Organisations

The stranger visiting Livingstone Church halls on any night of the week, and on some afternoons as well, would be sure to find some group or other holding a meeting. This is just a sign of the continuation of the commitment to the organisational life of the Church by our congregation since its inception.

 “Modern life with its feverish rush, its many attractions and allurements, challenges the Church to greater efforts and changed methods. The ice rinks, the cinemas, the countless diversions of modern life – how is this Church to respond?”

This statement was written in 1947 by the then Minister the Rev. J. Mackay Nimmo, as a foreword to a new magazine produced by the young people of the Church – “The Living Stone”. This quote would not look out of place in the modern day. The magazine goes on to report on the various activities offered and here is a rather lengthy quote from that particular magazine:

We have in all, five meetings in the week. On Wednesday we meet for badminton, table tennis, darts and many other similar games, and there is always sure to be a group discussing some problem, or another group clustered around the piano. Not forgetting to mention the little cup of tea we enjoy on a Wednesday. I pass on to Saturday, when we have two meetings of the club. The first is in the afternoon and is mainly devoted to badminton, which, still being in its infancy,(!) requires as much practice as it receives. On Saturday night our main theme is dancing. At the end of each evening we proceed to the church where we have a short service, which is taken by some of the club members.

Today, our Church is still very concerned to provide for its young people. Read through the many pages to find out more about all the organisations who meet in the Halls regularly.

Organisations
Day Group
Monday Livingstone Players (September-December)
Tuesday The Guild/Work Party/Badminton Club
Wednesday Wednesday Morning Service/Guides
Thursday Rainbows/Brownies/S.A.S Explorer Scouts
Friday
Saturday
Sunday Sunday Service/Jam Club/Livingstone Players Junior Drama Group (September-December)

Badminton Club

When: Tuesdays (7.30pm-9.30pm) Throughout the recreational history of the church, badminton has always played a central role both for youths and adults alike. It was therefore fitting that during the 2010-2011 session, the badminton club started up again. The badminton club meet on Tuesday evenings between 7.30pm and 9.30pm in the large hall. The club …

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Brownies

When: Thursdays (6.00pm – 7.30pm) The establishing of a Brownie Pack and a Ranger Unit soon after the Guide Company – they were also introduced during Rev. Taylor’s ministry in 1930. This extended the work of the movement to the younger and the older girls. The Brownies have continued to flourish under the leadership of …

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Guides

When: Wednesdays (7.00pm – 9.00pm) The Girl Guides were registered in Livingstone on 27th January 1927. Mrs. G. W. Taylor, the wife of a previous minister, was instrumental in establishing the company. In its 88 years, 1st Stevenston Guides, as the company was called, had had only 7 Guiders – Mrs. Taylor from 1927 until …

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JAM Club

When: Sundays at 11.30am Earliest Years In its earliest years the organisational life of our church centred on its Sunday School and Bible Class. In 1845, the session decided to inaugurate Sabbath School work and, as far as is known, it commenced immediately. In 1847 Mr. Matthew Cunningham was appointed superintendent – a position which …

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Livingstone Players

Livingstone Players Livingstone Players are back and are proud to present their 2022 pantomime – Aladdin! This year, we will be performing from 6th-10th December so come along and enjoy an evening filled with laughs, songs and edge of the seat drama! Fun for all the family and another fabulous night of entertainment raising funds …

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Rainbows

When: Thursdays (6.00pm-7.00pm) In the late 1980’s, with both the Brownies and Guides flourishing, the decision was taken to launch the Rainbows at Livingstone as the nearest at that time was in Ardrossan. Maureen McNaught and Pat Gray were the original leaders in 1988 and today the Rainbows are still going strong under the leadership of Pat’s daughter, …

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S.A.S. Explorer Scouts

When: Thursdays (7.30pm-9.00pm) After the closure of the 1st Stevenston 11th Ayrshire Scout troop along with Beavers and Cubs in early 2007, it looked unlikely that any form of Scouting would return to Livingstone Church. Then, in 2015 we were able to answer the S.O.S of the S.A.S (Saltcoats, Ardrossan, Stevenston) Explorer Scout Troop. They previously …

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The Guild

When: Tuesday Afternoons at 1.30pm (September – Easter) The organisational life of our congregation doesn’t only focus on our young people. Very early in the life of our new Church building, during the ministry of the Rev. John Livingstone, the women of the Church were organised in a Dorcas Society (Acts 9, vv, 36-41). The Dorcas …

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Past Organisations

Organisations, of course, come and go in the life of any Church, perhaps necessarily so if the needs of different times are to be met. In the 1920’s a group of people came together to form the Christian Endeavour under the leadership of Billy Auld, Miss Ferguson, (a full-time worker known as the Bible Woman) …

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