A Privilege and Honour

Tuesday July 8 2025

Irene McFarlane of Kinross-shire Parish Church explains the joy of being part of the church's Flower Ministry

The term “Ministry of Flowers” is the title of a book Andrea Witzke Slot. She took the idea from a poem called “Between my Country – and the Others” by Emily Dickinson, in which she describes flowers as acting as emissaries which can form connections and facilitate communication, acting as a form of ministry.

This term, of course, has been adopted by churches, as it so aptly describes the role that flowers and the teams who arrange them can play within the spiritual and pastoral life of congregations.

Kinross Church (part of Kinross-shire Parish Church), like many, has a flower arranging team of around a dozen people. The co-ordinator creates a rota of arrangers and distributors. Flowers and greenery come from a number of sources. Some are purchased, some come from gardens. Some are gifted, including the annual gift of giant pink peonies from a local supplier, and recently a local supermarket has been gifting flowers to the church as well. There is never an issue with having an over-abundance of flowers. The more we have, the more we can put in to bunches and distribute. One week recently around twenty bunches were given away.

We cannot measure the impact of being the recipients of the flowers. People who are unable to attend church for reasons of age, or infirmity, or bereavement, are invariably delighted and comforted to receive flowers which have been on the chancel during the service. Many have just finished watching the service, seeing the flowers, on line, when someone arrives at the door, clutching a bunch of these very blooms. And there is always time for a chat. Flowers are given for a multiplicity of reasons, including special birthdays, anniversaries, new baby, moving house, good news, or sad news. The flower team depends on members of the congregation to pass on any information they hear which will lead to someone being given flowers from the church.

It is lovely to receive cards and letters from people who appreciate the gift of flowers. One gentleman said, “I’ve not been to church for quite a long time. Thank you so much for the flowers. I really appreciate that I’ve not been forgotten.” Another lady’s card read, “I am thankful to be part of such a supportive, thoughtful congregation.”

Flowers and equipment are paid for by donated money and by periodically having fund-raising coffee mornings. It is not just the recipients who benefit from the gifts. The flower team come together in advance of special services which require multiple arrangements for tea, chat, fun and arranging.

It is such a privilege and honour to be part of the flower ministry. As Emily Dickinson indicated in the poem, flowers are not the bearers of messages, they are the messages themselves.

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