April 2016 by St Columbas

All in an April Evening I thought on the Lamb of God

The Columban st. columbaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s church, knock, april 2016

ANNUAL GENERAL EASTER VESTRY WEDNESDAY, 2ND MARCH 2016 Those of you who were at Kingspan recently for the Ulster-Oyonnax match will have experienced Ulster Rugby at its best. There was a positive atmosphere as the Ulster team played some fine rugby and each member worked hard giving of their best. The team was united, but they were not on their own, as they received invaluable encouragement from all their supporters in a packed stadium. Here in St Columba’s, Elizabeth Scholes has every reason to be a proud granny as her grandson Rory cruised over the line – he was only on the field a matter of minutes, as a blood replacement for winger Andrew Trimble, and scored the third try for Ulster at the 27th minute. It was the united approach of the each of the team members, using their own individual skills, who worked so hard to deliver such an impressive result of 56-3 for Ulster, much to the delight of the roaring home supporters. Everyone connectedthe team connected to each other, they connected to the ball and the supporters connected to the team. The apostle Paul, in the reading tonight, reminded us of the importance of each individual in his analogy of the church as a body. He referred to the human body as having many different parts, with each one having its own unique function – a function that is so important for the efficient working of the body. He reminds us that the church has many members, each with their different roles and gifts. He listed a number of them: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, distinguishing spirits and various kinds of tongues. An impressive and varied list indeed! Paul strongly emphasises that everyone is needed to give of their best. Each part of the body is connected to each other and is dependent on each other to get the job in hand successfully completed. In St Columba’s, we have witnessed and experienced the benefits and blessings of a strong team in so many ways since the formation of the parish in 1896. We have had the delight of reading about all those who were involved in the creation of our parish in Ivan Coffey’s magnificent booklet entitled “St Columba’s Church, Knock: The story from earliest times.” He has shared his great interest in history with us in a very comprehensive and detailed way, as he takes us on an amazing journey through those early years. It is an intriguing story, which involved so many individual people over the years, all documented clearly in this beautiful booklet. I thank Ivan, along with Rosemary and all his family, for providing us with such a well-researched and attractively produced publication, which was privately financed, and for so generously allocating the proceeds of £1,000 to date, to the Church Refurbishment Fund. During our Patronal Festival in June, we look forward to the publication of the updated edition of “An House Not Made with Hands” which will detail the growth

and development of St Columba’s from 1896 – 2016. We owe Betty Rainsford our immense gratitude for providing us with a concise history of the first 100 years of our parish, and for granting permission for this update of her book from the Centenary Year to 2016, by our Organist Emeritus Gerald Hill. I thank Gerald for the most conscientious manner in which he has carried out this work. It is important to update the record of the life and work of our parish, not only as a timely reminder to us of all that has happened, but to acknowledge the contributions that individual parishioners have made to the growth of St Columba’s. In both of these publications we read of many connections of individuals giving of themselves and their gifts as team members to establish, grow and develop our parish. They have all worked hard and supported our parish in so many ways. During the past year we have experienced further growth and development in our parish, through the generous giving of parishioners’ time, skills and money. This has seen many people connecting with the ministry and activities of St Columba’s in new and fresh ways. We entered fully into the Diocesan Year of Mission programme, when we had the privilege of welcoming the Bishop of Connor as our Missioner for our Week of Mission last autumn. What a wonderful and inspirational week that was in the life of St Columba’s! Bishop Alan Abernethy chose the theme “Connections”, and under his leadership we explored many ways in which we could connect our faith with daily experiences of life in an exciting programme of worship, cooking, learning and fun. There was something for people of all ages, and we welcomed members of local churches and the community throughout that week to meet together in both church and local venues. It was an opportunity for us to connect with God, and each other, as we came united together to learn and share, and so become more effective ambassadors for Christ. I thank Bishop Alan for giving so much of himself to us in the planning and conducting of our Week of Mission. I also thank the Mission Team (Jill Armstrong, Clare Best, Murray Hunter, Elizabeth Leonard, Mark Ryan, Moira Saunders, Ross Thompson and Linda Wilson) for their fresh thinking and planning in preparing such a varied programme of events, which was so enthusiastically supported. I am delighted that Bishop Alan will be returning to us to conduct a seminar in Knock Golf Club on Thursday 19th May, and to preach at our Harvest service on Sunday 2nd October to mark the first anniversary of our Week of Mission. We were very privileged as a parish to have been invited to host Gardener’s Corner in May and to have our morning Holy Communion service broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on St Luke’s Day in October. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to connect, support and encourage the radio listeners on those two occasions, with a lot of our parishioners actively participating in both broadcasts. The listeners were able to experience for themselves the strong teamwork which exists in our parish. I received many messages of appreciation following these broadcasts, in particular for the magnificent music at the service. Members of the Easter Vestry, many of our Cathedrals would struggle to provide the excellent music which we experience, not just at the broadcast, but every Sunday, and I thank our Organist and Choral Director, Dr Joe McKee, our Assistant Organist, Brian Clements and the choir for all their hard work and friendship.

It was a delight to welcome the Bishop of Down and Dromore to administer the rite of confirmation to eight parishioners from St Columba’s and four parishioner’s from St Molua’s on Sunday 26th April. It was uplifting to share in the worship on that significant occasion in their lives and to see them being so well supported by parishioners, family and friends. I am very encouraged to see them now connecting in so many ways with the worship and activities of our parish where they can add their own unique contribution to our work. We were very privileged that members of Methodist College Choir, under the direction of Ruth McCartney, came to St Columba’s for an enchanting concert on 20th October which was thoroughly enjoyed by a large number of parishioners and friends. They generously allocated all the proceeds of £1,625 to the Church Refurbishment Fund. Many of the school choir and their parents commented most favourably on our beautiful church building. It is hoped to welcome them back on future occasions and to invite some of our local schools to come for concerts as we continue to strengthen our links within the community. During the past year we have witnessed the successful completion of the refurbishment of the West End of our church. This has been a major capital investment and the first to have been undertaken since the building of the Choir Vestry in the centenary year. This is a magnificent new facility which has been beautifully constructed and is in keeping with the design of our church. It provides us all with much needed space to meet and greet each other and to enjoy refreshments which are now served from the new tea point in safety and comfort. In addition, the acoustics are excellent following this work which will further enhance and develop the music in our services. The Select Vestry and I were delighted to accept the generous gift of a beautiful rose stained glass window, high up on the West End wall, from Caroline Cramp and her family in recognition of her family supplying the lovely Easter lilies in the Sanctuary each Easter Day, when we come together to celebrate the new life and joy of the resurrection. This long-established tradition of over 50 years is depicted in the new window, designed by David Esler, who also designed the main window for the 1996 centenary year. The dedication of all this work will take place during our Patronal Festival weekend on Sunday 5th June, when we shall celebrate the 120th Anniversary of St Columba’s Church. In September, the windows in the Church Hall were replaced. The old windows were in very poor condition, having weathered many storms since the hall was built in 1963. It was great to get all this essential work done just before the recommencement of our parish organisations in September. Many parishioners have commented that the new windows look very well and that the hall is considerably warmer. The new vertical blinds which have just been fitted were generously gifted by some parish organisations and parishioners, and provide a lovely finishing touch to the hall. Members of the Easter Vestry, these have been substantial capital and building projects which have been carefully carried out in addition to the day-today maintenance of our buildings and have been funded from the Church Refurbishment Fund, which was enhanced by a very generous legacy from Jean

Fulton and the Church Hall Refurbishment Fund. This enabled us to complete all of this work last year. This is a wonderful achievement and demonstrates the strong support from parishioners and the local community for our parish. I thank our Glebewardens, Jim Stevenson and Mark Reid, along with the Property Committee members (Brian Gillespie, John McKeown, John Proctor and Keith White) and Select Vestry for all their hard work and attendances at the many meetings required to plan for these projects. Now that this work has been finished, we can explore fresh ways to strengthen ways of connecting with each other and our visitors. I thank David Deane for all he has done to maintain our P.A. system in church and for ensuring that, despite the age of the equipment, that it works reasonably well. However the quality of the sound needs to be improved for the benefit of everyone and the new Select Vestry will be considering this matter during the coming year. There has been sustained growth in our Youth Organisations, with an increasing number of young people getting involved in the various activities. Sunday School continues to flourish with our hard-working and dedicated Superintendent, Joyce Stevenson, along with the all the teachers and those who assist. It was a delight to record 30 children on Sunday 8th November, which was the largest number recorded. We were delighted to welcome Rachel Leacock to the teaching team, and thank her for the great encouragement she gives to the children as they participate in the All Age Worship services and Family Communion services. It was wonderful to see so many of the children in church for their prize giving service in June. We welcomed Amanda Fee to her new role as Brownie Leader and we wish her and the team every blessing in their work with the girls. There are many activities that are being organised so efficiently for the Brownies to enjoy. Moira Saunders and Hollie Wilson continue to provide exciting evenings for the Doves with great fun activities. We said farewell to Ross Thompson in the autumn as he travelled to Poland for this academic year and thank him for all his great work with the Doves. There are currently 14 children in Doves and numbers are continuing to grow. Youth Etc. have had a busy and exciting year under the leadership of David Kelly, where they have experienced new activities and venues. They have welcomed new members to join and enjoy their monthly activities. The Mums and Tots Group, which meets on Friday mornings, serves both the parish and the community in a very effective manner. Anne Clarke and the team of willing helpers provide great support to all those who attend, enabling them to connect with each other. Lynn Ryan continues to work hard as our CrĂ¨che Co-ordinator. It is essential that we provide this important resource to our youngest parishioners following their baptism. While numbers attending crĂ¨che have been very low, the recent move to meet in the Church Hall when Sunday School meets has been a welcome development. I appeal for your support to develop the role of the crĂ¨che, which also feeds into our Sunday School. As a parish it is encouraging that we have good youth organisations which are well supported. While they all meet on various days each week it was delightful when they came together for the Christmas Party for fun and festive food, which concluded in the church with carol singing and a visit from a special North Pole guest! It was a privilege to have commissioned them along with all the leaders from our

organisations last September and we look forward to hearing about the great work which they are doing throughout this year.

FINANCE The Financial Accounts which will shortly be presented by the Honorary Treasurer, Josephine Kelly, record an increase of £4,245 in our Free Will Offering. This is a welcome and encouraging development and I thank parishioners for their financial support for the work in St Columba’s. As you will see, the accounts for the Church Refurbishment and Hall Refurbishment have been greatly reduced due to the spending on projects for which the money was raised. This is great news and we now have the benefit of the new facilities and windows. At our Easter Vestry meeting last year I had the duty of informing you of serious concerns over the safeguarding of parish finances and as a consequence it was agreed that a police investigation should commence. I have been informed by the P.P.S. that on the basis of the outcome of that police investigation into the concerns which were put before us a year ago, that no further action is to be taken. Accordingly, the matter is closed. I can inform the Easter Vestry that the Police Authorities are completely satisfied with all the arrangements in place to safeguard our parish finances and I thank all those who have been appointed to take responsibility for all this work – The Honorary Treasurer, Josephine Kelly, The Honorary Assistant Treasurer, Victor Dukelow, members of the Finance Committee, the Churchwardens and the Parish Administrator. Josephine Kelly has served our parish with great dedication throughout the past three years as Honorary Treasurer. She has given invaluable support and professional advice as a chartered accountant to our Select Vestry discussions throughout the financial concerns and the new opportunities which we have experienced in our work. The Honorary Auditors were most complimentary of Josephine’s work and for her very clear presentation of the financial accounts. They also commented most warmly on her meticulous record keeping. As Rector I fully share those comments and wish to convey my personal thanks to Josephine as she retires tonight as our Honorary Treasurer and also from the Select Vestry and the Finance Committee. Josephine you have given so much of yourself and your strong Christian faith to further strengthen and develop St Columba’s in addition to ensuring that we comply with the regulations of the Charity Commission. As you see in the accounts St Columba’s is an outward facing parish with our generous support for many different charities through our Mission & Charities Envelopes and the proceeds from refreshments after the services. The Zambia Team, with the approval of the Select Vestry, reluctantly took the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our fundraising for the classroom in the new educational facility in Zambia. This was due to a lack of information coming from both the Diocese of Zambia and the Church Missionary Society. As a result we asked the Church Missionary Society a number of questions about the building work and how our money was spent.

What has happened so far is as follows: 1. The site for the school and other buildings has been made ready. 2. Brick making machinery has been purchased. 3. Cement and brick making materials have been purchased. 4. Two foundation slabs have been laid. 5. 25,000 bricks have been moulded. What has happened to our money? No classrooms have yet been built but £9,168 has been spent on the above categories, leaving £4,000 with CMS, which unknown to us had not been sent to Zambia. This has now been returned to the parish bank account. Apparently, other sources of finance for the project failed to surface and so progress has been very slow but there is hope that this will change in the near future. That being the case the Parish will then resend the £4,000 to CMS and will recommence fundraising when they provide a report of the overall sources of funding for the educational facility. We continue to pray for the work of CMS and our friends in Zambia. In addition to the generous financial support received, the Select Vestry and I have been very pleased to accept a number of extremely kind gifts for use in St Columba’s. 1. Altar frontal for the Side Chapel from Bill Hodges and family. 2. Stole to match the frontal 3. Four new Silver Chalices and two new Silver Patens to complement the existing silverware, which will assist with the efficient administration of Holy Communion. As Rector, I personally thank all those who support the work of St Columba’s in so many ways. At present each member of the parish has an opportunity if they wish to support our appeal this month which comes in direct response to many comments received from parishioners to raise the money required to paint the inside of our church as we mark the 120th Anniversary of St Columba’s this year. Following the completion of the refurbishment work, it would be lovely to complete the job by painting the inside of church. This can only be done if the money is raised through this appeal. I encourage you to support it generously. I thank those who have supported our fundraising initiatives in the past. Our parish organisations have planned some fantastic events which have been well supported to date. Each one gave an opportunity for fellowship and to deepen and strengthen our good connections within the community. The Art Club Exhibition and Sale was particularly successful in involving many members of our local community. However, the work of fundraising must continue as we seek to maintain our magnificent building and provide the resources required for the future ministry of our parish. The Committee are hard at work planning events for this year. Please note the dates in your diary: • Ladies Guild Health & Safety Forum, Saturday 23rd April- a chance to speak to professionals in various fields about issues which may interest or concern you.

• Patronal Festival Choir Concert on Saturday 4th June at 7.00pm in church followed by celebratory refreshments to mark our 120th Anniversary of St Columba’s. • Christmas Tree Festival from Friday 25th November – Advent Sunday 27th November in the church with catering in the Church Hall. This three day event will be a lovely opportunity for us and members of the community to focus on the story of Christmas in this unique way and to seek the support of local businesses through sponsorship. At the Ulster - Oyonnax match we saw that not all of the original team which went onto the pitch at the start of the match were still playing at the end. This was due to replacements who were brought on with different skills and experiences to drive the team on. Like our parish, the players all have different skills and talents, e.g. tighthead prop, hooker, wingers, centres etc. Some people can play multiple positions and others play where they are most comfortable. We all have different roles to play in church – when we attend, what we join in with, which of our skills we utilise. However, EVERYONE needs to be involved – Ulster need to put a full team on the pitch at every match regardless of injuries, illness etc. Likewise in church, we need everyone to be involved. Standing on the side lines is not actually playing the match! We all know how expensive it is to run our homes – consider the costs of the church. We need to switch the lights on to see, the heating on when it is cold outside, and we have to pay for hymn books, service sheets, wine for communion, tea, coffee and refreshments etc. People give of their time to hand out service sheets, assist with services and provide refreshments. Consider your impact in the church. We all need to join together to support our church – it is not here simply for baptisms, weddings and funerals. Bills still need to be paid and the buildings maintained whether you are in church or not! Like rugby, everyone has a role to play – either financially or by use of skills and time. Support is vital. The passion felt by the players from the supporters when they step onto the pitch at Kingspan is often called “the 16th man”, as it helps drive the team forward and players often talk about the greatest feeling and encouragement in knowing everyone is supporting them on the pitch. This support often makes the difference between winning a match and losing – and Ulster Rugby knows that it takes both the team and the supporters to make Kingspan a fortress. From the formation of our parish, we have had the benefit of parishioners who have generously given of their professional skills and talents. This has enabled us to develop new opportunities and to overcome the challenges we face each year. I personally thank all those who support our ministry and work at St Columba’s. “Team Columba” has been very effective as we can see by the various events and projects which have been completed- including our silverware (which has evaded Ulster Rugby in the last few years!) When we all come together and connect with God and each other, using our many varied gifts and skills, then we can continue to achieve amazing results. The apostle Paul reminds us that our gifts are from one source – God. He shows us that they do not divide us; instead they unite us in the body of the church here on earth, all members together. May we continue to encourage new members to join our great parish, to become involved in our work, and to move forward together under God with confidence.

ST COLUMBA’S PARISH CHURCH, KNOCK PARISH OFFICE BEARERS 2016-17 RECTOR – The Revd John R Auchmuty ASSISTANT PRIEST – The Revd Canon Ken Smyth RECTOR’S CHURCHWARDEN – Andrew Hirst PEOPLE’S CHURCHWARDEN – Andrew Ellis JUNIOR CHURCHWARDENS –Henry Auchmuty, Jonathan Kelly RECTOR’S GLEBEWARDEN – Jim Stevenson PEOPLE’S GLEBEWARDEN – Mark Reid HONORARY SECRETARY – Elizabeth Leonard HONORARY TREASURER – Gillian Sadlier ASSISTANT HONORARY TREASURER – Victor Dukelow SELECT VESTRY Rector, Churchwardens, Glebewardens, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Assistant Honorary Treasurer, Suzanne Allen, David Craig, Helen Donaghy, Jill Gillespie, Patrick Good, John Macpherson, Mark Ryan, Moira Saunders, Mark Wilson HONORARY AUDITORS Niall Armstrong, Murray Hunter PAROCHIAL NOMINATORS Victor Dukelow, Patrick Good, Elizabeth Leonard, Moranne Noad SUPPLEMENTAL PAROCHIAL NOMINATORS Roberta Rogers, Elizabeth McCaughey, Jill Gillespie, Karen McAlpine DIOCESAN SYNOD MEMBERS Patrick Good, Moranne Noad, Emma Hill SUPPLEMENTAL DIOCESAN SYNOD MEMBERS Michael Davey, Elizabeth Leonard, Ross Thompson

FINANCE COMMITTEE The Rector (Chair) Gillian Sadlier Victor Dukelow Stephen Armstrong Nigel Morrow Keith White (in attendance for Pension discussion) CHURCH HALL COMMITTEE The Rector (Chair) Brian Acheson Michael Davey Victor Dukelow Brian Gillespie John McKeown Mark Reid Gillian Sadlier Jim Stevenson FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE The Rector (Chair) David Craig Elizabeth Leonard Lynn Ryan Clodagh Reid Moira Saunders Linda Wilson CATERING COMMITTEE Suzanne Allen Caroline Auchmuty Emma Macpherson Isobel McDowell Clodagh Reid Lynn Ryan PROPERTY COMMITTEE The Rector (Chair) Jim Stevenson Mark Reid Brian Gillespie John McKeown John Proctor Moira Saunders 10

SERVICES IN APRIL Sunday, 3rd 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm

The Second Sunday of Easter (White) Holy Communion Reader Paddy Malone Acts 5: 27-32 Gospel Karen McAlpine John 20: 19-31 All Age Worship followed by refreshments Reader Emma Ryan John 20: 19-31 Choral Evensong Reader Tillie Heyburn Isaiah 52: 13- 53:12 Reader Tillie Heyburn Luke 24: 13-35

Thursday, 7th 10.30am

The Annunciation of our Lord (transferred) (White) Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry

Sunday, 10th 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm

The Third Sunday of Easter Holy Communion Reader Ronny Martin Acts 9: 1-6 Gospel Clergy John 21: 1-19 Holy Communion Reader Linda Wilson Acts 9: 1-6 Gospel Karen McAlpine John 21: 1-19 Intercessions: Barbara Laverty Late Evening Office Reader Clare Best John 11: 27-44

(White)

Thursday, 14th (White) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday, 17th 8.15am 9.30am 10.30am 7.00pm

The Fourth Sunday of Easter (White) Holy Communion Reader Billy Nelson Acts 9: 36-43 Gospel Clergy John 10: 22-30 Family Communion Gospel Henry Auchmuty John 10: 22-30 Morning Prayer followed by refreshments hosted by Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Reader Ivan Roche Numbers 27: 12-33 Reader Jill Armstrong John 10: 22-30 Occasional Prayers: Jill Gillespie Holy Communion Reader Eileen Anderson Isaiah 63: 7-14 Gospel Karen McAlpine Luke 24: 36-49 11

Thursday, 21st 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday, 24th 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm

The Fifth Sunday of Easter Holy Communion Reader Elizabeth Miller Acts 11: 1-18 Gospel Clergy John 13: 31-35 Holy Communion Reader Elizabeth Miller Acts 11: 1-18 Gospel Clergy John 13: 31-35 Intercessions: Karen McAlpine Evening Prayer Reader Anella Gallen Daniel 6: 6-23 Reader Anella Gallen Mark 15: 46- 16: 8

(White)

Thursday, 28th St Mark the Evangelist (Transferred) (Red) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Readers and Intercessors: If you cannot read or lead the prayers on the appointed day, please arrange a swap with someone else on the rota and let the Churchwardens know. We are always delighted to add new people to the Rota of Readers and Intercessors. If you would wish to serve your church in this way, please contact Muriel Arndell (028 90655500) The readings are from Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary and are printed on our parish website: www.coiknock.org

PARISH PRAYER

God, our Heavenly Father, make the door of our Church wide enough to welcome all who need human love, fellowship and a Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care; but narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride and hatred. Here may the tempted find help, the sorrowing receive comfort and the penitent be assured of your mercy. And here may all your children renew their strength and go on their way in hope and joy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Bishop Thomas Ken 1637-1711

HOSPITAL VISITING The Clergy would appreciate being informed if parishioners are in hospital, going into hospital, are being transferred or if they have been discharged, and will be pleased to offer them pastoral support. Do not assume the Clergy already know as situations have occurred recently when they have not been informed. Please telephone the Rector (9047 1514) or the Assistant Priest (9145 8706) to enable them to take careful note of the details.

From the Registers Our Joys Holy Baptism Sunday, 13th March Molly Vivien Morrow 2 Laurel Lane, Craigavad

Our Sorrows Christian Burials Saturday, 20th February Frank King 98 Orangefield Road

Flower Rota for April 2016 Sunday, 3rd....................................................................Carol Willis Sunday, 10th................................................................ Pam Hunter Sunday, 17th...........................................................Moranne Noad Sunday, 24th..................................................................Judy Hinds

LADIES GUILD We are indebted to Marie McCordick . . . and Maureen Beckwith’s powers of persuasion . . . for coming out of retirement to entertain us at our February meeting. I wish I had entitled it ‘A Conversation with Marie’ for that was exactly what it was like. Marie was a very dedicated teacher who rose to the challenges of headship and it was thanks to a Headteacher’s Conference at the Killyhelvin Hotel that Marie’s love affair with County Fermanagh began. She was also a Diocesan Lay Reader in the Diocese of Clogher. Defensible and Boa Islands were favourite spots and to make visiting easier Marie bought a caravan. Soon this was no longer enough and she shared the ownership of a 16ft cabin cruiser with a friend. Fate then stepped in next and due to illness Marie took early retirement and went travelling. On her return she packed her bags again and moved permanently to Fermanagh and joined Trory Church. At first a lot of her time was taken up showing friends around and exploring this beautiful county. But it was not long before Marie spotted support gaps and began working in the community, The Mental Health Association of Fermanagh, Age Concern, Irvingstown Community Partnership and THIRTY SIX other groups. Welcome back to Belfast and thank you again for a most enjoyable evening. Let retirement resume again !!! Imelda Shephard

HEALTH AND FITNESS FORUM

SATURDAY 23rd APRIL, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm – Church Hall The Ladies’ Guild had received numerous requests for speakers on various aspects of health and fitness so we decided to gather everyone together under one roof. From small beginnings last July using parishioners, the Fire Service and the Police Service, like Topsy ‘ it just grow’d ‘ and we now have about TWENTY participants covering a wide variety of local services. The East Belfast Community Development Service came on board and have been a great help to us. As you will see from our poster it will be a morning of information and fun for all the family. Guidance will be available on Dental, Hearing and Eye Care. Have your Body Mass Index tested and if exercise is recommended head over to the David Lloyd bike and Trainer. If that’s too energetic try Boccia an exercise from Engage with Age group or Boxercise. Need to relax now, how about a massage .............. I think there might be a long queue here! Tea, coffee and soft drinks will be available. To make this a successful event WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please come along with your family and friends, spread the word FAR AND WIDE we want this to be an opportunity to connect with our neighbours in the Knock Area. Flyers and posters are available so if you can help with publicity please contact me. One last thing, calling all BAKERS or those who know a fabulous little BAKERY please help us with contributions for the Coffee Stall. The hall will be open from 2pm to 5pm on Friday 22nd April to drop off your contributions or at other times by arrangement. ADMISSION FREE. NO APPOINTMENTS NEEDED. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Imelda Shephard Mob: 07704491652 email, imelda.shephard@gmail.com

CLERGY PARISH VISITING It is always a great privilege for the Clergy to visit parishioners in their homes. If you would like to request a Clergy Visit, please telephone the Rector (028 90471514) or the Assistant Priest (028 91458706). In addition to requested Parish Visiting, the Clergy will be visiting parishioners in the following districts during April: Rector Campbell Chase Cairnshill Close Campbell Park Avenue Castlehill Manor Cherry Tree, Gilnahirk Cherryvalley Park

Assistant Priest Cairnburn Crescent Cairnburn Park Carrowreagh Gardens Castlehill Road Cherrytree Walk Cherryvalley Gardens

MAY PARISH MAGAZINE Any articles or photographs for publication in the May parish magazine should be handed or e-mailed to the editor, Billy McAlpine, by Wednesday, 6th April. His contact details are:10 Old Quay Court, Holywood BT18 0HT Tel: 9042 4390 Email: colmaged@outlook.com We all love to see photographs of people enjoying our Church activities. So we can all benefit fully from this and for reproduction purposes, it is very important that photographs are clear and in focus. Many thanks

SIDESPERSON’S ROTA Sunday, 3rd April Sunday, 10th April Sunday, 17th April Sunday, 24th April

Rosemary and Ivan Coffey Eleanor and Geoff Launchbury Caroline and Noel Higginson Yvonne and John Robb

SUNDAY SCHOOL 3rd April

10.30 am All Age Worship

10th April

10.30 am Sunday School

17th April

9.30 am Family Communion

24th April

10.30 am Sunday School

The children received many compliments for their excellent singing, reading and prayers on Mothering Sunday. The numbers in Sunday School have been increasing steadily, particularly in the younger classes. Please keep collecting 20p coins in the Smartie tube for the Church Hall Refurbishment Fund and return by 10th April. Joyce Stevenson

ART CLUB The Art Club are having a painting demonstration on Thursday, 7th April from 10.00am to 12.00pm in the church hall. A well-known local artist, Ray Elwood, will be demonstrating using water colours. Any church members interested in joining us will be very welcome. Vida

Hi Ladies, Just a reminder of our programme of events leading into spring and summer: Monday, 4th April – The Diocesan Festival Service will take place at 8pm in Bangor parish. Members are asked to meet in St Columba’s church car park at 7.00pm before travelling to the service. Any members requiring transport to the service in Bangor please contact me on 07954 577107 and I will seek to arrange lifts, if possible. Please remember to note the change of date for the summer outing which will now take place on Thursday, 5th May at 7pm. We will visit The Secret Garden in Dundonald which will provide the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful gardens and explore the two acre nursery full of plants, tubs and hanging baskets. There will be planting advice on hand from expert horticulturists and the evening will finish with a visit to The Secret Garden restaurant. The overall cost for the evening is £17 per person. If you would like to attend and perhaps bring along a friend please contact me as soon as possible to secure your place. On Tuesday, 7th June we will be joined by Lola Armstrong from Clandeboye Estate. Lola will give us an insight into the Estate’s yoghurt business and will hopefully bring along some pots of home grown goodness for us to try. Katrina

ACTIVITY NOTES Our Tuesday evenings continue to provide us with good exercise playing badminton and scrabble, but we can always find time to go out together as a group. On Thursday 3rd March, 2016 we set off from the Church car park to spend the evening at the Lyric Theatre to see the comedy “Educating Rita“. Two very talented people gave a superb performance. What a lovely evening we had. Maureen 18

Thought for the Month

For Christmas 2014 I received a brightly coloured card from my cousin, Fiona, in Saint Louis, USA. I was intrigued by the story associated with it for the design was reproduced from a stained glass window taken from Bonhomme Presbyterian church in Saint Louis. Within these pages of The Columban you can share with me my admiration for the card and likewise find the hidden Christian symbols. The window in turn was inspired by a tapestry and created by Dolores Veth in the 1950s. The symbols include a menorah, the ten commandments, a rainbow, a chalice and cross, four crosses and a fish. I found this card fascinating because of my own various creations such as patchwork, candle making, hooked rugs and numerous tapestries which include the recipient’s name, my name and year date stitched as part of the design. I have recently been to a lecture on the Bayeau Tapestry which brings me to realise that any creative work could become a valuable and interesting source of information. I believe that now-a-days everything possible should be dated, if not actually signed. It is amazing how important such knowledge may become even for fairly recent times i.e. letters, photographs etc. The richness of creating something has so many benefits, especially for the creator, but also, very often, for a much wider group of people. I am thinking also of our own craft and art clubs in St. Columbas. Then finally there is God’s creation of the Universe which is more wonderous the more we know of it and for which we are eternally grateful. Kyleen Our sincere thanks to Kyleen for sharing her ‘Thought’ with us. The April ‘Thought for the Month’ will be written by Noel Higginson. 19

Another busy month for the Brownies! We celebrated Pancake Day in typical Brownies fashion making pancakes with lots of different toppings! We had a Brownies night out to the Strand Cinema to see, “Capture The Flag” – it was a great film and we really enjoyed having some sweet treats! We had a Wii night where we played different games and there was some fierce competition in Mario Kart with great attention to detail being paid on acceleration, aerodynamics and of course the nicest car to help us win! We are enjoying Brownies so much that some of us still arrived at Brownies when we were off for half term and when the Rector called to see if Brownies was on, I was actually at the very top of the Empire State Building and couldn’t get back in time! Lots of fun coming up with our Annual Easter Egg Hunt with the Doves and of course our Easter Craft. Amanda and Kathryn

Doves The Doves continue to meet each Wednesday at 6.30pm. The photographs show everyone enjoying our Easter crafts. We recently joined with the Brownies in an Easter Egg Hunt. Moira

Railway and Model Club WANTED: Corpse. Must be 00 scale. Apply in person. As soon as we have the necessary ‘parts’ we will set up a funeral procession at our little church. Our model parish is quite small and the Rector can only afford a Vespa scooter, not a BMW, but he does get around. Fiddle Yard is developing well under the capable hands of John Robb, with a lot of fencing and walls now in place. Unfortunately it is a little damp in our little world, so we are about to purchase a couple of de-humidifiers, with silica-gel, to try to keep the rust at bay on our railway lines. Plans have been completed for a sports ground, for the village, with club rooms in the Rector’s Retreat pub. Stewart Beckwith is the MLA (member and local athlete) responsible for this...hope he gets the seating and evacuation points right. A third layout has now been started!!! This one, however, is a harbour/port scene, with a couple of cruise ships, cargo vessels, naval ships...and maybe even a Clyde Puffer in port. This layout is in 1200th scale and only requires a couple of feet square, for the display. All happening each Wednesday between 7:00 and 10:00pm. Why not join us for the craic, but don’t forget we have no meeting during Holy Week and Easter Week. Keep rollin’. David

PAUSE

Spring has arrived. The sun is shining, the days are lengthening and it is time to emerge from hibernation. PAUSE, as most of you know, never stops. We continue to meet throughout the year. The venue changes, the day changes and of course the group changes each time we meet for coffee/lunch and a chat. If you have some free time do come and join with us on one or both of our April dates. Friday, 8th April, 10.30am - coffee at The Secret Garden Tuesday, 26th April, 10.30am – coffee at The Old Mill at Dundonald Just turn up on your own or with a friend - we look forward to seeing you! If you require further details or help with transport please contact me. Eileen (9020 3684) 21

CHOIR CONCERT Saturday, 4 June 2016 at 7.00pm The Parish Choir, along with guests, will be presenting a Concert in the Church on Saturday 4 June as part of this year’s Patronal Festival. We are delighted to be joined by one of the country’s finest sopranos, Lynda Barrett, who is a parishioner, and by former BBC and UTV presenter Lynda Bryans who will read selected poetry. Please come along with your family and friends to support this event. We are suggesting a voluntary contribution of £10 from adults and children come free. After the concert there will be refreshments in the church and on the lawn. This event will be the Choir’s principal contribution to the Church Refurbishment Fund, so please come and enjoy the music while supporting an important aspect of parish life. Thanks. Joe McKee

ALL AGE WORSHIP TEA & COFFEE Many thanks to everyone who supported the SOS bus at our last All Age Worship in January, when we raised just over ÂŁ108. On Sunday, 3rd April we shall be raising funds for Lagan Search & Rescue. This is an acute water rescue and independent lifeboat service dedicated to the seaward side of the River Lagan in Belfast and its immediate environment. They are a charity providing emergency response with the Coastguard and are staffed by volunteers. In March 2015 their service was enhanced to an emergency response for the River Lagan and Belfast Harbour and they operate every day of the year. I hope to see you at our All Age Worship Service and enjoy a chat and cuppa. Roberta

MUMS AND TOTS Mums and Tots is thriving with large numbers of happy children and their carers every week. We are very sorry that Patricia Wilson is leaving us after 6 years of hard work and commitment. She will be greatly missed by us all. If anyone would be interested in helping out on a Friday morning we would love to hear from you. Please ring Anne Clarke 9065 1412

Enjoying The Columban- pass it on! Are you enjoying The Columban? Why not pass it on to a friend or neighbour and encourage them to come and join us on a Sunday or at one of our many activities during the week

So . . . What’s Your Favourite Hymn? Billy McAlpine, our indefatigable editor of The Columban, has kindly asked me (instructed me!) to contribute the first of a number of short articles from members of the choir reflecting on our personal choices of favourite hymns. For me, as an organist, that’s a nearly impossible task, on a par with who’s your favourite composer, what’s your favourite piece of music, or do you prefer cheese or pudding at the end of a meal? My considered opinion is – well, it all depends. Hymns have been at the heart of my work as a church musician for 50 years. Think how hymns, including their texts and the tunes attached to them, have changed in that relatively short period of social and musical history. In St Columba’s we enjoy singing a broad range of hymn styles. At our regular Songs of Praise services we often sing hymns as disparate as Will your anchor hold, or Make me a channel of your peace, or Yield not to temptation, or One more step along the road, or Be still, for the presence of the Lord, or Dear Lord and Father of mankind. These are all examples of “general” hymns. As Anglicans we also have a wonderful selection of “seasonal” hymns from the liturgical calendar. We’ve just left Lent and Easter, a time in the Spring associated with countless memorable hymns. At the turn of the year we could also reflect on a miscellany of beautiful hymns from the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. We associate other times of the year, such as Harvest or Remembrance-tide, with even more hymns which we value and cherish. I’d like to suggest that it’s this aspect of association that leads many of us to pick a particular hymn as our favourite. As church people attending services over the years, we often associate complex memories and emotions, both happy and sad, with events and people who mean a great deal to each of us. When I worked at Methody, many former students returned to be married in the College Chapel and the choice of hymns was often heavily influenced by memories of school days. I recall being asked to play, at three successive weddings, the hymn And did those feet in ancient times to Parry’s wonderful tune Jerusalem. Our recollections of family weddings and funerals, naturally, provide a treasury of hymns which resonate within our hearts and minds. Having said all that, I was asked to name my favourite hymn. For me, a good hymn has to have words that stand up to reasonable intellectual scrutiny and they need to have been set to a decent melody with convincing harmonies. In close second place, for me, comes Number 468, How shall I sing that majesty? This takes sublime words by the 17th century poet John Mason based on a passage from the Book of Daniel to a glorious modern tune by the Cambridge composer, Kenneth Naylor. Joe McKee Dr McKee’s favourite hymn will be revealed in the May magazine.

Dear R ev Auch

I am wri

ting to

muty;

confirm

that Jen gana re ceived £1541 ort of C from th harles A e coffee uchmu We are mornin ty’s sum greatly g you h mer mis touche eld at th d by yo sion trip e u r kindn will be to K e n ess and ya. able to give yo we trus u a firs t that wh t hand en Charl people accoun in less es retu t of how fortuna rn’s fro Jengan te situa m the tr a as a m tions. ip, he We hop ission u e that y ses suc ou will h funds commit to help Charles will als o pray to your for us a prayers s we se a s he trav ek to re els with ach out us and in the m reques ost app t that y ropriate ou means to thos e hope to serv e. rectory

Till the

trumpe t

in supp

sounds

Fransu

Jengan

er Muk ula

I would like to thank all those who generously supported my fundraising coffee morning in aid of Jengana. I was delighted to see so many parishioners and friends coming to enjoy refreshments in the Rectory on the 27th February. There was a great atmosphere as everyone enjoyed the refreshments and chatting with each other. Through your great support the magnificent sum of £1,600 was raised before Gift Aid for the Jengana charity. This will be of great benefit to those who are living in poverty in Kenya. I am looking forward to travelling there during the summer and sharing my experiences with you on my return. Thank you for all the support. Charles Auchmuty

PARISH ORGANISATIONS New members are always welcome at any of our organisations! Sunday

Monday

Sunday School Bubbles (3-5 years) Splash (5-8years) X-treme (8-11 years) The Grid (11-14 years) Crèche Craft and Hobby Circle Ladies Bowling MU Afternoon Group Mens’ Club

Tuesday

Ladies Badminton Ladies Badminton Activity Group Mothers’ Union

Wednesday

Brownies Doves Railway and Model Club Bible Study Group Ladies Guild

Thursday

Art Club Choir

Friday

Mums & Tots Toddler Soccer (3-5 years) Pause Youth Etc. (11-15 years) Young Families

2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays 10.30am

Superintendent: Joyce Stevenson 9058 3381

2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays

Lynn Ryan 07955 479065 1st Monday each month 10.30am Carol Willis 9079 9997 2.00pm Phyllis Newton 9048 2113 2nd Monday each month 2.30pm Joy Montgomery 9029 5427 7.30pm John Robb 9058 1438 10.30am Gillian Popplestone 9080 3799 2.00pm Kyleen Clarke 9079 7155 Maureen Irwin Except 1st Tuesday 7.30pm 9079 5155 Katrina Dukelow 1st Tuesday each month 8.00pm 9029 0625 6.30pm Amanda Fee 07739 039750 6.30pm Moira Saunders 07739 041392 7.00pm David Beattie 9028 5868 7.30pm Anella Gallen 9065 8077 Imelda Shephard 3rd Wednesday each month 7.45pm 9079 7683 9.30am Bob Killen 9079 0210 7.30pm Dr Joe McKee 07976 294574 9.45am Anne Clarke 9065 1412 3.45 - 4.30pm Tim Wareing 07740 120788 As arranged Eileen Anderson 9020 3684 As arranged David Kelly 9079 3684 Social events as arranged Emma Macpherson 9028 2076

Requests for the occasional use of the church halls must be submitted to the Premise’s Convenor.

WHO’S WHO IN ST. COLUMBAS Parish website: www.coiknock.org

Rector

The Reverend John R Auchmuty

St. Columba’s Rectory 29 Kings Road BT5 6JG 028 9047 1514 johnauchmuty@btinternet.com

Assistant Priest

The Reverend Canon Ken Smyth

3 Mount Royal Bangor BT20 3BG 028 9145 8706

Diocesan Lay Reader

Karen McAlpine

readercolumba@gmail.com

Diocesan Lay Reader (Emeritus)

Bryn Harris

028 9187 8816

Rector’s Churchwarden

Andrew Hirst

028 9065 8785

People’s Churchwarden

Andrew Ellis

07920 112818

Junior Churchwardens

Henry Auchmuty, Jonathan Kelly

Rector’s Glebewarden

Jim Stevenson

028 9058 3381 07973 392448

People’s Glebewarden

Mark Reid

028 9028 4367 07810 648167

Honorary Sexton

John Proctor

028 9087 0526 07989 469773

Select Vestry

Rector, Churchwardens, Glebewardens,Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Assistant Honorary Treasurer, Suzanne Allen, David Craig, Helen Donaghy, Jill Gillespie, Patrick Good, John Macpherson, Mark Ryan, Moira Saunders, Mark Wilson

Honorary Secretary

Elizabeth Leonard

28 Knockdene Park South BT5 7AB 028 9065 3162 elizabeth.leonard@me.com

Honorary Treasurer

Gillian Sadlier

70 Kensington Road BT5 6NG 028 9040 3278

Assistant Honorary Treasurer

Victor Dukelow

028 9029 0625

Gift Aid Secretary

Ronny Martin

028 9079 0821 07526 396838 ronny.martin@sky.com

Parochial Nominators

Victor Dukelow, Patrick Good, Elizabeth Leonard, Moranne Noad

Diocesan Synod members

Patrick Good, Moranne Noad, Ross Thompson (under 30)

Organist and Choral Director

Dr Joe McKee

07976 294574

Assistant Organist

Brian Clements

028 9079 3641

Readers’ and Intercessor’s Co-ordinator

Muriel Arndell

028 9065 5500

Sidespersons’ rota Co-ordinator

Rosemary Coffey

028 9754 2198

Crèche rota Co-ordinator

Lynn Ryan

07955 479065

Magazine Editor

Billy McAlpine

028 9042 4390 colmaged@outlook.com

Parish Webmaster

Ivan Roche

028 9514 0141 ivan.roche@me.com

C of I Gazette Distributor

Moranne Noad

028 9079 3704

Bible Reading Fellowship notes

Evan Preston

028 9048 9884

Church flowers

Eleanor Launchbury

028 9028 1204

Premise’s Convenor

Stewart Beckwith

028 9048 6622

Parish Office Administrator/ Financial Giving Secretary

Karen Patterson Office hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am – 1.00pm

028 9065 6891 office@coiknock.org

SAFEGUARDING TRUST The Rector, Select Vestry and parish leaders are committed to upholding good practice in the parish’s ministry with children and young people. Should you have cause for concern or suspicion regarding child welfare in the parish, please contact: The Rector...............................................................................................................028 9047 1514 Patrick Good...........................................................................................................028 9065 6908 Elizabeth Leonard................................................................................................028 9065 3162