A little look at this year’s events...
Recurring Events
Morning Prayer Meetings
Mon 19th - Fri 23rd at 10am
Join us to pray for the work of the Convention.
Bible Studies with Colin Smith
Mon 19th - Fri 23rd at 11:30am
Gospel Truck
Mon 19th - Fri 23rd, 10am - 4pm Bangor Seafront
Worldwide Kids
Mon 19th - Fri 23rd, 11:15am - 12:45pm
Children’s Special for Primary School children led by CEF
Creche
Mon 19th - Fri 23rd, 11:15am - 12:45pm
Welcome Centre, Hamilton Road Presbyterian
Evening Celebration -
Mon 19th - Thursday 22nd at 7:30pm
Mission reports, interviews and a time of praise together.
Mon 19th - Far East
Tues 20th - Africa
Wed 21st - Europe
Thurs 22nd - UK
Live Podcast
Tues 20th - Thurs 22nd - 9:30pm
David Searle Hall
Registered events. Please book online at worldwidemission.org
One-off Events
20s30s Friday Gathering
8pm - 10:30pm
Hamilton Road Baptist
Tea | Coffee | Worship | Prayer | Teaching
With speakers: Bob Fu and Suzi Bartlett.
20s30s ‘Equip’
Saturday 17th from 9:30am - 1:30pm
City Church Bangor
(1st Bangor Presbyterian)
Worship, teaching, prayer, seminars, lunch.
Contributors include: Bob Fu, Taysir Abu Saada and more!
Cost: £5 per adult and £2 per child
A Taste of India
Saturday 17th at 5:30pm
Hamilton Road Baptist
Hosted by Isaac & Gloria Shaw with a selection of Indian food to enjoy. Booking is essential.
Evening Celebration - India
Saturday 17th at 7:30pm - The Welcome Centre will be open from 6:45pm
With Isaac Shaw, Beryl D’Souza-Vali. Interviews with Colin Smith and Pete Hansen.
Partnership Service
Sunday 18th at 6:30pm
With Taysir Abu Saada. Music HRPC Band
Fourth Lausanne Congress
Friday 23rd at 5pm
50 Years of Calling the Whole Church to take the Whole Gospel to the Whole World
With speaker, Jim Memory, Co-Regional Director for Lausanne Europe.
Evening Celebration
Friday 23rd at 7pm
With Bob Fu and members of New Irish Arts.
Worldwide Youth Event
Friday 23rd, from 7 - 9pm
Hamilton Road Baptist
Food, Worship, Stories, Prayer & Teaching. With speaker Taysir Abu Saada.
Seminar - Growing the church in difficult times
Saturday 24th from 10am - 12:30pm Lisnabreen Presbyterian
Satellite Services
Drumreagh Presbyterian
Sunday 18th at 11am
Drogheda Presbyterian
Wednesday 21st at 7:45pm
Union Road Presbyterian, Magherafelt
Thursday 22nd at 7:30pm
Editor: Sarah Harding
Subscriptions and
Printing:
CONTRIBUTORS
Stephen Bleakley serves as an elder in Cavanaleck Presbyterian Church, Fivemiletown. He is a retired library manager and has three grown-up children.
Rev David Thompson is Secretary of the Council of Congregational Life and Witness and chaplain to Glentoran Football Club.
Rev Dr Colin Dickson is project leader at the International Meeting Point, Belfast.
Suzanne Hamilton is senior administrative assistant for the Herald She attends St Andrew’s Presbyterian in Bangor, is married to Steven and is a mum of twins.
The views expressed in the features, news reports, letters and book reviews of this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor. Editorial comment and signed articles do not necessarily contain the official views of the Church, which can only be laid down only by the General Assembly. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement of the goods or services. Advertising will not be included if the product or service is deemed to be in conflict with the Church’s official views, or if it is inappropriate for a church magazine. It is not Herald policy to include any editorial content along with adverts. The editor reserves the right to decline any advertisement or letter without assigning any reason. Letters may be edited for publication. No correspondence can be entered into regarding nonpublication of advertisements or letters.
Bringing hope in anxious times p32
The dopamine culture and the church p18
Building bridges in the Clogher Valley p16
EDITORIAL
Being present
Last month, the BBC carried out an experiment with 10 teenagers, where they had to replace their smartphones for five days with a basic phone that could only call or text. Among the benefits the young people noticed were: having more conversations, going to bed earlier, and being more productive and creative. Sadly however, many reported high levels of anxiety and stress at being separated from their online world.
Deborah Sloan writes this month about the ‘dopamine culture’ that we are living in, perpetuated by smartphones. She highlights how the physiological reaction we get from scrolling is propelling us into a constant desire for distraction and ceaseless activity. The technology companies recognise this and are harnessing it deliberately.
Those generations who didn’t grow up with smartphones perhaps have a fighting chance to take perspective on their scrolling habits and make adjustments, but for young people whose lives are so intrinsically linked to the virtual world, self-control is more difficult. Suzanne Hamilton talks to Rebecca McCullough who led a workshop in St Andrew’s Presbyterian, Bangor, on how churches can help young people combat anxiety. Rebecca identifies that smartphones are a major contributing factor: “…when I was at school, you were only comparing yourself to the girls in your class, not 17,000 girls from all over the world on TikTok.” She is confident that churches have a role to play and can provide effective help.
Deborah Sloan discusses the wider implications of how the dopamine culture is affecting our faith: “We know that distraction draws us further away from God… If we can’t tolerate being silent and still with God, we can’t hear what he is saying to us.”
This is why PCI’s new initiative ‘Present’ is the perfect aid to help us as a Church and as individuals to re-focus in this age of distraction – being present in this season of life; present to God; present for one another; and present where God has placed us. Rev David Thompson says the initiative will “enable creativity in approaching the spiritual rhythms of our life together in fresh ways and, in doing so, to express a renewed denominational connectedness among congregations across Ireland.”
We hope that the Herald is one way you can enjoy denominational connectedness. To help us in planning for the future, we would really appreciate your feedback on the magazine. Please look out for the reader survey on p7 – it can either be cut out and posted back to us or filled out online by following the QR code. Thank you for your support.
LETTERS
Visiting churches during holidays
Dear Editor
The summer period offers many of us the opportunity to be in different places, whether via far-flung flights or closer-to-home caravan sites. Encountering new sights and smells are all part of the holiday experience and can offer refreshment in various ways. While that may involve the sites we view, the food we eat and the people we meet, there can also be a spiritual enrichment that comes from engaging with churches in different contexts.
For those holidaying within Ireland this summer, I offer the encouragement to seek out fellowship with our various congregations scattered across this island. Whether you are off to enjoy the many beaches in Ireland’s northwest or south-east, or find yourself planning a city-break to Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway or Cork, make it a priority to locate the Presbyterian church there to join in worship with your sisters and brothers.
Many of our Home Mission congregations, from Greystones to Galway and Carndonagh to Cork, will be enriched as you boost the singing, add to their fellowship, offer your encouragement and put money in their offering plate. However, while our congregations will appreciate your presence, I have no doubt you will also know the benefit of worshipping God in a different context. Perhaps you might even come back home to your congregation having
learned more about the needs of our Church across this land, gained fresh ideas from how another congregation approaches their witness and gleaned deeper insights about the mission of our Church in Ireland.
Rick Hill
Secretary to the Council for Mission in Ireland
Do not supplant the Lord’s Day
Dear Editor
I have read with interest the three articles submitted in recent issues by my colleague, Jonny Frazer, but I cannot subscribe to the thesis that he advances. Perhaps an analogy will help?
When our Reformed forebearers encountered the liturgical calendar, they found it much like a rhododendron bush in a garden, gorgeous to behold but rampant, and destructive of apostolic simplicity. They, wisely, heavily pruned back this calendar, and, in some cases, uprooted it altogether, in order that our Saviour’s own planting, the Lord’s Day, might be again exposed to thrive and flourish. Easter and Whitsunday (and also Christmas), while not entirely unhelpful in assisting our discipleship, must not supplant the Lord’s Day in our spiritual affection. To take up the same analogy, the blossoms of the liturgical calendar quickly shrivel, and lose all beauty, whereas the hardy bloom of the Lord’s Day can be counted on faithfully never to decay.
Rev Alastair Rosborough Ballyarnett and Knowhead
Iregards to public perception: former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells.
Since January, when he announced he was stepping down, Klopp has been an ever-present topic of conversation. When his last day finally arrived, the atmosphere was one of celebration as those in football highlighted his successes both on and off the field. He was said to be someone who will be truly missed – and when we got the chance to witness Klopp’s reaction to all of this, he cut an extremely uncomfortable figure.
Also cutting an extremely uncomfortable figure, albeit in a very different way, was Paula Vennells. In contrast to the glowing send-off given to Jurgen, Paula faced many tough questions that challenged her leadership as Post Office CEO. The inquiry pressed her on whether she, in aiming to fulfil her mandate to modernise the organisation and make it more profitable, overlooked and willingly chose not to be aware of the failings of the Horizon IT computer system. A striking moment in the inquiry was when Paula broke down in tears as she apologised for her failings.
Rob Gamble reflects on what’s been in the news recently….
potentially hurt others. When we see leaders falling short, the temptation can be to use this to subconsciously elevate ourselves. This response is one to avoid. Instead, a more fruitful response is to try to remain grounded, striking the balance between acknowledging their wrong but also, acknowledging our potential to be people who will at times do wrong ourselves.
The success of Klopp and the uncertainty felt due to his departure can move us to consider the weight we might give to a personality on our screens or a person in our lives. We rightly live our lives being influenced and inspired by others. This pushes us to be better people and allows us to recognise good in others. However, it’s one thing to look up to other people in our lives and another to look to people with our lives. If the core of who we are is built on other people, then uncertainty is a certainty because no matter how good someone might seem, the reality is that no one can ever be good enough.
Both of these leaders have, in very different ways, experienced discomfort in public and as we have engaged with each of their experiences from afar, we too may be left feeling uncomfortable. Klopp turned ‘doubters into believers’, pulled Liverpool out of the mire and built one of the best sides in world football.
Without him will things fall apart? With Vennells, we can be left wondering who it is that we can we trust, if those in a position to be able to spot injustice and listen to concerns choose to turn a blind eye or to put their fingers in their ears.
It’s uncomfortable to consider that even the best of leaders cannot stick around forever and it’s uncomfortable to know that at times those who are entrusted to oversee, care for and protect can fall short. As disciples of Jesus, how might we respond positively to this unease?
Well, with all of this, we can A.C.T. (Avoid, Consider and Turn).
A temptation we might have, particularly with Paula Vennells, is to sit in judgment and forget our own fallibility. Yes, it’s right that we should call out injustices when we see them. We should be people who recognise, dislike and fight against wrongdoing. However, the danger is that in doing so, we put ourselves on pedestals. We all are people who fall short, we all will, at times, in different ways, make mistakes and
In Matthew 11, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he really is ‘the One’. Jesus’ reply, in a sense, is to say, “Look at what I’ve done”. In response to the uncertainty that can come in life in relation to the success or failures of others, as disciples of Jesus we can turn to him. When we look at what he has done, what we’ll see is that he never turns a blind eye to injustice or closes his ears to wrongs, rather he opens himself to dealing with the deepest of injustices and takes all wrongs onto himself. When we turn to him, we’ll see that he really is good enough, he can pay the cost and stands in victory. All of this is not something that we look at from afar, rather in turning to him, this is something we can enter into, accept and experience for ourselves.
While much on our screens and in our lives may fill us with uncertainty, with Jesus this doesn’t have to be the case. Instead, we are met in the uncertainty with a certainty that allows us to know that things won’t fall apart and that injustices won’t be missed. We can turn to him knowing that he can bear our weight, put right all that is wrong and that his deep love for us can meet us in all of life’s uncertainties.
Rob Gamble is coordinator of discipleship at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bangor.
NEWS | IN THE ROUND
Bangor Worldwide launches theme
‘Reaching people, changing lives’ is the theme for this year’s Bangor Worldwide Convention, which runs from 16–25 August. Explaining the theme, convention chairman Tom Clarke said, “This captures the essence of what the convention has been about since its inception in 1937. There is the activity of people, whether in distant lands or on this island, being reached for the gospel and many lives being changed as a result. However, there is another aspect; some who attend the convention will be reached by the challenge laid down by the speakers and have their lives totally changed by answering the call to respond.”
Colin Smith, a Scot who has been based in the USA for the last 25 years, will lead Bible studies. Other international speakers include Bob Fu, author of God’s Double Agent, Pete Hansen, an award-winning filmmaker, Dr Beryl D’Souza-Vali from the Good Shepherd Church of India, and Taysir Abu Saada from the Middle East.
The majority of the events will be held at Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church but there are also events in the neighbouring Baptist church as well as in Dublin, Drogheda, Drumreagh, Lurgan and Magherafelt.
There are specific events for young adults on both Fridays as well as a special Equip Gathering on Saturday 17 in City Church (First Bangor Presbyterian Church). A ladies’ afternoon tea event will take place in Bangor Parish Church on Thursday 22 and a seminar, ‘Growing the church in difficult times’, at Lisnabreen Presbyterian on Saturday 24 August.
Registration will be required for certain events. For more information, visit www.worldwidemission.org or follow on social media.
A whole church approach to family ministry
Care for the Family has produced a resource entitled: ‘Children’s Faith: A whole church approach to family ministry’.
This booklet and the accompanying online resources contain flexible coaching material to help churches review and develop their children and family ministry. For those who would value the opportunity to explore and discuss this content with other leaders, Care for the Family is hosting a series of three online coaching sessions on Thursday 19 September, Thursday 17 October and Thursday 21 November 2024.
Led by Andy Frost and Gareth Hillier, the evenings will contain time for Q&As and also time in breakout rooms.
Tickets for the series of three sessions are £15, including a complimentary copy of the Children’s Faith: A whole church approach to family ministry booklet which will be posted to you before the first session. More information at: https://kitchentable.org.uk/church/ wholechurchapproach/
Presbyterian Children’s Society
Elaine Craig, interim assistant director of Children and Young People’s Services for the Education Authority (EA) was guest speaker at the Presbyterian Children’s Society’s recent AGM.
Mrs Craig spoke on the challenges that are facing our children and young people. She outlined that the Department of Education has a five-year corporate plan entitled ‘Every Child’, which is about championing every child, putting the interests of children and young people first and giving them a greater voice. At the heart of the plan is the Department’s new vision that “Every child and young person is happy, learning and succeeding”. However, she indicated that there are many issues that can negatively impact the development of children, including poverty, anxiety and depression, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).
Mrs Craig also spoke about the challenges facing the special educational needs sector (SEN) saying that in Northern Ireland there are more than 30,000 children with a statement of SEN in place. “There’s an increase in the complexity of need presented by our children and young people and a vulnerability of needs that educational professionals, support staff and parents are definitely challenged with.”
In response to the challenges, Mrs Craig reported that the Education Authority has set up 483 Specialist Provision in mainstream classes, across 191 schools. Alongside this, 245 Specialist Provision for early years and foundation classes have been created since 2020.
CUI festival
Christian Unions Ireland’s student festival, EQUIP, takes place at Castlewellan Castle this summer from 26–30 August.
The festival exists to encourage university students across Ireland in the good news of the gospel, equipping them in evangelism. This year’s theme is ‘Courageous’. Further information is available at cui.ie/students/equip
Balmoral visit
During his visit to the Balmoral Show, the then Moderator, Dr Sam Mawhinney, met with various agencies involved in supporting farmers, their families and rural communities.
Dr Mawhinney is pictured with PCI’s rural chaplain and the Rural Support team. Left to right: Rural Support’s farm support coordinator, Barbara Alcorn, Dr Mawhinney and rural chaplain Rev Kenny Hanna, Melissa Wylie (crisis support coordinator for Rural Support) and its chief executive, Kevin Doherty.
Pictured at the launch of the programme for Bangor Worldwide 2024 is the special guest speaker Dr Zack Eswine and panellist Esther Teggart from Living Water Adopt-a-Child.
Reader Survey
Please take a moment to fill out our reader survey and help us plan for future editions. You can either fill out this form and post it back to us or complete it online (details on the next page).
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To find out about PCI events and resources
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To get a range of perspectives on how Christians see things
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PERSONAL VIEW
Life lessons
Heather Healy
Trainee deaconess
I grew up in Bangor and now live in Moira. Before applying for deaconess service, I worked in Scotland as an ESOL tutor in community education. Travelling and meeting people from different countries has always been a passion of mine. I studied German and Russian at university and after graduating went to serve in student ministry in Austria with IFES. I grew up in a Christian family and went to church and Sunday school. At the age of eight, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and made a personal commitment to follow him.
As a child growing up in PCI, I was always interested to hear about the work of deaconesses who served in congregations, the local community and hospital chaplaincy. It was when I returned to Northern Ireland after serving with IFES that my minister suggested I consider applying for deaconess service. More than a decade passed before I applied but during that period God was clearly preparing and steering my life for what would lie ahead.
It can be challenging to live in a society which no longer reflects Christian values or worldview. Yet, I have been encouraged by reading accounts of first-century Christians who lived in a hostile society but were devoted to loving God and loving people. By being good neighbours, they winsomely drew others to Christ and the gospel spread.
I enjoy going out for dinner with my family. In my free time, I also like walking and spending time with my five-year-old niece, Elizabeth, who makes me laugh a lot.
I love meeting with people of all ages to worship God. After all, the church is a family and I am always encouraged when I see each member of the family, men and women, boys and girls using their gifts and talents.
The Deaconess Training Programme is a three-year course comprising of study at Union College and congregational placements. Studying at Union has enabled me to learn and grow in my ministry knowledge and skills with training in pastoral ministry, leading services, and preaching, as well as children’s work and youth ministry. A highlight was our presentation skills class delivered by Aidan Browne from UTV. I also gained much by experiencing the breadth of style and tradition within our Presbyterian family while on congregational placements in Ballymena, Dunmurry and Antrim.
As part of my university degree, I spent a language placement in Moscow, Russia. I lived in a student hostel which I was told was infamous as the most corrupt hostel in the city. A few weeks before I arrived, teachers who were Christians had been thrown out of the accommodation for having a Bible study and subsequently lost their jobs at the university. Finding Christian fellowship was not easy but the small brown Bible I had brought with me was precious. I knew the Lord’s presence and protection as well as his provision during those months.
The most formative experiences for me have been during times of waiting, disappointment and suffering. There is no way to really know who you are until you are tested and there is no way to learn how to really trust in God until you are struggling. I could not empathise and sympathise with suffering people unless I had suffered myself. It has also been in the tough times that I have become wiser about how life works. 1 Peter 1:7 encourages us when we believe in God and rest in him, then testing and trials will relate to our character like fire relates to gold: “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
‘Sleep on it’ is the best advice I’ve been given. When I was younger, I tended to make decisions quickly. Now I take more time, especially when something is important.
In 1996 my family spent a summer with Operation Mobilisation in Belgium. Not your typical idea of a best holiday but one I will never forget because of the team we worked with, the fun we had and the opportunities to tell people about Jesus. Witnessing many different responses to the gospel helped me grow in my faith and understanding of the Bible.
New cohort sought Heather is just about to complete her training as a deaconess. Applications are currently open (closing on 6 September 2024) for new trainee deaconesses, with training due to begin in September 2025. For more information, contact Helen Johnston at: hjohnston@pcinet.org
News
Volcanic eruption in Indonesia
On Saturday 19 May, Mount Ibu erupted causing volcanic ash to trigger a volcanic thunderstorm. This led to the evacuation of residents from the villages of Sangaji Nyeku, Goin, Tukuwoko, and Duono – areas served by one of PCI’s partner Churches in Indonesia, the Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera (GMIH).
Thankfully there was no loss of life, however, the eruption has greatly disrupted the lives of thousands. Military trucks were used to carry out evacuations bringing residents to safety but unfortunately due to further eruptions on 28 May many continue to find safety in emergency shelters.
CMI gathering
A gathering was organised by the Council for Mission in Ireland for all Irish mission workers, deaconesses, community outreach workers and mission project staff.
Mission in Ireland
This was an encouraging time of Bible teaching, fellowship, prayer and personal retreat. Speakers were James and Heather Cochrane.
GMIH has been actively engaged in providing aid at two evacuation points in Totersal and Gam Ici villages, Central Ibu District, and following an urgent appeal for emergency assistance, PCI has been able to provide funding to help with the needs of those evacuated.
A recent distribution of aid was followed by a joint worship service with the evacuees, led by the chairman of GMIH’s men’s ministry (BPKB), Rev Sidon Amos Bahagia.
Please pray for the residents of the villages deeply impacted by the eruptions, that they would receive necessary care and support and be able to look forward with hope.
Broadway appeal
In the autumn, an event will be held in the former Broadway Presbyterian Church which is now Cultúrlann McAdam Ó’ Fiaich. It is hoped to be able to display a number of items in connection with the life of the former congregation.
It would be of particular interest if photographs of the original interior of the building could be located. If you can help with this, please contact Rev David Moore on dmoore@presbyterianireland.org before the end of August.
Honorary doctorate for new Presbyterian Moderator
PCI’s new Moderator, Rev Dr Richard Murray (left), was presented with his honorary Doctorate of Divinity at Union Theological College’s annual graduation service by principal Rev Professor Michael McClenahan.
Blaze prayer calendar
Children, leaders and families are being encouraged to pray for global mission through the ‘Blaze the bee’ initiative.
During the summer we are praying for those who will be serving overseas, whether as part of a congregational team, or through involvement in other organisations. To download the Blaze prayer calendar and other resources, go to www.presbyterianireland.org/blaze
Service in Omagh home
PCI’s Harold McCauley House support committee led the Friday service in the Omagh home recently.
Pictured are: Rev Jane Nelson (First Omagh), Bobby Gilchrist (Lislimnaghan Church of Ireland), Marion Armstrong (Fintona), Ruth Kyle (Creevan), Shirley McNutt (Dromore), Sylvia Pollock (Mountjoy) and Amanda Graham (Gillygooley).
Climate change survey report
In autumn 2023, PCI conducted a survey to hear from a range of people regarding climate change. This was to help provide a better understanding of thinking, perceptions and positions within the denomination.
This research by the Council for Global Mission, along with other data collection, will help shape how PCI can best engage with the issue of climate change and creation care. The survey closed on 31 October 2023.
A full report and recommendations from this research can downloaded from www.presbyterianireland.org/ stewardshipofcreation or the QR code.
Moderator preaches at RUC service
PCI’s then Moderator, Dr Sam Mawhinney, said the opportunity to preach at the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC Day service had been a “real honour”. Organised by the RUC GC Foundation, the Holywood service had added poignancy as it took place on the 30th anniversary of the Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, which killed 29 people. Many of those who lost their lives were leading security personnel from Northern Ireland, including members of the RUC.
“So many people at this afternoon’s service had suffered the loss of a precious loved one in the service of the community, often in very difficult, unexpected and traumatic ways. I hope that in honouring their memory and sacrifice, those present were able to take some comfort in knowing that whatever storms of life we face, when really difficult things happen to us, which includes death, it is important to have faith in Jesus and have him with us in life,” said Dr Mawhinney.
Resources
Sharing God’s Word
‘Sharing God’s Word’ is an exciting new resource for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the Bible and to grow in their ability to communicate it.
People who regularly share God’s Word in relatively informal settings, such as youth organisations and home groups, could find it very helpful, as could people who are exploring a sense of call towards being an accredited preacher or an ordained minister.
It covers topics such as ‘What is the Bible?’, ‘Understanding a text’ and ‘Preparing to be a messenger’.
A pilot course is running in Lowe Memorial, Finaghy, this autumn. It commences on the evening of Monday 16 September and runs for six consecutive Monday evenings. Each evening will consist of teaching from the front and interactive Bible study. A participant’s guide will be provided to help you make the most of each session.
The cost per participant is £20 and booking is essential as places are limited (more opportunities to access the resource will be available once the pilot course has been evaluated). To find out more and secure your place, email admin@union.co.uk
Places are allocated on a firstcome, first-served basis.
Words to live by
The book of Proverbs is a guide for pursuing godly wisdom in our daily life.
‘Tides’, the free PCI email devotional, has a new summer series from Proverbs – ‘Words to live by’ – covering different aspects of wisdom, from how to interact with our friends, families, and neighbours, to fearing God and keeping his commands.
Join us as we learn what it means to grow in our understanding of God and walk in the way of his wisdom.
If you don’t already receive Tides, sign up now at: www.presbyterianireland.org/tides
Events
Special event for women
A special event for women will take place at Assembly Buildings, Belfast on Saturday 7 September, between 10am and 1pm.
Called ‘Entrusted to share’, the event is an opportunity for women to come together to explore ways in which we can realise afresh that, in Christ, we are all responsible for sharing the good news of the gospel with others.
We will think biblically about how we can be better equipped in knowing the gospel and how we can effectively share this good news across the generations and in our communities.
Guest speaker is Kate Patterson, director of Gift of Blessing Trust. To book for the Entrusted to share event and your preferred seminar choice, please go to: www.presbyterianireland.org/entrustedtoshare
Family Festival
Family Festival 2024
PCI’s Family Festival was a great success, with over 200 people from Ballybay to Ballymoney attending.
Held in Spruce Meadows, Lisburn, the event was an opportunity for congregations to reach out and build relationships with families connected to their church.
Apprentice training
Has your congregation appointed an Apprentice for 2024–2025? Have you recently been appointed to an Apprentice position within a local PCI congregation?
If you have, we would love to welcome you to Apprentice|Train – a bespoke training programme which equips Apprentices with a mix of theological and practical learning whilst they serve.
Delivered once a month between September and May, this learning community gives Apprentices the space to connect with one another, share stories, pray together and further explore essential ministry basics inside and outside of the classroom.
To find out more and to book a place by Thursday 5 September, go to: www.presbyterianireland.org/apprentice
Bob Adair, a member of Ballywalter Presbyterian Church, recalls growing up in Belfast.
A trip down memory lane
Arecent news article in the Herald about Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich (formerly Broadway Presbyterian Church on the Falls Road, Belfast) brought back memories of my childhood and my time in the Boys’ Brigade, particularly the trips away.
In those early teenage years, most of us young fellows had never been further than Bangor or Portrush. My parents were members of the Crumlin Road Presbyterian Church, so I had grown up in the Life Boys, Sunday school and in the 68th company of the Boys’ Brigade Belfast Battalion.
Our BB captain was Charlie Montgomery, a school teacher in Fane Street School in the ‘Village’ area of Donegall Road, Belfast. His colleague, William Addis, was headmaster of the same school and also captain of the Second Belfast company of BB in Broadway Presbyterian Church.
On one trip, I was coming up the Red Sea from the Persian Gulf, just around Sinai, when the ship turned. We were supposed to go through the canal that night and were expected to be in England in 10 days. I went up to the bridge and asked why the ship was turning – to be told it was because of the SixDay War between Israel and Egypt. Israel was sinking ships to prevent canal dues being paid, so we had to turn and go down to the Cape of Good Hope. This meant the journey took a month.
I once took a bomb into Springfield Road Police Station when I was around 9–11 years old.
Together they organised to take the two companies to summer camp in Rothesay in the Clyde Estuary. So, we boarded the Glasgow boat, probably around 40 or 50 of us. We took a steam train from Glasgow down the Clyde coast to Wemyss Bay and boarded the ferry to Rothesay. We walked to our Presbyterian church hall at the back of the town, where we began to make our beds. These were large potato sacks which were stuffed with straw bales, left for us by a local farmer, and were known as ‘palliasses’.
On Sundays I seem to remember marching around the town and back to the church for morning service. We could hire rowing boats, but most of us preferred motorboats at 10 shillings per hour, so we could get out to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary moored in the bay.
There were no foreign holidays in those days for working people, so people from Glasgow and other parts of Scotland came down the Clyde coast to the area. The Glasgow Fair holiday began after our first week in Rothesay.
I went away three times with the BB. Once I started work at 16, that all stopped as I didn’t have time. I was studying three nights a week at tech and doing an exam on motor vehicle engineering. Then I went to sea to work on oil tankers. This took me to places like Japan, Libya and Sicily.
I came ashore to work at the BP oil refinery at Sydenham. I was there for 13 years and it was the best job I ever had. We lived near the Springfield Road and my mother was nervous about me having to cross the city. I was in High Street, Belfast on Bloody Friday in 1972, en route to the oil refinery with two colleagues, when 22 bombs went off. Also, my brother Brian had to cross the Falls Road at least twice daily. At that time, he was employed by Queen’s University, Belfast in the Royal Victoria Hospital as a microbiologist under Dr Margaret Haire, whose husband was a past Moderator of PCI. And so I resolved to move us all to Bangor later that year, 1972.
I was there 10 years and then I met my wife Hilary and decided to get married. The oil refinery closed the year we got married. I was decorating and a letter arrived to say I was being made redundant in three months. Within minutes I’d secured a job at the power station.
We lived in Dundonald for 10 years and my son Chris was born in 1983. We eventually moved to outside Millisle.
I’ve still fond memories of growing up in Belfast. I once took a bomb into Springfield Road Police Station when I was around 9–11 years old. I was up Divis and walked on something hard. It was a cylindrical object covered in rust. I didn’t know what it was, but it looked suspicious, so I picked it clean of flakes and walked all the way down the Springfield Road to the police barracks, because I didn’t have the tuppence for the bus. I said, “Mister I found this on Divis mountain.” He took one look at it and told us to get out – it was a German incendiary bomb.
In all the above the Lord has directed my paths and kept me safe as he does for all who believe in him. Very little of it was down to me, although I couldn’t see it at the time.
The Present initiative
This year’s General Assembly saw the launch of a new denominational initiative designed to encourage the Church in this season of life and witness.
PCI’s new ‘Present’ initiative will roll out over the next three years, inviting and encouraging congregations and their members to make themselves fully present to God who is ever present to us.
Rev David Thompson, Secretary of the Council for Congregational Life and Witness, explains that the initiative has been prompted and shaped by paying careful attention to the current conversation and mood of the moment and seeking to respond appropriately.
“Our ministry in the Council for Congregational Life and Witness involves the privilege of journeying closely with a wide range of congregations and listening carefully to leaders about how things are looking and feeling in the weekly ebb and flow of church life.
“Over the past year, a number of common themes keep cropping up in this particular season of life and witness. These have included: a sense of needing to re-establish among members the value of spending intentional time before God; the priority of rebuilding the community life of the people of God after the scattering caused by pandemic restrictions; and the urgency of refreshing the outward witness of the Church after a period of understandable focus on getting the internal life of congregations back on the rails after Covid lockdowns.
“These aspects of who we are as the people of God together are the very bedrock of the life and witness of the local church. In many ways there is nothing new here, but there is no shame in acknowledging the need to get back to doing the basics well.”
The Present initiative intentionally aims for simplicity, but significance by offering a single word – present – as an invitation to congregations on which to hang the focus of activity so as to re-centre their life and witness.
The encouragement to be present plays out in four particular ways:
• Being present in this season of life and witness;
• Being present to God as his people;
• Being present for one another in God’s family of the church;
• Being present where God has placed us to be his witnesses.
Rev Albin Rankin, minister of Stormont congregation and convener of the Council for Congregational Life and Witness, explains: “The context in which we find ourselves as a church is complex and challenging. Facing a changing landscape, there is a temptation to close our eyes and think back to how things were ‘then’ or to look ahead for ‘when’ – a partially imagined, aspirational future. The reality however, is not ‘then’ or ‘when’ but ‘now’. God calls us to be present for him right here and right now.
“We are present, as we engage with God privately and in gathered worship, encourage one another in community as we journey together following Jesus, living our faith in our everyday lives and expressing this faith in the very place where God has called us to be witnesses as congregations and disciples of Jesus.”
The Present initiative is not intended to be like anything seen before in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It will not take the form of a programme, planning exercise or prescription. Rather it will gather momentum as a story of what is happening across the denomination.
David Thompson says, “The aim in the sharing of that unfolding story will be to encourage celebration that God is at work in the ordinary, to enable creativity in approaching the spiritual rhythms of our life together in fresh ways and, in
The Present initiative is not intended to be like anything seen before in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
doing so, to express a renewed denominational connectedness among congregations across Ireland.”
The promotional clip for the initiative sums up its heart: “There is nothing particularly complicated about how we make ourselves present to God and one another in the life and witness of the church. It happens in three simple but significant ways.
“First of all, in our life together as congregations, we can set ourselves to be present to God as his people. In a world of constant distraction and competing demands, this is as simple as committing ourselves to the rhythms and routines of reading the Bible and praying, worshipping with others every week. In re-committing ourselves to these practices of faith, we make ourselves present before God in ways and places in which he promises to meet with us and speak to us, shaping us into the people he wants us to be.
“Then, there is being present for one another in God’s family of the church. This begins by just turning up, but it doesn’t end there. By participating in the kind of relationships and activities that enable us to be part of the community of our church, we play our part in lovingly giving and receiving from one another in God’s family. As congregations, it’s good to pause to consider what shape of church life enables that sort of commitment to one another so that it can flourish among us today.
“Then being present where God has placed us to be his witnesses. Living in a changed and changing world as congregations, we may be finding that the things that really left an imprint for God in our local community in the past, may not be the things that continue to do so today. If so, it’s good to think again about new ways of connecting, communicating, sharing God’s invitation to know him – gaining new confidence in what it means to speak for him in every situation. And as individuals in our everyday lives, God has placed us to be his witnesses among family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, teammates. We bring something of his presence with us into each of those relationships as a living witness to him.”
The initiative is unfolding gradually over the next three years in order to give it time and space to become familiar and embed in the consciousness of congregations and their members and then to grow and take root in whatever way is most appropriate in local settings and circumstances.
In 2024/25, the first year of the initiative, members are encouraged to simply look and listen out for the Present theme as it appears in video, print, podcast and social media across PCI’s main mediums of communication.
In the second year, 2025/26, a series of stories from PCI congregations and their members and other simple resources will sharpen the focus of each aspect of being present, offering handles by which congregations can more actively take these themes and run with them in whatever ways are most suitable for them.
By year three, 2026/27, emerging stories of how congregations have grappled with the theme and found ways of being present will be gathered and shared to encourage and envision one another as we step into God’s unfolding future for us as his people across the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
The clip introducing the initiative takes it cue from the familiar story of Exodus chapter 3, the marker of our shared identity as the Presbyterian Church in Ireland – the burning bush.
In God making himself present to Moses through a bush that was on fire and yet curiously did not burn up, and Moses making himself present to God, a whole future began to unfold for him, for the people of God and in a most astonishing act of witness, for all the world to see, as God led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt.
As David Thompson concludes: “Being present to God, present for others, and present as a witness where God had placed Moses made a world of difference. It is hoped that the Present initiative will help us as Irish Presbyterians to regain a similar sense of identity in God and his calling for us as his people.”
Building bridges in the Clogher Valley
Stephen Bleakley tells how Cavanaleck and Aughentaine Presbyterian Churches in Fivemiletown are reaching out to the community through Lego café church.
Why not start a Lego club?
The words were shouted across the width of a church hall and over the heads of dozens of very happy, very noisy and constantly moving children. It was the last day of our summer holiday Bible club, part of which was a hugely popular Lego activity room. Starting a Saturday Lego club seemed like a natural progression.
So, in partnership with our friends from Fivemiletown Methodist Circuit, that’s just what we did. We began by securing the support and encouragement of our minister and the Sessions in both congregations. Then, by word of mouth, we built a small team: an interdenominational mix of Presbyterians and Methodists, an intergenerational mix of younger and older, a happy and committed mix of Lego novices and those for whom it has long been a consuming interest. What we had in common was a love of God and a
determination to use whatever we had, where we were, right now, in his service.
So, we met, we prayed and we bought Lego, about £800 worth. From the outset, Lego club was envisaged as an opportunity to build bridges from our congregations into the community.
A chance for church members to reconnect with local people from the multitude of backgrounds which today make up the diverse and constantly growing population of Fivemiletown. This meant taking the early, but not easy decision, that Lego club would be primarily a ‘relational ministry’. We would concentrate on encouraging people to come into our church premises,
…we have seen God bring in between 15 to 40 children each Saturday morning with perhaps 10 to 20 parents/carers.
prioritise the forming of friendships and whenever the opportunity arose, develop conversations with a purpose –signposting and leading people towards Christ.
Having initially decided to focus solely on internet advertising, we set up a Lego club Facebook page in January 2023. This in itself was something new and quite scary for those of us from an older generation who are more used to the printed word or ‘dead tree technology’ as our younger members call it. However, the younger members of the team were adamant this would reach the demographics we needed. As usual, they were right.
Then on a dull winter Saturday morning we set Lego out on tables in our church hall, prayed together and waited. The rest, as they say, is history. In the three seasons of Lego club since then, we have seen God bring in between 15 to 40 children each Saturday morning with perhaps 10 to 20 parents/carers.
There is no common profile linking those who come along. About 25–30% are dads bringing kids after junior rugby or just chilling out on a Saturday morning, others are mums dragged along by their Lego-obsessed offspring and still others are grandparents just glad to have something enjoyable to share with the grandchildren. Some are churchgoing families (from all denominations), others are from completely non-faith backgrounds. All are welcomed in the name of the Lord and given tea, coffee and traybakes.
What has been tremendously encouraging and a little unexpected, is the developing friendships amongst the parents and carers who come along to Lego club each Saturday. Happily, we’ve now become a social fixture in their calendars, as well as a ‘must do’ for the kids. Getting men to participate in church activities has always been a challenge, so it’s particularly pleasing that we have a small group of dads who come along. Whilst Lego appeals to a very wide range of children, it seems to provide a particular opportunity for children who are perhaps not heavily involved in sports, to share an activity with each other and with their parents. Despite all this, we knew bridges were designed for two-way traffic. So, the next question was, how do we encourage Lego club families to move towards church? How do we introduce an overtly evangelical activity? So, we prayed!
In February 2024 we approached a local coffee shop called ‘The Potters Hand’, run by Sharon and Raymond. They were delighted to be involved and on Palm Sunday we ran our first Lego café church on the Main Street in Fivemiletown. Invites went out to all those registered with Lego club and 30 children and 20 parents turned up. Local Methodist minister Rev Jacqui Whittle opened with a welcome to everyone. We worshipped in song, watched the Lego Easter Story movie and built Easterthemed Lego models, before our minister, Rev David Curran, spoke briefly and passionately about the height, length and depth of our great big God’s love. It was a tremendous and God-blessed event. So what next? Lego club doesn’t stand on its own. Cavanaleck and Aughentaine are small, rural, western congregations, with a heart for evangelism. Outreach
involves ‘Tots Time’, Lego club, holiday Bible club (2024 will see 200+ registrations), youth club (small, but reaching outside our own denomination), a great partnership with local Methodists and much else. What has been hugely encouraging is to see how God is knitting these diverse evangelical strands together into a coordinated outreach. Next, perhaps a confidential prayer ministry for Lego club parents and kids, an open conduit for anyone to seek the Lord?
Have we found a ministry without challenges? Definitely not. Amongst the issues we have needed to resolve are:
Safeguarding – we must always operate to the highest standards.
Younger siblings – we began with a strict primary-school age limit. That didn’t work – families come in all shapes and sizes. So we changed our rules. Now in addition to Lego, we provide Duplo building blocks, a play mat and colouring sheets for younger children.
Behaviour – even with parents present, this can sometimes be challenging. We’re still working on this and probably always will be.
Additional needs – as any parent can testify, every child is different and some require a slightly different approach to meet their needs. Lego club has had to be both predictive and adaptive and will continue to change as necessary.
Innovation – whilst some children like to build their Lego freely, others need a new challenge set each week. We will need to keep innovating.
Parental control – it’s essential and hugely beneficial for many different reasons that parents remain during club. This has not proven popular with every parent and sometimes families don’t return.
The positives, however, vastly outweigh the negatives: the opportunity as a church to make contact with new individuals and families; the incredible sights and sounds of noisy happy children and parents in our church hall; sharing a child’s simple pleasure as they
show you a Lego Titanic, a flying house or a monster from Mars. Our Lego –their imagination.
It’s also been great to see a partnership work across two denominations and five congregations, allowing God to make us relevant to our community. What a great big God we serve!
Evangelism is the unchanging message of God’s love, delivered through evolving, responsive, loving ministry. God’s love has no limits and therefore neither must evangelism, so Lego club, café church, holiday Bible club and much else outside our comfort zones will continue in the Clogher Valley.
So, to finish, as I began… Why not start a Lego club?
The dopamine culture & the church
Deborah Sloan takes a look at how our pursuit of pleasure and a burst of dopamine is affecting our lives, and assesses the implications of this for the church.
“Iwant to tell you why entertainment is dead. And what’s coming to take its place,” says the American music critic, Ted Gioia in a recent blog post. Lamenting on the state of the culture in 2024, he describes how we’re witnessing the birth of a postentertainment society. It isn’t pretty, he says, as he paints a dystopian picture of the consequences of social media addiction. Art, once culturally revered, holds little attraction for modern audiences. It demands too much effort, and the media companies who filled the cultural gap with film and television are now struggling in ways nobody anticipated a few years ago.
Gioia explains that the fastest growing sector of the culture economy
is distraction. “Call it scrolling or swiping or wasting time or whatever you want,” he says. “But it’s not art or entertainment, just ceaseless activity. The key is that each stimulus only lasts a few seconds, and must be repeated.”
We are now living in what Gioia calls a ‘dopamine culture’, designed to hook individuals into a pleasure-seeking cycle of fast-paced, snappy, visual content. Its ultimate goal is to get people addicted. When we follow a clickbait headline or look at a meme or browse YouTube, the neurochemical dopamine is released. In her book, Dopamine Nation, Dr Anna
…the fastest growing sector of the culture economy is distraction.
Lembke, an expert on addiction, explains how dopamine is the body’s major reward neurotransmitter. We experience a dopamine hike as we anticipate doing something just as much as when we do the thing itself. When we reach for our phones, we are already expecting them to deliver something to us.
Seeking pleasure has always been hardwired into the human brain so it isn’t our brains that have changed over the last few years, it’s our access to addictive things. Lembke highlights how our brain normally operates a self-regulating process called homeostasis, meaning “for every high, there is a low”. Whilst we might experience a dopamine dip with most pleasure-seeking activities and eventually stop binge-watching the latest Netflix series or eating the
whole packet of biscuits, the dopamine delivered by the digital world is on a previously unimaginable scale with no self-regulating processes.
Social media feeds are unrelenting. We don’t have time to make decisions before the next hit loads automatically onto our screen. Whereas Facebook was once a space to connect with family and friends and Instagram was a photosharing site, everything has now been turned into TikTok, a platform named after the sound of a ticking clock, where short bursts of content are continuously refreshed and replaced.
Of course, we could say mobile phone addiction is nothing new. Parents have been struggling for some time now over whether to allow their children access to a device they will find difficult to extract from them. But addiction to social media is not a ‘disease’ of the young. No generation is immune from the effects of dopamine culture. To a degree, we are all addicts. Lembke calls the smartphone the ‘modern-day hypodermic needle’. We turn to it for quick hits, craving attention and validation with every swipe. Suggesting people have technology fasts, utilise airplane mode and lock their phones in drawers is insufficient. These are temporary solutions, managing the symptoms rather than tackling the causes. So, what does dopamine culture and living in an age of distraction mean for the church? Does it mean rethinking services because we now have short attention spans and distracted minds? Does it mean reducing the length of sermons because people struggle to concentrate and are anxiously waiting to retrieve their mobile from their pocket or handbag? Does it mean using more videos or reels or images on Sunday mornings? Yes, it may involve reviewing how corporate worship is structured to build in more interactive engagement but dealing with dopamine culture is not about identifying innovative ways to provide content or coming up with something that rivals TikTok – it’s about understanding why we have a dopamine culture in the first place and then showing Christian alternatives to this. Here are some things the church may want to consider when it comes to dopamine culture:
It makes money
Dopamine culture is big business. “If you thought the drug cartels were rich, wait till you see how much money the dopamine cartel is making,” Gioia says about the large technology companies who produce addictive content. They don’t openly publicise it but they want a market of junkies so they can act as their dealers. Gioia believes ruthless corporations need to be named and shamed. “Just telling the truth about the dopamine cartel would be a major step forward for the culture in 2024,” he says. He urges politicians to get involved. Perhaps this is something the church should be getting involved in too.
Call it scrolling or swiping…it’s not art or entertainment, just ceaseless activity.
It doesn’t bring happiness
Despite having endless distraction available at our fingertips, research shows that consuming content does not bring long-term satisfaction. In fact, it does the opposite. Because of the negative effect on behaviour and the increase in addiction-related mental ill-health, Gioia says that “the dopamine cartel is now aggravating our worst social problems – in education, in workplaces, and in private life”. “This is what we do for fun,” he says, “doomscrolling, trolling, doxxing, gaslighting”. The message the church has about the true and long-lasting satisfaction found in Jesus provides a real antidote to this.
It evidences a need to belong
For many, dopamine culture is escapism from reality. Instant gratification is a numbing mechanism and a way of avoiding difficult feelings such as loneliness and low self-esteem. The virtual world becomes a search for connection in the absence of finding it anywhere else. Here is where the church can step in and offer an alternative – a welcome, a community, a place of hope for those who are desperately seeking somewhere to belong.
Dealing with it requires discipline
Lembke explains how we’re forever “interrupting ourselves” for a digital fix because we’ve forgotten how to be alone with ourselves. She encourages people to disconnect from devices and engage with their thoughts. This isn’t easy and means tolerating discomfort, she says, but it is the “path to the good life”. We know that distraction draws us further away from God and intentionally tuning in brings us closer to him again. If we can’t tolerate being silent and still with God, we can’t hear what he is saying to us. Lembke’s comment reminds us of the importance of pursuing and practising spiritual disciplines, setting our phones aside so we can contemplate and meditate on God’s Word.
Tackling it involves an intergenerational approach
There is increasing evidence that younger people (millennials and Gen Z) are quitting social media. They are rejecting dopamine culture because they have seen its destructiveness and yearn to find deeper and higher meaning in life. They are the ones leading the way in terms of establishing interest groups, organising social gatherings, reinvigorating traditional media, and enjoying more slow-paced activities. Perhaps this provides an opportunity for churches to bring different generations together to find collective meaning and to explore and envision ways to counteract the impact of dopamine culture on society. Whether he intends to or not, Gioia ends his lament with a call to appreciate what God has given us. “Unplug yourself from time to time,” he says, “and start noticing the trees. They actually look better in real life than in the headset”.
Deborah Sloan is a member of Bloomfield Presbyterian Church.
How change comes to your church
David Thompson reflects on how change comes in the church and why it often doesn’t, and highlights an opportunity to think more deeply about that with others this autumn.
Recently I had a weird experience while driving. I was making my way to a house which I hadn’t been to for over two decades. As I drove there, I reached a T-junction on a narrow country road. I knew the house was either just to the left or the right, but which? I couldn’t quite remember and the house was still just out of view. So, I guessed it was right and set off down what was little more than a one-track road. No sooner had I done so though, I knew I should have turned left.
At that point I was in no doubt I was going the wrong way and needed to turn around. But I couldn’t. The road wasn’t wide enough for a three-point turn and so I found myself knowing I was travelling in the wrong direction, but without the space to do anything to reorientate myself. I was still moving, but frustratingly finding that I was getting further and further away from where I knew I needed to be. I had no choice but to keep going. Just stopping wasn’t an option that was going to help either. This went on for quite a bit, until finally a turning circle, just wide enough to allow me to take the necessary steps to change direction, emerged and I was finally able to get turned around and moving again, but this time in the right direction.
It becomes easier to just keep on doing what we have always done, the way we have always done it.
Finding ourselves on the wrong track
Having reached the end of another church year, might this very everyday story strike a chord for us?
As congregations it is easy to find ourselves travelling down well-worn tracks of activity that we have a deep sense don’t seem to be taking us in the direction we know we need to be going any more. We can comfort ourselves that at least we are still moving, but what use is that unless that motion is taking us where we need to go? All the while we feel the weariness of expending so much effort with less and less to show for it and ultimately wasting precious time, but we can’t seem to find the space to change direction. This might be especially the case as
we reflect with the benefit of hindsight on having returned to church activities following the interruption of the pandemic and lockdowns. When the moment came, we were just so glad to be able to get going again that many churches found themselves doing what they did before, in the same way that they used to do it. However, now down the road a bit, we sense these things aren’t working the way they used to, nor taking us where we need to be going, the way we had hoped they would. This can be true of the way we are organising our pastoral care, our weekly discipleship activities, our attempts to connect with the local community or our ministry among young people.
Making space, finding time, to turn around
In such cases, it’s not that we don’t know what we need to do. We need to change course. Adjust to new realities. Try something different. But that requires the space and time to turn from current activity to set ourselves to strike out in a new direction. Yet space and time seem more elusive than ever in our lives as churches and leaders. It becomes easier to just keep on doing what we have always done, the way we have always done it. To do so might require less effort and even prove comfortingly familiar, but at what cost to our ministries, our future and even ourselves? Whatever the genuine effort required to change course, don’t we often know in our heart of hearts that is what we need to create space and time to do?
If so, the summer break from activity and the moment for planning the next season’s work when it comes, may be the turning circle in the road we need. It is crucial to make space, to carve out time, to prayerfully and carefully assess what we are doing and where that is taking us just before getting going again.
How change comes to your church
Across the Presbyterian Church in Ireland there is a growing sense that change has come and more is on the way. Finding that turning circle on the road is more important than ever.
What would it take to make space in church life to find the turning circle?
How could we go about that in practical ways?
As leaders, what is our role in making sure it happens?
In doing so, how can we face the difficulties involved in finding the freedom we know change can bring?
As much as change can only come to our church through the work of the Holy Spirit, that doesn’t absolve us from his call to make straight paths for the Lord (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). Prompted to do so by God’s Spirit, our spirit is often willing, but the flesh is weak.
Across the Presbyterian Church in Ireland there is a growing sense that change has come and more is on the way.
The ‘Leading for a change’ morning on Thursday 17 October 2024 in Assembly Buildings, Belfast, will offer leaders the opportunity to explore this territory together and be encouraged and envisioned in making the space to take the necessary turns in this season of church life. Participants will explore the general theme of how change comes to the church before having an opportunity to go deeper in considering what it might take for our churches to do one of the following:
• Turning towards one another –deepening the core practice of pastoral discipleship;
• Turning outward – developing the evangelistic edge of congregational activities;
• Turning together – deciding to work with others for greater impact. Through reflection, story, discussion and signposting of appropriate resources, those attending will be equipped to lead for a change in congregational life and witness.
Watch out for further publicity coming soon... and don’t be so busy keeping doing what you are doing to not make the space and take the time to consider what it takes for change to come to your church.
Rev David Thompson is Secretary of PCI’s Council for Congregational Life and Witness.
TALKING POINTS
Dining
Norman
Hamilton discusses the fellowship and blessing that comes from embracing hospitality.
Iwas very struck recently at our normal Sunday morning service by one verse from a song composed in 2019 by Paul Baloche. The words that came alive to me, referring to Jesus, were: “He who dined with sinners and saints, healed the blind, the lost and the lame; even now he is in our midst; behold him.”
I had never really thought very much about the importance in the Bible of God’s people dining together – as, for example, in the seven annual feasts which included the Passover, so central to our own feast of Communion. And it is a moot point as to whether our symbolic meal in church on an occasional – if regular – basis adequately grasps the significance of both the Old Testament practices and those in the New Testament of time spent over a real meal together. Fellowship meals take time!
May I also encourage you to read the often-neglected story in 1 Samuel 25 about David, Nabal and Abigail? Failing to be hospitable was a very serious matter. And of course, Jesus himself was heavily dependent on the hospitality of others and dined with many people of all kinds during his ministry – and not always with the approval of others. We see this so clearly in passages such as Matthew 9:9–13 and Luke 7:36–39. Dining together today is very big business – it is a key part of the ‘hospitality industry’, which supports around six million jobs in the UK. Altogether we drink about 100 million cups of coffee every year! But who do we dine with? Who are the people with whom we share a few of those 100 million cups? And crucially, who dines with us in our homes – apart from family?
that believers should nurture carefully, and resist the temptation to ‘outsource’ it so often to commercial interests.
Showing hospitality is important within the church, but it is also exceedingly important to offer hospitality to people who are not in our family or church circles. I have the opportunity to do this quite regularly, and I am almost always amazed and humbled by how much it is appreciated. We live in a society where ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’ are so often at the centre of our plans – and indeed our aspirations. A society which has an epidemic of loneliness and isolation; a society where the vulnerable are often kept on the margins. To be able to share a coffee or a meal with someone who might not expect it is a huge privilege and a blessing all round. Of course, for that to happen, we need to be actively on the lookout for opportunities to do so – but the Lord does providentially bring them to us if we so wish.
To be able to share a coffee or a meal with someone who might not expect it is a huge privilege and a blessing all round.
He who dined with sinners and saints had no favourite groups or people to be excluded from the meal table or the ‘coffee conversation’. He had time – lots of it –for those in all kinds of need. One of the delights of being a follower of Christ is that I have not been required to join a club or become part of a local church-based ‘in crowd’. I’m really only an ever-learning follower when I am both in fellowship and life sharing with other believers as well as being ‘out there’ showing Christ to other people in whatever way I can – and there are few better ways to do that than having decent conversation over a meal or sharing coffee.
How’s about making the first move this coming week to have coffee and chat with someone you don’t yet know very well? It is almost certain to turn out to be a huge blessing to you both.
The world of the Bible knew nothing of coffee shops, cafés and restaurants, so hospitality at home was, of course, the norm. For example: the apostle Paul speaks warmly of his friend Gaius “whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy” (Romans 16:23). In 1 Peter 4 we are told in plain language to offer hospitality to other believers “without grumbling”! And the writer to the Hebrews is very straightforward: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers” (Hebrews 13:2).
Whilst there are a few rather special (though not expensive!) places I love to go to with friends, I often prefer to have them to our home for coffee or a meal. Home is so good – and often much better than a café – for conversation that uplifts people and explores matters that the Lord has put on the heart. Having folks in our homes is a lovely response to the free grace that God has shown us, and a great use of the resources he has given us. I really do think that hospitality in our homes is a privilege
Norman Hamilton
Very Rev Dr Norman Hamilton is a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
Mission Connect
Sprinkling Christ’s love and compassion
Mission news from workers around Ireland and the world.
Every aspect of our Church’s mission depends to some extent on United Appeal. Hundreds of projects and programmes at home and overseas are helping to advance God’s kingdom, showing God’s love in action to hundreds of thousands of people.
Sharing the love of God Edwin and Anne Kibathi
Going fishing
Naomi Keefe
Small is beautiful
Rev John Hanson
Sprinkling Christ’s love and compassion
Philip Whelton
Levelling mountains
Shirley McGonigle
A safeguarding mantra
Geoff Marshall
Including July/August prayer diary
Sharing the love of God
Edwin and Anne Kibathi
Global mission workers, England
After returning from our visit to Kenya in March, Edwin had to go back in April to attend the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA). He took greetings to the Church from the PCEA UK Outreach and our friends and also had a great time reconnecting with old friends in the ministry.
There are a number of events…which we see as opportunities to reach out to the communities
A few days before Edwin left Kenya, heavy rains had started with floods already affecting many parts of the country, including Nairobi where he was staying. As reported in the media, the floods’ impact resulted in the damage and destruction of many homes and personal belongings. This was witnessed in both the slum areas as well as upmarket estates. This resulted in grief, sadness, stress and depression after the affected communities lost both their irreplaceable possessions and their loved ones.
Up to now many displaced families are still accommodated in schools and other public facilities. Here at PCEA UK Outreach, we responded by raising what we could and sending it to PCEA Eastleigh Parish in Nairobi to assist those in Mathare slums. There are a number of events we expect to hold in the summer which we see as opportunities to reach out to the communities around us. This includes ‘Kenyans and Friends in the Park’, a seaside barbecue, and sports events.
For the women in the PCEA, June is usually a very exciting month. This is when they celebrate, participate in missions as they help the needy, and lead worship services in their respective congregations. Here at PCEA UK Outreach, we gathered at PCEA
around us.
Reading and during the worship service on 2 June, several women were commissioned while others were received as followers. We have continued to connect with churches and organisations that are serving God in the same communities we are in. This is mainly happening in London where we are part of Stratford Churches and Newham Transform. On 8 June, the Stratford Churches organised a family fun day called ‘Love Stratford’ where free food, games and fun were provided. This is always a great opportunity to share the gospel and the love of God.
Another important ongoing event is the prayer walk where the aim is to pray for each road and street in Newham. As for Newham Transform, the main event we participate in is ‘Faith in Schools’ where we send volunteers who share the Christian faith with pupils around Newham.
Please pray:
• Thank God for journey mercies for Edwin as he travelled to Nairobi and back.
• For the flood victims, that God will heal them physically and emotionally and that they will find the help they need to reconstruct their lives.
• For the upcoming summer events that will bring more to Christ and at the same time joy and fun to all the participants.
• For the Guild Week in PCEA. Pray they find encouragement and support from the women’s ministry.
Naomi Keefe
Going fishing
Global mission worker, Brazil
Iwonder which of the following you would want to eat: chocolate coins, a chocolate bar called Talents, a small tube of M&Ms or a packet of chewy sweets in the form of worms?
On Sunday evenings after the evening service, the volunteers in Beberibe get together to plan and prepare their ‘fishing events’ or ‘evangelistic events’ held outside in the local community. We often use drama, puppets and song to share the good news of Jesus.
suit of Piglet, Winnie the Pooh’s friend. It’s good to have everyone of all ages working together to share the good news of Jesus with others who don’t know him yet.
We often use drama, puppets and song to share the good news of Jesus.
No sooner have I come into the church building before the evening service and even before sitting down in the pew, I am approached by some of our very keen younger volunteers: “We are having our meeting tonight, aren’t we? Are we going to get M&Ms, worms, or coins?”
Usually during our training session, we have something to eat which is linked to what we are doing. As we are always ‘fishing’, usually it is the chewy sweet worms (bait) which is a big favourite with all the volunteers, including the elderly retired volunteers.
Our youngest volunteer in Beberibe (a four-year-old) enjoys being the lost sheep with his puppet and it was fun to see him realise for the first time that his thumb and finger moved the arms of the glove puppet – his face completely lit up! The other children and teenagers were also excited about using our new glove puppets of sheep and pigs – especially doing the sound effects. When it comes to the puppets singing and dancing to the music, the children are singing and dancing to the beat too behind the curtain. We even had one of our teenagers dressed in her pyjama
I wonder can you work out what three parables they were sharing, which are all about repentance? (Luke 15 will give you a clue together with our t-shirts.) Chocolate coins to remind us of the parable of the lost coin. Chocolate Talents remind us to use our gifts and talents to serve God, and chewy worm sweets remind us that we are fishers of men. M&Ms sweets remind us of a change of mindset/repentance (Mudanca de Mente in Portugese).
Together with ‘Reading in the Park’ these events are a way in which the congregation of Beberibe are reaching out and sharing the good news of Jesus to others, or as we like to call it ‘going fishing’.
Please pray:
• Give thanks for the enthusiasm of the volunteers and continue to pray for them in both Peixinhos and Beberibe as they ‘go fishing’ in the neighbourhood.
• Pray for planning over the next few months as it is hoped to reach out into another housing area as well with the ‘Reading in the Park’.
• Pray for the activities of the Good News club and reading room in Peixinhos community.
Small is beautiful
Rev John Hanson
Clones, Stonebridge, Ballyhobridge and Newbliss Presbyterian Churches
Clones is a small town in County Monaghan, on the border with County Fermanagh. It’s the home town of the Ulster football final and Lipton Tea. It has a thriving meat plant and a marina, with a renovated section of the Ulster Canal opening soon.
It is also the home of a small Presbyterian congregation that shares its building with a Brazilian church. The Presbyterians are part of a group of four, including Stonebridge, Newbliss in Co Monaghan and Ballyhobridge in Co Fermanagh. There are about 70 households in the Clones group, with Newbliss providing half of those.
recent improvements at the manse; repairs and redecoration at Newbliss; and a new kitchen and toilet block at Clones nearing completion.
…there is much to be said for small churches where everyone plays a part…
These churches have a part-time minister, are paying their way and are without debt. Numbers are going in the right direction and over the past three years there have been baptisms in all four churches, 11 in total and more in the pipeline.
In an era where churches are closing, there is much to be said for small churches where everyone plays a part, where the ‘one man band’ can’t exist and where members look after their property and enjoy good friendship and fellowship.
There are members from both sides of the border in all four churches. So, when we pray, we pray for the President and the King, we intercede for those sitting Leaving Certificate and A-level exams and we remember before God those in hospital in Cavan and Enniskillen. And when it comes to the offering, we’re happy to receive Euros, Pounds, US dollars or Swiss francs – you name it and we’ll take it!
Although we’re small in size, we’re ‘big’ on cooperation, with one united PW, a united mid-week meeting, a bowling club, a table tennis club, a youth group and two Sunday schools. There are two services one Sunday and three the next, with one united service on a fifth Sunday. On Sunday 19 May there were 31 people in Stonebridge Presbyterian Church and over 70 in Newbliss, including about 20 visitors for a baptism. The congregations keep their property in good shape with
But it’s not all about fellowship, property and numbers. It’s very much about teaching the Word of God, and preaching the gospel. We’re currently looking at the Ten Commandments. In the autumn we are planning a harvest mission using social media and leaflets distributed around the doors to invite people to consider the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please pray:
• Give thanks for small congregations such as the Clones group, where everyone plays a part and where there is good cooperation, friendship and support.
• Please pray for the evangelistic harvest mission from 5–13 October, that souls will be saved and believers encouraged.
Sprinkling Christ’s love and compassion
Philip Whelton
Irish mission worker, Arklow Presbyterian Church
It’s fascinating. In a town where teenagers have attractive but unhealthy distractions on their doorsteps and keyboards, they throng to our weekly clubs. On Fridays, they even jostle to be the one who gets to read the Scriptures out loud. Equally fascinating, they don’t find us online. It’s all word of mouth, through relationships built by close to three decades of prayer and commitment.
People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
Nearly 300 youth have come to our clubs at least once this year and it is a privilege to be able to share God’s love, both individually and as a group. Each Wednesday, children aged 5–9 come to hear Bible lessons and enjoy crafts, songs and games. Every Friday, the older youth and teens come to be with friends, hang out, and enjoy a safe space to be themselves. We provide an opportunity to read God’s Word and experience his love through our leaders, whether that involves listening to their hardships or simply playing a game of football.
A good friend recently spoke to our congregation about his experiences in these clubs and shared these words: “Over the decades there’s been many a freezing cold, wet, miserable Friday night, yet kids will walk from one end of the town to the other to get to Friday club. You know there are so many other ways they can amuse themselves in Arklow, so why come here and surrender their phones at the door? It’s very simple: the leaders care about them. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care. The team get that. They know the kids and families don’t care what we know about God until they know that we care about them.
“Walk anywhere in Arklow with Philip and people of all ages shout out and wave. They’re children who go to the clubs. They’re parents of the youth. And some even went as young children themselves close to three decades ago. They open up conversations about some of the most personal things. They do that because they still trust. They know they’re still cared for, with no terms and conditions. It’s amazing to see, hear and watch as he sprinkles Christ’s love and compassion into the cracks in their lives. It’s not about egos, being cool or liked. Plain and simple, it’s all about God’s love for the people of the town. They are happy to sprinkle that love in those cracks, comfortable that it’s one role to sow, and someone else’s, in God’s will and God’s time, to harvest.”
Please pray:
• For our clubs and for our upcoming holiday Bible club this August. Good relationships offer fertile ground for our gospel work. We have reached our capacity of 150 young people registered for August and have a waiting list. It’s all for God’s glory and purposes.
Levelling mountains
Shirley McGonigle International Meeting Point, north Belfast
“Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” (Isaiah 40:4–5)
Spend half an hour at Carlisle Circus watching the world go by (literally!) and you will be struck by the relentless noise of the city, the visible signs of poverty, injustice, and weariness. Isaiah 40 speaks of the comfort of God to an exiled and weary people. It also points us to Jesus and the hope of deliverance in him. The deep valleys will be filled in, the mountains impossible to scale will be levelled, the twists and turns of life will become straight, and the glory of the Lord will be seen by all people.
Thanks to the generosity of many churches and individuals, IMP North has been able to regularly meet some of the practical needs of those who come to north Belfast. We run a pop-up ‘shop’ in the centre where people can select what they need. Some weeks it is store cupboard basics, others it is toiletries or clothes.
We are to draw alongside those seeking sanctuary in Belfast to help…level the ‘mountains and hills’ they are facing.
In addition, God has brought a fantastic team of volunteers to IMP North, people who desire to serve him and who have a heart for the stranger in our land. As the ministry grows, however, the need for more volunteers also increases. Each one of these volunteers is bringing comfort and hope, friendship and a warm welcome. We continue to delve into God’s Word at the Bible study, teach English, help with completing numerous forms, signpost to statutory and nonstatutory agencies, advocate, make phone calls to GP surgeries… As this is done, friendships and trust are built.
God has placed International Meeting Point, the Op Shop and the IMP centre, on Carlisle Circus to speak of the hope of deliverance in Jesus and to declare God’s glory. We are to draw alongside those seeking sanctuary in Belfast to help, with God’s guidance and strength, level the ‘mountains and hills’ they are facing as they struggle to adapt to their new lives in Belfast. What are some of the mountains being encountered? Finding a safe place to live, providing the family with food, toiletries and warm clothing; basic human needs which many of us take for granted, and which only become even bigger mountains once refugee status has been granted. Add to these the need to communicate in a foreign language, rising racism, and hard-earned skills and qualifications from a home country which are no longer recognised. The mountains are huge, and the valleys are deep.
Each term a trip out of the city is organised. This is another chance to draw alongside our friends, share positive experiences and to help ‘smooth out the rough places’. We are to follow Christ’s example, to serve and to point people to the Father.
Please pray:
• Praise God for the volunteers who faithfully serve, and the prayerful and practical support from many church families.
• That our friends will become curious about who Jesus truly is and come to know him as their Saviour.
• For guidance as the ministry in north Belfast grows and needs increase.
Geoff
Marshall
A safeguarding mantra
Voluntary trainer, PCI Safeguarding
In all agencies and organisations, children are best protected from harm by high standards of professional practices. This includes churches as we are part of the voluntary sector. We must have a safeguarding policy, with procedures being open and transparent, clearly setting out how we deal with a report of a child suffering harm or likely to suffer significant harm.
It is vitally important that we understand the biblical basis to care for children and young people, also encompassing legal requirements – the law of the land. Churches are not exempt or indeed above the law.
Over the years there have been many changes in child protection, the largest being in how we communicate. From the early days of owning a basic mobile phone to the latest smartphone, we can do almost anything. We are dependent and attached to our devices and likewise are young people. New developments, not only around communicating but in many other areas, ultimately presents opportunities for those who have wrong motives or ideas to make their move. Therefore, child safeguarding policies, guidance, training, support and advice must keep in step with new legislation, being constantly reviewed and updated.
we do both! Recently, as voluntary trainers, we engaged in an indepth review and overhaul of the training presentation. It simply was taken apart, updated, refreshed and will serve well for the next period. The new presentation begins with a ‘Safeguarding Mantra’.
This is a statement that must be repeated frequently by all who work with children and young people and by those who have ultimate responsibility for safeguarding in churches –kirk session.
Child safeguarding policies…must keep in step with new legislation, being constantly reviewed and updated.
Another notable change is the merger of foundation and refresher training into one ‘child safeguard training’. Training can be delivered in-person or online depending on the preference of the church. Currently, there is high demand for training and to meet those demands it has been necessary to bring neighbouring churches together. Not only is this practical but is an efficient use of resources.
Please pray:
• For the those in the Safeguarding office, that the small team is able to cope with the large workload.
This is the ongoing work of the PCI Safeguarding office – note the name change from Taking Care child protection to child safeguarding. Safeguarding is what we do to prevent harm, whilst child protection is the way in which we respond to harm. In truth
• That the connections made through youth organisations across PCI point people to the love of Jesus, and that no one is overlooked or left out.
n RURAL CHAPLAIN – For Rev Kenny Hanna and the team as they make tentative plans for an evangelistic mission to be held in Rathfriland Co-op livestock mart in November, that God would guide every aspect of this outreach.
n MENTAL HEALTH – For adequate funding for mental health services. Pray that God will be close to those suffering from mental health problems. Grant patience and wisdom to their families and carers.
n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – For Josh McCance as he reaches out into the local community and develops the ongoing church planting work in Balbriggan.
n NAOMI LEREMORE – For all who have been adversely affected by the heavy rains and flooding in Kenya. Remember those who have lost everything and are staying temporarily in schools.
n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – For Angela Hamilton serving in West Kirk. Give thanks for the recent Bible studies and pray for other ministries that provide opportunities to share the hope of Jesus.
n NAOMI KEEFE – Pray for wisdom as Naomi and the team hope to reach out to other areas within the Brazilian community with the ‘Reading in the Park’ activities. Pray for the Good News club and reading room in Peixinhos community and for cinema days planned for the holidays.
n INTERNATIONAL MEETING POINT – For the team at IMP as they seek to help migrants in challenging situations. Pray for continued opportunities to share Jesus Christ as the way to salvation.
n REFORMED CHURCH IN ROMANIA – For the life and witness of the Hungarian Reformed Church Districts in Romania, especially as they share in the organisation and hosting of the ninth General Assembly of the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe.
n URBAN MISSION – For the congregation of Westbourne; for a developing working relationship with local churches as they explore ways to cooperate together in mission.
n HEALTHCARE CHAPLAINS – Give thanks for the recent conference which brought healthcare chaplains together for fellowship, prayer, teaching and discussion. Pray for them as they navigate chaplaincy in a changing healthcare environment.
n SOUTH BELFAST FRIENDSHIP HOUSE – Give thanks for the relationship between Friendship House and the neighbouring congregation in Windsor and pray that it would continue to grow so that children could be discipled in a local faith community. Pray also that the process of integrating cross-cultural mission work in the Sandy Row area would be peaceful.
n COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS – For families who are struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis. Give thanks for food banks and other Christian organisations who help.
n DEACONESS – For Sharon Heron serving in International Meeting Point, as she spends time with young women coming into our country who have been through traumatic experiences. Pray that God would intervene and bring healing to their lives.
n FORCES CHAPLAINS – For PCI’s forces chaplains as they provide pastoral care, and lead services of worship and prayers. Pray also for the families of chaplains who, behind the scenes, give their support and endure long absences.
n THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION BY EXTENSION MALAWI – For TEEM to contribute to the provision of effective theological training at the grassroots in Malawi. Pray also for all those enrolled on certificate and diploma courses.
n VOLUNTEERING – Give thanks for those who act as designated person for child protection and adult safeguarding within their congregations. Pray for guidance for those who may have recently taken on this role, that they may find the training useful.
n VOLKER AND JINHYEOG GLISSMANN – Give thanks for the collaboration that helped to design and write a new
n SPECIAL MINISTRY IN WEST BELFAST – Give thanks for the three worship services that have taken place in recent months. Pray for the beginning of some form of regular worship in the area.
n ST PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY – Give thanks for the May graduation of the students, and pray for their individual ministries throughout Russia.
n HOME MISSION – For the congregation of Fahan and for Rev Marty McNeely and his family as they settle into ministry in Donegal. Pray for God’s leading as together they seek to begin a new work of outreach in nearby Buncrana.
n ADDICTION SERVICES – For the staff of Carlisle House and Gray’s Court as they support those recovering from addiction. Pray for the new intake of service users at Carlisle House, that they will leave free from addiction and on the road to recovery.
n IRISH MISSION – For Philip Whelton serving in Arklow, that those he speaks to would know the hope of Christ in their lives.
n MANAGERS – For the senior management team in the Council for Social Witness. Give thanks for the dedication of Eddy Kerr, Jayne Bellingham and Caroline Yeomans as they work closely with service managers to promote the best possible experience for residents and their families.
n SUNNYSIDE HOUSE – For the residents of this Bangor residential care home, that this summer, they will enjoy days out and time with each other and family. Give thanks for the manager, Anna McCaffrey, and the staff team, for their dedication in providing safe and considerate care to all residents.
Theological Education by Extension course in Southern Africa in record time. Continue to pray for the health and safety of the whole family.
n DEACONESS – For Roberta Irvine serving in Elmwood, that those she shares the love of Christ with would grow and develop in their walk of faith.
n PRISON CHAPLAINS – For Gary Aitcheson and all of PCI’s prison chaplains. Pray that they would know the Lord’s strength as they support inmates.
n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – For Jack McQuillan serving in Christ Church, Dundonald and Tullycarnet; for boldness as Jack and the team serve in the community.
n UNITED MISSION TO NEPAL (UMN) –For the new project agreement for 2025–2030, for the work in new districts (Bara and Surkhet) and ongoing work in Mugu. Pray for a resolution to the long-standing property dispute over UMN’s Thapathali headquarters along with other legal settlements.
n UNIVERSITY CHAPLAINS – For Cheryl Meban serving in Ulster University Jordanstown and Belfast campuses, that Cheryl and all of PCI’s university chaplains would know rest and refreshment as they pause and then prepare for the next term.
Naomi Leremore
Jack McQuillan
Summer Jonny Frazer
I’m sure I’m not the only one hoping that we haven’t already had our three days of summer over the last few months! We know well on this island that we do not have the joy of long-lasting summers, but rather we get used to the sun that only appears during the school exams. So those ‘outdoor barbecues’ become ‘in the garage barbecues’, and all those other activities definitely need to have a plan B.
Although the weather might not always be great, we do get the opportunity to see and enjoy a different pace of life over the summer months, whether it’s because the roads are quieter with school traffic gone, or the lack of rushing out in the evenings to church or other events, or it may even be the chance to get away somewhere or spend time with family or friends.
With this different season and especially with the change from rush to relax, you might even get to spend more time at the table, eating, talking, enjoying that time with family and friends. I say this because for me at least, there are more opportunities to sit down without having to rush away, more opportunities to let the kids run about while we sit, more time for discussion and conversation; and this all reminds me of a book I read a number of years ago by Tim Chester called A Meal with Jesus. In it, he focuses on the ‘Son of man’ who came not to be served but to serve, who came to seek and save the lost, and in Luke’s Gospel, came eating and drinking. In his book he maintains that Jesus is “either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal”, taking this further to say that for Jesus, ‘feast’ was not just a metaphor for the coming kingdom but he also brings it into reality through his own feasting. This struck a chord for me, the idea that Jesus wanted to eat. It sounds strange doesn’t it? But for me, it reinforces his humanity and his desire to sit with people at the table and enjoy doing what many of us enjoy doing – eating. Going further, it also shows that this God we worship isn’t a God who sits far off from us, hidden from us, or keeping us at arm’s-length, but wants to walk among us, and not only walk among us but spend time with us. This wasn’t a drive-thru kind of redemption, this was a deep, longing and loving redemption that saw God take on human flesh and all the desires and needs that flesh has –including for food!
circumstances. Not only that we get to enjoy the food, but also the abundance of God’s goodness and generosity to us by his grace.
In our modern culture… this countercultural society is needed all the more.
We see this feasting among the early church too; meals were central to the life of the church. It’s not that they sometimes had a church lunch, their meetings were actual meals. Even as Paul writes to the Corinthians, he writes because they are meeting in a dysfunctional manner that doesn’t reflect the gospel. Paul’s answer to this is, not to abolish the meal, but to realign it to the cross. With a believer who is guilty of a wrong, Paul talks about delivering him over to Satan and not associating with him. But the concrete form this takes, and the only one mentioned, is not eating with him, because eating with someone conveys something. Who we invite, who we eat with, and how we eat with them all show how Christ-like we truly are, and how we value them so as to eat with them. We see this in both Jesus and the early church again, their ethic of grace rather than reciprocity, enabling them to create a new countercultural society in the midst of the empire they lived in.
In our modern culture, which has changed a lot since those years ago, this countercultural society is needed all the more. We may have moved on technologically, financially and in other ways, but we have lost some of the basic tenets of how to live together. We are able to talk to people across the world as if they’re in the same room as us, but find it difficult to talk to those who are physically with us. We have the financial ability to buy second homes and large cars, but find it difficult to give generously. We have in our pockets a computer strong enough to change lives but find it difficult to get involved in changing lives around us. We’re often too busy with too many other priorities and too consumed with ourselves to seek and celebrate what God is doing in his goodness and generosity. This summer, as well as enjoying that time away, let’s prioritise time together. As well as giving our finances to that next holiday, let’s prioritise giving to those who are less fortunate. And even in the rain, let’s herald the coming kingdom by feasting together, doing what Jesus did, eating and drinking as a way to seek and save the lost.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that “through the daily meal, God is calling us to rejoice, to celebrate in the midst of our working day” and so all these meals we have aren’t simply fuel for the day, they are a gift calling us to rejoice in the midst of our
Bringing hope in anxious times
Suzanne Hamilton talks to Rebecca McCullough about strategies churches can adopt to help young people cope with stress and anxiety.
Churches have an important part to play in helping combat the growing problem of anxiety in children and young people. That is the message from Rebecca McCullough, founder of Eden Consultancy NI.
Through her role, Rebecca provides training on autism, ADHD and emotional wellbeing, and recently she led a Presbyterian Children’s Societyfunded workshop on ‘Stress and anxiety in children and young people’ in St Andrew’s, Bangor, to equip leaders in the Ards Presbytery area.
With incidences of anxiety on the rise among younger generations, there has never been a greater need for supportive environments which churches can provide.
The figures are stark. In 2021, anxiety was named as the most used word by children by lexicographers at Oxford University Press. According to the Northern Ireland Youth Wellbeing Survey, published in 2020, 12.6% of children and young people experience common mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
In the Republic, a 2019 study by University College Dublin and youth mental health organisation Jigsaw, found that the number of young people suffering from anxiety had doubled in seven years, with 22% of secondary school level children experiencing severe anxiety.
Rebecca says the Covid pandemic has brought anxiety to fore, saying, “It’s something that children and young people are really aware of.”
She points out that young people and children are facing a very different world now compared to when many adults were growing up. As well as pressure to achieve high grades in exams, “they have access to a lot of information and they are comparing with a lot of other situations… For example, when I was at school, you were only comparing yourself to the girls in your class, not 17,000 girls from all over the world on TikTok.”
Worryingly, the rates for anxiety and depression in school-aged children in Northern Ireland are 25% higher than in the rest of the United Kingdom. Whilst there are many reasons behind this, Rebecca says transgenerational trauma from the Troubles is a factor.
It has been scientifically proven that trauma is passed down onto subsequent generations through genetics, which sees the brain start to form differently.
“Definitely in pockets of Northern Ireland we see this more, as effective knock-ons from the Troubles,” she explains, adding those now in primary school are “the right generation you’d start to see real substantial change, due to
Young people and children are facing a very different world now…
the formation of brains, and reacting and responding to anxiety differently.”
She feels there is a responsibility to be really supporting children and young people, and this includes being careful in the conversations we have around anxiety.
“It’s human nature – the feeling of anxiety. It’s something that works for us as well as against us,” she explains, adding that what’s important is how it’s dealt with.
Rebecca gets annoyed when she hears comments about lack of resilience in younger generations. “In response to that, we’ve actually then failed them as adults if they’re not, because children and young people only become resilient if they develop a healthy stress response system through the adults surrounding them –and that’s our responsibility.”
Rather than dismissing the anxiety, it is important to help the young person or child learn to regulate their feelings through validation, creating predictability and helping them recognise the symptoms of positive stress.
“Validating is really the most important thing you can do… Rather than saying, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ say, ‘That is a big feeling, isn’t it? Let me help you by…’ and step in to help.”
Churches can help create predictability through simple steps, such as being really clear about who leaders are, the start time and the planned routine. Visuals are also a good tool, and Rebecca points out that adults use calendars or to-do lists in
everyday life. “They help us, pre-empting what is to come, but often we pull that away from kids and they are thrown into situations – left at the door wailing because they don’t know what they’re going into.”
She loves that some churches have developed programmes with this in mind: “Creating certainty in the uncertainty is very important…, so they’re not appearing to their youth week or Sunday school and everything is a surprise.”
Another key practice is the importance of regulating first and solving later.
“So often we jump into solving – why are you anxious? What is going on? What do you need? But actually, for children and young people a lot of them just need to be regulated first, to be able to get back to the part of the brain that they can actually use language, communicate and reason and problem solve.”
In a church group setting, regulating might be a case of just taking them out of the hall, going for a short walk outside, taking some deep breaths in a different environment or getting a cup of juice.
“All of those are really brilliant regulation tools for children and young people – and then being able to have conversations around maybe what’s happened. The language we encourage to use around that is notice and wonder – ‘I notice that in the hall there it was all getting really noisy, wasn’t it? I can see
Young minds matter
…it’s also an opportunity to teach young people that anxiety is a valid emotion, but that, as Christians, we have hope in Jesus.
you were starting to get a little bit upset, I just wonder if it was because there was just a lot going on. I really thought that too so it’s nice that we’ve come out together’. You’re teaching kids that it’s okay when you feel anxious and worried about something, it’s how you then respond to it.”
She says it’s all about helping them piece together what’s happened and recognising the body sensations which accompany anxiety, such as feeling sick or a sore head, and regulating from that.
“There’s something called ‘positive stress’ that we all should be experiencing, which is our heart rate increasing and a mild elevation in stress hormones for a brief period of time.”
Rebecca says playing games within
Mental health is an important issue affecting children and young people today. For many young people, it impacts on their educational attainment, relationships, and physical wellbeing. With that in mind, the Presbyterian Children’s Society developed a small grants programme called ‘Young minds matter’.
This programme provided an opportunity for 10 Presbyterian congregations to deliver one of three workshops – ‘Stress and anxiety in children and young people’; ‘Autism: The myths, facts and all you need to
the church setting is a good way of building healthy stress regulation “because they are in situations that are new, they’re trying out new things, but the key thing here is they have good relationships with the adults who are supporting them in it.”
While these strategies mean that churches may have to reconsider some activities, Rebecca says it’s also an opportunity to teach young people that anxiety is a valid emotion, but that, as Christians, we have hope in Jesus.
“There’s a beautiful opportunity that the church has to really bring hope, for parents as well as for their children and young people, to be supporting their needs, both physically, spiritually and emotionally, in environments that are really safe, where they are seen and belong.”
Further information about Eden Consultancy NI can be found at www.edenconsultancyni.com
know’; and ‘Understanding and supporting behaviour’. All workshops were delivered in congregational settings by Eden Consultancy.
It sought to build on other similar support offered to parents and carers by the Society, following the Covid pandemic. Given the level of interest, it is hoped that a similar programme may be possible later this year.
Jason Nicholson, executive secretary of the Presbyterian Children’s Society.
Rebecca McCullough
Training Arab leaders for the Arab world
Travelling to the Middle East, under normal circumstances, can often be fraught with challenges and uncertainties, but especially when you travel 12 days after the beginning of the armed conflict between Hamas and Israel on 7 October 2024. Between 55–65% of Jordanians are of Palestinian heritage. There were protests around the Israeli and American embassies and demonstrations in the Jordan Valley area which seemed to be more cathartic in nature.
In Cairo it was very much life as usual. However, in Upper Egypt, that is, in the city of Minya, there was vocal and visible support for the Palestinians in Gaza. The army and police were enforcing restrictions of movement on Friday morning when men exit the mosques after noon prayers. Pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Gaza and that the surrounding nations would remain calm and non-violent.
Marjorie and I were formerly PCI global mission workers to the Middle East (Jordan, 2016–2022) serving in Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS). I was the academic dean,
teaching pastoral care and counselling and Marjorie was the assistant librarian. The purpose of this solo trip, made with the support and encouragement of PCI, was to meet with graduates from JETS, who are serving in Jordan and Egypt and to hear and learn from them regarding their faith in God, their varied ministries and to pray together and encourage one another. It was also an opportunity to discuss potential leadership development, offer a book allowance, consider inservice training, and anything else the graduates may suggest.
I took a morning to visit JETS and met with the president, Dr Imad Shehadah, faculty, staff and students. I was pleased to see that some building projects on the campus were completed since I last visited. The online classes have grown
The kingdom of God is growing…churches which gather together for worship in the Arab world are vibrant and alive.
and developed with as many students engaging in virtual learning as there are on campus. However, I was told this brings its own challenges around mentoring, character development and creating community in a virtual environment.
JETS retains a strategic role in the Middle East in relation to theological education and the training of Arab leaders. The purpose of JETS is to train Arab leaders for the Arab nations. The seminary has a bold and unambiguous mission statement: “Equipping spiritual leaders for planting and strengthening churches in the Arab world”. During our time serving in JETS, Marjorie and I engaged with students from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Syria, Eritrea, Chad and North and South Sudan. Before completing our term of service we identified several JETS students with exceptional potential as leaders in the Arab world. We were able to secure a small annual financial contribution from a UK Christian charitable organisation and a handful of individual faithful supporters within PCI.
Colin Dickson reports on how PCI is supporting ministry and individuals to spread the good news of the gospel in the Middle East.
Isaac graduating from ETSC
The Arab world, also known as the Arab nation, consists of 22 Arab countries which are members of the Arab League. The Arab world stretches around 13 million square kilometres, with around 423 million inhabitants. It has been suggested that only 5% of the population of these countries profess to be Christian. The graduates carry the gospel, containing the knowledge of the living God, to the Arab nation who do not yet know him.
The task seems impossible, the challenge insurmountable, the opposition relentless and yet churches are being planted and existing churches are strengthened throughout the Middle East; Muslims are coming to faith in Christ. The kingdom of God is growing and for the most part, the fellowships and churches which gather together for worship in the Arab world are vibrant and alive. Will you pray for the people in the Arab world? Pray that they might experience a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit, enabling them to understand the gospel and experience faith and repentance.
Here is a brief snapshot of four graduates out of the nine I visited in Jordan and Egypt who are supported monthly and we mentor regularly. Nader, married to Fadia, with three children, is a JETS graduate (2016) and a newly ordained pastor in an Arab congregation in Jordan. It was a privilege to preach at his ordination service. Pastoral visitation, discipleship and Friday evening church services with over 100 manual workers are the focus of Nader’s exciting and dynamic ministry. It is a thrill to worship with these men, hungry for the Word of God.
…we have much to learn about persevering in the faith.
Wafi, married to Eman, with two children, graduated from JETS in 2017 and pastored an Iraqi refugee congregation in Amman for two years before returning to his home country of Egypt in 2019 where he was ordained as a Methodist pastor. Christians in Egypt are regularly persecuted, churches often attacked and set on fire, and yet Wafi courageously ministers biblical truth amongst a vibrant and young congregation that lives for Jesus in a predominantly Muslim country. Pray for Wafi and his family, as we have much to learn about persevering in the faith.
Ishak and Martha are a married couple, both are JETS graduates (2017), Egyptians by birth and who spent one year as missionaries in Sudan before returning to Cairo where they now serve among Sudanese refugees. I spent a day in their ministries, visiting a Sudanese refugee school for orphans and several homes of Sudanese refugees. It was harrowing at times to hear the stories from the refugees and join Ishak and Martha in the challenges and joys of their ministry. Pray for God’s grace and provision for this couple and their ministry.
Isaac, married to Maha, with four children, is a JETS graduate (2020) and has just completed his studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary Cairo (ETSC) for the ordained ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Egypt. This has been a long and challenging pathway into ministry for Isaac and
without an anonymous supporter in a PCI congregation, he may never have progressed so far. He graduated in June and has taken on the role of assistant minister in a Presbyterian church in Upper Egypt. Pray for Isaac and his family as they begin a new ministry and family life in a remote area of the country. Visiting Isaac and Maha also provided an opportunity to visit ETSC, the official seminary for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt and meet with students and faculty to discuss ministry training, theological education and the role and witness of the Presbyterian Church in Egypt. An ETSC faculty member, Dr Anne Zaki, was the main speaker at a conference in Assembly Buildings in February 2024. PCI remains in correspondence with ETSC, as we have much to learn from a seminary and a denomination serving its people while living and worshipping under a dominant religion.
The Middle East is where the gospel was birthed and the Christian faith took root and shaped the Christian church. We owe our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, across every denomination, and in the theological seminaries, a great deal for staying faithful and true to the gospel and the Christian faith through the centuries and more so in recent years. Pray that the seminaries and the churches they serve will continue to be effective in training Arab leaders for the Arab world.
Rev Dr Colin Dickson is project leader at the International Meeting Point, Belfast.
JETS students
Colin and wife Marjorie with Nader, Fadia and their family
Lamenting suicide
Sarah Harding chats to Dr Karen Mason about her expertise in the area of suicide prevention. She explains why it’s important that the church addresses the whole topic of lament and how this could be a key step in helping those who are struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Karen Mason is professor of counselling and psychology and the director of the MA Counselling programme at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. She has written and co-written several books on the subject of suicide, and is passionate about helping ministers and lay leaders address this issue in church culture, turning the tide on the devastating impact suicide has on communities. Dr Mason will be a key speaker at an upcoming conference in September at Union Theological College called ‘Hidden Hope in Lament: Pastoral care, preaching and suffering’.
The conference at Union is on the topic of lament. Why is lamenting so important?
There’s an expectation that a Christian’s life is always going to be joyful and, like Job’s friends say, that suffering shouldn’t
happen to people of faith – they assume Job must have sinned. I think there’s some of that thinking in the church today. Christians are expected not to suffer and therefore not to lament, so people who are lamenting feel kind of isolated.
When we deny the struggles someone is experiencing, we’re setting them up for more isolation because they’re sitting thinking, “Everyone at church is happy. I should be doing a whole lot better than I am – what’s wrong with me?” That concerns me because then people don’t get help, we’re just setting them up for a whole range of negative things trying to deal with things on their own.
We need to create a culture where it’s safe to reach out for help.
When it comes to mental health issues in general, do you think churches are getting better at talking about this? I think we are getting better. I think there is more recognition that Christians can get depressed. As one of my research participants recently said, “It’s neurochemistry”. You have to assume that neurochemistry – the chemistry of the brain – can exist, not just in society, but in the church as well and that people are going to experience mental health conditions. How do you get better in dealing with it? You talk about it!
How can a lack of lament lead to suicide?
Our research shows that suicidal congregants are in church but they don’t reach out to clergy much. A lot of that is related to the stigma. I think what happens in churches is that people start to believe that there can’t be any suicidal Christians in my congregation, because
that doesn’t happen to Christians. Not being able to lament and experiencing suicidal thinking – that’s a hard thing for anybody to deal with, but a really hard thing for a Christian.
Any death is difficult, but what are added implications of a death by suicide?
It’s a devastating death. The level of devastation depends on how close that person was to you. The thing that’s really surprising is that people who have lost a loved one to suicide often have thoughts of suicide themselves. So they are experiencing a double stigma. They think – can I hang on to hope when I don’t feel hope? Can I hang onto God’s faithfulness and trust that God will bring me to the other side when that person wasn’t able to hang on to God’s faithfulness?
Grief from a suicide is so much more complicated and more profound than other grief. There’s a thing called ‘social ambiguity’ when it comes to death –none of us really knows what to do with it. We’re not good in general with death, but a death by suicide gets even more ambiguous. Unfortunately, when people are confused about what to say, they may say really hurtful things to people who have lost loved ones to suicide.
How would you recommend for people to approach these situations instead? I think in those moments, the most important thing is a ministry of presence – just being present for the family. One of the things we found in our research is that we tend not to do the things for suicide deaths that we usually do for other deaths – like bring food to the family. And I think that as churches, we just have to get better at that.
It’s extremely difficult to grieve a suicide death because other people don’t like to talk about it. But the way we grieve is by talking. With a suicide death, you’re not being given the opportunity to process it with people, because they don’t know what to do and they don’t know what to say – they’re afraid of it. And you can see that with clergy as well.
How can ministers have an influence?
Pastors can’t do everything – they just don’t have time for that – and they can’t see everything. It needs to be the ministry
Christians are expected not to suffer…so people who are lamenting feel kind of isolated.
of the whole church together. But I think the pastor, of course, sets the tone. The culture is set by the leader, but everybody has to participate in it. I keep hearing from suicidal congregants that what is needed is ‘transparent authenticity’ – the willingness to come forward with your struggles. And that’s not going to happen if there’s not an openness to lament in a church setting.
What is your advice for ministers when they preach?
A research participant who’s a pastor once said to me, “When we preach about committing adultery, we don’t have a spike in affairs in the church. Why do we think if we mention the word ‘suicide’, we’re going to see a spike in suicides?”
There are suicidal congregants in your church and they’re trying to make sense of your sermons. So keep in mind that they’re there. Pastors need to have a genuine acceptance that this is going to be part of some Christians’ experience. There is a beautiful passage about suicide prevention in Acts 16 when Paul stops the suicide of a Philippian jailer. There’s something really important about this worldview of the dignity and value of every single human life. I’ve heard many sermons on Acts 16 but I’ve never heard the words ‘suicide prevention’ mentioned in them.
Also in the Bible – Elijah wants to die. He says, “God, take my life”. Jonah wants to die; Moses wants to die. So when you’re preaching through the Bible suicide is going to come up naturally, so suicidal congregants who are sitting in your church can feel that sermons are relevant to them.
How can we all help change the culture? People take their lives because they lose that sense of belonging. Part of that is because they feel alien from the rest of the congregation. But they also develop that sense of burdensomeness – thinking, my community’s going to be better off
without me. So one of the things we can do is just make sure that people understand that that’s not true. Losing a person to suicide is far more devastating than helping a person work through that struggle.
And if somebody is too much, then bring in more help. There are going to be times when a suicidal congregant might feel like a lot to take care of – that’s because you need more people helping.
We don’t always get the chance to help and that can be hard. Some people reach out and some people don’t. Some leave suicide notes and some don’t. I think the thing to really pay attention to is – if they had reached out, you would have helped them. This is why it’s so important to speak about it in church so that it’s part of the conversation. We need to create a culture where it’s safe to reach out for help.
Karen Mason is the author of The Essentials of Suicide Prevention: A blueprint for churches; Preventing Suicide: A handbook for pastors, chaplains and pastoral counsellors; and co-author of Preaching Hope in Darkness: Help for pastors in addressing suicide from the pulpit. All are available at amazon.co.uk
Hidden Hope in Lament
‘Hidden Hope in Lament: Pastoral care, preaching and suffering’ is a two-day event taking place at Union Theological College, Belfast. Dr Karen Mason, Dr Jeffrey Arthurs and Dr Sean McDonough, all from the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, are the speakers at this event, which takes place on 5 and 6 September between 9.30am and 3.30pm. The cost is £40 a day or £60 for the full conference and includes refreshments and lunch.
To book, call +44 (0)28 9020 5080; email admin@union.ac.uk or click on the QR code.
REVIEWS
Cross Section
Evangelical Alliance
PODCAST
The Cross Section podcast by Evangelical Alliance (EA) covers a range of topics around how contemporary societal issues intersect with politics and Christianity. This is particularly topical due to the recent European and local elections in the Republic and the forthcoming General Election in the UK.
Integrity in politics is one of the topics covered in the latest season, with Louise Davies, CARE’s director of advocacy and policy, joining EA’s Peter Lynas, Danny Webster and Alicia Edmund. They discussed whether some are in politics primarily for power and for their own interests as opposed to serving the public.
They stressed the importance of candidates remaining truthful to the electorate on what they are standing for and felt the general public should be engaging in politics, not only at the ballot box but in everyday life.
In another episode, discussion centred around identity politics, with voters sometimes voting for parties who claim to have Christian values, but do the opposite when in power.
Whilst this is more prominent in polarised US politics, the importance of voting for candidates who not only say they are Christian, but put their words into actions by making decisions which reflect the teachings of Jesus, was stressed.
Cross Section is a great podcast that offers short episodes on all the latest developments within UK politics and beyond.
Unless otherwise stated all resources are available from your local Faith Mission Bookshop or online www.fmbookshops.com
Waiting Well with Jesus Lynda Wake
AUTHENTIC MEDIA
£19.99
In 2011, Lynda Wake’s world turned upside down when her beloved teenager daughter, Bethany, died of aggressive brain cancer. This watershed moment of indescribable pain stripped everything bare and led the author to fall upon the One who had been present throughout all the suffering and now felt her loss too – Jesus.
“I regularly thank God that in Jesus Christ… We are not left alone in the dark night of our suffering, wildly drifting with no anchor, no purpose or no direction,” writes Wake.
This journal is the outpouring of her long wrestle with grief, and an encouragement to others going through the same journey that “waiting well with Jesus in the sorrow is not a weak and passive exercise, but an action-packed, adventurously obedient, faith-filled way of life.”
Her own journey included recording her emotions, searching the Scriptures, obeying God’s commands and engaging with those who inspire her to wait well after life-changing bereavement – all in the presence of Jesus.
She searched the Bible for verbs, and this journal takes 52 of them as the basis for weekly devotionals. Abide, ask, embrace, follow and trust are among those considered, and the reader is encouraged to not only meditate on each verb, but study further and apply it. Each section includes a reflection, someone else’s story and Bible verses, as well as suggestions for further study and prayer. This beautifully presented book would be helpful to anyone on a grief journey.
SH
The Art of Giving
Matthew Porter
AUTHENTIC MEDIA
£9.99
This book was a helpful stimulus to think more deeply about financial giving, even in the context of a cost-ofliving crisis.
The author asserts that financial giving is best expressed through giving cheerfully, regularly, occasionally, collectively and expectantly, with all these elements required. Ultimately it is the selfgiving of Jesus – his sinless life, sacrificial, substitutionary death, and resurrection – which impacts the lives of Christians and inspires their generous giving.
A key theme throughout the book is that Jesus’ teaching on giving was based on watching how those in poverty gave and our need to learn from them, rather than the rich. The widow of Luke 21:1–4 gave all she had to live on and was thus praised by Jesus for giving more than the rich people he observed in the temple.
The book made for challenging reading in parts as our giving ultimately reveals our attitudes to God and the gospel, as well as our love for others. Helpful, practical tips are given for how you can plan your giving and tithing.
Numerous benefits which result from giving are laid out, however, it would have been helpful to see the biblical basis for these clearly displayed in the main text of the book rather than hidden in the notes at the back, especially in the chapter on giving expectantly.
Numerous personal stories about giving and the results of generous giving are shared. May the Lord move our hearts and enable us to practise the art of giving more generously.
REVIEWERS
RD – Ruth Dalzell is a schools’ worker for Scripture Union
AH – Andrew Hamilton is a member of St Andrew’s, Bangor
The Man in the Tree and the Brand New Start
Carl Laferton THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY
£7.99
This is the 15th Bible storybook produced by the Good Book Company in the ‘Tales that Tell the Truth’ (T5) series and it does not disappoint. All the books in these series remain faithful to the biblical text but tell the stories in an engaging way, alongside the beautiful illustrations by Catalina Echeverri. This underlying philosophy for the books means that parents can be sure of knowing what their children are reading.
This story tells the tale of Zacchaeus, a short, rich but lonely man, who lives in Jericho. Laferton tells the story in an amusing and quirky way without losing the impact of how Zacchaeus’ life changes completely when he meets Jesus.
These books don’t simply end when the Bible story ends though. They each go on to help children see what these stories might mean for them living in the 21st century and the difference that an encounter with Jesus can mean for them.
This tale, alongside the others in the T5 series, can act as storybooks but also conversation starters for parents and children as they talk about faith within their family home.
As always with these books, the illustrations are also available to download for free from the Good Book Company website and can be used to tell this story in a children’s ministry setting or at an all-age service.
I would definitely recommend this book both as a parent and children’s ministry leader.
KA – Kathryn Anderson is a member of Anahilt Presbyterian
SH – Suzanne Hamilton is an administrative assistant for the Herald
JC – Joy Conkey is librarian at Union Theological College
RB – Ruth Bromley is PCI’s children’s development officer
Word on the Street Awesome Cutlery
AVAILABLE VIA STREAMING SERVICES
If you are anything like us, churches are filled with fun-filled activities for children and young people. I am constantly looking for new songs to introduce to our kids and share with our church family.
Awesome Cutlery’s newest album, Word on the Street, has loads of great songs for kids and also includes funny
Lydia: A story
Paula Gooder
HODDER FAITH
Price £9.99
Through Lydia: A story, Paula Gooder has provided an insight into the life of a briefly mentioned, yet monumental biblical figure, considered to be the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe.
This fictional interpretation of Lydia’s return to Philippi details her work as a seller of purple, her life-changing meeting with the apostle Paul and, consequently, what unfolded in her life during the subsequent years.
sketches. It follows the adventures of Captain Awesomeness and Cutlery Boy who are two ‘wannabe superheroes’ as they learn what it means to follow Jesus.
Word on the Street has 12 brilliant new songs with catchy tunes, which help kids learn a variety of biblical truths. We Believe allows children to learn statements of faith about God and how he is worthy of praise. Songs like Your Joy; O My Soul; We All, Like Sheep; and Never have lyrics which are lifted straight from Scripture passages.
The mission of Awesome Cutlery is to help families worship Jesus together and, on their website, awesomecutlery. com, you will find lyrics, lyric videos and lead sheet music to introduce these songs to your children, young people and whole church families.
The album also features six sketches which can be fun to listen to on a long car journey to exciting summer adventures, so give it a listen.
RD
We are introduced to many of her companions along the way, including Ruth, a child slave whom she had rescued from exploitation. The characters are so well written and their interactions so engaging that we feel like we are actually present and partaking in the scenes which are unfolding. Their recollection of events such as Paul’s imprisonment, together with their reactions and contemplations upon his letter to Philippi, provide us with an imaginative ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse into the thinking of the early church, as well as the beliefs and divisions amongst its members.
The provision of brief, easy-tocomprehend ‘Notes’ on matters raised in each chapter add a method of reference and aid in our understanding of the historical context in which the story is unfolding.
This book is wonderfully written, refreshing and engaging. It is evident from the outset that the historical and theological context has been well researched and translated into this balanced work of scholarship and fiction.
LIFE IN PCI
Sixty years of Loughbrickland GB
Over the past year, members of 184th Loughbrickland Girls’ Brigade have had a great time celebrating their 60th anniversary.
A total of 137 girls enrolled in the County Down company this year, showing it is going from strength to strength.
Last October, the company held an anniversary dinner with past and present members attending.
Then in February, there was an anniversary praise service with past and present members and chaplains, Girls’ Brigade NI president Isobel McKane and GBNI chairperson Tracey Davies in attendance. Those at the service heard from local charity, B Positive, and the emotional journey of Adam Watson – the nine-year-old who died after battling acute myeloid leukaemia, and who set up the charity – from his parents. A cheque for £1200 was presented to B Positive from a collection at this service.
The 60th celebrations finished with the display, where members were joined by all surviving captains. Six girls were also awarded their Brigader Brooch on the night. The evening concluded with a cup of tea and some anniversary cake for all.
Top right: Among those at the display were Tracey Weir (Loughbrickland GB), Sharon Moffett (Ballydown GB), Isobel McKane (GBNI president), Heather Wilson (captain, Loughbrickland GB), Tracey Davies (GBNI chairperson) and Rebecca McConnell (First Rathfriland GB).
Middle right: Past captains – Linda Kidd, Caroline Ledlie, Heather Wilson (current captain), Marie Woods, Noleen Wilson, Ruth Walker and Florence Hazlett – cut the anniversary cake.
Bottom right: A collection from the praise service was presented to Sarah and David Watson from B Positive.
Bottom left: Loughbrickland officers.
A service with a difference in Castlereagh
In Castlereagh Presbyterian Church, there was an awareness that a number of members found it difficult, over a period of time, to attend Sunday morning worship.
The reasons for this were varied – health problems, mobility problems, caring responsibilities in their home, or finding it hard after Covid
restrictions to resume their normal pattern of church attendance. It was decided to send out a letter of invitation to such members, recognising the variety of situations that existed. They were invited to a service with a difference.
It would be short, allowing for the discomfort for some of sitting for a period of time. There would be light refreshments served in the pews after the service, and the opportunity to chat with other members of the congregation.
As the church had meant so much to them in the past, it was hoped that meeting familiar faces again would underline a sense of belonging, and be mutually beneficial. If assistance to get to the service was needed, the church endeavoured to help.
This special service took place on Palm Sunday, and a good number of those who had received a letter, turned up, helped by relatives or friends.
The atmosphere was happy and relaxed. Many afterwards said how much it meant to them to be back in the church, they loved, for worship. For some it was an emotional experience, to be greeted by people they had not seen for quite a long time. There was no rush to leave, and some have been coming to church again on Sunday mornings.
“A ‘homecoming’ can be a very positive experience,” says church elder May Anderson.
Dedication in Dunfanaghy
A new notice board at the gates of Dunfanaghy Presbyterian Church in County Donegal has been dedicated in memory of Georgena Sterritt. Mrs Sterritt, who died in 2022, had been a member of the congregation since 1972 when she married Leslie Sterritt. Rev David Brice (the winter assistant minister at Dunfanaghy and Carrigart) is pictured with Mr Sterritt and his daughter Marie Brennan.
Faithful service marked in Downshire Road, Newry
Rev Brian Colvin, on behalf of the congregation of Downshire Road, Newry, recently honoured the 50 years of faithful service to the choir by Rene Faloon and David Cunningham, and over 30 years’ faithful service to the Sunday school by Keith Faloon.
To share good news stories from your congregation please send your photographs and details to heraldeditorial@presbyterianireland.org
Charity cheque in Ardstraw
Joan Mitchell, Rev David Reid and Audrey Wilson, representing Ardstraw Presbyterian Church, presented a cheque for £4688.13 to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland. The money was raised at a Christmas tree festival organised by the County Tyrone church. A further £4688.13 was presented to Tearfund.
New elder in Drumachose
Anne Haslett has been ordained and installed as a ruling elder in Drumachose Presbyterian Church. She is pictured in the front row (centre) with Rev Gary Aitcheson (moderator of Coleraine and Limavady Presbytery) and Rev David Brownlow (minister of the County Londonderry congregation). Back row: Jackie Dale, John Loughery, Drew Gurney and Rev Mark Donald.
Moderator visits Armagh Road Presbyterian
During his time as PCI Moderator, Dr Sam Mawhinney visited Armagh Road Presbyterian Church in Portadown. He is pictured with the church’s Session along with Rev Nigel McCullough (vacancy convener).
Long service recognised in McKelvey’s Grove
McKelvey’s Grove congregation in the Newry Presbytery recently recognised the service of two office bearers. Maurice Dickson has completed 30 years as secretary of the congregational committee, and Eileen Dickson 30 years as congregational treasurer. Pictured are: Mr Dickson, Elaine Dickson, Rev Ker Graham, Mrs Dickson and Wesley Dickson.
New elders installed in Buckna
A commission of Ballymena Presbytery recently ordained and installed Steven Currie, Andy Hamilton, David Hunter, Richard Kidd, David Mills and Stuart Stevenson as ruling elders in Buckna Presbyterian Church. Pictured in the back row are: David Woodburn, Brian McInstry, Robert Reid, Eric McCallum, Rev Philip McCullough (moderator), Rev Joseph Andrews (clerk), Rev Brian Boyd, Rev Trevor Kane and Rev John Brogan. Front row: Mr Currie, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hunter, Rev Stephen Kennedy (minister of the County Antrim church), Mr Kidd, Mr Mills and Mr Stevenson.
New minister for Main Street, Garvagh and Killaig
Rev Brian Smyth has been installed in Main Street, Garvagh and Killaig Presbyterian Churches. Both churches are pleased to welcome Mr Smyth along with his wife Pamela and the family. Pictured along with Mr Smyth are the members of both kirk sessions.
Presentations in Granshaw
Jacob Bell, M.Jay Ozkan, Scott Ewing, Matthew Kingham, Harrison Finlay, James Ewing and Reuben Mitchell were each presented with their President’s Badge at First Granshaw’s Boys’ Brigade display in County Down recently.
New elders in McCracken Memorial
Julie Dick, Grace Bamford and Philip Courtney have been installed as elders in McCracken Memorial. They are pictured with the commission from South Belfast Presbytery. Among those included in the photograph are: moderator of South Belfast Presbytery Rev Corrina Heron, presbytery clerk Rev Morris Gault, Rev John McCracken (minister of Lowe Memorial who delivered the charge to the elders and congregation), clerk of session Rosemary Simpson and Rev Barry McCroskery (minister of the Belfast church).
Induction at West Church, Bangor
Rev Richard Houston has been inducted as an associate minister at West Church, Bangor. He is pictured with representatives from the Ards Presbytery commission. Front row: Rev Gareth Simpson, Mr Houston and Dr Charles McMullen (minister of the County Down congregation). Back row: Rev John McConaghie, Rev John Flaherty, Rev Mairisine Stanfield and Rev James Rogers.
Long-serving minister of Greenwell Street retires
Rev Norman McAuley, who has been the minister of Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church for almost 20 years, preached his final service recently after which 370 people attended a lunch to mark the occasion. The Newtownards congregation thank Mr McAuley and his wife Joy for their many years of dedication and faithful service. The couple are pictured with David Francis (clerk of session) and his wife Fiona who made presentations from the congregation.
Tag good news stories from your congregation on Twitter with #lifeinpci and @pciassembly
Long service marked in First Ballymena
A presentation was made recently to Randal Hayes, in recognition and celebration of over 50 years’ faithful service to God as an elder in First Ballymena Presbyterian Church. Also pictured is Mr Hayes’ wife Roberta, Tommy Heaney (clerk of session in the County Antrim church) and Rev Emerson McDowell (minister of First Ballymena).
Retirement in Rathfriland
Beatrice Davidson recently retired from the position of treasurer of Second and Third Rathfriland Presbyterian Church after serving in that pivotal church role for just over 10 years. Mrs Davidson started out with an accounts ledger, pen and chequebook and brought the financial element of the church up to date over the years, leaving it with computerised accounts and online banking. Mrs Davidson received from Rev Seamus Burke and his wife Helen, on behalf of the County Down congregation, a bouquet of flowers and a voucher in appreciation of her time spent as treasurer.
New elders in Joymount
Eight new elders have been ordained in Joymount Presbyterian Church, Carrickfergus. Pictured in the back row are: Gordon Bates (elder), Stephen Drake (clerk of session in the County Antrim church), Rev John Stanbridge (minister of Joymount), Rev Mark Russell (moderator of Carrickfergus Presbytery), Dr Colin McClure (clerk of Carrickfergus Presbytery), Hannah Cree (elder, Downshire Church), Rev Nathan Duddy (convener) and Aaron Walker (elder).
Front row: Kay Fowles, Linda Beattie, Joanne Magee, Ruth McKeegan, Denise Difallah and Elizabeth Picton (all elders).
Dipping into the archives to take a look back at what was making Presbyterian headlines and news in history.
Review of the General Assembly
This Assembly was in a more reflective mood than those of late and many of the issues raised and debated revealed a deep sense of self-assessment among the members of Assembly. A spirit of tolerance and cooperation was evident as the Church took stock of its life, work and witness…
The roll of the General Assembly included 602 ministers, 578 elders, 26 deaconesses, 66 women’s representatives and 41 youth representatives from congregations throughout Ireland. They met in Belfast, having been in Dublin in 1983…
The report and debate on nuclear arms was lively and the Assembly passed a resolution which gave recognition to the ‘unilateralist’ position but regarded an adequate deterrent as an ‘unfortunate necessity’. It was also felt that the UK and NATO powers should agree under no circumstances would they make ‘first use’ of nuclear weapons and they urged all governments possessing such weapons to make drastic reductions in nuclear stockpiles.
Concern was expressed that so many people are unemployed in Ireland…
There was an enthusiastic welcome and a call for prayerful and financial support for the W.J. Thompson House, which is a rehabilitation centre for up to 12 young offenders released from the detention centres.
The Assembly registered its strong disapproval of anything which makes gambling more attractive, tempting or more popular…
Members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland were asked to consider giving 1% at least of their take-home pay to support the poor of the world in the need for justice and dignity…
In the field of education, the Assembly continue to express concern at the extent of financial cuts and again plead that expenditure on education be rated a priority…
Also from July/Aug ’84
Gifts for Scarva church workers
The confessions of an Assembly Junkie Silas
OK, I’ll come clean – I am an Assembly Junkie! You are bound to know me… I can be seen sitting upright on the front seats of the Assembly Hall…and once, at least, during every debate, I rush to the rostrum and make a speech. My condition is chronic; I cannot attend a Church court and sit in silence. To me, there is only one thing worse than making a bad speech; that is making none at all.
To satisfy my craving, I have resorted to many tactics. Whether I was for, or against a cause – I cannot recall, and did it matter? I was at the rostrum – making a point of order, correcting the printers’ errors in the daily minutes, congratulating outgoing conveners…
Junkies like myself have made ‘the amendment’ into an art form. To me it is pure ecclesiastical cocaine! It is a multi-purpose device. It enables one to give the impression they are most perceptive, and it always enlists the support of rebels…
At a meeting of Scarva Presbyterian Church, the opportunity was taken to honour Fergus Chambers, church secretary, who has served on the congregational committee for half a century, as well as playing a prominent part in looking after the church property over a long number of years. He is also a member of kirk session. The gift of an oil painting of Scarva by Colin Turner was made by Robert Jordan, a member of kirk session, to Mr Chambers.
Back row: Doreen Purce, Robert Jordan. Front row: Gladys Chambers, Rev David Purce and Fergus Chambers.
The DART rail service between Howth and Bray was inaugurated
Bob Dylan headlines Slane Zola Budd and Mary Decker collide in Olympics 3000m final
Youth night.
Dr Gordon Gray and Rev Harold Graham discussing the nuclear arms issue in the corridor of the Assembly Hall.
Tough day at the office
Ruth Sanderson
Running is hard. I started running in my early 20s and have had a love/hate relationship with it ever since. I say ‘running’, really what I’m doing is a very slow jog, barely a jog if I’m honest, just kind of walking a bit quicker… but in Lycra.
The thing I find hardest about running, isn’t the running itself. It’s mentally gearing oneself up for a run. I will find any excuse not to run, even though I know how much I love it when I begin, and how euphoric I’ll be when it’s finished. Even though I know its manifold benefits, it is the anticipation of it which gets to me… It’s started drizzling, it might rain at some point, my running socks feel funny, I’m not sure what music I might listen to, my breakfast probably hasn’t digested yet, there’s something on the radio I have to listen to… literally any excuse.
What’s worse is, after years of being knee deep in babies, I now have the ideal time for a run. It’s after I drop the kids off at preschool, which gives me an hour before the working day starts… but I find that all my great intentions evaporate by the time I have walked back the 10 minutes from nursery to the front door.
chatting. “I have to do this,” she explained. “It’s good for up here,” she said, pointing to her head.
As it transpired, she worked in a customer complaints department for a big mobile phone provider. Not only that, but she was in a special team who dealt with complaints when they had already gone through a few rounds of customer services.
She told me that she struggled mentally with having to listen to people not simply complaining, but really taking umbrage with her, the anonymous voice on the end of the line, there to help them. In reality, she is a punching bag for frustrated customers. She is routinely subjected to verbal abuse, personal slurs, sob stories, anger, resentment. She is sworn at multiple times each day and she has even had death threats.
It got me thinking about how we treat the ‘anonymous voices’ in our own lives.
However, praise be! I have come up with a solution. On the same street as my children’s nursery is a small gym. It’s basic, it’s cheap and it’s got a running machine. Granted, there isn’t the same fresh air thrill that an outside running session brings, but it gets the legs moving almost before one has even had time to think about it. So far, it’s working well. It’s dry, it’s clean, it’s handy and my poor old knee joints don’t ache in the same way they did after pounding the pavement for half an hour.
The one thing I had forgotten about gyms though, are the other people. The first day I was there, I did a very long run, longer than I would ever normally do, propelled along by the treadmill and the wall-mounted television. A woman was running on the machine beside me, plodding slowly, panting heavily but making a real effort to complete her run. We both ended around the same time and I did something I have never done to anyone in the gym before: I shouted “YEAH!” and high-fived her.
I was so buoyed up on endorphins and sweat and I’m not sure what came over me. Happily, once she had gotten over the fear that she was being attacked by this red-faced woman beside her, she broke out into a smile and high-fived me back.
“Thanks!” she said. “I find running so hard! It’s nice for someone else to appreciate what an effort it is.”
As we walked off our runs on a lower speed setting, we got
She has found it even harder postpandemic, because now her whole team is working from home. The company had realised they could make money by keeping the workers at home – mitigating heating, maintenance and building expenses – and now they had sold the property where she and her colleagues had been situated.
Staring at the same four walls every day, her work and private life had seeped one into the other. All day she listened to the unhappiest of people, blaming her for their perceived phone problems, being able to do very little, while the whole time having it happen at her kitchen table, in the very place she was supposed to relax.
“And all of that for minimum wage…” she tailed off.
No wonder she needed the running to help mitigate some of the emotional stress she was subjected to on a daily basis.
It got me thinking about how we treat the ‘anonymous voices’ in our own lives. Have you ever been rude to a cold call from a company? Or a charity collector in the street? Or on the phone to someone from customer services? Have you ever lost your cool with someone serving you food? Somehow, do we neglect to see these people as human? As people who deserve to be treated with the same respect as everyone else? At what point do we think it’s okay to stop showing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?
Perhaps we should consider that whomever we are talking to, in whichever circumstance, is a creation of God, and worthy of our respect.
I saw my new gym buddy again this morning, she was jogging away intensely.
“I had to do two sessions on the treadmill yesterday,” she said, breathlessly. “Tough day at work!”
Festival of Biblical Banners
by the ladies of Cavanaleck and Aughentaine
On display at Cavanaleck Presbyterian Church
Saturday 28 September 10am–4pm
Refreshments available
Booking essential for groups or coaches
Contact Sandy 07379 457932
Dr BRUCE GORE comes to Ireland in Summer 2024 Conference
“The Postmillennial Hope –The Dispensational Despair.”
To book Dr Gore as a guest speaker in your area, email cavanschooloftheology@gmail.com
Applicants wishing to aid the Organising Team, contact Rev Dr Mackarel +353 86 8079165
First Presbyterian Church, Ballymoney is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic person to lead and develop our music ministry as
Worship Coordinator
This is a permanent post of 6 hours per week (variable). Further details and application pack are available from Stephen McCracken. stephenmccracken56@outlook.com
Closing date for applications is 31 July 2024
Drumachose Presbyterian Church, Limavady
invites applications for the post of
Organist / Musical Director
We seek to appoint an accomplished pianist and organist (or someone willing to be funded as an organ scholar) who is committed to a Christian ethos in leading worship using a blend of traditional and contemporary music.
Experience of choral leadership is desirable.
Applications are also welcome from those who may wish to job share.
The attractive honorarium is negotiable depending on experience.
For further details, job description and application pack please email chsec_drumachose@outlook.com or call 07799 796964
Closing date for applications 17 August 2024.
First Ballyeaston Presbyterian Church
is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic
YOUTH WORKER
On a part-time basis (20 hours per week) on a 3-year contract
Salary: £22,308–£25,557 p.a. pro rata (negotiable depending on experience).
This unique opportunity will attract a dynamic, experienced and spiritually mature person who will help the Kirk Session to implement their on-going vision and passion for the young people within our congregation.
The nature of this post will require evening and weekend work.
Further information and a full job description and application form can be obtained from: Rev Edwin McDowell or Mr Euel Agnew Tel: 07709 930372
E-mail: info@firstballyeaston.org Website: firstballyeaston.org
Closing date for applications is Saturday 17 August 2024
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CHURCH RECORD
VACANT CONGREGATIONS, MODERATORS AND CLERKS OF KIRK SESSIONS
(Information supplied by clerks of presbyteries, conveners of Assembly commissions and councils.)
1
LEAVE TO CALL GRANTED
Application forms are available on request from the Clerk’s Office or may be downloaded from the PCI website.
ARMAGH, FIRST & TASSAGH: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV JOANNE SMITH: (Armagh First) Mr Ian Kyle, 8 Drummanmore Road, Armagh, BT61 8RN. (Tassagh) Mr Philip Crozier, 68 Bachelors Walk, Keady, Armagh, BT60 2NA.
BALLYALBANY and GLENNAN:
REV D.T.R. EDWARDS: (Ballyalbany) Mr Sam Condell, Billary, Smithborough, Co Monaghan. (Glennan) Dr Michael Wallace, 8 Fellows Grange, Fellows Hall Road, Killylea, Co Armagh, BT60 4LR.
BALLYLINNEY:
REV MARK RUSSELL: Dr Michael McBrien, 24 Lylehill Green, Templepatrick, BT39 0BF.
BALLYRONEY and DRUMLEE: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV GEORGE McCLELLAND: (Ballyroney) Mr David Peters, 30 Seafin Road, Ballyroney, Banbridge, BT32 5ER. (Drumlee) Mr Graham Truesdale, 128 Lackan Road, Ballyward, Castlewellan, BT31 9RX.
BALLYWILLAN:
REV STUART MORROW: Mr Robert Wilson, 13 Millbrook Avenue, Portstewart, BT55 7DZ.
CORBOY and MULLINGAR: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV DR K.D. McCRORY: (Mullingar) Mr Wilson Porter, Joristown, Ruharney, Kilucan, Co Westmeath, N91 A344. (Corboy) Mr Christiaan Potgieter, 2 Pine Grove, Clonbalt Woods, Longford.
CLOUGH, BALLYMENA:
REV T.D. KANE: Mr Ian Johnston, 48 Springmount Road, Ballymena, BT44 9RB.
DONABATE: ASSOCIATE (Reviewable Tenure – 3 years)
REV ANDY CARROLL:
DUNFANAGHY and CARRIGART: (Home Mission) 50% Congregational Ministry, 50% CMI Mission Project
REV T.J. BRUCE: (Dunfanaghy) Mrs Ethel Montgomery, ‘Millrace’, Marble Hill Road, Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, F92 N2WO. (Carrigart) Mrs Joy Buchanan, Figart, Carrigart, Co Donegal, F92 N2WO.
GLASTRY and KIRCUBBIN: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV J. ROGERS: (Glastry) Mr James McClements, 21 New Harbour Road, Portavogie, BT22 1EE.
HILLTOWN and CLONDUFF: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV KENNETH NELSON: (Hilltown) Mr John Ervine, 51 Rostrevor Road, Hilltown, Newry, BT34 5TZ. (Clonduff) Mr Cecil Brown, 39 Bannfield Road, Rathfriland, Newry, BT34 5HG.
LEGACURRY:
REV A.J. THOMPSON: Mr J. Ferguson, 142 Comber Road, Lisburn, BT27 6XQ.
LOUGHGALL and TARTARAGHAN:
REV ALASTAIR McNEELY: (Loughgall) Mr James MacQueen, 114 Moy Road, Portadown, BT62 1SA. (Tartaraghan) Mr Norman Cornett, 11 Cloncarrish Road, Portadown, Craigavon, BT62 1RN.
PORTRUSH:
REV DR JOHN COULTER: Prof John Gillespie, 12 Randal Park, Portrush, BT56 8JJ.
RALOO and MAGHERAMORNE: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV DR CECIL GRANT: (Raloo) Mr Geoff McBride, 72 Raloo Road, Larne, BT40 3DU. (Magheramorne) Mr Morris Gardner, 89 Ballypollard Road, Magheramorne, Larne, BT40 3JG.
SCRABO: (Reviewable Tenure – 5 years)
REV A. LITTLE: Mr John Doherty, 37 Ballymaleedy Road, Comber, Newtownards, BT23 5RD.
STRABANE and SION MILLS: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years)
REV P.B. HOUSTON: (Strabane) Mr William Watson, 44 Orchard Road, Strabane, BT82 9QS. (Sion Mills) Mr Colin Campbell, 26 Albert Place, Sion Mills, Strabane, BT82 9HN.
WOODLANDS:
REV J. MOXEN: Dr Ian Drysdale, 27 Windslow Heights, Carrickfergus, BT38 9AT.
2 LEAVE TO CALL DEFERRED
DROMORE and DRUMQUIN:
REV E.T. FRAZER: (Dromore) Mr Lynden Keys, 25 New Park Road, Dromore, Omagh, BT78 3JU. (Drumquin) Dr Paul Booth, 54 Bradan Road, Drumquin, Omagh, BT78 4QQ.
GORTNESSY:
REV COLIN McKIBBIN: Mr Ross Hyndman, 32 Temple Road, Strathfoyle, Londonderry, BT47 6UB.
RICHVIEW:
REV N.S. HARRISON: Mr Victor Garland, 25 Abingdon Drive, Belfast, BT12 5PX.
SETTLED STATED SUPPLY APPOINTED
BALLINDERRY:
VERY REV DR W.J. HENRY, Minister of Maze.
BOVEEDY:
REV DR T.J. McCORMICK, Minister of First Kilrea.
CAHIR: (Home Mission)
REV WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, Minister of Fermoy.
KATESBRIDGE:
REV N.J. KANE, Minister of Magherally.
KILREA, SECOND:
REV KEITH HIBBERT, Minister of First Dunboe
TYRONE’S DITCHES:
REV J.K.A. McINTYRE, Minister of Bessbrook.
3 DECLARED VACANT
ANAGHLONE and GARVAGHY:
REV D. CONKEY: (Anaghlone) Mr John Logan, 4 Bluehill Road, Katesbridge, Banbridge, BT32 5LU. (Garvaghy) Mr James Smyth, 35 Tullyglush Road, Banbridge, BT32 3TN.
ARMAGH ROAD, PORTADOWN:
REV N. McCULLOUGH: Dr David Lowry, 5 Ridgeway Park South, Portadown, BT62 3DG.
BALLEE:
REV T.P. McCULLOUGH: Mr John Quigley, 81 Queen’s Avenue, Magherafelt, BT45 6DB.
BALLINA and KILLALA: (Home Mission)
REV D.J. CLARKE: Mr Geoffrey Shannon, Robin Hill, Carraun, Corballa, Ballina, Co Mayo, F26 A070.
BALLYCASTLE:
REV G.W.M. GLASGOW: Pat Shirley, 22 Dunamallaght Rd, Ballycastle, BT54 6PB.
BALLYKEEL:
REV R.A. MORRISON: Mr T. Simpson, 163 Crebilly Road, Ballymena, BT42 4DP.
BALLYNAHATTY, CREEVAN and FINTONA:
REV JONATHAN COWAN: (Ballynahatty & Creevan) Mr John Nevin, 116A Clanabogan Road, Omagh, BT78 1SN. (Fintona) Mr Keith Boland, 119 Blackhill Road, Fintona, Omagh, BT78 2LN.
BANAGHER:
REV DAVID BROWNLOW: Mr Ivan J. Montgomery, 66 Teenaght Road, Claudy, BT47 4DD.
BELLAGHY and KNOCKLOUGHRIM:
REV J.B. MULLAN: (Bellaghy) Mr Harry Ferson, 12 Railway Terrace, Castledawson, Magherafelt, BT45 8AY. (Knockloughrim) Mr Wilbur Bownes, 10 Meadowell Fold, Westland Gardens, Magherafelt, BT45 5DP.
BELVOIR:
Editor’s Note: Information for this page is supplied by the General Secretary’s Department. Vacancies for conveners of commissions, councils and committees of the General Assembly are online at www.presbyterianireland.org/convenerships
REV B.J. WALKER: Mr Brian Dunwoody, 19 Drumart Drive, Belfast, BT8 7ET.
BOARDMILLS, TRINITY:
REV JOHN TORRENS: Mr Adrian Patterson, 41 Cabra Road, Legacurry, BT26 6NB.
BUSHMILLS:
VERY REV DR D.I.J. McNIE: Rev Martin Gracey, 6 Bush Crescent, Bushmills, BT57 8AJ.
CASTLEDERG FIRST and KILLETER:
REV R.A. ORR: (First Castlederg) Mr Robert Rutledge, 36 Ednagee Road, Castlederg, BT81 7RD. (Killeter) Mr Robert McKelvey, 17 Carrickadartans Road, Castlederg, BT81 7NQ.
CASTLEDERG, SECOND AND URNEY:
REV ROBERT McFAUL: (Second Castlederg) Mr Bert Huey, Tossa, 8 Listymore Road, Castlederg, BT81 7JG. (Urney) Mr Norman McMullan, 80 Orchard Road, Strabane, BT82 9QT.
CROAGHMORE:
REV DENIS BANNERMAN: Andy McGugan, 158 Whitepark Road, Bushmills, BT57 8SS.
CRUMLIN:
REV STEPHEN McNIE: Mr James Livingstone, “Edin”, 56 Largy Road, Crumlin, BT29 4RW.
CUMBER and UPPER CUMBER:
REV S.W. HIBBERT: (Cumber) Mr Cecil Pollock, 248 Tamnaherin Road, Londonderry, BT47 3LY. (Upper Cumber) Mr Jack McFarland, 12 Cregg Road, Claudy, Londonderry, BT47 4HX.
DONEGORE, SECOND
REV E. McDOWELL: Mr Samuel Gawn, 120 Parkgate Road, Kells.
DONEGAL TOWN and STRANORLAR:
REV ROBERT ORR: (Donegal Town) Mr Oswald Perry, Drumenagh, Donegal Town, F94 N7P8. (Stranorlar) Mrs Audrey Chambers, Magheracorran, Convoy, Co Donegal.
DROMARA, FIRST:
REV M. DAVIDSON: Mr I. McCullagh, 10 Mullaghdrin Road, Dromara, BT25 2AF.
DROMARA, SECOND:
REV DR A. SLEITH: Mr Herbert Chambers, 29 Stewarts Road, Dromara, BT25 2AN.
DRUMGOOLAND and KILKINAMURRY:
REV ANDY DOWNEY: (Drumgooland) Dr Alastair Chestnutt, 22 Fruitvalley Road, Ballyward, Castlewellan, Co Down, BT31 9RE. (Kilkinamurry) Mr Mervyn Copes, 43 Carnpark Road, Dromara, Dromore, Co Down, BT25 2HD.
DUNDROD:
REV R.C. KERR: Mr William McClure, 20 Thorndale Road, Dundrod, BT29 4UD.
GARRYDUFF and DUNLOY:
REV C.B. MULVENNY: (Garryduff) Mr Stanley Lee, 12 Cambourne Park, Ballymoney, BT53 7PG. (Dunloy) Mr Jonathan Gault, c/o 26–28 Church Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6DL.
GLASCAR and DONAGHMORE:
REV M. McMAW: (Glascar) Mr Alan Little, 38 Loughbrickland Road, Rathfriland, Newry, BT34 5HF. (Donaghmore) Mr David Shilliday, 21 Cargabane Road, Donaghmore, Newry, BT34 1SB.
HYDEPARK and LYLEHILL:
REV DEREK WEIR: (Hydepark) Mrs Lynas Alexander, 22 Broadacres, Templepatrick, BT39 0AY.
KELLS: (Home Mission)
REV ALAN McQUADE: Miss Ruth McCartney, Shancarnan, Moynalty, Kells, Co Meath, A82 PF60.
KELLS & ESKYLANE:
REV M.J.R. NEILLY: (Kells) Mr B. Turtle, 6 Appletree Lane, Kellswater, Ballymena, BT42 2LS. (Eskylane) Mr J. Todd, 4 Chapeltown Road, Antrim, BT41 2LD.
KILMAKEE:
REV CORRINA HERON: Miss Aileen Irvine, 5 Aberdelghy Park, Lambeg, Lisburn, BT27 4QF.
Clerks of presbytery please note: Only material received by the General Secretary’s Department by noon on the first Friday of the month can be included in the Church Record.
LOUGHBRICKAND and SCARVA:
REV DR MARK GRAY: (Loughbrickland) Mr Fred Cairns, 20 Scarva Street, Loughbrickland, Co Down. (Scarva) Mr Robert Jordan, 3 Station Rd, Scarva, Co Armagh, BT63 6JY.
LISBURN, FIRST:
VERY REV DR D. BRUCE: Miss Margaret Thompson, 2 Springhill Mews, Lisburn BT28 3QG.
LUCAN:
REV A. CARROLL: Mr Ian Scott, 22 Willsbrook Avenue, Lucan, Co Dublin, K78 AP57.
LURGAN, FIRST: REV L.W. WEBSTER: Mr Norman McCleery, 12 McCormack Gardens, Lurgan, BT66 8LE.
MONEYDIG:
REV R.S. McMULLAN: Mr Steven Torrens, 115a Agivey Road, Kilrea, Coleraine, BT51 5UZ.
NEWINGTON:
REV DR I.D. NEISH: Mr John Lynass, 8 Bushfoot Park, Portballintrae, BT57 8YX.
NEWTOWNARDS, SECOND:
REV C.W. JACKSON: Mr Ivan Patterson, 11 Heron Crescent, Newtownards, BT23 8WH.
NEWTOWNARDS, GREENWELL STREET:
REV S.W. ORR: David Francis, 29 Beverley Walk, Newtownards, BT23 7UQ.
OMAGH, TRINITY and GILLYGOOLEY:
REV JANE NELSON: (Trinity) Mrs Claire McElhinney, 112 Clanabogan Road, Omagh, BT78 1SN. (Gillygooley), Mr Raymond Smyth, 82 Gillygooley Road, Omagh, BT78 5PX.
PORTAVOGIE:
REV G.J. SIMPSON: Mr Trevor Kennedy, 1 Cairndore Road, Newtownards, BT23 8RD.
RANDALSTOWN, O.C.:
REV G. MOORE: Mr Alun Coulter, 48 Portglenone Road, Randalstown, BT41 3DB.
RAPHOE and BALLINDRAIT
REV R. EDGAR: Mrs Sylvia Cole, The Common, Raphoe, Donegal.
RATHCOOLE:
REV A. CARSON: Mr Norman Creaney, 7 Coolshannagh Park, Newtownabbey, BT37 9LA.
RATHGAR – CHRIST CHURCH:
REV DR S. MAWHINNEY: Mr Paul Fry, 44 Monolea Wood, Firhouse, Dublin 24, D24 A2V3.
STRAND:
REV M. BURNSIDE: Mr John Johnston, 7 Helgor Park, Belfast, BT4 2GG.
TAUGHMONAGH (Church Extension)
REV K.H. VINER:
TRINITY, AHOGHILL:
REV N.G. MULHOLLAND: Mr G. Knowles, 67 Tuppenny Road, Gracehill, Ballymena, BT42 2NW.
TULLYCARNET:
REV R.S.J. McILHATTON:
VINECASH:
REV ALAN MARSH: Mr Thomas Graham, 38 Richmount, Portadown, BT62 4JQ.
WARRENPOINT and ROSTREVOR:
REV J.S. MAGUIRE: (Warrenpoint) Mr Denis Brady, 28 Seaview, Warrenpoint, Newry, BT34 3NJ. (Rostrevor) Mr Terry O’Flynn, 15 Aurora Na Mara, Shore Road, Rostrevor, BT34 3UP.
WATERSIDE:
REV RICHARD TREGASKIS: Mr William McIlwaine, 19 Glenaden Hill, Altnagelvin Park, Londonderry, BT47 2LJ.
CHURCH RECORD
continued from page 49
TEMPORARY STATED SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT
BALLYCAIRN:
REV MORRIS GAULT: Mrs Lucy Mulholland, 32 Blenheim Park, Carryduff, BT8 8NN.
BELLVILLE:
REV D.S. HENRY: Mr Mervyn King, 29 Ardmore Road, Derryadd, Lurgan, BT66 6QP.
GRANGE with CRAIGMORE:
REV R.S. AGNEW: Mr Jamie Harris, 32 Portglenone Road, Randalstown, BT41 3BE.
NEWTOWNSTEWART and GORTIN:
REV JONATHAN BOYD: (Newtownstewart) Mr David Dunbar, 32 Main Street, Newtownstewart, BT78 4AA. (Gortin) Mr Adrian Adams, 32 Lisnaharney Road, Lislap, Omagh, BT79 7UE.
RASHARKIN:
REV W. MOODY: Mr Norbury Royle, 96 Drumsaragh Road, Kilrea, BT51 5XR. SPA and MAGHERAHAMLET:
REV DAVID BINGHAM: Mr Stephen McBride, 28 Ballynahinch Road, Castlewellan, BT31 9PA. (Magherahamlet) Mr David Whan, 74 Castlewellan Road, Dromara, BT25 2JN.
WHITEHEAD:
REV D. CROMIE: Mr Warren Heggan, 44 Middle Road, Islandmagee, Larne, BT40 3SL.
THE ELDERSHIP
Ordained and Installed:
BALLYGAWLEY: Gary Davidson, Jeffrey Reid
DONAGHEADY: Raymond Bresland, Yvonne Lecky
FIRST HOLYWOOD: Christina Baillie, Hazel McCrea, Arthur Parke, Jenny Russell, Mark Watson
GRANSHAW: Jonathan Bailie, Alison Bovill, Matthew McKee, Roy McKee
TRENTA: Sylvia Baxter, Elizabeth Wasson
Installed:
COOKE: Brian Carson
Retired:
FIRST BALLYMONEY: Neil Robinson
FIRST PORTADOWN: George Russell
Died:
ANTRIM – GREYSTONE ROAD: William Crawford
BALLYCASTLE: Alan McKee
CARRIGART: John Fisher
DRUMHILLERY: John Hamilton
DUNDONALD: Ian Johnstone Black
FIRST ARMAGH: Edward (Eddie) Megaw
FIRST BALLYMONEY: Matthew Parkhill
FIRST COMBER: John Gabbie
FIRST DERRY: Sandra Skeggs
KILFENNAN: Rodney Smith
McQUISTON MEMORIAL: Billy Best
WESTBOURNE: Jean Reid
THE MINISTRY
Installed:
Stephen Kennedy, as Minister of Enniskillen, on 17 May 2024
Retired:
Keith Duddy, as Minister of Woodvale, on 31 May 2024
Died:
Rev Dr William Thomas John (Jack) Richardson, Minister Emeritus of Hillhall, on 1 June 2024
CLASSIFIEDS
Please note: Adverts must be received in writing (email or post) by the first of the month preceding publication to guarantee inclusion. Adverts received after that date will be published if space permits. Advertising rates can be found on the website –www.presbyterianireland.org/herald – or telephone the Herald office on +44 (0)28 9032 2284 for more information.
Accommodation
Northern Ireland
PORTSTEWART : Excellent 4-bedroom cottage bungalow available June–September. Call 07513 826551; Email pabloguy50@gmail.com; Facebook @campbellandcorentalproperties
PORTRUSH: Cosy holiday home available in Portrush. Short walking distance from beaches and town centre. Can accommodate 4 adults and 2 children in three bedrooms. Has downstairs toilet. WiFi also available. Minimum stay 2 nights. Reasonable rates. Contact 07735 928901.
TYRONE : Beautiful farmhouse holiday home, 3-bedroom house can sleep 8. 10-minutes’ drive to Ulster American Folk Park. Contact kathleenallison@gmail.com or 07749 101838.
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY HOLIDAY
COTTAGES: Escape to the breathtaking beauty of the Giant’s Causeway and the Causeway Coast. Our cottages sleep 6 and are a real ‘home from home’. Some offer wonderful sea views. The cottages are ideal for families or church groups. To book your next break; visit www. giantscausewaycottages.com or call Audrey on (028) 20731673 to discuss your requirements.
CASTLEROCK : Cosy holiday home available in Castlerock. Walking distance to the beach and short drive to Portrush/ Portstewart. 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, modern amenities including a stove, WiFi and dog friendly with enclosed garden. Competitive rates and good summer availability. Contact 07955 054028.
PORTSTEWART: Holiday house to rent in Portstewart opposite Baptist church. Sleeps six. Bedlinen and towels provided. Convenient to all local amenities and bus service. Ideal base for all of the North Coast. Ring 07803 143874.
PORTRUSH : Comfortable 3-bedroom semi-detached house available for shortterm lets. Sleeps 5. Tel: 07808 112312.
PORTSTEWART: Bungalow available to rent for weeks 11–18 August, 18–25 August £750 per week. Sleeps 5, child friendly, all linens supplied. Well equipped modern bungalow in cul de sac, 5 minutes’ stroll to Promenade. Contact Hilary 07919 987729 for information.
PORTSTEWART : 3-bedroom terrace house, can sleep 6. Enfield Street. Close to shops and promenade, 2-minute walking distance. Tourist Board approved. Tel. 07762 731358.
Student Accommodation
BELFAST: Single room to let in Stranmillis Village, Belfast. Ideally situated for QUB and Belfast hospitals. Would suit student or young professional. Contact Ruby 07759 577868 or rubykilmoyle@yahoo.co.uk
Self Catering
ACCOMMODATION : FLORIDA –Disney 20 mins.; SPAIN – East coast. Beach views. Bus and tram from airport; NORTHERN IRELAND – Portstewart. Sea views. Contact: +44(0)7971 194211; geraldsmyth@hotmail.com
Get together, have fun, and help beat poverty.
The Big Quiz Night is back! Invite friends, family and church together for an all-age evening of fun – all in the name of an amazing cause.
Saturday 16 November at a church near you. Visit tearfund.org/niquiz to find out more.
21-Dec-2025
DONATION ENVELOPES Great value envelopes from your local accredited supplier
Only buy the envelope numbers that you need
THE BENEFITS!
• Save Money
• Fresh Colours
• Better Visibility
• Locally Sourced
• COVID Secure
• Larger Envelope
THE CASE STUDY
We only print and supply the actual number of EnvelopeSets that you need for your contributing members.
One congregation was able to reduce the envelope sets they purchased from 350 to 200 and saved 48%!
This congregation saved £515!
Read the full Case Study here:
Tricord 3A Ballygowan Road, Hillsborough BT26 6HX
Your legacy of hope and care - a gift in your Will.
A gift in your Will could not only help your loved ones but can leave a legacy of hope for generations to come.
In Northern Ireland four in ten adult deaths are caused by chest, heart and stroke illnesses. We’re working hard to change this by funding life-changing research and caring for those who are affected by devastating health conditions every day.
We’ve been helping local people for 75 years, and with your help we can continue to be there for people who need us now, as well as those who will need us in the future.
Please visit nichs.org.uk/giftsinwills for further information on leaving a gift in your Will to NICHS or call us on 028 9032 0184.
Preventing, Supporting, Caring and Rebuilding across Northern Ireland.
