1. What are the core values of the church?
Holyrood is built on word, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing. We believe that growth in Christ depends on diligent study of God’s word, a shared commitment to prayer, regular fellowship with other believers, and courageous witness in the world. All four elements must come together for the church to be the light and salt that Christ has called us to be.
2. What are the core practices of the church?
We believe that a congregation is not just defined by what it believes, but also by what it does. There are four key practices that define our congregational life at Holyrood. They are Sunday morning worship, home groups, our prayer meeting, and the Sunday evening meeting we call ‘Equip’. Each of these meetings contributes something vital to the spiritual growth of our members. This is the basic recipe that enables us to grow in wisdom, love, and witness.
3. What are the beliefs of the church?
We affirm the Gospel Coalition Statement of Faith.
4. Does the church have a vision for training children and youth?
Yes, we want to do everything we can to help parents raise their children as confident disciples of Jesus. In addition to Sunday Club and Youth Fellowship, we band parents together in small groups for discipleship; we organise periodic training events on Christian parenting; and we look for opportunities to include children in the shared life of the church family as a whole. Our goal is to set families up so that children have the teaching, support, and friendship needed to shine like lights in the midst of darkness.
5. Does the church have a ministry for university students?
We believe that being at university is a unique opportunity to grow as a Christian. While we do not have a separate discipleship ministry for students, we do seek to provide extra pastoral care for university students and to meet with them either one-to-one or in small groups for additional discipleship.
6. What should I expect if I come out to a Sunday morning service?
Sunday morning is a time of joyful worship and fellowship at Holyrood. We start worship as one big church family. After the second song, children leave the service and go to creche and Sunday Club. The central act of our worship is the exposition of the Word of God. We want to make sure that the Word is accurately understood while also demonstrating its relevance for the lives of modern Christians.
After worship, there is tea and coffee. Most of our congregation mingles after the service to spend additional time with one another. We believe that informal fellowship is an important part of our gatherings on Sundays.
7. What is the vision of the church?
We want to set up ordinary Christians to grow into mature men and women of faith, hope, and love. Scotland is in desperate need of ordinary Christians who can help fulfil the Great Commission. Our hope is to train up faithful Christians who can go out into the world and bear witness to the unique hope of the gospel.
8. What is the history of the church?
Holyrood Evangelical Church is an independent evangelical church, formally constituted in October 2014 and located in east Edinburgh. Our building in Montgomery Street was purchased and occupied in December 2016. The congregation has a history of conservative evangelical doctrine, formed as it was from the former Holyrood Abbey Church of Scotland, with expository preaching and prayer as central to the worship and life of the fellowship.
9. What does the church do to reach the local community?
Holyrood is located in one of the most densely populated and diverse areas of the whole of Scotland. We currently open the church on Mondays for a “Warm Space”; we will soon be open on Tuesday evenings for a Pickleball and Table Tennis night; and we strategically plan events through the year to increase our relevance in the surrounding community. Recent events include an outdoor carol service with the Salvation Army, community litter picks, and a Jubilee celebration event. We also run a weekly baby and toddler group.
10. How can I find out more?
Come and visit us on a Sunday morning at 10:30am. Not ready to make that step? Watch a service online on our YouTube channel or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
