Outreach
The Olive Grove
The outreach project which led to the opening of “The Olive Grove” in the former Post Office in the Kingsmills shops has been a great success story. If the loss of that hub of community was keenly felt, church members being encouraged to open a tea room as a place of warm welcome and hospitality, and furthermore a base for various groups and “outside the walls” activities for the church, has proved to be a great step forward.
The Olive Grove is run by an ecumenical Board which draws its membership from the ‘the churches on the hill’ (Crown, St Ninian’s and St Stephens/Old High) and is managed on a voluntary basis. It opened as a cafe in 2009 and gives much of its profits to charitable causes. The sum distributed so far amounts to £23,000.
The Olive Grove serves fairly traded tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and homemade soup, homemade bread and delicious scones and cakes freshly made on the premises, along with a selection of sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, bacon rolls, paninis etc. Vegetarians and those on gluten free diets can be catered for.
The opening times are:
Monday – Friday 10 am to 4 pm
Local Projects
Crown Church has never sought to be a solo operator. Rather we believe that our basic mission of worship and witness is furthered by collaborative working with other churches and with all people of goodwill.
Historically we have had our closest contacts with St John’s Episcopal Church, Old High St Stephen’s Church and St Ninian’s R.C. Church. However there has also been strong collaboration with wider networks, both for prayer and for action, most notable provision for the homeless, those needing Food Bank support and those caught up in poverty.
We are still linked, through the Guild, to the parish of St Columba’s, Stornoway, and through a formal agreement now dating back to 2008 with North Street United Church in Kingston, Jamaica. Exchange visits have been held with great success.
Members of the church have also been extensively involved with the work of Cale House, a housing project run by the Church of Scotland under Crossreach. There has been a good flow of people in both directions between the church and these supported living quarters. We have been a little involved also with L’Arche Inverness, which offers supported accommodation for adults with learning difficulties. We regularly lead worship and support those who are in residential or nursing care for the elderly – in the Isobel Fraser Residential Home and in Kingsmills Nursing Home.
Overseas Projects
While the history of Crown Church’s involvement with projects overseas makes for good reading - Tumutumu, Budapest and so on - the most active connection currently is our partnership agreement with North Street United Church in Kingston, Jamaica.
Historic patterns of one church rather culturally taking over the other are well left behind; clearly there is a great deal to give and to receive on both sides. Four members of the church went out to Kingston in September 2017 and were very warmly received.
Within the Presbytery of Inverness, we are linked with David and Mary Sinclair who work in the Czech Republic.
Every year a "Souper Sunday" raises funds for the Church of Scotland HIV/AIDS work.
Other contacts are regularly evolving. Various individuals from Crown Church have made significant and meaningful visits abroad, in order to serve - most notably in Malawi (the Highland Malawi Trust) and Tanzania (the Vine Trust).
Contact Us for more information.