive and working among us. All tastes are catered for and we have a lot of fun!
Whether you are a visitor to our town, a current member, someone who has been a member of our congregation in the past or even just have an interest in beautiful buildings, you can be assured of a very warm welcome at any time.
In the hall or in the church building itself, we have monthly social events or concerts, we go to the theatre, dress up, (a lot), and even have pyjama parties where our female members get manicures, pedicures, make-overs and Indian head massage! You can’t say we’re not different!
If you are someone who is not a member of St. Augustine’s and would like to join the Friends please get in touch We will make contact and invite you to enjoy the friendship of our community.
Although you may be too far away to join us at our services and social functions, there are lots of updates and benefits!
