1
Church Magazine
Summer 2014
www.firstislandmagee.com
CONTENTS PAGE
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Content Page
Page 2
News from the Manse
Page 3
Dickson’s Diary
Page 4
Church Record / Information / Flower Listing
Page 5
Finance Update
Page 6
Finance Update - Our Response
Page 7
Summer In Islandmagee
Page 8
Accredited Preacher
Page 9
A New Church Year
Page 10
Church Services
Page 11
Lighthouse Club
Page 12
Worship @ First
Page 13
Messy Church
Page 14
Impact Youth
Page 15
Postman Pat
Page 16
GB
Page 17
BB
Page 18
Presbyterian Woman
Page 19
Prayer in First
Page 20
The Hub
Page 21
Home Groups
Page 22
Church Contacts
Page 23
NEWS FROM THE MANSE
3
I wonder have you had a new beginning lately? Maybe a new job, the arrival of a child, the redecoration of a room in your house, a decision to be more healthy or maybe even the beginning of a new relationship! At different stages in our lives we will have new beginnings and that is no different for our church family here at 1st Islandmagee. We are sorry to be saying goodbye to Andrew and Katherine as they leave us for a new beginning in High Kirk Presbyterian, Ballymena. We wish them both every blessing in their and pray that God will bless them in their service to Him. We are so thankful for all that God has enabled them to do among us over these past four years. September also brings the new beginning of our church year. This is a busy time with many of our congregations’ organisations and ministries beginning in the next number of weeks. This magazine is full of information about all that happens and I encourage you to read through it and why not come along to something that catches your eye. I want to say thank you to all the leaders whose faithfulness enables us to be a congregation of worship, fellowship and witness. The God of the Bible - our Father in heaven - is also a God of new beginnings. Through the good news of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus we are all invited to a new beginning in our relationship with him. A relationship which transforms our lives as we live for Jesus each and every day. It is a relationship that brings hope, peace and comfort in the midst of all that we go through and a relationship that isn’t only for this world. God’s plans for new beginnings are not only for our lives but also for the world in which we live. The closing chapters of Revelation paint a beautiful picture of a new beginning - a new heaven and a new earth. In these days we only too aware that the world in which we live is one in desperate need of a new beginning. In Revelation 21:5 we read these hope filled words of what God is intent in doing, “He who
was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" “ My prayer for each of us is that we might know more of God making us new and more like Jesus and live with our eyes fixed on the hope of what God has promised to do.
DICKSON’S DIARY
4
“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord...” (2 Corinthians 4:5) Salvation. Transformation. Baptism. Incredible prayer times. Sharing the gospel. Ukraine. And so many more moments and people I could talk about and will remember for years to come! And lots of learning. In my time in Islandmagee here are some lessons I’ve learned that I believe will be vital for our lives and any ministry in the future – for both Islandmagee and
myself.
It’s all about Jesus. As Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, it is Jesus we proclaim, not ourselves. Why? Because God loves us so much that He gave us His Son Jesus (John 3:16), to pay the debt of our sin that we could be restored to Him.
It’s all about the gospel. If we don’t utterly depend on the truth of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible, our ministries will not last – and neither will our faith. We need Jesus and the words of the Bible more than the air we breathe (1 Peter 2:2).
It’s all about people. Since it’s all about Jesus and the gospel, then ministry is also about the people we minister to – and them knowing the gospel and Jesus as Lord of their lives. We must love people – even when it’s hard, because God can transform. He can work a miracle of salvation in the life of anyone – look at Saul in Acts 9! And so as Katherine and I step into the next adventure of leading the youth ministry of High Kirk Presbyterian Church, Ballymena, we say thank you to everyone, young and old for encouragement, for journeying with us, for joy and faith. We pray for you both individually and collectively as the churches in this place the vision we have prayed over and adopted
for our lives. “The vision is JESUS – obsessively, dangerously, undeniably Jesus… With sleepless nights and fruitless days, they pray as if it all depends on God and live as if it all depends on them …” (‘The Vision’ by Pete Greig, Red Moon Rising) May your eyes be firmly on Him and your step in sync with His every movement, both now and always as we strive for Kingdom come and the glory of the Father. Andrew and Katherine Dickson
CHURCH RECORD AND INFORMATION
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Births As a church family we want to offer our congratulations to the following families on the birth of their babies. Sara-Jane Marsden born on 20th June to Shelley Stevenson and Neil Marsden Travis Tweed born on 17th August to Nicola and Jonathan Tweed Deaths Mr Walter Milligan of 33 Ballystrudder Gardens died on 11th June 2014 We offer our sympathy to Walter’s son Mark and family along with the wider family circle. Mr William Niblock of 8 Gobbins Path died on 21st August 2014 We offer our sympathy to William’s son Andrew, sister Lorraine and the entire family circle. Mrs Ina Brown of 39 Ferris Bay Road died on 22nd August 2014 We offer our sympathy to Ina’s husband Norman and her daughters Rosemary and Heather along with the wider family circle. Please remember these families in your prayers. Flower List 2014
November
September
2
Mrs V. Craig
7
9
Remembrance Sunday
Mrs R. McIlwaine
14 Mrs J. Wilson
16 Mrs R. Hill
21 Mrs W. Woodside
23 Miss M. Kane
28 Mrs M. Hill
30 Mrs J. Wilson
October
December
5
7
Harvest
Arrangement
12 Mrs F. Kane
14 Arrangement
19 Mrs E. Dunwoody
21 Mrs J. Coburn
26 Mrs R. French
28 Arrangement
THE GRACE OF GIVING
6
Can we take this opportunity to say thank you for the generosity that you have shown to the needs of our church family and beyond over these last number of months. It has been so encouraging to see the response of the congregation when they are given the opportunity to give to a wide range of needs, projects and organisations. Over these last number of months we have been able to send ... £904 to The Presbyterian Orphans and Children’s Society £1,786 to the World Development Appeal (Christmas 2013 / New Year 2014) £600 to the David Gordon Memorial Hospital in Malawi (Table Quiz and other gifts) The Church committee in June also heard how our giving to Free Will Offering (FWO) has increased by £2,700 in the first five months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. In the last week a moderator’s appeal has just been launched for South Sudan and the worsening situation for some 4 million people in need of emergency aid. We no doubt will once again see the generous hearts of this community in action. As a church family you have continued to give during difficult financial times for many. We have much to be thankful for and we thank God for giving us generous hearts and a willingness to respond. It may seem that when you read literature produced by the church there is always something about Giving! In many areas of life we know the reality and need for money in order to keep a roof over our heads, a sports club open or a charity going. The church family here in 1st Islandmagee is no different but we do approach the whole area of giving from a different perspective. “We love because God first loved us. We forgive because we know what it is to be forgiven. We are compassionate because compassion has been showered upon us. And we give because God is the great giver, giving even his Son.” (PCI leaflet, “The Grace of Giving”) Our giving to the work of God through the church is motivated by what God has done for us. “Giving is a response to the grace that God extends to us. Whilst we can never match the extent of God’s giving, we should seek to emulate its spirit, our imitation of God’s love played out in our attitudes and actions.” (PCI leaflet, “ The Grace of Giving” )
THE GRACE OF GIVING - OUR RESPONSE
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Can I encourage you to read through “The Grace of Giving” leaflet that accompanies this church magazine as you continue to read and consider the information below. In June 14 the following was brought to the attention of the church committee. Our church family has many expenses but broadly speaking they fall into these categories: Free Will Offering (ministers and other salaries, PCI assessments, general running expenses etc), Property, Youth Worker Fund and United Appeal. Due to your generosity we have healthy balances in the last three categories and God willing will continue to meet our needs in those areas. We do however have a need within our FWO account that we would like to bring to your attention. An analysis of the first five months of giving to FWO has identified, that despite the increase in giving, we still have a shortfall of approximately £450 each month. A healthy opening balance means that we have been able to cope but we now ask that you might join with us in seeking to ensure that our income balances our expenditure in regard to FWO. We are very aware of the many pressures on household budgets and that many are already giving to their maximum. We would however ask you to take time to prayerfully consider whether you might be in a position to review your giving to our church family. There are a number of ways in which you could respond:
Our shortfall is in the FWO account. It is helpful to us if giving is done on a regular basis. Please do use your FWO envelopes though loose offering also goes towards FWO.
Maybe you would consider setting up a monthly standing order to the church (or review your standing order : forms are available from Ronnie Nelson)
To give you an idea our shortfall would be covered if 75 families would consider giving an extra £6 a month. (£6 a month = ~ £1.50 a week = ~ 20p a day)
We really appreciate the time you have taken to read this short article. We hope it has been helpful in bringing you up to date with our church finances. We also pray that God would be at work in all our hearts helping us to grow in the “Grace of Giving”. The Finance Sub Committee
SUMMER IN ISLANDMAGEE
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Summer, as always, in Islandmagee is a vibrant, fun-filled, action packed affair. This year we’ve got up to lots! At the beginning of summer a hearty 10 of us travelled to Summer Madness. We had an awesome time experiencing the festival in its full wonder – the sunshine always helps! – as we were led in worship by Tim Hughes, and heard from great speakers about the INSIGHT God has on each of us – how He sees us, hears us, knows us and is at work throughout our lives. At the end of July we held our 4th annual IMPACT Summer week in Islandmagee. With lots of afternoon activities for the dozen plus young people who came along; as well as an evening trip to Laser Quest and McDonald’s and a big BBQ to finish the week, we had a great time together. With lots of games, challenges, quizzes and music, the competition was fierce and the banter immense. As always during these weeks, we spent time considering who Jesus is and what we can know about Him, through videos, times in the prayer tent, stories, talks and conversations. Whilst the young people have been having fun the children have been having a great time too! At the beginning of July we had our first ever 5 day club, where the children sang songs, played games, learnt about Joseph and the boys lost every single quiz to the girls! And then, right at the end of summer, from 18th – 22nd August we had our annual Holiday Bible Club, this year all of us becoming SPACE EXPLORERS! Going deep in space with our drama and having lots of fun singing, playing games, making crafts and learning about Jesus the children loved it and came more excited each day!
ACCREDITED PREACHERS SCHEME
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In January 2013 I found myself sitting in a class in Union Theological College along with 21 other potential “wanna-be” preachers. We were all quite nervous and unsure of what would be expected of us. I wondered how I’d fit in or would I be good enough. That, of course, was not the point. We were there because God had called each of us, old and young, male and female, from all sorts of backgrounds and united in this one aim: a love of God and His word and a desire to learn how to bring the gift of His word to others. One Saturday a month for 5 months we met and spent the morning learning how to structure a service, what is important to include and why, and how to write a sermon to
make it relevant and appropriate. We considered the congregations we might preach to and different preaching styles. In the afternoons some were ‘guinea pigs’ preparing a sermon which was then presented to the rest of the class. It was amazing how different our styles were. Everyone approached their sermon writing from very different places and this was particularly evident when we were all given an assignment to write a sermon on one passage. It really brought home to us that God’s word is truly a living word. We then moved on to a mentoring phase and were paired with a church. I was mentored in Ballyclare Presbyterian Church and I am very grateful to Reverend Robert Bell for his encouragement
and advise and the congregation for their generous encouragement and support. Looking back on the course, the great gift of being able to take time out to read God’s word and to wait on Him stand out to me. The busyness of our world means that so often we cram God into 5 minutes at the beginning or end of the day when we should be putting Him first in every situation. Learning the discipline of sitting
quietly and waiting for God to
reveal His truths has brought much blessing. Doing the course has taught me a lot about God and about who I am in relationship with Him. I am grateful for the prayerful support of God’s people here in Islandmagee and elsewhere and I would ask that as I step out as a fully Accredited Preacher in the Presbyterian Church in
Ireland
that you will pray that God would bless my ministry and those who hear it.
Fiona Craig
A NEW CHURCH YEAR
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As a congregation we are so fortunate to have a wide range of organisations and ministries that serve both our church family and the wider community. This would not be possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of many leaders who use their gifts and give of their time. As we begin a new church year we are indebted to these people who serve us in so many ways and I say thank you on our church family’s behalf. The beauty of God’s family is that we are called to serve each other and God has graciously equipped each of His children to do this. As we offer ourselves in service to God both within the church and beyond its four walls God enables us to make a difference. The wider PCI church family have a Fit for Purpose theme for the incoming year. As we seek to become the church Christ wants us to be, we are called to be “a people of service and outreach.”
As a church family we are ideally placed to serve each other and reach out to our local community through the varied ministries that are detailed in the pages that follow. Please do read through and consider being involved in the life of our congregation and being a part of what God is doing among us. If you see something that you feel you could get involved with please do speak to me.
1 Peter 4:10
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Each one should use whatever gift he has received
to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
CHURCH SERVICES As
a
church
family
here
in
11
1st
Islandmagee our desire is to worship God in ways that give all the glory to God. As we gather on a Sunday morning or evening and at other times during the week, we hope that these times are opportunities for us to be reminded of the glorious good news of Jesus Christ and its
life transforming impact in our lives. Our services feature a blend of worship styles with both the piano / organ and praise band leading our singing. We aim to place God at the centre of our worship and allow the Bible to shape our thoughts and guide our lives. Our Sunday morning service begins at 11.30am and takes the form of singing, talking to God through prayer and a children’s slot (after which our children go out to Lighthouse
Club). During the remainder of the service we hear from God through His word as it is read to us. We then take time to hear it explained and consider what it means for our lives as we follow Jesus. On the third Sunday of the month we have an all age service which aids our church family, from the youngest to the oldest, to worship together. Our children stay with us during the service and we worship, learn and discover more about our amazing God together. We also meet on the 1st and 3rd Sunday’s of the month for an evening service in Islandmagee Community Centre. This service begins at 7pm and is a relaxed service open to everyone.
A date for your diary: Ladies Breakfast on Saturday 18th October at the Curran Court, Larne. For more details contact Jacqui Bovill on 9338 2203.
LIGHTHOUSE CLUB
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As many of you will know Lighthouse club is part of our ministry to children on a Sunday morning. All primary school aged children are encouraged to meet at 11.15 am and come to church together. Sometimes they are small in number but each child is precious to God and therefore each child is precious to us. Each week we have a full program of songs, bible stories, a memory verse and workbook activities. Sometimes we are larger in number and it is our prayer that the children who come along will receive the building blocks which they need for their own personal faith in Jesus.
We are so grateful for the committed leaders who run lighthouse club from week to week however we are always delighted when new helpers come on board. If you think you could help with lighthouse club then please get in touch with me. It would be great to hear from you. Lighthouse Club begins on Sunday 21st September but It would be great to see all our families on Sunday 14th September for our ’Back to School’ family service .
Start Back Date: Sunday 21st September Venue: 1st Islandmagee Church Hall Time: 11.15am - 12.30pm Contact Details: Peter Bovill, 9338 2203, firstislandmagee@gmail.com
WORSHIP AT FIRST The
choir
and
praise
group
13
have
continued to support the leading of worship in 1st Islandmagee Presbyterian Church. 2013- 2014 was a busy time for all concerned and we were greatly blessed and encouraged. We supported a very well attended concert,
with
proceeds going to the Ukraine school, with which strong links had been forged for a number of years. Kilcoan and Mullaghdubh Primary Schools were much appreciated contributors, as were a range of invited guests. Another highlight of our year was supporting the installation of Rev. Peter Bovill. The choir led with favourite anthems. We have greatly benefited from Rev. Peter’s musical talent. A highlight has been the opportunity to amalgamate our church choir with that of our friends in 2nd Islandmagee. This has been successful and contributes greatly to special services. This would not be possible without teamwork and we pay tribute to Hazel, Monica and Peter, for their dedicated and expert input. The praise group contributes regularly to morning services, and enjoys new praise songs. We appreciate the challenge of converging traditional music with contemporary. The choir, the joint choir and the praise group have contributed to weekly services, including key church year occasions, such as Harvest, Advent, Christmas, including the well received Community Carol Service, Easter, Communion, and other important services e.g. the sailors’ service and the P.W. annual service. We have had the opportunity to support other congregations and joint services.
None of this would be possible without God’s grace and the hard work of all the dedicated musicians and singers of all ages. The choir meets on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 pm, commencing the first week in September and if you just love to praise, please don’t be shy - come and join us. If you would like to join the praise group, please contact the minister, or me. All for His glory. Sylvia
MESSY CHURCH
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Messy Church is back and is now a regular feature in our monthly church calendar. It happens on the second
Sunday of every month in Islandmagee
community
centre. Messy Church is a meeting for
the whole church family and involves creative activities to help everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, to worship our creative God. On a typical Sunday afternoon we will meet together and share some fellowship over lots of homemade treats. We sing songs led by Victor, Fiona and Monica. Sometimes we even use YouTube and make sure that everyone has a go at the actions! We pray together, have quizzes, family challenges and learn what God has to say to us through the Bible.
If you have never been it would be great to see you there! Or why not spread the word and invite some friends! Check our facebook page: www.facebook.com/messychurchislandmagee
Start Back Date: Sunday 12th October Venue: Islandmagee Community Centre Time: 4.30 to 5.30pm Contact Details: Peter Bovill, 9338 2203 firstislandmagee@gmail.com
IMPACT YOUTH
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Both young and old within our church family are sad to say goodbye to Andrew (our youth worker in Islandmagee) but especially our young people who have got to know Andrew over these last number of years. We have benefitted so much from having Andrew and Katherine involved within the youth ministry and all that Impact does throughout the week could not have happened without him. We also want to thank the team of leaders who have supported Andrew. Their passion and energy for this work has been invaluable. September 2014 brings change to the Impact programme in this time of transition but we look forward to this new start and all that God has in store for us. Beginning in September we have a varied programme to which it would be great to see all young people of secondary school age coming along to. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates on what is happening.
www.facebook.com/ImpactYouthIslandmagee Our planned programme for the month hopes to include the following
Messy Church on the 2nd Sunday of the month - 4.30pm in Community Centre Join us for craft, music, stories, food and games and bring your family and friends!
Lunch and Youth Group at the Manse on the 3rd Sunday of the month Join us for our all age service at 11.30am and we’ll get you a lift down to the manse for
lunch. If you can’t make church join us at 65 Low Road from 1.15 to 3pm
Sunday Night @ Second - once a month on the 4th Sunday night we get together at Second Presbyterian church hall from 6.30pm to 8pm. Why not come along!
Start Back Date: Sunday 21st October Venue: The Manse, 65 Low Road Time: Come straight from church or meet us at 1.15pm. Finishes at 3pm Contact Details: Peter Bovill, 9338 2203, firstislandmagee@gmail.com
POSTMAN PAT
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I am so looking forward to Postman Pat restarting on Tuesday 9th September. It will be great to see friends that have been with us before and to welcome new friends to join us. Our
aim
is
to
provide
a
friendly
environment for mothers, fathers, carers, etc. to meet together to get to know each other and take a rest from other chores while the kids play and have fun. Postman Pat is a small group that meets on Tuesday’s between 10.00 and 11.30am during school term.
It would be great to see you there. Start Back Date: Tuesday 9th Sept Venue: 1st Islandmagee Church Hall Time: 10.00 - 11.30am Contact Details: Alison Halliday
GIRLS BRIGADE
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Want to have fun? Learn new skills and take a break from exams and schools? Why don’t you join us at GB every Monday night (September – April). GB is an international faith-based movement for girls, with over 200,000 members across the world, and it aims to see ‘Girls’ lives transformed, God’s world enriched.’ It is the largest youth organisation in NI with 23,000 members. In Islandmagee, Girls’ Brigade offers a programme of fun activities for girls, designed to educate, challenge and inspire them to discover ‘life to the full.’ We have a gifted, trained and enthusiastic team of leaders who would love to invest in your daughters. Aged 3 to P4? Join our Explorer Group. We meet on Mondays between 6.15 – 7.15pm for lots of fun and giggles. Every week, we sing, dance, make crafts, play games, use sticker books and explore Bible stories. We also have special party nights! Our first night back is on Monday 22 September with our GB Australia Party. Come in your own clothes!
In P5 to Sixth Form? Join our Company Section. We meet on Monday between 7.20 – 9.00pm. This year, we’ll have all the normal fun and giggles while we develop our talents and explore how we deal with some of the real-life issues we’re facing as we’re family together. Our first night back is on Monday 22 Sept where we’ll be going ‘Down Under.’
WANT TO JOIN US? COME TO OUR DROP-IN REGISTRATION NIGHT ON 15 SEPT, 6.30 – 7.30PM. Any questions? Contact Claire Rush (team leader) for more info
BOYS BRIGADE
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Exploring our senses! That is what we will be doing in Anchor Boys and Junior Section from September to Christmas.
We are excited
about our boys returning this year and would welcome any new boys. Boys need to be in P1-P7, so if you have any friends, relatives or neighbours who might like to join then send them along. We meet on a Wednesday evening from 6.30-7.30pm. We are beginning the year in the temporary community centre in the hope that we might end the year in the new
building. Our opening night is Wednesday 17th September so come along, get registered and the fun will begin. We provide a varied program for the boys covering five areas. These are God and me, me and my world, fit for fun, think & do and make & do. We have chosen a theme of exploring our senses this term. This lends itself to lots of fun activities and we will also learn some big truths from the bible. We are sorry to be losing Andrew Dickson from our leadership team this year and would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his service to BB particularly last year with the company section. We want to wish Andrew every blessing in his new job. This year we will be unable to run a company section, however we hope to keep in contact with the boys who attended last year and keep them updated with other activities in the life of our church they could get involved in. We finished last year with a family fun night blessed with beautiful sunshine & a warm atmosphere and also our summer outing (photograph). We look forward to what God has in store this year at BB.
Start Back Date: Wednesday 17th Sept Venue: Islandmagee Community Centre Time: 6.30 - 7.30pm Contact Details: Jacqui Bovill, 9338 2203 jackbrant@hotmail.com
PRESBYTERIAN WOMAN PW
19 meetings
are
held
on
the
first
Wednesday of each month from October to March in our church hall. Those of us who meet together find a friendly atmosphere where we listen to an interesting speaker, watch an expert in a craft demonstration or use the material provided by Church House for an evening on our own. We begin our meetings with a short time of worship and after the speaker we enjoy a cup of tea and biscuits and a chat. PW supports local and global mission, prayerfully and financially, which we do by putting money in our mission boxes and holding our monthly colourful bring and buy stall. We also hold fund raising events, e.g. a salad lunch in June or a concert etc. In our programme last year we had as speakers - Miss Margaret Robinson, deaconess; Miss Valerie Woodside, “A Kenyan Experience”; an update from Kids 4 School which some of us support financially and Mrs Fiona Craig, “From the pub to the pulpit.” The year was rounded off by an outing to the Linen Green, Dungannon and Castlecoole in Enniskillen. These events were all thoroughly enjoyed by those present. The speaker at our service on 21st September will be Jenny Robinson, deaconess at Friendship House. Everyone would be most welcome to this service.
“Presbyterian Moderator Dr. Rob Craig cooks up breakfast for homeless men at Friendship House in Belfast with the help of Deaconess Jenny Robinson who is in charge of running the centre off Sandy Row.”
At our first meeting Helen Forsythe from 2nd Islandmagee Church is coming to share with us about her passion for youth ministry and interest in mental health. PW Is open to all women in the church and meetings may be attended at any time. Anyone who comes along will be very welcome.
Beginning: Wednesday 1st October Venue: 1st Islandmagee Church Hall Time: 8pm Contact Details: June Coyle
PRAYER
20 "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." E.M. Bounds
As sons and daughters of God we have the amazing privilege of being able to talk to our heavenly Father anytime and anywhere. We have a Father who cares about us and is concerned about our lives and a Father who delights to hear us talk to him. The early church’s example is that prayer is the foundation of all that we do as a church family as we show our dependence on God. It is something that we can struggle to do but whether it is on our own
or with the church family we can know God’s Spirit aiding and guiding us as we prayer. Our church year begins with our Week of Prayer. This is a week of prayer gatherings that focus on differing areas of church life. It would be great to see you along at these as we bring to God the ministries and activities of our church family. You won’t be expected to prayer aloud or find yourself in awkward situations. We hope it will be a time when we join together and commit our church family into God’s hands.
Week of Prayer
Mon: Kirk Session prayer meeting in church hall @ 7.30pm Everyone is invited to join us for the following times of prayer. Tues: Focus on the ministries among our children and young people. 7.30pm in church hall Wed: Focus on our worship services and music ministries. 7.00pm in the church. (This is prayer before our Choir Practice to which everyone is most welcome.) Thurs: Focus on the varied adult ministries of our congregation and the local community. 7.30pm in the Church Hall This September we are beginning a fortnightly church family prayer time. We hope that this will be a time when as a congregation we can
Beginning: Tuesday 23rd Sept (Taking place every fortnight following)
gather to pray for the ministries of God’s
Venue: 1st Islandmagee Church Hall
church and for each other. This is open to all
Time: 8pm
and we hope everyone will feel welcome and will know a freedom to pray in a way that is comfortable for them. It would be great to see you there so why not join us on Tuesday 23rd.
Contact Details: Peter Bovill, 9338 2203 Marie Kane, 9337 3706
The HUB
21
The Hub has been meeting on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm – 4pm for several years now. Initially we were in the Football Club, now in the Community Centre. The idea grew out of the survey the church had carried out in which the community were asked to identify the deficits in provision of support for local people. It had quickly become clear that a number of people of all ages felt lonely and isolated and that poor availability of transport meant they could not travel far to join other groups for the companionship and support they sought. Both ladies and a few gentlemen come together to chat and have a cup of tea or coffee. There is no restriction on age, our youngest visitor so far was 6 weeks and as to the oldest, well, a lady never reveals her age! Several times during the year we go out for lunch and we enjoy trying different venues. Some of us knit, some do other things but often we just chat and share our time together. We would be very happy if others of any age felt they would like to come along and join us “for the craic”. Beginning: Wednesday 17th Sept Venue: Islandmagee Community Centre
Time: 2 to 4pm Contact Details: Fiona Craig
HOME GROUPS IN ISLANDMAGEE
22
“This morning God spoke to me. I know that sounds weird, but I’m sure that’s what happened. The God who made the universe actually spoke to me. I could hear what He was saying just as clearly as you can understand what you’re reading now.” (Open up the bible: The Good Book Company)
So today, surrounded by the gods of
We believe the amazing truth that God wants
wealth, celebrity, ideology and achieve-
to speak to us and that he does that through
ment, we need this book.” (Study Guide)
His word, the bible. There can’t be too many
Over the autumn months we hope to
things that are as amazing as that and that is
consider the book during our morning
why the ministries of our church are based on
services and then study it again in our
the truths of the Bible.
home groups during the week. I hope
Our home groups aim to take time out of our
this is helpful in letting God speak into
busyness to engage with what God wants to
our lives.
say to us. They are an opportunity to build
Details of our home groups can be found
friendship and fellowship within our church
below. Speak to Peter for more details.
family and to grow in our knowledge and love of Jesus. In the autumn months we plan to study the Old Testament book of Judges. To wet your appetite …. “The book of Judges is an exciting read.
Judges shows us a God who is relentlessly
Beginning the week of Tues 16th Sept Tuesday: 8pm at 1st Islandmagee Church Hall. Wednesday: 10.30am at the home of Ronnie and Hazel Nelson, 32 Island Village, Islandmagee
loving to unlovely people; who continually
Wednesday Ladies Group: 10.30am at
rescues people from the consequences of their
16 Kilton Lane. Contact Helen Kyle
own flaws and failings; and who points forwards to the flawless Leader and Saviour who he will one day send. It shows us how to live as god’s people in a society which offers a dizzying array of alternative “gods” to worship.
Sunday Afternoon: 31 Mullaghbuoy Road. Contact Fiona Craig for more information
CHURCH CONTACTS
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Can I encourage you to use our church website as much as possible. Over the past months we have updated our website and we hope it will be a useful source of up to date information about what is happening in our church family. Weekly announcements, church magazines and information about our church ministries can be found there. If you would like to help with the website in anyway, from updating, creating or adding content, don’t hesitate to contact Don Soppitt or Peter Bovill.
www. firstislandmagee.com Two of our ministries can also be found on facebook.
Messy Church: www.facebook.com/messychurchislandmagee Impact Youth: www.facebook.com/ImpactYouthIslandmagee Below is a listing of some useful contact details. Please don’t hesitate to contact our minister Peter or any of the names below if we can be of assistance. Minister:
Clerk of Session:
Rev Peter Bovill
Marie Kane:
65 Low Road Islandmagee Co. Antrim BT40 3RD Phone: 028 9338 2203 Email: peterbovill@firstislandmagee.com
Church Secretary: Janet Long Church Treasurer: Ronnie Nelson
Special Services this Autumn
(all at 11.30am)
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Sunday 7th September:
Morning Communion Sunday 14th September:
“Back to School Sunday� for all the family Sunday 21st September:
PW Service
Harvest at Morning Service Sunday 5th October In 1st Islandmagee church at 11.30am
Evening Praise Service Sunday 5th October at 7.00pm In 1st Islandmagee church (United choir will be taking part)