About Us
Milestone is a fresh expression of church - bringing the life of the Gospel to Girvan.
Milestone Christian Fellowship is a small (but growing!) group of believers meeting together regularly at the Girvan
Community Centre. We believe that God is longing to pour out his love in this town, and to draw its people from
meaningless, frustrated lives to lives of purpose and power in Christ. We are amazed by the truth that, weak and
broken as we may be, God chooses to use us to demonstrate His great power in this place. The Church is not a building,
not a committee, not a minister, but the people of God all worshipping and serving Him together.
Why Another Church?
Girvan has a number of churches already, and so it is probably fair to ask why we feel the need for another
fellowship. Our answer has two main parts:
- We are a fresh expression of church in Girvan. For many, church has become synonymous with
uncomfortable people doing uncomfortable things in uncomfortable buildings. It's not that people feel that
church is bad - just that it's hard to see how doing these 18th-century rituals in 19th-century clothes is
going to be at all relevant to 21st century people! Well, we believe that the Church has an urgent, desperately
relevant message for 21st-century people, and if the non-essential trappings of old buildings, formal dress, hard pews,
ancient organs and music are distracting from this message, then there is room to express the vital truths
set out in the Bible in a setting which is bright, open, accessible, inviting, relaxed and comfortable.
- While we believe that this fresh expression is vital to engage the struggling people of Girvan, we know
that it is equally vital that we present the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ without compromise or
accommodation. This is the truth that has changed lives forever over the years; this is the truth that has
kept the Church vibrant, fresh and growing in spite of the most arduous persecution; this is the truth that
we want to be at the heart of our fellowship. Accordingly the Bible and its truths are at the heart of everything
we do. At a time when it's tempting to compromise on truth to "fit in" with a world which denies everything
but free choice, this is also a fresh expression - one which came to the earth with Jesus.
Real Church isn't a lovely old building, grand, imposing and empty. Real Church is a place where we can
encounter the risen Christ, and share each other's lives as we serve Him together.
Visiting Us
Where and when?
Our main service is on Tuesday nights, from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Community Centre in Girvan.
We also have other meetings - check our Calendar for details!
What can I expect?
We meet in the Community Centre - an ordinary hall. A typical service includes singing (words are projected so
you don't need to know them), reading the Bible, teaching on the Bible and prayer. The music is contemporary,
usually involving a keyboard, guitars and drums. There is no high-pressure sales technique or hysterical experience,
though we hope that you'll be challenged by what we have to say. We have tea and coffee afterwards, and if you
have any questions this is a great time to raise them. If you just want to sit quietly and observe, that's fine
too - no-one will insist that you participate in anything, though we hope you'll enjoy the option!
What should I wear?
What you'd wear to go shopping or down the pub or to work would be fine - we're generally casual and comfortable.
Jeans would not be out of place, but whatever you'd normally wear on a Tuesday night (well, perhaps not your pyjamas!)
will be fine!
What should I bring?
You don't really need to bring anything. If you have a Bible you might want to bring it, but you can also use one of
ours. Don't worry about bringing money; the church is supported by the gifts of its members and we'd prefer you to
keep your wallet shut as a visitor - your company is more than enough for us! You might want to bring a friend along,
of course, and that would be most welcome!
What We Believe
In common with Christians around the world, we hold to the following core beliefs:
- The man Jesus was the Son of God, who came to earth as the fulfilment of God's plan to rescue His lost people.
- Jesus died on the Cross for us, in order to bear the punishment for our sins.
- He was buried, but God raised Him to life on the third day - proving that He is able to save us from death, too.
- This same Jesus now lives with the Father God in glory, interceding for His followers until we join Him there.
- It is not possible to live a life good enough to deserve God's favour. When God saves us through faith in Jesus,
it is a free gift which we can never deserve - only thank Him for it.
- As Christians, we are not necessarily better or worse than other people - it is the grace of God, not our own goodness,
which sets us apart.
- This grace is completely effective to save and forever transform the life of all who accept it, regardless of their
past, present lifestyle, background, social standing or any other obstacle.
- God's Word, the Bible, reveals these and many other truths to us. We hold the Bible to contain authoritative guidance
for all our beliefs and actions.
Our Pastoral People
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Noel McCullins
Having been an evangelist and pastor in Northern Ireland, Noel moved to Scotland in 1969 to
be pastor in the Wishaw Church. In 1979 he accepted a call to Ayr Baptist Church, where along with Moya his wife he
ministered for 25 years, retiring in 2004. In May 2004 he took up the role of Mission Networker in the South West Area,
working half time in this position. In this role Noel was instrumental in the establishment and leadership of the
Milestone, and he continues to shepherd the work with passion and vision.
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Adam Oellermann
Adam moved to England from South Africa in 2001, but quickly realised his error and moved up to
this part of Scotland! Adam learned about Noel's work in Girvan just at the time when he was seeking
to answer God's calling to study for the ministry. Finding Milestone was an answer to prayer, and
Adam is thrilled to be involved in God's work here. Adam is studying full-time at Scottish Baptist
College in Paisley, and serves as our student pastor.
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Organisations and Affiliations
Milestone is associated with the Baptist Union of Scotland, and also receives human resource
support from Ayr Baptist Church.
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