The Irish Endeavourer (February 2016) by Matt R J Bishop

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR IRELAND

THE IRISH ENDEAVOURER

WWW.CEIRELAND.ORG

FEBRUARY 2016 ISSUE

THE IRISH ENDEAVOURER EDITOR'S NOTE

Matt Bishop

EDITOR You'll notice that this edition is quite different from what you've been reading lately! This is because I've just taken over as editor for the magazine. I want to thank Carole Dillon for all her hard work as editor over many issues of the magazine. Margaret Houston will continue to act as Information Officer. If you have any news or information for the magazine, you can contact Margaret and I'll Endeavour to include it in the next issue! Thanks very much. I hope you enjoy this issue of The Irish Endeavourer.

Margaret Houston

INFORMATION OFFICER THE IRISH ENDEAVOURER

THE IRISH ENDEAVOURER CONTENTS

THE IRISH ENDEAVOURER

REGIONAL NEWS

Editor's Note

Armagh & South Tyrone

Contents

Bangor & Ards

Belfast

Down

NATIONAL NEWS

Dates for your diary

Dublin & District

Meet Phil Meeke

Enniskillen

President's Diary

101st CONVENTION

Jean's Journal Conclusion

Obituary

Convention

Seniors/Comrades

Juniors

YP's

2016 Summer Camps

Seniors/Comrades

Looking Back

MORE INFORMATION

2015/16 Mission Pojects

Magazine Information

Visit

WWW . CEIRELAND . ORG for more CE Ireland news & resources

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Upcoming events in 2016 February 26th: Irish Union Junior CE Table Quiz February 27th: Irish Union Spring Council in CE Headquarters March 5th - 3pm to 5pm: Enniskillen Union Junior Teddy Bears’ Picnic, Lisbellaw Methodist March 12th - 3pm: Seniors’/Comrades’ Spring Rally in Ravenhill Presbyterian, Belfast. Speaker - The Revd Tony Davidson of First Armagh Presbyterian March 12th: Armagh & South Tyrone Union Junior Fun Morning March 15th - 7:45pm: East Antrim Executive in First Carrickfergus Presbyterian April 6th - 2pm to 4pm: East Antrim Union Craft Day & Teddy Bears’ Picnic 9th April - 7:30pm: YP Night in Edenderry Primary School, Portadown

April 25th: Armagh & South Tyrone Presidential Rally May 6th at 7:30pm: CE Celebration in Ballinamallard Methodist May 24th - 27th: Seniors’/Comrades’ Spring Break in Causeway Hotel, Portrush May 26th at 7:45pm: East Antrim Executive in Ballyhenry Presbyterian June 25th at 7pm: Enniskillen Union CE BBQ June 30th: Closing date for CE Convention Competition entries July 16th - 22nd: Junior CE Camp in Ballyholme Residential Centre, near Ballycastle July 17th - 23rd: YP Camp in PCI Centre Rostrevor September 3rd: Irish Council in CE Headquarters September 16th - 17th: 102nd Irish National Convention in Ballygomartin Presbyterian, Belfast. Theme: 'Burn Like a Star - Light a Fire in our Hearts'. Speaker: Bishop Ken Clarke.

April 19th - 7:45pm: East Antrim AGM in First Carrickfergus Presbyterian

If you have an event, in your Union or Society, which you would like included, please email the details, including date, place & title of event to Margaret Houston:

April 23rd: Irish Union Junior Talent Contest Finals in Immanuel Presbyterian, Belfast

Email - houstonmargaret8@gmail.com Phone - 02893353191 Mobile: 07712979778.

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MEET PHIL MEEKE The new face on Irish Executive I am Philip Meeke & I am a new face on Irish Executive. After attending Spring & Autumn Councils for the last couple of years this is where I have found myself! So what about me? Well I am the ripe old age of 45, & each day have the privilege of working the land & with the animals on the family farm - with the family! It is a dairy, beef & arable farm in a beautiful part of Co Down near the village of Dromara - spot the Dromara mountains (Slieve Croob) in the photo. Is this a first - a farmer on Irish Council? I have been married to Hilda for twenty years & we have a son Aaron 16 & a daughter Sarah 14. And that's how I became involved in Garvaghy

Presbyterian CE. It was when Hilda was expecting Aaron & had to step down from CE that I got the job! It was my fault after all! Sixteen years later I am still there! After â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; levels at Banbridge Academy, my farming "blood" took me to Greenmount Agricultural College for a three year course - happy memories & good friends! I took the step of faith & became a Christian in Spring 1989 as I was finishing my course - forever indebted to those who helped me during that time. Off I went to New Zealand for work & life experience for nine months -more happy memories but was happy to return home to the farm & to Church. Youth Fellowship, teaching Bible Class, in charge of Sunday School & of course, as you know CE all followed. There is no better way to to grow in faith than to be involved in teaching! Having handed on other responsibilities, CE is now my focus for I love sharing the Scriptures on a Tuesday night & from time to time dreaming up our fun CE outings - might as well make use of the farm! So much more to say but better finish off - attending Spring & Autumn Council has helped me appreciate all the behind the scenes work by many people at CE, so I look forward to Irish Executive & working with those involved in it.

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PRESIDENT'S DIARY Rosemary shares her Presidential diary with us This is a brief summary of some of the things I have been involved with as President of Irish Christian Endeavour. Visiting CE Societies is always a privilege – I love meeting with leaders & CE members, & being able to share with them from God’s Word. 19th September: This is where the year as Irish CE President starts, as Jean handed over the Presidential chain and I introduced my theme for the year – ‘Give us a Vision.’ A vision of how great God is; a vision for the lost & a vision to serve our great God. 5th October: This was a special occasion as I was invited to speak at 2 Senior CEs on the same evening. We solved the problem as 1st Portadown Seniors came to join St Mark’s C of I Seniors. A good evening spent around God’s Word. 31st October: The business side of CE as Planning Board met to plan the activities for the year. 2nd November: Leading the Bible study at St Mark’s C of I in Portadown. A friend came with me so we took advantage of her expertise on the piano to sing favourite hymns.

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13th November: A really wet day, but there was a warm welcome from 1st Ards Juniors. An opportunity to talk to them from the Bible & enjoy their competence in taking part in the meeting. 14th November: It was encouraging to join with a group from Clonaneese Presbyterian as time was spent praying for the work of CE in Ireland. 27th November: Chaired a meeting of Irish Executive. Some good discussion about how to further the work of CE. Pray for the Executive as decisions are made. 7th December: Panic! A 4 mile tailback on the M1 meant I was late arriving at Hill St JCE, Lurgan, but God answered my prayers & I got there. A small group of lovely children who helped me think how the decorations on my Christmas tree could remind us of the Gospel. 7th Dec: I had the opportunity to bring greetings at Armagh and South Tyrone Union Carol service and read a Christmas poem. Always an enjoyable evening meeting with friends in the Union and thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. 11th December: My Christmas tree came with me again to Clonaneese JCE Christmas evening. A full hall of enthusiastic boys & girls who listened well. They kindly shared their colouring pencils with me during the craft session so I could make a card for Trevor. Junior High members made calendars for giving to the housebound when they go carol singing.

JEAN'S JOURNAL Past President, Jean McGall concludes her diary jottings for her year of Office. As I write this we are approaching Christmas, it is hard to believe that it is nearly 3 months since I handed the Presidential chain over to Rosemary. Over the summer I went to Junior Camp in Ballycastle, it was good to see some of the Juniors that I had met before. The Juniors were having a brilliant time, Ken & I enjoyed the quiz, but sadly our team didn’t win, the Leaders team won! Well done to Rosemary, Caroline & all the Camp leaders. Also during the summer, I went to YP Camp in Rostrevor, Heather & I got lost, but after a few phone calls & a bit of driving, it was wonderful to see 2 of the leaders waiting for us at the gate of the Centre. We had a lovely time getting to know the young people, finding out what their plans were, as many of them were getting exam results that day.

Our Young People need lots of prayer that they will know the Lord’s leading in all they do. We both enjoyed the lunch which Heidi had prepared. Yum! Sadly we had to decline the offer of going to the beach with the YPs as we had to head back to Ballymena. (Would they have taken the opportunity to throw the President into the sea? That is maybe an idea for them when Rosemary goes to see them!) Well done Mark, Heidi & the rest of the leaders. That brings me to the Convention in September in Carrickfergus. This was a really busy day, going from one meeting to another, I really enjoyed spending time with all the CE family, from the Seniors & the YPs to the Juniors. Well done East Antrim Convention Committee. Lots of people have asked me if I’m glad my year of President is over. My truthful answer is “no” because I had a great time meeting lots of Endeavourers & having fellowship with them. At the start of my Presidential year, someone asked me, what did I see as my role as President, my reply was that I wanted to encourage the leaders, Juniors, YPs, YAs, Seniors & Comrades to keep relying on the Lord Jesus for salvation. Also to remember that the Lord knows all that is happening in their lives & He is a Mighty God and will be with us always. My prayer is that I have been an encourager & have brought honour to the Lord. Please continue to pray for Rosemary as President and the ongoing work of Christian Endeavour. Always remember MIGHTY IS OUR GOD.

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OBITUARY: DEREK SCOFFIELD Derek Scoffield, who went to be with the Lord on Saturday 5th December, 2015 was born in Yorkshire but came to Carrickfergus at the age of 4 with his parents. Educated at Carrickfergus Model School & Belfast Royal Academy he went up to Queen’s where he read electrical engineering. He was to become a chartered engineer & a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineering. Derek’s early commitment of his life to Christ was to influence all he did in life. Not only did his Christian life & witness radiate throughout his service to Christ & the Church but also in every aspect of his life - family, work, sporting & within the community in general. His professional life was within the electrical industry where he was considered an excellent boss. A keen sportsman, he played rugby for Carrickfergus & participated in athletics but later took up golf & bowls besides being a keen artist.

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Both Derek & his wife, Eileen served terms as President of East Antrim CE Union. From boyhood he was deeply involved & influenced by the Boys’ Brigade. His Christian involvement extended to leadership roles in organisations such as Mission Carrick, the Christian Caravaners’ Club, CE & above all in his local Church, Carrickfergus Methodist where he was a Local Preacher of long standing & held the highest office open to a lay person being Circuit Steward for many years. His engineering expertise proved invaluable during the ten year period of planning & building the magnificent church & hall complex at Carrickfergus Methodist. A former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland & Superintendent of the Carrickfergus Circuit, the Revd Aian Ferguson, paid tribute to his dedication & zeal for that project at Derek’s funeral. The funeral, conducted by the current Superintendent, the Revd Dr David Clements, who also paid a glowing tribute, was attended by more than 500 people - an estimation of the love, respect & esteem in which Derek was held. Supremely Derek was a family man. Eileen & their children Julie, Alison & David with their spouses Gareth, Timothy, Laura & his 8 grandchildren meant everything to him & it is to them we extend our prayerful sympathy.

SENIORS/COMRADES

SPRING RALLY

SPRING BREAK

This year the Seniors’/Comrades’ Spring Rally will be on Saturday 12th March, 2016 in Ravenhill Presbyterian Church & the Speaker will be the Revd Tony Davidson, Minister of First Armagh Presbyterian Church.

The annual Spring Break will be from the evening of Tuesday 24th May 2016 until the morning of Friday 27th May 2016 in the Causeway Hotel, Bushmills. Last year’s Spring Break proved to be a wonderful time of refreshment & fellowship & this was in no small part due to the meticulous organising skills of the Revd Stephen & Mrs Gwen Carson who made everyone feel so welcome. Read all about it for yourself in the short report on the following page.

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The Causeway Hotel, Bushmills, was a haven of calm & comfort on a very windy showery afternoon on Tuesday 19th May for some 31 Seniors as they arrived to commence their Spring Break. Stephen & Gwen Carson were on hand to welcome all the "old" & "new" faces & to answer all queries. We were given the programme of activities for the next few days which in true "Carson style" was meticulously planned. Each day we had a "Thought For The Day" after breakfast & a "Time of Fellowship" in the lounge after the evening meal. These times were conducted by the Seniors themselves except for a visiting speaker on the Wednesday evening when Adrian Pogue informed us about his involvement with the Smiles Foundation & Radio Cracker. For the duration of the break we were blessed with good weather to enjoy the beauty of God's creation along the North Coast. After a drive down to Ballycastle on Wednesday morning, we returned to Dunluce Presbyterian Church hall where Gwen had arranged for the ladies of the Church to provide a delicious lunch & we also had a look round their church & beautiful new hall. That afternoon & on Thursday we had free time to walk, shop or relax as we desired. On Thursday evening before the closing time of fellowship, much hilarity was enjoyed as certain members performed their "party pieces"! On Wednesday & Thursday evenings we were joined for

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dinner by some extra friends including the Irish CE President, Mrs Jean McGall & her husband, Ken. Everyone agreed our accommodation, including the food & service in the hotel, was excellent & that combined with Stephenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & Gwen's planning & hosting contributed to a brilliant few days for all present. Many have already plans in the will of God to return next year. Why not join us? Hazel Williamson

YOUNG PEOPLE

SUMMER CAMP 2015 A wonderful world & a wonderful time at YP Camp. YP Camp was held from the 9th - 15th August 2015, in the PCI Centre Rostrevor. 12 Young People came from different parts of the country with counties Fermanagh, Donegal & Down represented.

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The theme for the week was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Wonderful Worldâ&#x20AC;?, & covered parts of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, looking at God's original plan for the world, how sin entered the world, God's rescue plan & a view to God's perfect world restored. During the morning thoughts, we also explored the Ten Commandments & how we should apply these to our lives. During the days, we made use of the surrounding countryside & went out & about. Some of the activities included: orienteering, waterpark, treasure hunt around Newcastle, & rock climbing! The fun didn't stop when the sun went down, with activities at the Centre each night ending in a sing-along around a campfire! We thank God for the good weather we enjoyed throughout the week, the fun & fellowship we had & most importantly the time we had to study God's word.

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REGIONAL NEWS

ARMAGH & SOUTH TYRONE By Ruth Agnew Mrs Pauline Condy, our President for Armagh & South Tyrone 2014/15, came to the Fergus Hall in Portadown & spoke to the Seniors towards the end of her year. She brought a word of testimony & encouragement. We had a time of singing & afterwards the ladies had brought a lovely supper which was enjoyed by all. To start my year, as President of Armagh and South Tyrone Union, I was invited to take Ballygawley Junior CE Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Night. The children did an amazing job & the leaders had put a lot of hard work into making it a special night so that all who attended heard the message, through song word & drama, that Jesus Christ died to save each one of us. I was encouraged to see how many children attended & their enthusiasm.

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Mission Rally We had a great night in Tandragee Methodist Church when Colin Davies from Spud Bear Ministries told us about his passion for reaching the children, in the developing world, with the news of the gospel through speaking bears. As President of our Union this year, I led the meeting with a number from the different Societies taking part. Our Missionary Convenor, Mrs Joan Doak put a lot of hard work into the programme which was enjoyed by all. Mr Gerry McIlveen, from Hill Street Seniors, led in prayer & his wife, Muriel provided the music for the evening. The Bible reading was read to us by Mr Donald Poole from First Portadown Seniors. Mrs Rosemary McDaniel gave the announcements of our upcoming events between now & Christmas. The ladies from Tandragee provided a lovely supper which was very much appreciated by everyone.

First Portadown Seniors Hold 125th Celebratory Dinner The Senior CE Fellowship from First Portadown Presbyterian Church held a dinner to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of CE in Ireland. It was held in the Woodview Restaurant near Richhill & was attended by both past & present CE members. The meal was enjoyed by all present & we were grateful to Mrs Betty Hawthorne, a faithful member for many years, for cutting the cake. Sadly Mrs Hawthorne passed away shortly afterwards & our thoughts & prayers are with her husband, Brian & all her family circle.

Union Carol Service

At the end of the evening Mr Arnold Sleator, Mr Bill Burnett & Mrs Merle Edgar gave informative, & often amusing, talks about CE in the early years. Some other members contributed by relating experiences which they too could recall. Mr John Ruddock then spoke about how things have changed since he joined in the 1970s. This was followed by a poem written by the late Mr Tommy Dunn & read by Mrs Anne Clayton. There was a great display of memorabilia, much of which was brought from the Church archives. Many attending had also brought photographs & other interesting items from the past. It was a very enjoyable evening spent together.

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REGIONAL NEWS

BANGOR & ARDS All about Trinity Bangor It is a privilege & an honour to be on the team leading Trinity CE in Bangor. We have a weekly meeting held on a Friday night from 6:15 - 7:15. Our nights begin with registration & games. Following this we gather for singing, memory verses & Bible stories. We started journeying through the Old Testament last year, reflecting on how so many of the stories point us to Jesus. This year we are studying the life of Moses & are currently getting ready to celebrate a mini Passover on Friday night! The Juniors meet in their groups every six weeks to plan for their meetings in which we encourage them to take as active a role as possible & they thoroughly enjoy this. Every 6 weeks we also have a games night during which children and leaders alike become quite competitive! Read messages from some of our Juniors. Hi my name is Christopher. I am 8 years old & I have been coming to CE for 7 weeks. My favourite memory verse is John 4:16 "I am the way the truth & the life. No one comes to the father but by me." Jesus is the Son of God who can save the world.

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Hi my name is Anna. I am 10 years old & I have been coming to CE for 2 years. My favourite colour is yellow & I like elephants. I love learning memory verses in CE & when my group leads the meeting my favourite job is to lead in prayer. My favourite verses are Matthew 5:39-41 & 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Hello I am Catherine & I am 11 years old. I love pink & my favourite animals are cats. I have been coming to CE for 3 years now & I enjoy getting into our small groups to discuss what we have learnt. When my group is leading the meeting I enjoy being in charge of registration. My favourite verse is Psalm 145:8 "The Lord is gracious & compassionate, slow to anger & rich in love." Jesus is always there for me. Our prayer for our young people is that the Lord would bring to remembrance all that they learn when they are with us so that they can fully glorify & enjoy him in today's world. Rosemary McDaniel visits 1st Ards Presbyterian Juniors

REGIONAL NEWS

BELFAST

Union Carol Service On Monday 7th December the Belfast Union held their annual Carol Service in Immanuel Presbyterian. Immanuel Juniors & YPs, Joanmount Methodist YPs, Carryduff Presbyterian Juniors, Shore Road City Mission Juniors & St. Michael’s Church of Ireland Seniors attending & every Society took part in some way. Our Local Union President, Mr Wesley McCready opened in prayer & we enjoyed singing modern carols & hearing the Christmas story again. Each CE was represented during our prayer time. Mr Jim Crothers, Belfast Union’s Missionary Convenor, spoke to us about this year’s project, ‘Spud Bear Ministries’. Our speaker for the evening was Angie McKee from Child Evangelism Fellowship; she brought gifts she had previously received. Teddy bears & Liverpool Football items were gifts people had given her because she liked them. Other gifts like soap sets or tshirts - these were not glamorous but necessary. Then there was a gift like a cross-stitch picture that a friend had made her - it had different items embroidered on it that represented different interests in her life. This was a very thoughtful and planned gift from a best friend. Angie explained that Jesus gave us all these gifts. He came because

He knew what we are like and that we do wrong things. We should be punished for our sins but Jesus had come & taken the blame for us by dying on the Cross, & all this because he loved us and this was all God’s plan. We need to ask Jesus into our lives and then Christmas will have so much more meaning for us. The evening concluded with a beautiful supper provided by the parents of the Immanuel Juniors. The offering, which amounted to £54, will go towards the work of Spud Bear Ministries. We extend our grateful thanks to all who took part thus making this such a special evening. REGIONAL NEWS

DOWN

The 1st Christmas reenacted in Garvaghy So what was it like, over 2000 years ago for Mary & Joseph, the shepherds & the wise men? How would they have felt, what can we learn from their reactions, their experience? Could this be a potential CE Christmas night? After some discussion, the answer comes up as a resounding YES! Once again a farm proves to be useful! We would have a Bible reading, thought, & a drama in 3 different places - a stable for Mary & Joseph; around a fire in a field for the Shepherds; & in

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an old barn for the wise men. Mary & Joseph would be voicing their feelings about being new parents to God`s Son, the shepherds would be "hyper" after the angels visit & seeing Jesus, & the wise men tired but very happy as they travelled home - a different route from the one they came. Yes, definitely a plan! - & letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make it a Christmas family night & invite the parents along. For a couple of weeks at CE the drama sketches were prepared and practiced by older members. Younger members practiced the readings & "thoughts". A married couple agreed to play Mary & Joseph - I`m sure Mary & Joseph would hug & kiss! Being affectionate to one another would be funny! A kind neighbour allowed the use of an outhouse for the wise men & it was a perfect reason to "spring clean" a "stable" on the farm. Just hope the weather will be ok for the shepherds around the fire outside................ And it was! Tuesday 22nd December - a cool, dry night. At 7pm landrovers set off on their journey - packed with CE children & parents. Young members read so well, older ones knew their lines & acted well. So proud of them all! Apart from one family who were sick, all the members were there & most parents - so pleased! Of course there had to be some food involved - in the garage where muddy boots wouldn't be an issue! So prayers were answered - for good ideas & then for everyone and everything to come together for a special CE night.

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For a conclusion to the evening, we were challenged by what we had heard & seen during the evening. For Christians, Christmas is a time for celebration, but are we following Jesus with the same dedication that the wise men had when they travelled from afar in search of the newborn King? For others, hesitant & fearful, like the shepherds were at first, of asking Jesus to be their Saviour, Jesus says to them, "Do not be afraid, I am the good Shepherd, I have a plan & purpose for your life, & I want to prepare a place in heaven for you. Come on, make room in your heart for Me.â&#x20AC;?

REGIONAL NEWS

Dundrum Methodist

Convention in Enniskilen

We were very sorry to lose one of our leaders, Judy Taylor. She has been a rock & a marvellous leader with our group & is sorely missed. We are very grateful for her leadership & support for many years. Our Juniors will pay tribute to Judy in the coming weeks.

Below is an extract from, “The Impartial Reporter” 50 years ago on September 17th 1965 & quoted on September 17th 2015. How very apt this was - to appear just the day before YPs were heading to Carrickfergus to bed down in preparation for the 101st Convention.

DUBLIN

This year we have a full programme planned. Wendy Whelan is helping us this year & we are grateful for her support. Wendy has lots of experience with Sunday school, she brings great ideas too. Our theme this year is about getting creative. To that end we are busy filling & covering shoe boxes for our local Methodist Home for elderly ladies. It will be a real treat to deliver these boxes, one for each resident in the weeks coming up to Christmas and put them under the tree for Christmas morning. Many of the elderly ladies have lost friends & families & will appreciate the connection with our CE Juniors.

ENNISKILLEN

“CE CONVENTION - Delegates from all over Ireland will be arriving Enniskillen this weekend for the 51st Irish National Christian Endeavour Convention”. Reprinted with the kind permission of the Editor, “The Impartial Reporter”.

We have started the new term with a visit by our new minister, the Revd Stephen Taylor. In the coming weeks we will be getting creative with art & hope to display some of our work on the last day of term for our Christmas play.

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THE 101ST CONVENTION We are thankful to Almighty God for His Hand upon the 101st Irish National Convention held on Saturday 19th September in Carrickfergus Methodist. Once again, we were blessed with beautiful weather throughout the weekend. The Revd Mark Russell, speaking on the theme, “One More Step”, based his main address on Genesis 12:1-9. We, like Abraham, must go where God is leading us, trusting Him every step of the way. Avril Graham, Missionary Convenor, presented more than £4,000 to a representative of “Love for Life” - last year’s missionary project - which aims to help children & young people make healthy choices in life. The new project, “Spud Bears’ ministry” was introduced. Spud Bears are solar powered, talking teddy bears sharing the Gospel of God’s love & giving health education such as malaria prevention to children, in hospitals & orphanages, who are not able to read & have no one to read to them. Seniors/Comrades packed a room, in Carrickfergus Methodist Church, to listen to an address by the Revd Dr Paul Bailie of Mission Africa while over in First Carrickfergus Presbyterian halls a goodly number of Juniors were enjoying a Fun Day organised by Convention Chairperson

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Speaker Revd Mark Russell, wife Libby & Jean McGall

Pearl Warnock, June Jones & Gary Bissett

Hannah Patterson & Megan Rooney

David Patterson, Yvonne Grills, Rebecca Strutting & Grace Patterson

Gillian & Ashley Wasson

Carole Dillon, Avril Graham & Gillian Thompson

Robin & Isobel Beedham

Margaret & the Revd David Houston

Mrs Gwen Carson, & Mr Alan Blair (President Designate)

The installation of new CE Ireland President

Mrs Jean McGall with her successor, Mrs Rosemary McDaniel

Lynda Anderson & concluding with a short talk by Mrs Libby Russell & the presentation of awards by retiring President, Mrs Jean McGall. Meanwhile the YPs, some of whom had come on Friday night, staying overnight in St Nicholas’ Parish halls & enjoying activities there, were out & about in Carrickfergus enjoying a treasure hunt. Earlier in the day they had been captivated as they engaged in a Bible art workshop. Mrs Rosemary McDaniel was installed as Irish Union President. Her Presidential theme is, “Give us a vision”.

Mr Robert Tinney, Irish CE Union's General Secretary

Donald Blair, organist at the main rally

Some of the others sharing in the service included the Revd Dr David Clements & Mr Robin Beedham who led in prayer; Mrs Gillian Wasson, Scripture reader; Mr Robert Tinney; Mr Donald Blair, organist; Carnmoney YP musical group and Mr Chris Wallace who not only operated the PowerPoint but also gave so generously of his time & talents throughout the day. We are infinitely grateful to all those others who also contributed to the success of this event. No Convention is complete without the sumptuous food and Manns’ Catering proved themselves first class.

Mr Chris Wallace with The Revd David Houston

Caroline Edgar & Rosemary Carson

102nd Convention News! The next Irish CE Convention will be hosted by the Belfast Union. Dates: 16th & 17th September 2016 Location: Ballygomartin Presbyterian Church Speaker: Bishop Ken Clarke

Carole Dillon, Avril Graham & Christopher Emo

Rev Dr Paul Bailie (centre) Seniors/Comrades Speaker with Mrs Gwen & Rev Stephen Carson

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101st Convention Juniors Rally It was good to see & hear First Carrickfergus Presbyterian halls filled with happy Juniors from 5 Societies & 2 Unions. Organised by Mrs Lynda Anderson, Convention Chairperson & leader of First Carrick, the event was a great success & enjoyed by all present. At least one leader returned to his own Society inspired to try out some of the excellent ideas used on the day.

Sarah & Pippa

Ben & Logan

Grace & Katie

Mrs Lynda Anderson

Amanda with Juniors

Connor & Leah

As well as games & a tuck shop there were welcome refreshments including a fabulous cream sponge! Mrs Pearl Warnock faithfully brought along all the needful for the ever popular CE requisitesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stall - the torches are brilliant & can be recommended! Mrs Libby Russell, wife of the Revd Mark Russell, Convention Speaker, conducted a short epilogue & Bronze Certificate winners in the Irish CE National Award Scheme, together with Convention Competition winners, were presented with their awards by outgoing President, Mrs Jean McGall.

Snakes & Ladders!

Before prize giving

Thomas, Jayel & Lucy

Amanda & Juniors

Bronze certificate winners

Competition entries

Thanks are due to the Junior Convenor, Rosemary Carson & Assistant Convenor, Caroline Edgar for all that they do.

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101st Convention YP's - by Andrew Matthews The Convention started off with a bit of confusion as to where the YP's would be staying the night - but just as long as it was not the Castle, we were more than happy. Once all was sorted, it was underway. As more people arrived, we recognised faces from CE Camp in the summer, so it was more of a reunion. With a quick pop down to the local chippie we got settled down to watch, “Gods Not Dead”, the movie which, while interesting, caused a few to fall asleep within the first fifteen minutes or so. We settled for the night on sofa pillows or air mattresses for the privileged of us. That morning we were awoken by the scent of bacon & sausages which were very quickly devoured. A quick game of Uno, that wasn’t so quick, started off our day. We started with a relaxing painting session where we got to paint our favourite verses in whatever way we wished to represent the verse. This led to some showing their inner talent and some…lets move on. After that we had our lunch, & after a bit of relaxing in the youth room, we set off on our second adventure! A hunt around Carrickfergus caused a few to not see the Power Station for about 10 minutes then decide to write down the obviously visible Portstewart as their answer. After a delicious dinner, & a final service, it was the end. We waved our goodbyes as we headed home. All in all, the Convention is a great way to reunite with friends from Camp & even make new ones & I’d highly recommend it.

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101st Convention Seniors/Comrades "There is nothing more important than the Gospel - woe to us if we preach not the Gospel" was the Revd Dr Paul Bailie's message to Seniors/Comrades at the Convention Rally. Carrickfergus’ beautiful new Methodist Church’s Minor Hall was jam-packed for the 101st Irish National Convention’s Seniors’/Comrades’ event on Saturday 19th September. Organised by the Revd Stephen & Mrs Gwen Carson, joint Seniors’/Comrades’ Convenors, the guest speaker was the Revd Dr Paul Bailie, Chief Executive of Mission Africa. Mr Carson extended a warm welcome to all present & introduced the opening hymn, “All people that on earth do dwell”. The other congregational hymns included, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, “Lord speak to me” and the closing hymn, “O Breath of Life come”. The musical group, “Called of God” also enhanced the worship at several points in the Rally. Mrs Hazel Williamson, from the Armagh & South Tyrone Union read, Psalm 119:97-112 & Mrs Gwen Carson, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. Prayer was an integral part of the proceedings. The Revd Dr Paul Bailie extended greetings & thanks for former dealings with CE. He rejoiced in CE’s commitment to teaching Scriptural truth to young people.

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Turning to 1 Cor 15: 1-4 - problems with doctrinal truths, & other problems besides, which Paul enumerated elsewhere, Dr Bailie made the following observations: The Corinthians had a fundamental gospel misunderstanding, so Paul had to spell it all out again. Christ has died for our sins & risen again; it looked like some in Corinth doubted the Resurrection. Paul emphasised that, in accordance with what was foretold by the Old Testament, Christ was victor over sin, and this is confirmed by the Resurrection; and if this is not true, our faith is futile and in vain. It is this gospel truth which allows us to make our stand - our justification before God gives us confidence to stand up before the world & proclaim the Cross of Christ. It is the gospel of salvation that is the basis of our sanctification. Dr Bailie continued by saying Paul boldly stated that the Gospel was presented to the Corinthians as the thing of First Importance or The Chief Thing & continued as he made the following observations: There is nothing more important than the Gospel. There is a real danger that we might fall into the sin of downplaying the Gospel in favour of emphases that are more acceptable to the contemporary world. Secondary issues no matter how important they may be, such as acts of mercy & charity - cannot be allowed to displace the work of proclaiming the Gospel. It seems to be increasingly the case that the Church in the UK is losing its confidence in mission proclamation. Some missiologists put this down to the current politically correct

environment in the UK, the fear of persecution if we speak Biblical truth in public & a desire to be more acceptable to the secular world. In conclusion, he emphasised that as CE takes One More Step forward into a second century, we must keep the Gospel the Main Thing. “By all means, as you step out into your second century, do all kind of good works of charity & mercy; but use these as a springboard for proclaiming Christ. And as you step out, be sure to step away from your comfort zones & be fearless in making Christ known. Woe to us if we preach not the Gospel”. Chairperson Lynda Anderson looks back at the 101st Convention Finally the day had arrived after months of preparation & organisation! The week before had been extremely hectic with emails & phone calls but why did I worry? God had everything under control. On Friday night the YPs arrived from as far away as Fermanagh & Donegal ready for a night of fun, fellowship & probably very little sleep! They settled comfortably into St Nicholas Halls for the night beginning with the movie “God’s not dead“ with snacks of course! Saturday morning came early, & so as not to miss the lovely home-baked scones at Registration, I quickly set up for the Juniors’ Fun Day at First Carrickfergus Presbyterian, then headed over to the Methodist Church to welcome our guest speaker, the Revd Mark Russell & his wife Libby. When I arrived there was

already a buzz of excitement & expectancy in the air! Unfortunately it was impossible to be in 2 places at once, so after introducing Mark to those attending the Morning Seminar, I dropped in with Rachel who was sharing her testimony and her amazing illustrated Bible Art work with the YPs. The workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and it was hard to coax the young people to go & have lunch! Next on the Agenda was the Fun Day from 2-4pm. To be honest I wasn’t expecting huge numbers as the event was taking place much earlier in the year but was so pleased when the grand total became fifty five Juniors from five different Societies. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the Games competition followed by the Prize Distribution & talk by Mrs Libby Russell. After a beautiful home-cooked dinner it was time to relax & enjoy the Evening Celebration. It was really interesting to hear of our new Missionary Project Spud Bear Ministries & to learn that Love for Life had received a very substantial cheque for their work. The Revd Mark Russell challenged us with his theme, “One More Step” encouraging us to think of the future of CE & how we must strive to make a difference in the lives of our young people through challenging them to follow God’s way & not their own. God’s presence was very real as we worshipped & listened to His word. It had been a great day & we all came away inspired to continue the work of CE into our second century!

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2015/2016

MISSIONARY PROJECT Sprud Bear Ministries For our Missionary Project this year, we are supporting Spud Bear Ministries. They are based in Northern Ireland, but work in countries around the world including China, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana & Ecuador. As their name suggests, teddy bears play a big part in the work of Spud Bear! Spud Bears supply hospitals & orphanages in the developing world with teddy bears. Every child in the hospitals & orphanages they support receives a teddy bear, donated to Spud Bears, for them to keep. These bears help to bring comfort & God’s love to children when they are most afraid. Spud Bears also provide talking teddies to hospitals & orphanages. These talking teddies are solar powered & come with a little backpack with a computer unit, so they can speak up to 33 different languages. Each talking teddy shares the Gospel of God’s love by reading Bible stories, along with health education such as malaria prevention, with children who are not able to read, or have no one to read to them. Please do make use of your Missionary Pack about Spud Bear Ministries to help

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your society support our project – it includes information about what Spud Bear does, Bible study activities, games, puzzles, posters & even a recipe to make fairy ‘bear’ cakes! Spud Bears also collects new & 'preloved' teddy bears to give to children around the world – maybe you can help ensure all children in the hospitals & orphanages get a very special cuddly friend of their own! If you have any bears you would like to donate, please contact Spud Bear (details below). Finally, please pray that as Spud Bears send these teddy bears & children's Bible packs into hospitals & orphanages, God would use them to share his love with the children & their families.

Spud Bears Ministry, 4 Primrose Close, Portrush, BT56 8TE (028) 70351944 spudbears@minister.com www.spudbears.co.uk facebook.com/spudbear

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MAGAZINE INFORMATION Facebook CE Ireland is on Facebook Search for 'Christian Endeavour Ireland' Website Visit www.ceireland.org for more CE news & resources The Irish Endeavourer The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Irish CE Executive Board. Magazine Editor - Matt Bishop Information Oﬃcer - Margaret Houston All articles for the next magazine need to be send to Margaret Houston for 31st July 2016. Email articles to: houstonmargaret8@gmail.com or call Margaret on 028 93353191 Orders Order your next ‘Irish Endeavour’ & CE supplies - Promise cards, Pens, Keyrings, Hoodies etc. from the C.E oﬃce.

CE Ireland Office 64a Bloomeld Avenue, Belfast, BT5 5AD Telephone: 028 (048) 9046 0448 Email: headquarters@ceireland.org Open on Monday & Wednesday 12:30pm - 3.00pm Easy Fundraising Christian Endeavour has signed up to a fundraising website where we can raise money just by shopping online- we would love your help! You can sign up to register at the link below & it won’t cost you anything, you can shop online & certain retailers make a donation to the selected good cause. Visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk & Search for Christan Endeavour Ireland. Personal Membership Scheme Offers you the opportunity to have direct contact with Irish Union, keep informed of current CE activities, &to support the CE movement prayerfully & financially If you would like to become a member by making an annual contribution to the funds, please send your name, address, telephone number & cheque (made payable to “The Irish Christian Endeavour Union” to Irish CE Headquarters address above. You can also pay by standing order.

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