October 2013
RECTOR’S LETTER Dear Parishioner, HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICES SUNDAY, 6th OCTOBER I hope that you will be able to join us in St. Columba’s for Harvest Thanksgiving on Sunday, 6th October. On that day we will come to give thanks to God for all his blessings and gifts to us. We only have to take a cursory look at the newspapers to realise just how much we have to be thankful for, despite our own personal circumstances. Harvest is a timely reminder to us that we are dependent upon God for our daily needs and provides us with an opportunity to express our gratitude. The church will be decorated with displays of fruit, vegetables, flowers and, hopefully, some sheaves of corn. The visiting preacher at the 11.00am All Age Worship Service will be the Dean of Clogher and Enniskillen, The Very Revd Kenneth Hall, and at Choral Evensong will be the Rector of Newcastle and Editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette, The Revd Canon Dr. Ian Ellis. Dean Hall and his congregation generously supported Brian Acheson and Ronny Martin’s Cathedral Cycle Marathon for the Zambia Team fundraising when they arrived in Enniskillen Cathedral, during their morning worship in May last year. I have worked with Dr. Ellis for many years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Church of Ireland Press Ltd. It will be a great delight to welcome them both to our parish. Harvest Thanksgiving is also an opportunity for us to give thanks to God for the blessings we receive from our parish church. St Columba’s is fortunate, through the generosity of parishioners and members of the community, to offer a comprehensive range of church services and parish organisations each week. These have been clearly detailed in both our parish handbook and also on our new parish website. The harvest from these two new resources will only be fully realised if we use them regularly! I encourage you to keep the parish handbook safely as a source of reference throughout the year and to put the website address www.coiknock.org into your “favourites” on your computer. If you don’t know what is happening in St. Columba’s, it is very hard to become involved and to share in the fellowship! As the Dominican theologian, Meister Johannes Eckhart, once wrote, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough”. It would be so encouraging if we could all come together for Harvest and say “thank you” to God in our beautifully designed and decorated church, with all the familiar music. Yours in His service,
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presents
A fashion show with a difference to be held on Wednesday, 6th November, at 7.30pm in St. Columba's Parish Hall, 29 Kings Road, Belfast War on Want NI presents you with the Flapper Show, 1920s to 1930s. In our collection we have an outFit worn at the jubilee celebrations of King George V in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, as well as 1920s bathing wear dress, a wedding dress, outdoor coats and evening wear plus a special collection ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. Tickets £10 each (including supper) on sale in church or contact Liz McCaughey on 9065 2031. Net proceeds in aid of the church hall refurbishment fund.
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SERVICES IN OCTOBER Thursday 3rd (Green) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday 6th Harvest Thanksgiving (Green) 8.15am Holy Communion Reader Trevor Buchanan 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15 Gospel Clergy Matthew 6: 24-34 10.30am Informal Recital by Members of the Music Group 11.00am All Age Worship followed by Harvest Lunch in the church hall Reader Henry Auchmuty John 6: 25-40 Preacher The Very Reverend Kenneth Hall, Dean of Clogher and Enniskillen 7.00pm Choral Evensong Reader Victor Ryan Genesis 1: 1-3; 24-31a Reader Victor Ryan John 4: 31-38 Preacher The Revd Canon Dr. Ian Ellis, Editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette Occasional Karen McAlpine Prayers (Red) Thursday 10th Saint Philip the Deacon (Transferred) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday 13th 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm
The Twentieth Sunday after Trinity (Green) Holy Communion Reader Patrick Wilson 2 Timothy 2: 8-15 Gospel Clergy Luke 17: 11-19 Holy Communion and Holy Baptism Reader Jennifer Pyper 2 Timothy 2: 8-15 Gospel Karen McAlpine Luke 17: 11-19 Late Evening Office Reader Noel Higginson John 15: 12-27
(Red) Thursday 17th Saint Luke (Transferred) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday 20th 8.15am 9.30am
The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity (Green) Holy Communion Reader Paddy Malone 2 Timothy 3: 14-4: 5 Gospel Clergy Luke 18: 1-8 Family Communion Gospel Karen McAlpine Luke 18: 1-8 4
10.30am Morning Prayer Reader John Holland Reader Gillian Sadlier Occasional Muriel Arndell Prayers 7.00pm Holy Communion Reader Gina Greeves Reader Karen McAlpine
Jeremiah 31: 27-34 Luke 18: 1-8
Nehemiah 8: 9-18 John 16: 1-11
Thursday 24thSaint James, the Brother of our Lord (Transferred) (Red) 10.30am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry Sunday 27th 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm
The Fifth Sunday before Advent (Green) Holy Communion Reader Paul Stewart 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18 Gospel Clergy Luke 18: 9-14 Holy Communion Reader Moranne Noad 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18 Gospel Clergy Luke 18: 9-14 Intercessions Jennifer Johnston Evening Prayer Reader Tony Greeves Ecclesiastes 11 & 12 Reader Tony Greeves Matthew 22: 34-46
Thursday 31st Saint Simon and Saint Jude (Transferred) (Red) 10.00am Holy Communion followed by refreshments in the Choir Vestry
NOVEMBER Sunday 3 8.15am 10.30am 7.00pm rd
The Fourth Sunday before Advent (Green) Holy Communion Reader Leonard Pugh 2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4, 11-12 Gospel Clergy Luke 19: 1-10 All Age Worship followed by refreshments Reader Jamie Sadlier Luke 19: 1-10 Choral Evensong Reader Jennifer Johnston Lamentations 3: 22-33 Reader Jennifer Johnston John 11: 32-44
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 names to the rota of Readers and Intercessors. If you would wish to serve your church in this way, please contact Muriel Arndell (9065 5500). The readings are from Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary and are printed on our parish website:
www.coiknock.org 5
PARISH PRAYER God, our Heavenly Father, make the door of our Church wide enough to welcome all who need human love, fellowship and a Father’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
OCTOBER SIDESPERSONS’ ROTA Sunday 6 ..........................................................Jon and Ben Roche th
Sunday 13th.......................................................Alison and Brian Acheson Sunday 20th.......................................................Helen Donaghy and Jack Dunlop Sunday 27th.......................................................Eleanor and Geoff Launchbury
NOVEMBER Sunday 3 ..........................................................Ross and Chris Thompson rd
ALL AGE WORSHIP TEA AND COFFEE Many thanks to everyone who supported the Royal Institute for the Blind in September when we raised just over £60. Due to the parish Harvest lunch on Sunday, 6th October, there will be no All Age Worship Tea and Coffee this month. Our next All Age Tea and Coffee will be on Sunday, 3rd November, and we shall be raising much needed funds for a small charity called Life after Loss. Life after Loss is an organisation set up in 2006 to help anyone affected by the loss of a baby. They provide support and information to those who have been through the death of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, or early in life, for any reason. Their headquarters are in Larne and they hold many events throughout Northern Ireland, and carry out a substantial amount of work with Warrington Hospital. They also provide an online support forum which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for grieving parents to read and post messages, as well as to give and receive support. Hope to see you then,
Roberta 6
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 (9047 1514) or the Assistant Priest (9145 8706). In addition to requested Parish Visiting, the Clergy will be visiting parishioners in the following districts during October: Rector Comber Road Cumberland Drive Cumberland Park Cyprus Avenue Cyprus Gardens Cyprus Park
Assistant Priest Dundela Gardens Dunlady Manor Eastleigh Crescent Eastleigh Dale Ebrington Gardens Edenvale Gardens
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES Sunday, 6th October
10.30am Informal Musical Recital 11.00am All Age Worship Harvest Lunch
Sunday, 13th October
10.30am Sunday School
Sunday, 20th October
9.30am Family Communion
Sunday, 27th October
10.30am Sunday School
The attendance at our first Sunday school was excellent, with 24 young people present. Several of these were in the Primary class, with new faces joining those from last year. However, some of last year’s children have still to return so in the weeks to come we expect our numbers to rise. This is very rewarding for our teachers who spend so much time preparing for each class. The activities that we undertake vary greatly, from drawing, craft and acting to bible reading and quizzes, all designed to help our children understand the Bible stories more easily. At a recent teachers’ meeting, it was decided to ask each child to bring a collection of at least 20p to every Sunday school. At the end of term, the money will be totalled and sent to a children’s charity, or used to purchase useful equipment for the school in Zambia visited by our parish team last year. It is hoped parents will support this and encourage their children to give a little of their pocket money. Beth Cairnduff 7
DECORATING THE CHURCH FOR HARVEST Saturday, 5th October, from 10.30am – 12.30pm No flower arranging skills necessary! Willingness to help is all that is required. Children and young families will be particularly welcome to help with the decorating. Refreshments in the Rectory!
HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICES SUNDAY, 6th OCTOBER 8.15am: Holy Communion 10.30am: Informal Recital by Members of the Music Group 11.00am: All Age Worship followed by Harvest Lunch in the church hall Preacher: The Very Reverend Kenneth Hall, Dean of Clogher and Enniskillen The children are invited to bring a Harvest gift to present during this service 7.00pm: Choral Evensong Preacher: The Revd Canon Dr. Ian Ellis, Editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette
ST. COLUMBA’S PARISH HARVEST LUNCH Don’t forget our Harvest Lunch on Sunday, 6th October, immediately after Morning service. Our soup lunches are always very popular and tickets will be available during September, so pop it in your diary now and bring the family along for a nice lunch and at the same time support, by voluntary donations, the Church Hall Refurbishment Fund. Roberta
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK Very many thanks from the Christian Aid Office to all collectors for their hard work during this year’s Christian Aid Week which ran from 12th to 19th May. The total raised by St. Columba’s amounted to a magnificent £3055.76 which, with Gift Aid included, rose to £3971.68. Very well done to everyone! Hazel Reid 8
PAUSE For some time, we have been meeting in all sorts of places to have coffee, scones or lunch. The idea is simply to meet up and have a chat. There is no commitment so if you are free, do come along and join us! PAUSE is open to all. Come on your own or bring a friend we would love to see you on: Tuesday, 15th October, at 10.30am – coffee at SKAINOS (Newtownards Road) If you require transport or further details, please contact me. Eileen (9020 3684)
Hello Ladies, Our annual Mothers’ Union Service will take place on Tuesday, 1st October, at 8.00pm at which our Rector will officiate. The Area service in St. Dorothea’s was very well attended by our own branch. Joy Silcock, the diocesan President, gave a most inspiring message and a nice supper was enjoyed by all. A big thank you to Irene Grey for all her hard work with the arrangements. I hope that you have each received your new programme for next year, as well as the church registration form. Our treasurer, Eileen Gibson, would welcome your subscription envelopes being returned at the October or November meetings. Any extra amounts donated by members generously augments our own funds to pay for guest speakers. Look forward to seeing you at the next meeting. Sandra
BROWNIE NOTES Brownies re-commenced on Friday, 13th September, and many of our current Brownies returned along with some new girls. Several games were enjoyed and suggestions were made for activities for our new programme, which will allow the leaders to plan a variety of activities for the rest of the year eg. swimming in Lisburn, visit to the Ice Bowl etc. 2014 will be a very important year for Brownies, it being the centenary of the first Brownies known as Rosebuds. Many activities have been planned by headquarters and it is hoped we will be able to join in some of them. So come along and give us a try and be part of this special year! Beth Cairnduff 9
CRÈCHE Autumn has arrived and the children are settling back into school. As Sunday school has commenced, so has the Crèche in St. Columba’s! Most Sundays during the 10.30am morning service there is the opportunity for families to bring their young children (under the age of 3 years) to the Choir Vestry. Here they can play with other children of a similar age while their parents participate in the service. There is a variety of toys, books and colouring books for the children to play with. By logging onto the St. Columba’s website www.coiknock.org, clicking on the Organisations link and then on Crèche, parents can see which weeks the Crèche is running, who has volunteered and if they wish to volunteer themselves by using the online rota. For the past several years there have been many volunteers whom I hope are still able to assist us in the running of this service. For new families, we welcome you and look forward to meeting you! Any new members wishing to volunteer, please speak to the Rector or myself. Michelle Jamison (07533 871166)
Ladies Guild Notes Dear Ladies, Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, 16th October, at 7.45pm and promises to be a very interesting talk entitled ‘Mission Impossible’. Joe and Sadie Law are coming to tell us about the street children of Colombia. They have worked with them for years, rescuing them, helping them to find safe homes and receive an education. It will be an eye-opener for us who have always felt secure and safe. We hope to see as many of you as possible - members and friends! In November, we have invited Tom Beggs to give us a talk on ‘The History of Scrabo’ which will be of great interest to many of us, especially myself, as a walk up Scrabo was our Sunday outing when I was a child and therefore has special memories! See you soon, Lilias (Hon. Sec.)
LOVE NOTICE An advertisement appeared in the student newspaper of a certain university: ‘Sweet little old lady wishes to correspond with university student and urgently seeks six-foot handsome hunk with brown eyes, answering to initials J.A.D.’ Signed, His mother. 10
ALL AGE PARISH SCAVENGER HUNT AND BBQ On a bright and sunny September afternoon, a group of approximately 45 people, six dogs and two bikes met at the Comber side of the Greenway. All were prepared with bottles of juice, water, tasty snacks, doggy treats and poo bags! Billy McAlpine ensured everyone received their scavenger list and bag for the mystery items. First off the blocks were the boys who set a fast pace for those following, although by the end of the walk we had nearly caught up with them (it is still a mystery whether they found all their items!). Along the way we found most of the items that were required to spell SAINT COLUMBA… the most difficult letter being U. Some people who came prepared for Northern Ireland weather tried to submit an umbrella as their item but, after a steward’s enquiry, it was refused! The winner was Anna Dukelow who found all 12 items including “undergrowth”. She shared her prize with her school friend, Paddy, who had given her some help. At the end of seven miles, St. Columba’s was a welcome sight. Everyone was treated to refreshments, juice for the young people, wine for the adults and water for the dogs! Brian Clements had also prepared a very tasty BBQ and there were lots of salads to accompany the burgers and hot dogs. For dessert, we were treated with fizzy lollypops and there were plenty of blackberries on offer, especially from Jack and Janie Reid. A quick tally revealed that, after expenses. the magnificent sum of £476.69 had been raised for the Church Hall Refurbishment Fund. Everyone enjoyed a well earned rest and chatted in the sunshine, and all agreed it was a lovely way to spend a beautiful autumn afternoon. Emma and Sarah Craig
Photos by Linda Wilson and Alan Boyd
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ZAMBIA HOME TEAM UPDATE Work on the construction of the St. Michael’s diocesan schools in Zambia has been progressing over the past three months. During September, the P1 classes will be constructed to roof level and work will commence on the administration block. At present, however, the diocese does not have money available to complete the P1 classrooms and they are asking for donations of labour and materials from local church members. The project secretary, Mr Evans Mwewa, has provided us with an update on the current state of the project: Question: Has the money provided by St. Columba’s all been spent? Evans: “The £3,000 received from St. Columba’s has already been used on procurement of materials for the three classroom slab. Thank you for your assistance.” Question: What money is in place to complete the three classrooms and administrative block? Evans: “At the moment, the diocese has no money to complete the three classrooms and administration block. As a diocese, we have requested Christians to contribute at least a pocket of cement or more for those who can afford it. Meanwhile, we are also planning to hold local fundraising ventures. The diocese is providing labour from church groups, i.e. Mothers’ Union, Men’s Fellowship and young people. We also receive free professional advice from our Christians who have formed a technical committee. We believe that once we have raised adequate funds, we will tackle the school project in phases and work will move systematically and at a reasonable pace.” In order to assist with the completion of the P1 classrooms, the Zambia committee has decided that a further £2,600 should be sent to the school building fund in Kitwe. This money was part of the funds raised to send the team from St. Columba’s to Kitwe last year but was not spent during that visit. The construction of the complete primary school will involve the building of 15 classrooms over the next five years. The Zambia committee believes it would be a tremendous achievement if St. Columba’s could construct one of these classrooms. To do this will require fund raising of £2,000 a year for the next five years. As part of this effort, we will be organising a fundraising event each year in St. Columba’s. This year’s event will be a Parish Advent Lunch for Zambia which will be held on Sunday, 1st December. This lunch will have a seasonal flavour with early mince pies to savour as well as soup and sandwiches. During lunch, there will be a short update on the school building project in Zambia. We would ask for your prayers for this project as the diocese of Northern Zambia seeks to complete the first phase of the building of their new school. Alan Boyd 12
IT’S YOUR CHURCH HALL – HAVE YOUR SAY! You may recall a recent article in The Columban which announced the establishment of a St. Columba’s Church Hall Committee. That committee has been tasked with identifying the development options for the church hall facilities that will best serve our current and future needs. The hall is now 50 years old and any development will be a major undertaking - it will also be a significant investment for our church’s future ministry. It is important at this stage to gauge the views of those who use the church hall (and those who would like to make use of it in future). A questionnaire has now been designed for that purpose. Where you use the church hall currently, the survey will seek details of how you use it, what space requirements you have when you use the hall, other requirements (heat, light, kitchen, etc) and how you consider your needs for church hall usage might change over the next number of years. The answers you provide will be added to those received from other survey respondents and will be critical in determining current and future demand for the church hall, and how that demand can be met most effectively. All parishioners will be encouraged to complete the questionnaire, including the leaders of our parish organisations. The questionnaire will be launched later in October. It will be available on line and details about how to complete it will be published in the Pew News and on the parish website. Hard copies of the survey will also be available for those who do not have access to, or would prefer not to use, the internet. Your views and support for the development of your church hall are vital please take this opportunity to make them known! Victor Dukelow
DISTRIBUTION OF FREEWILL OFFERING AND CHARITY & MISSION ENVELOPES Envelopes for use in 2014, for those who have not converted to a Standing Order, will be sorted into geographical areas, put in bags and the bags placed at the back of the church. I would be very grateful if parishioners would take a bag and distribute the envelopes in their area. This saves the parish a huge amount in postal charges. The bags will be available on Sunday, 3rd November, and Sunday, 10th November, at the 8.15 am, 10.30am and 7.00pm services. I will be at the back of the church to assist. Many thanks, Murray Hunter 13
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Welcome to our new parish website which was launched on Sunday, 1st September, during the 10:30am All Age Worship service. The fundamental aim of the website is to provide “clarity and brevity of information”. Let me take you through a brief tour of the website, using the home page opposite for reference. 1. At the top of every page of the website is the Menu Bar from which you can click onto 1 the following pages: • Home – links to the home page which is presented every time you visit the website. • Service Times – details the days and times for regular services within the church. You are also able to access the audio of church services and listen to the previous Sunday 10:30 am service. • Prayers - presents the “Prayers for your comfort”. • Magazine – two sub menus are presented to you. One will take you to the current edition of The Columban parish magazine with its back issues. The second will take you to the current Pew News and back issues. • Organisations – presents the weekly schedule, details and contacts for each of the organisations within the parish. • Contact Us – last but not least, this page contains the location of our parish and associated contact details 2. You are presented with a message of welcome from the Rector, along with his image 2 and one of the interior of St. Columba’s. Using the four tabs, you can also rapidly navigate between: • Welcome message from the Rector • Service times and church service audio • Current edition of The Columban • The parish handbook On the left hand side of the tabulated forms you will find “Stop Press” which presents pending information that is important to the parish. An additional short cut to the Pew News will bring you to the current available copy. A short cut is also presented that will take you to information about making a donation and associated gift aid forms. 3 3. Links to Diocesan and Church of Ireland websites are contained here. This area allows for additional links to be presented, as dictated by activities within both the diocese and the wider church body. 4 4. The parish prayer is presented and can be enlarged, as required. To the left, you will be able to view images of recent activities, outings and events at the heart of St. Columba’s. 5 5. This section will be continually enhanced to enable you to share information on the website with family and friends. Here you can also subscribe to the website and, in doing so, you will be proactively notified by email when website changes take place. The website has already evolved in the past month, including by means of input from the parish. I welcome you all to view our new website and let me or Karen Patterson know if there is anything else that you feel could be added or changed to make the site of further value to the parish. Ivan Roche, Parish Webmaster 15
FLU JAB Influenza (flu) can be a very severe illness and you need to update your immunisation as soon as possible. This year’s Flu Campaign will begin in October when supplies of vaccine become available. All pregnant women will need this immunisation. Please contact your GP’s surgery to make sure you get your immunisation if you are aged over 65 years of age or have a chronic condition, such as diabetes.
The first Youth Etc meeting of the new season took place after the Parish Scavenger Hunt and BBQ on Saturday, 14th September. It was a busy meeting where activities were planned for the year ahead and many interesting and exciting events were identified, both indoor and outdoor, to enjoy together. Youth Etc is for young people (both parishioners and non-parishioners) aged from 11 to 15 years. The next activity will take place on Friday, 4th October, at 7.00pm in the Belfast Activity Centre, just below Malone House. Further details will be in the Pew News. The Rector
The commissioning of Parish Organisation Leaders on Sunday, 1st September 16
I am sure that we all enjoy the powerpoint presentations at our All Age Worship services. To provide this service we have both to book and then collect the multimedia projector from Church House in Belfast.
HELP US TO HELP YOU!
In order to reduce time spent doing this, as well as the cost of hire, it would be of great benefit if a parishioner could generously see their way to gifting a multimedia projector, or the means to purchase one, to St. Columba’s. The projector could be used both for our church services and also by any of our parish organisations who require the use of one for their guest speakers. Please contact me during October if you can help, or for more information. Thank you. The Rector
MATHS HYMN A father had taken his small son to church. The boy listened attentively without saying a word until the clergyman announced: “We will now sing hymn two hundred and twenty-two: ‘Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand’, two hundred and twenty-two.” Alarmed, the little boy nudged his father. “Do we have to work this out?”
WHAT A HOOT! One evening, the bird loving Rector strolled over to his huge country churchyard and, just for fun, hooted softly like an owl. To his delight and astonishment, an owl hooted softly back. The next night the same thing happened and, again, the night after that. Soon it became a regular habit and every night for the following year, no matter what the weather, the Rector would go over to the churchyard and hoot back and forth with his feathered friend. The hoots became longer and more complicated, and the he kept a careful log of the “conversation.” Just as the Rector thought he was on the verge of a real breakthrough in interspecies communication, his wife had a chat with their neighbour who lived in a big house and garden next door to the church. “My husband comes here every night,” the Rector’s wife said, “To hoot to the owl in the churchyard.” “That’s odd”, the neighbour replied, “So does my husband!” 17
TRAINED AND RETIRED THE RAMBLINGS OF AN ASSISTANT PRIEST Some years before I retired from full time parish ministry, I was advised to focus on interests that may have been ‘beyond my ken’ until that moment in life. “Keep on the move”, my friend advised me and I decided to take his advice literally. Last year, I walked the North Coast Path from the Portstewart Strand to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and the North Down Coastal Path from Holywood to Donaghadee. While the journeys amounted to fifty miles, I limited myself to a modest ten miles per day. This year, with the encouragement of my wife, Jenny, who has created a space for my timetables and me – not the dog house I hasten to add - I undertook to travel on all the railways of Ireland. Availing of a southern base in Limerick and armed with a free bus/rail pass, the financial cost seemed minimal. When I mentioned my adventure to my new Rector in January, and subsequently to the editor of The Columban, they gave me a bemused if somewhat sympathetic look and then suggested that I write a brief article at the conclusion of my travels. Any article about the railways of Ireland would not be brief, and as far as most people are concerned, of limited interest. The exercise was of such a low profile nature that I left my camera at home. Anorak train spotting geeks do not enjoy a good press! At this stage, with the exception of one journey from Dublin to Ballina and Westport via Manulla Junction, I have travelled on every mile of track in Ireland – north and south - including the tram (Luas) routes in Dublin. Because of the nature of the Irish rail system where many rail lines radiate out from Dublin, I was spotted regularly on the Enterprise from Belfast. The most scenic routes in my opinion are the coastal ones from Belfast to Rosslare Harbour – it is possible to travel there and back in one day if you leave home before 6.00am – and the route from Coleraine to Derry. My slowest journey, accompanied by no more than six other passengers, was on the spur line from Ballybrophy to Limerick. That journey of sixty miles took over two hours! The quickest train was that from Limerick Junction to Dublin which covered the route of 110 miles in 90 minutes. How many miles have I travelled in 2013, excluding local journeys from Bangor to Belfast? I have kept a diary and estimated the total as accurately as possible. However, at £1 a go in support of the Church Hall Refurbishment Fund, I’m challenging the readers to calculate/guess a figure! You can submit your estimate to the Churchwardens after any service – the entry forms are at the back of church – and a prize for the most accurate estimate of my total mileage (a small personal gesture considering all the miles I travelled without charge!) will be awarded to the winning entry at the Parish Lunch for Zambia on Sunday, 1st December. A further prize will be awarded to entrants under the age of 16 years! What next? Perhaps with the guidance of the Rector some of us could undertake, in keeping with a medieval church practice, to walk around the boundaries or perimeters of the parish! If I’m not mistaken, a walking group already exists associated with St. Columba’s. One circuit would be enough for me. Hopefully, that would be feasible in easy doses during 2014 unless I get my marching orders in the meantime! Canon Ken Smyth 18
STANDING ORDERS Convert your FWO envelopes to a Standing Order this month! Thank you to all those parishioners who have changed their method of giving from Freewill Offering envelopes to a Bank Standing Order. This provides a convenient and easy way of giving towards the work of the church. However, there are still a significant numbers of parishioners using Freewill Offering envelopes and the Select Vestry would like to encourage as many parishioners as possible to switch to a Bank Standing Order during October. This will greatly lessen the risk of those who make the bank deposits each week and is recommended by the PSNI as the safest way of giving. It is also a more convenient method of financial giving to the parish and allows swift and accurate recording for church records. There have been a number of Freewill Offering envelopes without the amount written on the front of the envelope which has been causing inaccuracies in the recording of contributions. By giving through a Standing Order, this issue is eliminated as the records go straight from your bank account to St. Columba’s bank account. Standing Order forms can be found on the new parish website www.coiknock.org, in the parish handbook and at the back of church. Once you have completed the Standing Order form, please either: • Send it directly into your bank • Or if more convenient, please put it in the “Standing Order Box” at the back of church and we will ensure that it that it is safely delivered to your bank For those who wish to continue with weekly Freewill Offering envelopes or use Charity & Mission envelopes, please can I ask that you ensure that you write the amount given on the front of your envelope. This will greatly assist the counting teams and will ensure accurate recording. At present, there are a number of envelopes without the amount written on the front and in some cases this will lead to errors in the Annual Report which will be published in the February Columban. We want to ensure that your contribution is correctly recorded in the Annual Report. Freewill Envelopes for 2014, for those who wish to continue with this method of financial giving, will be available and distributed during November (see also page 13). On behalf of the Rector and the members of the Select Vestry, we would like to offer a very sincere ‘thank you’ for your financial contribution and consideration of this important matter. Josephine Kelly, Hon. Treasurer 19
SERBIAN SUMMER – SEEING THE WORK OF GOD Dear all, I am very grateful for the opportunity to once more relate to you my experiences in Serbia this summer. Whilst previous years have been undeniably challenging, the events of this summer proved the most difficult, and yet the most rewarding, of all the summers I have spent serving in that country. This year my colleagues and I were forced, by God, away from our plans and comfort zones into areas somewhat more unpredictable, and this is an experience I very much want to share with you. Before I outline what happened, I will give a brief background to those who may have been previously unaware of my travels. Ever since 2008, I have been spending my summers working in evangelical camps in Serbia with an American missionary organisation, Josiah Venture, based throughout Eastern Europe. As a result of negative attitudes towards non-Orthodox religious denominations in Serbia, the camps are advertised as offering teaching conversational English to young people, generally between 15 to 20 years of age. Whilst to all extensive appearances these camps primarily focus on the teaching of English, the Gospel is at the same time quite openly shared with the students via presentations and group discussions. Originally, I was supposed to help with four camps this summer, each for a particular city. Sremska Mitrovica, a small city in the north-west where Josiah Venture is based in Serbia; Niš, a large city in the south; Novi Sad, the capital of the northern Serbia region of Vojvodina and then back to Niš for a camp specifically for Roma students. For the camps, there was a small core team consisting of Americans, Serbs and a few Northern Irish, along with larger American church teams for the first and third camps. My role was to co-lead the Sremska Mitrovica and Novi Sad camps, as well as teach advanced level English at all four of them. Our plans and God’s plans, however, turned out to be largely mutually exclusive. The first camp at Sremska Mitrovica progressed as we had envisioned. There were approximately 20 students as well as Serbian team members and an American group from Portland, Oregon. The theme used for all the camps was based around the story of Peter to which the students responded extremely well, many indicating a commitment to following Christ. This, however, was the last camp to run as we had expected it to. Half-way through, the first camp at Niš was officially cancelled. After months of trying, the church with whom we were working could only persuade one student to sign up. A member of our team, however, had recently planted a church in the village of Pačir in the extreme north of Serbia, and so he suggested that we do a camp for them instead. Within a week and a half of preparations we were able to organise, from scratch, a camp for Pačir with many students also coming from the nearby town of Bačka Topola. This was not the last of the surprises to be thrown at us! While the Niš camp, after months of advertising, was only able to find one student, within a week of advertising we had recruited 40 students (while we had a team of less than 10). The student ages turned out to be between 7 and 12 years whereas we had been expecting older teens. Furthermore, not only were all the students incapable of speaking English, being Hungarian very few of them spoke Serbian as a first language either - Northern Serbia has large Hungarian and Slovak populations. This resulted in us doing a camp for an age group far younger 20
than expected, with few translators and no set lesson or activity plans, which might have seemed like a recipe for disaster. Yet it was God’s plan and it worked, with 27 of the 40 students giving their lives to Christ by the end of camp. Not bad for a camp that was more or less made up as it went along! The castigation of our original schedule did not end there. During the Pačir camp, the Niš Roma camp was also cancelled (more on this later) and the Novi Sad camp massively reworked. Two weeks before the Novi Sad camp was due to start only two students were available and, one week later, this had dropped to one. Because of this, the camp was expanded to all the cities with which Josiah Venture had church contacts. In the end there were 12 students from Novi Sad, Sremska Mitrovica and Bačka Topola, along with an American team from Indiana and Kentucky. The small numbers ended up being a real blessing, giving the camp a more relaxed atmosphere. Furthermore, it seemed like each person had been called by God and was there for a reason. By the end of the camp, nine out of the 12 students had stated their intention to give their lives to Christ. With the Niš Roma camp now cancelled, it was decided to bring forward an Alpha Course camp that Josiah Venture was holding for a church in the south. However, as the native English speakers would have had no real role there we were loaned out to Word of Life, an international missionary organisation with a branch in Serbia. We ended up helping at a camp for students from the village of Gložan, a predominantly Slovak village just north of Novi Sad. As at the Pačir camp, the students were 12 years old at most. Also, again, none were first language Serbian speakers although this was not so much of a problem as while HungarianSerbs speak only Hungarian, Slovak-Serbs generally know both languages. This camp was designed for such a group and so things went smoothly. In short, it was a very tiring summer both because of the responsibilities I carried as well as the fact that I was really pushed beyond my comfort zone, far more than before. Yet no matter how much I love working in Serbia, I felt glad as I came home; glad that, despite however mangled our schedule had become, I saw God working through it. Everything that happened was for the best, even if this was indirectly. I don’t say that everything that seems bad happens for a reason, but God can turn even the worst calamity into something meaningful. As Christians, we should never forget that. Overall, including the summer camps and an additional camp that was held this Easter, 62 young people accepted Christ in their lives. This speaks for itself. In conclusion, I must ask for your prayerful support. Firstly, please pray that those who made commitments may keep them, even as they struggle through their everyday lives. Josiah Venture recognises the importance of follow up work but it is always possible that these students can become distracted. Please pray that this does not happen. Secondly, please pray that those who work with the students may have wisdom and patience. Finally, please pray that I may be able to go back again next year, working it around my PhD commitments. Hvala vam i Bog ste blagoslovio (Thank you and God bless) Ross Thompson 21
SENTINEL OF TURBULENT TIMES THE MEDIEVAL TOWERHOUSE A sad reflection on the state of modern society is the necessity for many of us to protect our homes and businesses with security features such as alarms and locked gates. If there’s any consolation to be drawn from this – it’s not a new phenomenon. For thousands of years, people have been protecting their homes from threats and intruders, and there is ample evidence of this in the local landscape. One such example is the medieval towerhouse – the most common form of castle in Ireland – of which around 1,200 are still standing today. Towerhouses date mainly from the early 1400s to the mid-1600s – and reflect an often turbulent past in which native Irish chieftains and English settlers struggled for control of both the landscape and the nation. There are many examples of them here in Northern Ireland, such as at Audley’s Castle, near Strangford in Co. Down, set high above the cobalt blue water of Strangford Lough. Their purpose, as reflected in their very appearance, was to serve as fortified houses for Irish chieftains, for AngloNorman settlers and, later, for Planter colonists sent to Ireland by the Crown.
Audley’s Castle
Many surviving towerhouses can be found in the centre and south-west of Ireland – and in the area once known as The Pale – which broadly equates to today’s counties of Dublin, Meath, Louth and Kildare. It was in this region that the Anglo-Normans, whose conquest of Ireland began in 1169, sought to strengthen their growing hold on the countryside and build their new system of government. To this end, King Henry VI in 1429 offered building grants of £10 for the construction of towerhouses as an aid to extending the Crown’s influence – a considerable sum for that time! This legacy is today manifest in the many towerhouses that can be spotted alongside the new modern motorways that link Dublin with Cork and Galway. The majority of towerhouses are three or four storeys high and possess defensive features such as ominously named ‘murderholes’ – vantage points that enabled defenders to drop missiles down onto intruders. Many also possess an external courtyard or ‘bawn’ where animals would be housed during darkness. These features again speak of troubled times in which towerhouses would be raided and often changed hands between warring factions. Some towerhouses are particularly famous. Blarney Castle, just north of Cork city, is a fine example of a more elaborate towerhouse and it contains, of course, that world famous stone kissed by thousands in pursuit of life-long eloquence! WB Yeats, perhaps Ireland’s most renowned poet, also once owned and, for a short time, lived in a towerhouse at Thoor Ballylee, close to Gort, in Co. Galway. This association gives its name to a collection of poems entitled The Tower, published by Yeats in 1927. Ivan Maginnis 22
Colour in this Halloween Scene!
FOR S E T DA IARY D R YOU it k Mar it! miss or
Sunday, 6th October Parish Harvest Soup Lunch Wednesday, 6th November (7.30pm) War on Want Flapper Fashion Show (1920’s & 30’s) Sunday, 1st December Parish Advent Lunch for Zambia 23
ADVANCE NOTICE OF CHANGE OF MAGAZINE DATES NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER/JANUARY PARISH MAGAZINES Please note that both the November and the combined December 2013/January 2014 parish magazines will be available to parishioners and magazine distributors at the back of church one week later than usual, ie:November magazine – will be available on Sunday, 3rd November (instead of Sunday, 27th October) December 2013/January 2014 magazine – will be available on Sunday, 1st December (instead of Sunday, 24th November) It is hoped the above changes of dates will not cause any undue inconvenience to parishioners or magazine distributors alike. There will be no change to the October magazine which will be available at the back of church on Sunday, 29th September.
THOUSANDS VISIT HISTORIC CHURCHES AND CATHEDRALS St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral are again among the top visitor attractions in the UK, according to the latest statistics from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. York Minster attracts more than 490,000 visitors annually while Durham Cathedral welcomes 600,000 visitors each year, and Bath Abbey alone would make the top 50 attractions, welcoming 420,000 visitors a year. Cathedrals are at the forefront of worshipping churches that generate at least £350 million a year towards the tourism economy. The Association of English Cathedrals and English Heritage have estimated that visitors to cathedrals alone generate £91 million in spend and directly support 2,800 jobs. Approximately 11.3 million people - more than a quarter of England’s adult population - say that they have been to a Church of England cathedral in the last 12 months, according to the Theos think-tank (Spiritual Capital, September 2012). These figures exclude visitors and tourists from overseas who also visit our famous church buildings.
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 the information 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. 24
NOVEMBER MAGAZINE
Please note, any articles or photographs for publication in the November parish magazine should be handed or e-mailed to the editor by 6.00pm at latest on Sunday, 20th October. Many thanks
FLOWER ROTA FOR OCTOBER Sunday 6th .......................................................... Harvest Sunday 13th ........................................................ Nan Armstrong Sunday 20th ........................................................ Eileen Anderson Sunday 27th ........................................................ Geoff and Eleanor Launchbury
NOVEMBER Sunday 3rd........................................................... Elizabeth Scholes
FROM THE REGISTERS Holy Baptism Sunday, 25th August Sunday, 8th September Marriage
Our Joys Amelia Jayne Graham 1b Knockvale Grove Willow Catherine Anderson 17 Knockmount Gardens
Saturday, 24th August Hannah Claire Tynan 12 Castle Karia Manor and James Ryan Taggart 3 Lemons Road Portavogie Christian Burial Wednesday, 14th August
Our Sorrows George Leckey Apartment 1, Butterfield Lodge 221 Holywood Road 25
PARISH ORGANISATIONS SOMETHING FOR YOU?
SUNDAY 10.30am Sunday School (2nd, 4th, 5th Sundays) Bubbles (3-5 years) Louise Craig Patricia Wilson
9047 2512 07712 593773
Splash (5-8 years) Joyce Stevenson
9058 3381
X-treme (8-11 years) Alan Boyd
07833 391945
The Grid (11-14 years) Beth Cairnduff 9087 4047 8.00pm Beatitudes Choir David Beattie 9028 5868 MONDAY 10.30am Craft & Hobby Circle Carol Willis 9079 9997 2.00pm Ladies Bowling Phyllis Newton 9048 2113 2.30p.m. Afternoon Group (2nd Monday) Joy Montgomery 9029 5427 7.30pm Men’s Club Geoff Launchbury 9028 1204 TUESDAY 10.30am Ladies Badminton Vi Dowie 9067 1051 2.00pm Ladies Badminton Kyleen Clarke 9079 7155
TUESDAY (continued) 7.30pm Activity Group (except 1st Tuesday) Maureen Irwin 9079 5155 8.00pm Mothers’ Union (1st Tuesday) Sandra Lowe 9080 8755 WEDNESDAY 6.30pm Templemore Swimming Club 7.30pm Bible Study Group The Rector 9047 1514 7.45pm Ladies Guild (3rd Wednesday) Lilias Smith 9059 2039 THURSDAY 9.30am Art Club Bob Killen 9079 0210 7.30pm Choir Practice Gerald Hill 07954 273755 FRIDAY 9.45am Mums & Tots Anne Clarke 9065 1412 3.45-4.30pm Toddler Soccer 3-5yrs Tim Wareing 07740 120788 6.30pm Doves Karen McAlpine Email: readercolumba@gmail.com 6.30pm Brownies Beth Cairnduff 9087 4047 Youth Etc (11-15 years) (Monthly outings as arranged) Aaron Wilson 9076 1040 Young Families Group (Social events as arranged) The Rector 9047 1514
Please note, requests for the occasional use of church halls must first be submitted to the Parish Administrator & Premises Convenor, Karen Patterson, on 9065 6891 or email: office.knock@down.anglican.org (Monday-Friday: 9.00am-1.00pm). 26
WHO’S WHO IN ST. COLUMBA’S PARISH WEBSITE: www.coiknock.org
RECTOR The Revd John R. Auchmuty St. Columba’s Rectory 29 Kings Road BT5 6JG Tel 028 9047 1514 Email johnauchmuty@btinternet.com
PEOPLE’S GLEBEWARDEN Mark Reid 54 Knocklofty Park BT4 3ND Tel 028 9028 4367 Mob 07810 648167
ASSISTANT PRIEST The Revd Canon Ken Smyth 3 Mount Royal Bangor BT20 3BG Tel 028 9145 8706
SELECT VESTRY Rector, Churchwardens, Glebewardens, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Asst. Hon. Treasurer, Helen Donaghy, Victor Dukelow, Jill Gillespie, Patrick Good, Elizabeth Leonard, Moranne Noad, Ivan Roche, Roberta Rogers, Gillian Sadlier
PARISH READER Karen McAlpine 10 Old Quay Court Holywood, BT18 OHT Email readercolumba@gmail.com
HON. SECRETARY Alan Rogers 50 Cabin Hill Gardens BT5 7AQ Tel 028 9065 6183 Email alanrogers53@gmail.com
DIOCESAN LAY READER (EMERITUS) Bryn Harris 22 Dalton Glade Glen Road Comber, BT23 5SZ Tel 028 9187 8816
HON. TREASURER Josephine Kelly 15 Manse Road BT6 9SB Tel 028 9079 6658
RECTOR’S CHURCHWARDEN John Little 14 Barnetts Lodge Barnetts Road, BT5 7FS Tel 028 9080 8755
ASSISTANT HON. TREASURER GIFT AID SECRETARY MAGAZINE DISTRIBITOR CO-ORDINATOR Ronny Martin 8 Gillycourt Manor 309 Gilnahirk Road BT5 7SL Tel 028 9079 0821 Mob 07526 396838 Email ronny.martin@sky.com
PEOPLE’S CHURCHWARDEN Mark Wilson 7 Finchley Vale BT4 2EU Tel 028 9076 1040 JUNIOR CHURCHWARDENS Zac Elkin, Rebecca Burns RECTOR’S GLEBEWARDEN Jim Stevenson 44 Casaeldona Rise BT6 9RA Tel 028 9058 3381 Mob 07973 392448
PAROCHIAL NOMINATORS Trevor Buchanan Patrick Good Elizabeth Leonard Moranne Noad 27
PARISH WEBMASTER Ivan Roche 49 Richhill Park BT5 6HG Tel 028 9514 0141 Email ivan.roche@me.com
DIOCESAN SYNOD MEMBERS Victor Dukelow Patrick Good Elizabeth Leonard Moranne Noad Ross Thompson ORGANIST AND CHOIRMASTER Gerald Hill Mob 07954 273755
C of I GAZETTE DISTRIBUTOR Moranne Noad 36 Shandon Park BT5 6NX Tel 028 9079 3704
ASSISTANT ORGANIST Brian Clements 150 Sandown Road BT5 6GX Tel 028 9079 3641 READERS & INTERCESSORS CO-ORDINATOR Muriel Arndell 18 Kinedar Crescent BT4 3LY Tel 028 9065 5500
BIBLE READING FELLOWSHIP NOTES Evan Preston 12 Carrowreagh Gardens Dundonald BT16 ITW Tel 028 9048 9884
SIDESPERSONS’ ROTA CO-ORDINATOR Rosemary Coffey 44 Thornyhill Road Killinchy BT23 6SJ Tel 028 9754 2198
CHURCH FLOWERS Paddy Nesbitt 30 Knockhill Park BT5 6HY Tel 028 9065 0716
CRÈCHE ROTA CO-ORDINATOR Michelle Jamison 11 Richmond Gardens Glengormley, BT36 5LA Tel 07533 871166
ST. COLUMBA’S PARISH OFFICE Parish Administrator Premises Convenor Financial Giving Secretary Karen Patterson
MAGAZINE EDITOR Ian Noad 36 Shandon Park BT5 6NX Tel 028 9079 3704 Email noadfamily@hotmail.com
Office Hours Monday to Friday: 9.00am – 1.00pm Tel 028 9065 6891 Email office.knock@down.anglican.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 a member of the Parish Panel below, or any of the statutory agencies. The Rector 028 9047 1514 Patrick Good 028 9065 6908 Elizabeth Leonard 028 9065 3162 28