Presbyterian Herald April 2019

APRIL 2019

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“MIRACLES, TEACHINGS AND SACRIFICE OF CHRIST” Viewing Times Friday 19th April 2pm - 6pm Saturday 20th April 10am - 5pm Sunday 21st April 2pm - 6pm

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Child Evangelism Fellowship®

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A unique 12 week training course (11 weeks onsite, and one practical week), which can be taken in two six week parts, that will equip you for a Gospel centred ministry among children.

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2019 Course in Romania // 9 June – 24 August // English/Multi-lingual Cost: €1200 (€600 for 6 weeks) (includes course materials, accommodation* and food) If you are interested in attending the course or finding out more, contact Beverley in our National Office at: e: beverleym@cefireland.com t: 0044 28 9073 0928. *This residential course will be held at the CEF® centre in Sibiu, Romania.

Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ireland is a charity, registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (NIC 100984) and with the Charities Regulator in the Republic of Ireland (RCN 20201509).

CMLC AD.indd 1

www.cefireland.com/cmlc 28/02/2019 15:26

CONTENTS | APRIL 2019

FEATURES 14 Sowing the seeds of faith Reaching out at the ploughing championships

16 Power dressing

Moderator’s Easter reflection

20 The missing generation Equipping young people to lead

31 Joy in the trial

Interview with Rev Adrian Adger

34 Left to their own devices?

Parenting advice for the digital age

36 Restore

Interview with PW speaker, Helen Warnock

38 Tackling Bible poverty

The work of the Bible societies in Ireland, north and south

Power dressing p16

REGULARS 4 7 8 9 12 13 19 22 23 40 42 46 47

Letters News In this month…

My story As I see it Life lessons Arthur Clarke Talking points Mission Connect Reviews Life in PCI Crossword Betsy Cameron

Joy in the trial p31

CONTRIBUTORS

Cover illustration: Barry Falls April 2019 No 819 £1.50 (€1.80) Published by: The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Assembly Buildings, Belfast BT1 6DW. T: +44 (0)28 9032 2284 E: herald@presbyterianireland.org W: www.presbyterianireland.org

Left to their own devices? p34

Editor: Sarah Harding Subscriptions and Advertising: Elaine Huddleston; Phil Alcorn; Suzanne Hamilton Design and Layout: Edward Connolly Printing: Nicholson and Bass Ltd.

Katharine Hill is the UK Director of national charity Care for the Family. A bestselling author, speaker and broadcaster, she is married to Richard with four grownup children.

Rick Hill is PCI’s Discipleship Officer. He is a member of Carnmoney Presbyterian Church and lives in Doagh with his wife Sarah and sons, Noah and Micah.

Rebecca McConnell manages Purple Rain, a public relations company (www.purple-rain.co.uk). She is also a member of First Rathfriland Presbyterian Church.

Arthur Clarke is a former editor of the Presbyterian Herald and minister emeritus of Donaghmore and Glascar Presbyterian churches.

The views expressed in the features, news reports, letters and book reviews of this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor.

Editorial comment and signed articles do not necessarily contain the official views of the Church, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement of the goods or services. The Editor reserves the right to decline any advertisement or letter without assigning any reason. Letters may be edited for publication. No correspondence can be entered into regarding non-publication of advertisements or letters.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is a Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104483); Registered Charity in Republic of Ireland (20015695).

Herald April 2019

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EDITORIAL

Vibrant colours of Easter

As I write, the Brexit chaos continues. Watching the news, it is difficult to imagine how a satisfactory solution will finally be reached. If I am honest though, and perhaps if we are all honest with ourselves, we would acknowledge that our primary concern in all of this is: how will the outcome affect me and my life? We desire a conclusion that, regardless of what it means for others, will not negatively impact us as individuals.

A recent survey discovered that, unsurprisingly, 69% of people believe that Britain has become an angrier place to live, following the Brexit referendum in 2016. One person in six has fallen out with friends and family over the issue and four in ten think that people are now more likely to take part in violent protests.

In his Talking Points column, Norman Hamilton discusses this increasingly aggressive and divided society which we find ourselves in. He considers our innate desire for selfpreservation, referring to “the gods of ‘me first’, my family and my status.”

Arthur Clarke in his reflections echoes this sentiment as he considers “the tyranny of selfishness and the love of comfort” in our day-to-day decisions. His thoughts on the Gospel of Luke this month speak of “our society’s obsession with the immediacy of self-indulgence.”

This Easter, as we ponder afresh the amazing sacrifice that Jesus made for us when he died on the cross, our Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen probes our thinking about how this wonderful reality actually exhibits itself in our lives.

He is critical of theology that says that “God accepts me the way I am…As if everything revolves around me and not the Lord; as if we encounter his unconditional love, but not the truth of his Word and holiness.”

At a season when we declare, “He is risen!” and we burst with joy and gratitude for the sacrifice made, it is fitting that we also look inward and examine ourselves. Easter changes everything. But does it really change us?

There is little point in claiming allegiance to Christ if the fabric of our lives does not conclusively set us apart from our non-Christian neighbours.

Dr McMullen leaves us with an inspiring challenge: “This Easter, as individuals, congregations, presbyteries and as a denomination, let’s collectively be challenged to die to the old and rise to the new; to bury with him all that is sinful, old, tired and out of fashion and be raised to the vibrant colours of resurrection life.”

Happy Easter from everyone in the Herald office.

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Herald April 2019

LETTERS Thanks to PCI Dear Editor Since 2016, Tearfund has been working with our partner Congo Initiative at the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to empower vulnerable women by providing access to trauma counselling, third level education and skills in entrepreneurship.

This four-year project identified the need for support and counselling of women who have experienced sexual gender violence, while also offering education and entrepreneurship skills that assist them in providing for themselves and their family. Of UCBC’s female students, 60% are survivors of physical and psychological trauma. This project ensures the holistic wellness of female students and provides sustained psychosocial support and education. UCBC also liaises with health partners to ensure smooth referral pathways to appropriate medical services for survivors of sexual abuse.

The project is possible because of the support of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland through the World Development Appeal. We would like to thank everyone who supported the 2018 Appeal and who prayed for the women whose lives are being impacted through the project.

Tearfund would also like to acknowledge the funding we have received for the

Moderator Appeals for both East Africa and Indonesia. The generous support received through the East Africa Appeal has meant that we have been able to provide life-saving aid, including clean water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, food assistance, cash grants, and seeds and tools to extremely vulnerable people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somaliland and South Sudan.

Through the Indonesia Appeal, we were able to launch a response, establish the scale of the damage and how best to meet people’s most urgent needs. Staff prioritised the distribution of clean drinking water and medical care, as well as of blankets, mattresses, cooking equipment and tarpaulins for shelter. Thank you for your urgent and committed response that has saved lives through both Moderator Appeals.

Derek Hall Church Relationship Manager, Tearfund Dear Editor I am writing to express our sincere thanks to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for your very generous support of the work of Christian Aid Ireland in 2019, including the funds donated from the World Development Appeal and the Moderator’s Appeal for Indonesia.

The World Development Appeal will support a range of projects working to address

Letters to the Editor Write to: Presbyterian Herald, Assembly Buildings, Belfast BT1 6DW Email: herald@presbyterianireland.org

gender inequalities and gender-based violence in Brazil, Angola, Zimbabwe and Burundi.

In Indonesia, Christian Aid and our partners reached over 6,500 survivors of the tsunami that hit central Sulawesi. Your support helped us to provide essential supplies such as food and hygiene kits as well as lifesaving assistance through the following activities: • Handing out over 2,700 hygiene kits to girls and women in Palu and Sigi.

• Distributing more than 1,200 shelter kits in Palu and Sigi.

• Building 24 latrines in camps and households.

• Giving around 4,000 people access to safe drinking water.

• Distributing 600 solar panels to households, providing access to a renewable, sustainable source of energy.

We are also running a variety of education schemes to help keep vulnerable survivors safe from harm, as well as awareness sessions on sexual and reproductive health rights for 400 women and girls.

Thank you for your continuing prayerful support.

Rosamond Bennett CEO Christian Aid Ireland

Hard pressed, not crushed Dear Editor I have a much different recollection of the excellent PCI conference, ‘Hard pressed, not crushed’, than Ivor McClinton. His efforts to demonise the Bethlehem Bible College and Prof Katanacho simply won’t wash.

He quotes Dr Michael Brown, a leading proponent of Zionist theology in USA, as labelling the annual Christ at the Checkpoint conference “anti-zionistic and perhaps

Please note: Letters are limited to 300 words and may be edited for clarity and length. They will only be published in the Herald if the author’s name and address have been supplied to the editor. On request these will be withheld from print. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. The views expressed in the letters are not necessarily those of the Editor or PCI.

even anti-Semitic”, yet the very same Dr Brown was one of the main speakers at this conference in 2018!

What is much worse than the words of anti-Semitics, evil as they are, is the murder and maiming of Palestinians by the Israeli forces on an industrial scale. In 2014 Israel launched a massive attack on Gaza.

There were 2,200 Palestinians murdered, including over 600 children. The UN concluded that Israel had deliberately targeted children.

Since the peaceful protests began on the Gaza border last year, 300 Palestinians have been murdered including doctors, paramedics, journalists and cameramen.

Over a massive 20,000 Palestinians have been wounded, yet there is no international condemnation of this most extreme far-right government since Israel was founded in 1948. And I have yet to see a single word of condemnation from Zionist sources.

Just a short time ago, two young Palestinian children were burned to death in a house fire. They could not be rescued because the Israelis refused to let the fire appliance get to the scene.

It is most commendable that people like Dr Katanacho refuse, like the Levite, to pass by on the other side, but have a heart for the great suffering of the indigenous Palestinian people, Christian and Muslim, and we need to respond positively to his plea for intensive prayer for efforts to find a just and lasting peace in this greatly troubled land.

R. Crawford Dromore

Dear Editor Thanks for publishing Ivor McClinton’s factual letter in the March Herald in which he voiced his concern regarding

“Palestinian propaganda” being promoted at the PCI conference in November. I was unaware this had happened and I am annoyed that PCI chose to partake in this.

During my last visit to Israel, I met an Arab Christian who through reading the Bible for himself (rather than just going along with tradition and ritualism) had discovered God’s promises to Israel and the Hebrew people. He lives in the area of biblical Judea and Samaria commonly referred to by the media as the West Bank.

He is speaking out against the lie promoted by some of his Arab brethren who say that Jesus was a Palestinian; at considerable risk to his own life.

In Zechariah 2:8 God calls Israel the “apple of his eye”.

Isaiah 30:15 describes the Lord God as “the Holy One of Israel”.

In Romans 11:1-2 the Apostle Paul states, “I say then has God cast away his people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew.”

I think we, as the body of Christ, need to get back to reading and listening to the Word of God rather than allowing ourselves to be deceived by propaganda.

Patricia Strain Newtownabbey

Climate change Dear Editor In reply to Allen Sleith’s article (March), climate change is not an exact science; it is an imponderable. Climate change is driven by scientists who produce ‘evidence’ on demand to feed a certain political agenda.

Greenpeace was founded

by Patrick Moore in 1971.

Watch his Youtube video Why I Left Greenpeace. He says, “The mission once noble had become corrupted, political agendas and fearmongering trumped science and truth.

The peace had faded away, only the green remained, and humans had become the enemies of the earth.

Science and logic no longer held sway, sensationalism, misinformation and fear are what we used to promote our campaigns.” Moore’s words speak volumes.

Sadly, climate change/ global warming has now become the new religion among the enlightened. The American Physical Society states categorically that “the evidence is incontrovertible”.

No discussion allowed.

The BBC likewise refers to those who disagree with climate change as deniers, in the same way as there are holocaust deniers. From 1880 when reliable weather records began, the climate has increased by a fraction which Herald April 2019

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LETTERS is warmer than it was 100 years ago. It might be caused by greenhouse gases or it might not. But actually, that fraction over the past 100 years would indicate that things are quite stable. How much of it is human induced? We don’t know.

The ‘evidence’ pertaining to all nine effects of Dr Sleith’s article is flawed. By that I mean they contain half-truths depending how you look at things. For example, sea levels have risen slightly along the eastern seaboard of the USA mainly because land has been sinking. But along the western coast of America sea levels have not changed. There is enough fake news around without adding more.

Rev Alan Wilson Minister, Ballykelly Presbyterian Church

Why do Christians not go to church?

Dear Editor Rev Gareth Stewart in his ‘As I see it’ piece in February’s Herald asks: “Why do Christians not go to church?” His assessment overlooks the role of the minister. Dare I suggest that often the simple explanation for non-attendance is the failure by some ministers to inspire their congregation.

The sermon is central to Presbyterian worship. Yet some ministers give sermons that are too long, some repeat their intended message, and some slavishly parse a Bible passage.

Is it any wonder that some listeners just give up – and take the option of not attending?

And Rev Stewart should not mislead himself into thinking that because people do attend it evidences satisfaction. It doesn’t. Often those loyal and long-suffering attendees cope with bad sermons by simply switching off.

I’ve had cause to write to the Herald in the past – essentially on the matter of communication. When will the

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Herald April 2019

penny drop with those who have the responsibility for teaching ministers that they must get this part of their act right? I make no apology for having such a high expectation.

I expect ministers to be capable of consistently sending one off with a memorable message that can be applied to daily living. If they can’t, then I can’t see how they can advance the ‘missional edge’ that Rev Stewart suggests needs sharpening.

Ian Moore Co Dublin

Mission Connect Dear Editor I am writing to say how absolutely delighted I was to read in the ‘Mission Connect’ section of the Herald (Dec/Jan 2018/19) the article titled ‘West Kirk women’, which described the work of Rebecca Finlay, community outreach worker there. It is good to know that this work is taking place in the Shankill Road area.

My interest goes back to 1961 when my husband, the late Rev Dr Frederick (Eric) John Nelson, who at the time was minister of Carnlough Presbyterian Church, Co Antrim, received a call to minister there. At that time, West Kirk was known as Argyle Place Church. He was there until 1970 when he received a call to the Presbyterian Church of England – Robert Stewart Memorial, Newcastle-uponTyne.

I am still in touch with a member of West Kirk. I wish Rebecca Finlay God’s blessing on her work there.

Mrs Nanette M. Nelson North Yorkshire

Once Gay

Dear Editor I attended the NI premiere showing of Once Gay, the Christian testimony film of X Factor singer from Malta, Matthew Grech, in Townsend Street Presbyterian Church in Belfast on Valentine’s Day.

As a Christian who no longer practices the gay lifestyle, I could identify with much of what Matthew presented that night.

Representatives from the LGBT community decided to picket the event with placards at the door of the church as people arrived to view the film.

Matthew and members of his band magnanimously gave out red roses and chocolates to the protesters, which I thought was a lovely bridge-making gesture.

For his part, Matthew spoke and sang heartwarmingly at the event and the film was both challenging and poignant. The main thread of the production was that the equality and respect sought so passionately by members of the LGBT community today should also be afforded to those who want to be free to choose to seek a life other than the gay one.

If that includes some form of counselling or helpful therapy then each person should be free to make that choice, not to be reined in by increasing legalisation of government directives concerning such.

No such ‘therapy’ was at any point advocated by any of the representatives on the night, rather it was a celebration of the freedom and joy found in their Christian faith.

DIARY DATES April Kids’ Big Day Out

Wellington Presbyterian, Ballymena – Saturday 6

Transform

Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Friday 12 to Saturday 13

Family Holiday

Castlewellan Castle – Tuesday 23 to Friday 26

May Presbyterian Women annual conference

Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Thursday 9

It is a pity some of the protesters did not come in to see the film to get a sense of its real essence which was not targeting the LGBT community in any way, but rather supporting those who choose to follow Christianity. At the moment, we are still free to do so, but for how long? How can equality only be unchallenged for just one side whilst the other position is silenced?

Colin Nevin Bangor

Topical Tweets @andythefrosty Great to be hosted by @pciassembly in Belfast tonight sharing about creating a missional culture in our churches and the power of habit. Love the work @ntharrison80 is doing on a new SHARE resource based around relationships, community & encountering Jesus. @pci_ya Hearing from Andy Gill to finish our day: “Jesus loves his church. Yes it’s got things that need to change but Jesus pleads with his church because he loves it.” #pciya19

NEWS | PCI

News PCI Intern Scheme

Disciple-making Leadership

Applications are now open for the 2019-20 PCI Intern Scheme. This opportunity is for individuals with a passion for God, a heart for the church, a willingness to learn and with gifts to contribute.

This is a 12-month programme focused on developing young leaders while placing them within a local congregation to contribute to ministry there. As well as serving, interns will receive quality and regular training to help develop their gifts.

‘Disciple-making Leadership’ is a morning event ideal for any minister, elder or leader in a congregation wanting to explore how our disciplemaking should be shaped by a biblical understanding of what the church is, what it’s for and the God-given purpose of its leaders.

The guest speaker is Mark Stirling from St Andrews in Scotland. Mark is the director of the Chalmers Institute and the leader of the European Disciple-Making Leaders Network.

He will explore where discipleship fits into the overall context of the body of Christ and position it as a pattern of ongoing congregational life rather than a programme.

The event will run on Friday 21 June from 10.30am-1pm in Assembly Buildings. It is a free event but booking is essential via www.presbyterianireland.org/events

For more information, and application forms to become an intern or to express interest in becoming a host congregation, go to www.presbyterianireland.org/ pciintern The closing date is 29 April.

Summer teams

Transform 2019 Last chance to register for Transform – PCI’s young adults’ conference – taking place on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April in Assembly Buildings, Belfast.

This is an opportunity to gather with young adults from across the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

The main speaker is Andy Carroll, minister of Donabate Presbyterian Church, and the cost is £45 for the full conference and £35 for Saturday only. To book, go to www. presbyterianireland.org/transform

This summer, PCI will have 11 summer outreach teams working all across Ireland. Participants have the opportunity to be part of what God is doing through a variety of churches and projects.

Teams will be working with children, teens, adults, and in the community to show and share the good news of Jesus with a needy world.

Do you think God is calling you to be on a team this summer? If so, further details can be found at www.presbyterianireland.org/ summerteams

Fresh Start New mentors are being sought for Fresh Start, PCI’s volunteering scheme currently running in Hydebank Wood College.

The scheme started in 2014 thanks to the work of Michael Love and the late Ronnie Orr, who sat on the Independent Monitoring Board of Hydebank Wood women’s prison and young offenders’ centre.

Since then many young men have benefited from Fresh Start, through developing their literacy or numerical skills and, on occasion, from additional support in preparation for the driving theory test.

PCI is looking for new volunteer mentors who can bring whatever talents they possess and tailor it to the needs of these young offenders. If you feel you could commit to vetting, awareness training and 2.5 hours a month, please email Wilma Steele at wsteele@pcinet.org or tel. +44 (0)28 9041 7233 for an application form.

Global mission workers commissioned A service of commissioning for Chris and Rachel Humphries, as global mission workers in Portugal, took place at Tartaraghan Presbyterian Church recently. Pictured with Chris and Rachel are their two children Ezra and Abigail. Either side in the front row are: Rev Uel Marrs (Secretary to the Council for Global Mission) and Rev Professor Michael McClenahan (moderator of Armagh Presbytery). Back row: Rev Philip McKelvey, Rev Lachlan Webster, Gordon Frazer, Rev Peter Gamble, Eddie Forbes and Norman Cornett.

Resources New Proximity resource The next resource in the Proximity series, ‘Life in God’s Story’, is now available. It explores how we live in response to God’s big story unfolded in the Bible.

Each session balances personal reflection and provides a framework for practical conversation by digging into the Bible and offering questions to discuss.

Booklets cost £2 and can be ordered at www.presbyterianireland.org/proximity or from the Council for Congregational Life and Witness office.

Herald April 2019

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IN THIS MONTH...

April 1981

Dipping into the archives to take a look back at what was making Presbyterian headlines and news in history.

From the heart

Dear Sir, …I simply don’t recognise the Irish Presbyterian Church any longer. I find myself in a kind of ecclesiastical limbo…it sometimes seems to me extremely unfair that at a time when men without conscience, completely beyond my influence, have destroyed many of the old landmarks in our beloved province, suddenly it seems as if old landmarks of thought within our beloved Church are also vanishing…

I watched with bewilderment when Dr Weir led a deputation of Presbyterian churchmen down South on the occasion of the Pope’s visit. I was equally bewildered when Dr Weir and others talked to the IRA… In spite of Church committees, sessions, synods and committees which meet at Church House, are the views of the Presbyterian in the pew getting through to those who speak and act for us in the Irish Presbyterian Church, or is there a complete failure in communication? Or is the Presbyterian in the pew so apologetic that he is quite happy to be told what to think and let others think and act for him? Whatever the case, don’t we all need to sit down and discuss all these confusions honestly, without battle lines drawn up in advance? And in all this, what is God’s will? …I am increasingly aware of divisions within the Irish Presbyterian Church, among our ministers, our ecclesiastical leaders and the people. There is a gulf between the people and those at the centre of our Church…We read of groupings with impressive names and to which ministers give Legal history was made their allegiance. To me, in the pew, it is almost as in Greece when the New if battle lines are being drawn up among some Testament was read ministers – ‘ecumenical’ and ‘evangelical’. Would in public in a modern we need to be starting a Presbyterian ecumenical translation. This was movement to bring our own ministers and previously an illegal act, people within the Irish Presbyterian Church but the court ruled instead, together? What is God’s will in all this?...

“The reading of the gospel Name and address supplied to the editor in the demotic language

Bible legal

does not harm the state or the church.”

25th anniversary for First Dromara PWA First Dromara PWA is 25 years old and to mark the occasion the branch had an anniversary dinner at the home of one of the members. Left to right: S. Ball (past vice-president), A.P. McComb (president), M. Nichol (PWA headquarters), W.C. McReynolds (whose mother was first president), M. Ball (secretary) and C.E. Meeke (vice-president).

Also from April ’81 8

Herald April 2019

The UK’s Bucks Fizz wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin

IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands is elected to the UK parliament

A few home truths J.C. Faulkner

It has often been said that a few home truths can do some people a lot of good…This could have been the case in Dublin when a confidential memo from an American diplomatic official was reported as having said that he found the Irish inscrutable and the English insufferable. He also said that, compared with some of the larger countries of the EEC, Ireland was a very small potato…

It has been suggested that the career of this unfortunate official has now come to a sudden end… Where could such an outspoken man find a new vocation where a plain honest man would be appreciated?...

Would he be welcomed in the church if he offered himself as a candidate for the ministry?...

What happens? Inside six months he finds himself elevated to a tightrope and expected to solve problems which demand all the skills he ever learnt as a diplomat and more!

If he says too much, or too little, if he is too truthful or not truthful enough…if he tells someone they have been doing it too long, he can drop a spanner into the ecclesiastical works and cause an uproar far greater than anything he could have met in the diplomatic service.

First flight of space shuttle Columbia

MY STORY...

Pete Wedderburn tells the story of his father-in-law, Dr John Hanna, who in recent years has committed himself to preserving aspects of Presbyterian history in Monaghan.

Preserving Presbyterian history

Mr Fred Eakin, clerk of session, Rev Colin Anderson, minister of Corvally, holding a copy of the Ulster Scots heritage guide, and Dr John Hanna.

D

r John Hanna was born in Carrickmacross on 14 the County Monaghan countryside. It was during these visits August 1921; the first child to be baptised in the that he became concerned about the condition of the ruins of Presbyterian church in Carrickmacross. His father, the original church. Two walls and a gateway remained of the Thomas Hanna, a local businessman and a Justice of old stone building that was built in the 18th century, and these the Peace, had played a strong role in the development of the added greatly to the atmosphere of the graveyard. Dr Hanna local church at that time. The church building in the town had noticed that the old walls were in danger of collapsing, so he originally been run by the Methodists, but the congregation had engaged a local builder to reinforce the walls for posterity, dwindled as the Presbyterians had grown in number. using a combination of steel girders and masonry, as well as Dr Hanna moved to Malahide, in North County Dublin, repointing the walls. in the 1950s, where he developed a career as a medical doctor, Dr Hanna also researched the history of the old church, which he continued until his retirement in the year 2000. discovering that it was one of the original worship places He has maintained a connection with of the Scottish settlers who brought Carrickmacross, still having business Presbyterianism to the island of Ireland. A Dr Hanna has taken an interests there until recent years. summary of this history was engraved active role in managing brief When Dr Hanna’s wife, Peggy, on a plaque, installed at the graveyard on passed away in 2013, she was buried the graveyard. He started completion of the building works by the in the traditional family graveyard in Ulster Scots Agency. On the strength of by installing a granite Carrickmaclim, which is just five miles the huge catalogue of conservation works from Carrickmacross. The Carrickmaclim bench at the top of the carried out by Dr Hanna, the Ulster Scots congregation moved to Corvally, a few Agency deemed the graveyard and old graveyard, a place of miles away, in the 19th century (1839), church of sufficient interest to include it and this is where Peggy’s funeral took on its heritage trail, which is a series of quiet reflection… place. However, she was interred in the old, places of historical and cultural interest original graveyard at Carrickmaclim which is still used by the to the Ulster Scots around the province of Ulster. After the Corvally congregation. The graveyard has a long history, with completion of the conservation works, a special service was held Presbyterians being buried there since the first members of the in the Carrickmaclim graveyard, in memory of Dr Hanna’s church arrived several hundred years ago. Dr Hanna’s parents, parents and wife.

Thomas and Matilda (Maud) Hanna (née Eakin), are buried Dr Hanna is pleased to have been able to carry out this work. there, as well as his maternal grandmother.

As he says himself, “It has been an interesting project that forms Since Peggy’s interment, Dr Hanna has taken an active an important part of the history of the Presbyterian faith.” role in managing the graveyard. He started by installing a On 29 April 2018, the congregation at Corvally were granite bench at the top of the graveyard, a place of quiet delighted to invite Dr Hanna to a service in the church and a reflection and where most of the graveyard can be observed. presentation in the church hall afterwards as a mark of their Dr Hanna donated this in memory of his parents, with the appreciation for his single-handed, single-minded effort in Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) engraved in a plinth at its base. having the works carried out at Carrickmaclim, thus preserving He also re-laid the pathways around the graveyard, helping the the fabric of the old meeting house for another few generations congregation manage the general landscaping and maintenance and providing a place of contemplation for visitors to the of the churchyard. graveyard.

He visited his wife’s grave regularly in the following years, appreciating the peacefulness of the location in the depth of Herald April 2019

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NEWS | IN THE ROUND Christian Aid Week

New £2million fund launched

This year, Christian Aid Week (12-18 May) will focus on work in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone is the most dangerous country in the world to give birth; 10 women die every day due to this. The reasons for this include: the distance to the health centre (women in labour have to wait up to eight hours before the ambulance arrives and the poorest women have no choice but to walk for hours on foot); a lack of trained healthcare workers; inadequate health centres (not enough drugs available, not enough delivery beds, and no light for the nurse to deliver the baby at night); and Jebbeh Konneh from Sawula village in Sierra hunger – from May to December, Leone. it’s hungry season. There isn’t enough food, so many pregnant women often don’t have the strength to give birth.

Jebbeh Konneh lives in Sawula village. She is extremely anxious about the birth of her own child. When her sister Fatmata went into labour, she was unable to access an ambulance and had no choice but to walk for three hours under the baking sun to the nearest hospital. The road was long, she struggled to keep walking and sadly she died on the side of the road. She never gave birth.

With your support, this Christian Aid Week we hope to build a bigger and better health centre for Sawula village, with a delivery room, a drug store, a room for children under five years old and importantly, it will be equipped with solar lighting.

Visit www.caweek.org to download your church resources or contact the Belfast or Dublin offices for additional support or information: belfast@christian-aid.org dublin@christian-aid.org

A new £2m fund has been launched by the Ulster Community Investment Trust (UCIT) to assist church groups and faith-based organisations across Northern Ireland.

The new fund provides loans of £5,000 plus for purposes such as refurbishments, extensions, purchase of equipment and restructuring existing debt.

Alan Moneypenny, chairman of UCIT, said, “UCIT can provide churches and faith-based organisations with tailored, flexible and competitive finance which takes into account the needs of the sector.

As a registered charity, all profits generated by UCIT are retained and recycled for the benefits of its clients.”

For further information, contact UCIT on +44 (0)28 9031 5003 or visit www.ucitltd.com

Moderator on tour PCI Moderator Dr Charles McMullen completed his fourth and final presbytery tour last month, visiting Monaghan Presbytery.

Accompanied by his wife Barbara, the Moderator took part in two significant celebrations, including the 300th anniversary of First Castleblayney Presbyterian Church and the 150th year of Kells Presbyterian. Monaghan County Council hosted a civic reception for Dr Charles McMullen visits Combilift, a Monaghan business selling in over 85 Dr McMullen, who also attended a countries. Pictured with Gerry Clinton and performance of The Importance of Phillip Condell (a member of Ballyalbany Being Earnest at the Castleblayney Presbyterian Church).

Drama Festival.

Dr McMullen said, “This is my final presbytery tour and I am particularly delighted to be south of the border. Presbyterians play their full part in the life of the nation on various levels and I have heard many stories of vibrant faith communities, some of which, after years of decline, are now growing again.”

General Assembly countdown With nine weeks to go to the General Assembly, it will be Rev Trevor Gribben’s fifth time as Clerk. Looking forward to this year’s Assembly, he says that one thing that has always struck him about the annual meeting is that it is the Presbyterian family coming together.

“For me, the General Assembly has always been a wonderful picture of our Church coming together: ministers, who have been called by their congregations, elders who have been elected by their brothers and sisters in Christ, joining with other representatives, all coming together as a Presbyterian family to worship and pray.

“Along with our primary focus on mission and ministry as part of the church of Jesus Christ, it’s a time where we also discuss the pressing social, moral, denominational and public

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issues of the day. Many issues that are important, some that are mundane but necessary, and at times even some that are controversial. Sadly, it’s often only the last of these that make the headlines,” he said.

“On the ground and in different ways, our Church continues to make a unique contribution across Ireland. Our annual meeting in June is the coming together of ministers and elders from every congregation across this island, meeting in General Assembly, to take decisions for the Church and often giving voice to the concerns of many people within and outside PCI. “The reports that we debate, and the resolutions that are passed, shape the Church’s direction in different areas. These decisions are taken jointly by ministers and elders, men and women, from congregations up and down the land. People who

give of their time freely and use their many gifts on various bodies in the service of the Lord Jesus – and I pay tribute to these people and the work that they do at denominational, presbytery and congregational level.

“This year, much of the work reported on has stemmed from decisions taken at the last, or previous, Assemblies. For instance, task groups have been looking at a number of areas, including dissent and guidance for congregations around membership. Valuable work that we will be able to discuss in June.

“With the vast majority of our business conducted in an open, transparent and public way, democracy is also one of the strengths and hallmarks of our Presbyterianism. As we discuss and debate together with grace and respect, I would also encourage everyone who is eligible to attend and take part.

“And as we come together, and as we seek to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to people of all backgrounds, please pray for all involved in this year’s General Assembly and its deliberations – and for the life, ongoing work and witness of our Church,” Mr Gribben said.

The General Assembly will take place in Belfast from Monday 3 June to Friday 7 June. All are welcome.

IN THE ROUND | NEWS IN BRIEF #EasterMeansEverything

New scamming initiative launched Irish Youth Ministry Gathering Next month, Assembly Buildings, Belfast will host the first Irish Youth Ministry Gathering – a three-day event for everyone who has a heart for young people.

From Thursday 16 May to Saturday 18 May, youth workers, leaders, clergy and parents are all invited to come along and be inspired and equipped to serve young people.

Youth ministry is dynamic in nature and the Irish Youth Ministry Gathering will provide a space to discuss and reflect on the shifting landscape of youth culture and how we as people of faith can connect with what God is out there doing.

With family-centred ministry as its main theme, the event will explore how to create an intergenerational approach to ministry that enables individuals to feel the family of God around them and to come together in Christian communities in meaningful ways.

During the event one-toone coaching sessions with experienced youth workers will also be provided.

For a full programme and list of speakers or to book tickets go to www.iymg.org

Invisible Traffick launches new initiative A new education programme to raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking and equip young people to recognise the signs of this horrendous crime is being launched by Invisible Traffick.

Called ‘The Journey’, the initiative will be delivered initially in a residental care home setting where a team of volunteers will work with young people to encourage them to stay safe within their environment.

The Journey will be officially launched in Parliament Buildings, Stormont on Wednesday 3 April.

The Secretary to PCI’s Council for Social Witness, Lindsay Conway, has welcomed the latest initiative by the ScamwiseNI Partnership, ‘Scam? Ask Us’. Run by the Post Office, customers across Northern Ireland can ask counter staff for their advice if they think they have received an unusual or suspicious request that could be a scam.

The partnership includes a range of organisations that have developed initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing crime against older and more vulnerable people. Speaking after he attended the launch of ‘Scam?

Ask Us’ at Parliament Buildings, Mr Conway said, “This new initiative is a vital part of the ScamwiseNI Partnership that gives all users of Post Offices an information point and advice from counter staff…As a Church we are committed to playing our part in getting that information into congregations.”

Manchurian missionary honoured PCI Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen, has received a special plaque in memory of the first Irish Presbyterian medical missionary to Manchuria, Dr Joseph M. Hunter.

The plaque, which is in Mandarin and English, was presented by Pastor Chuanyu Ren (chief pastor of Christian Church of Liaozhong District Shenyang City) to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the medical mission.

Shenyang is the largest city and provincial capital of Liaoning Province, one of the People’s Republic of China’s three north-eastern provinces in a part of the country formerly known as Manchuria. The Christian Church of Liaozhong District Shenyang City is an officially registered church and has 10,000 members across 16 branches. There are over 200,000 Christians in total living in Shenyang City.

Speaking through an interpreter, Pastor Ren said, “This year, 150 years ago, Dr Hunter arrived in China. We really appreciate what he did for us, for China and the Chinese Christian Church. My mission has been to do something to honour the memory and legacy of Dr Hunter so we do not forget our history.”

Travelling with his wife Yue Bai, who is also a pastor, their daughter Tianle and their translator Catherine Qiufen Li, Pastor Ren said that he had a family connection with Dr Hunter. For 20 years one of his greatuncles was the principal of the first school that Dr Hunter founded in 1870.

Left to right: Pastor Chuanyu Ren’s wife and daughter Pastor Yue Bai and Tianle, the Moderator Dr McMullen, Pastor Ren, Rev Uel Marrs (Secretary to the Council for Global Mission) and translator Catherine Qiufen Li.

Following on from the successful ‘Christmas Means More’ social media campaign, PCI is planning another short series, ‘Easter Means Everything’. Keep an eye on PCI’s Facebook page and Twitter account (@pciassembly) between Palm Sunday and Monday 22 April for daily videos and share them to spread the good news of the season.

SAT-7 impact An independent survey has shown that SAT-7’s life-changing impact on families in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is now greater than ever. The research revealed that at least 8.6 million viewers watched SAT-7’s ACADEMY-branded education programmes and there has been a growth of 21% in the number of Arab children watching the SAT-7 KIDS channel.

The remarkable increase over two years for the Arabic children’s channel means that SAT-7 KIDS now has 5.6 million viewers. Of these, 82% watch regularly.

Call to protect Nigerian Christians Release International is urging newly re-elected Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, to protect Christians from the twin menaces of Boko Haram and armed Fulani herdsmen.

The Global Terrorism Index ranks Nigeria as the third most terrorised country for the fourth consecutive year.

Between them, Boko Haram and Fulani militants have killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes.

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AS I SEE IT...

Love within reach Allister Pattison

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t’s hard not to feel that we live in tempestuous times. All to the nations” that Isaiah said she would be, then military around us the tectonic plates of great power politics seem conquest could no longer be considered a viable option. to be shifting. Now is a time of assassination, fake news Isaiah 53 told Jesus that the Messiah must make himself an and a restarting nuclear arms race. The ground under offering for sin. Jeremiah 31 told him that the law had to be us is shaking and it can be hard to feel anything other than written directly into people’s hearts if it was really to transform powerless and frightened as the strength of the tremors seems them. It was time for a reset. A rise that began in a stable had to keep growing. Trust is at a low ebb and fear is rising, but as to pass through a crucifixion in order to end up at the right Christians we make a bold claim that Jesus is the answer. If hand of the Father, far above all kingdoms and powers. If it we’re right, then his life absolutely must have something to say didn’t, then it was destined to end in failure, just like all Judah’s to the vast majority of ordinary people to whom politics is done. dynasties had before. Only by renouncing power could Jesus If he really is a Saviour, then he really must be a source of hope. obtain power.

Is he?

If he had wanted political power, Jesus would have established Jesus came onto the scene at a critical moment in Israel’s himself as a charismatic desert guerrilla fighter and courted the history. Many knew of Daniel’s prophecy of ‘70 weeks of years’ zealots. If he had wanted religious power he would have worked to put “an end to sin” (Daniel 9:24). Many his way into the elite club of lawyers, also understood that this was now. But the Sadducees and Pharisees that made up the iron grip of Roman rule must have made it Jesus’ big plan is small.

Sanhedrin. He would certainly not have feel like God’s promises to subdue Israel’s Jesus wants us to reach. set himself up in “Galilee of the Gentiles” enemies seemed further away than ever. to heal lepers, raise the sons of grieving The star of many a political revolutionary widows and choose the company of tax ‘Messiah’ had by now already shot into the sky only to fade collectors. But it’s here in Galilee that we start getting to Jesus’ away as quickly as it had appeared. Nevertheless, hope remained answer to the world’s fundamental issues. strong and the expectation of the people at fever pitch.

Jesus’ big plan was to love the people who came across his This was what it felt like to be a Jew at the “end of the ages”, path. It was to show people that every one of them is known and it was at this time that a new star appeared, but this time it to God and to demonstrate through works of healing power was being trailed by sages from the East: bookish men looking that God knows their suffering, feels it with them and intends for the King of the Jews. Flames from the fire it kindled flare up to overthrow it in a new creation. Jesus’ big plan is small. It is briefly some years later when a scholarly youth from Nazareth the person beside us: how we talk; how we laugh, and how we is found in the temple amazing the theologians and biblical commiserate. It is how we hold on to hope when life is tough scholars with “his learning and his answers”. But it is a full 30 and how we keep on believing when all around is unbelief. years before the fire really takes hold and the youth re-emerges, And this is world-changing because experiencing love changes this time as a great miracle worker and teacher. It is 400 years people. Jesus eschews power because he knows that lives can since prophecy failed, but here and now truly a “great prophet” only really be touched by people within reach and that what had arisen in Israel. It was perfectly natural that the crowds really matters in life is reaching. Jesus’ big plan is small. Jesus would start asking about the Messiah. Didn’t Malachi say: wants us to reach.

“Elijah must come first”?

But Jesus’ death confounded their hopes just as it raised Allister Pattison is a member of Ballylinney Presbyterian Church. ours. Like his great father David before him, Jesus came from humble beginnings. But, unlike David, God’s path for Jesus was not one to military dictatorship. David’s rise ends in murder and adultery. He watches on, impotent, as his children self-destruct around him in jealousy, fratricide and insurrection. “Man after God’s own heart” that he was, if his story tells us anything, it is that power can’t save us from ourselves. No, if Daniel’s “end to sin” was ever going to happen; if Israel was ever to be the “light

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PERSONAL VIEW

Life lessons Pip Florit

PCI’s Mission Support Officer for Partnerships I am a Mission Support Officer for Partnerships at PCI and, after a year in the job, am still working out what that means to some extent! I work with both the Council for Global Mission and the Council for Mission in Ireland and it’s a hugely varied job that can involve processing mission grants, communicating with Leaders in Training, visiting local ministries like South Belfast Friendship House, writing minutes and reports and thinking about how we can best partner with our local and global partners.

Speed Bumps and Roundabouts is a book I wrote about five years ago. It’s a book about the way we expect life to look and the fact that reality rarely matches up. I poured a fair bit of myself into it, with stories of lessons I learned while navigating my teens and 20s: lessons about choices, hope, pain, and boundaries. The whole process was exciting, terrifying, exhausting and rewarding.

Beautiful places always make me feel close to God. The one that often springs to mind is Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.

I stayed on a houseboat there for a few days and it was a bit surreal – going to sleep to the sound of lions roaring and hippos grunting and waking up to amazing sunrises with elephants beside the boat. I remember being quite overwhelmed by the beauty of his creation and even more overwhelmed when I realised that I am his creation and he thinks I’m that beautiful too.

The first chapter of my book is called ‘I am the sum of my story’. I’ve always been intrigued by people’s stories because the elements of a person’s story add up to who they are. The things that have happened, good and bad, the people I’ve known, the choices I’ve made (good and bad), the places I’ve been – though it may have taken me a while to be able to say this, I wouldn’t change any of it, because it’s all part of the story of how God is shaping me.

Five years ago, I was a physio working with rugby teams in New Zealand, so I’ve had a bit of a career change!

While I didn’t hate physio, I was never passionate about it and didn’t want to be in a job I had no passion for. Mission, development and justice had always niggled away at me, so I started to pursue those things. I remember reading the job description for my current job and thinking, “That’s the one – the job that contains all the things I want to work for!”

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is one of my favourite hymns. I love the lines “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it/ Prone to leave the God I love/ Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it/ Seal it for thy courts above.” To me, that’s very honest in acknowledging that we mess up a lot, but it’s a prayer offering our lives to the only one worthy of them.

I think we’re all called to mission, but the motivations and the outworking will be different for each of us. For me, mission and development are wrapped up together and the driving factor has been an appreciation of what I have: I live in a country where I’m safe and comfortable; I had the privilege of growing up in a family where I learned about Jesus; I have been blessed in so many ways and that has to be shared.

Injustice and abuse of power make me angry. So many of the issues in the world today are about power imbalance and I get very frustrated thinking about how different things would be if we just followed Jesus’ commandment to love each other as we love ourselves.

I have huge admiration for my grandparents. Growing up, I remember meeting a whole lot of people who were about the same age as my mum and her sisters and who they treated as part of the family, but I didn’t really understand who they were.

As I got older, I began to understand that they were people my grandparents had fostered as children. Over the years, they fostered over 100 children as well as looking after four of their own! I’ve always admired their faith in action.

Before I went to South Africa at the age of 18, I was talking to a friend who had just returned from a similar experience in Africa. Her advice was to say yes to experiences that I wouldn’t normally say yes to. Now, that’s obviously not good advice in every situation! But it’s something I’ve kept in mind ever since – if I’m going to say no to something, I question why, and if it’s not a good reason, I say yes. Without that advice, I wouldn’t have had half the adventures I’ve had, wouldn’t have met some people who are now important people in my life and wouldn’t have pushed myself to discover and develop new skills.

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PRESBYTERY STORY

Sowing the seeds of faith

Molly Deatherage explains how southern congregations have been using annual ploughing championships as a way to evangelise.

W

hat do you do when all of Ireland walks by your door?

Well, you invite them in for a cuppa and a chat, don’t

you?

And that is the point of having a place to extend good old-fashioned Presbyterian hospitality at the annual National Ploughing Championships held in the Midlands each September.

While not everyone in Ireland attends the ‘Ploughin’, it sure seems like it. In 2017, at least 120,000 attended the first day of the three-day event, with the other days close behind.

The location is laid out like a huge city, with streets, addresses, neighbourhoods, shops, displays, concert venues, and shuttle buses and car parks.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has a tent along one of those streets, kindly set up and organised in the last few years by the closest congregations – Tullamore and Mountmellick, led by Rev William Hayes.

Tables and chairs line the tent, with boilers

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at the back for tea and coffee, stacks of biscuit tins and cake boxes, and friendly faces serving the goodies.

As the day begins, the streets fill with unhurried people walking, moving along, looking at displays, stopping to chat, or hailing a friend they spot down the road.

They keep moving because there is really no place to sit and have a breather. The PCI tent offers that brief respite from all the walking.

“Wouldn’t you like a free cup of tea or coffee? Ya can’t beat that for a great price!” A friendly voice invites folks in for a cuppa, and a chance to take the weight off their feet. In addition, someone printed small tickets, offering the free cup of tea or coffee, and handed them out at the corner 50 yards from our door.

Many, many people responded to the invitations. Both years I attended, between

People were so open to talking about their faith.

600 and 800 people had a wee cuppa in our tent each day. Think of that! 600-800 visitors to PCI premises in one day!

Inside the tent, a couple of volunteers extend a friendly greeting and serve the tea, and a few more engage the visitors in conversation. With a cup of tea in hand, folks seem to enjoy the chance to take a deep breath and relax. And that, to me, is the best part of the event – people are so open, willing to talk about all kinds of topics. At home, in their own sphere of life, they may not want to talk about their faith; they may not want to ask a Presbyterian what they believe; indeed, they may not even know a Presbyterian.

But at the Ploughin’, well, why not?

Evangelism, quite often, is hard work, as we try to find a way into an evangelistic conversation, but there, I almost found it to be ‘easy evangelism’ because people were so open to talking about their faith, and I returned home on a high from having so many wonderful conversations about my relationship with God.

I took a team of five to Tullamore last year and this is what Diane, one team member, reported: “This was my first ploughing championship, and I must say it was quite the event. I worked inside the tent and met people from all over Ireland and of all ages. One encounter that stands out the most is a group of Transition Year students from Dublin, who came down on a bus for the day. We got to talking about why I’m so happy and I said, ‘It’s because of God in my life’.

“The leader of the group asked me how I know that God is real, and it opened the door for me to talk about my faith in a deeply personal way. After a thoughtful conversation, they all took tracts and promised to read them and think about it. So, seeds were planted.

“I really believe today’s youth have a lot of questions; they just need someone to listen to their questions and give practical, authentic answers.

Being part of the Presbyterian outreach tent is a great way to meet that need.”

When most people think of the Ploughin’, they think of farmers and agriculture, not realising that a high percentage of the visitors there are Transition Year students, whose schools have made attending part of the curriculum. As Diane discovered, lots of those teenagers are open to talking about life, and faith, and the questions they have about God. Wouldn’t it be great if congregations who had good youth groups could send teams specifically to connect with Transition Year students?

Of course, many of the visitors are members of other churches, and it is a great opportunity to talk about

There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions, and a few friendly exchanges go a long way to changing those.

Presbyterianism with people who have little contact with us. There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions, and a few friendly exchanges go a long way to changing those.

Another of the team members wrote about her experience: “One of my favourite things about helping at the PCI tent was that it gave people from other denominations the chance to discuss matters of faith in a safe environment.

I met several people who openly shared their own faith stories, asked questions about the PCI, and discussed things they would like to see happening in their own churches.

“I don’t often find that level of openness with strangers, but I guess there is something about a good cuppa and the

anonymity of the tent that makes guests feel free to process the important issues of their own Christian faith. Hopefully, the discussions we had will pave the way for other honest, non-judgmental conversations about Christianity.”

Last year, a team came from Letterkenny as well as ours from Ballina, and others from closer at hand: Mullingar, Tullamore, Mountmellick, and other locations. Irish mission workers, Tom Dowling and William Workman, spoke to visitors and extended invitations, enjoying sharing their faith alongside other folks.

Our congregation is already thinking of the 2019 National Ploughing Championships in Carlow, hoping that PCI has a tent there, and planning who will be going each day.

We know the weather is always an issue, whether it is rain or wind, and our wellies and rain jackets are all ready to go.

We would like to challenge other congregations, north and south, to come and be a part of this opportunity to reach all of Ireland in the microcosm of the event. Come for one day, come for two days, come for a morning or an afternoon.

Where else can you talk to people from Kerry, Antrim, Clare, Dublin, and Tyrone all in the same morning? Where else do teens come in for a cuppa and a chat?

Where else can you share your faith until you are hoarse, and leave the event venue in the evening with a big, exhausted grin on your face?

Won’t you pray about coming to join us?

Rev Molly Deatherage is minister of Ballina, Ballymote and Killala Presbyterian churches.

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Illustrations: Barry Falls

MODERATOR’S REFLECTION

Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen, offers an Easter reflection challenging us to throw off the sin in our life that is hindering us and fully embrace a resurrection garment, characterised by love and kingdom power.

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fter a whirlwind romance, wedding bells and honeymoon, a revolution took place in our new home. When I discovered one day that almost my entire wardrobe had been jettisoned, it became abundantly clear that my wife had not exactly married me for my personal style.

In the intervening years, I can only but hope that I have made some progress, but there are still many occasions when I have to check out my limited colour coordination skills with the powers-thatbe.

Paul describes the Christian life to the Colossians in terms of coming under new management or acquiring new clothes. The Message puts it like this: “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.” Here love is described as the basic, all-purpose garment and we are to wear it constantly (3:12-14).

Now, there is much more involved here in Colossians 3 than simply throwing out the old unfashionable rags and donning the latest bright colours of the new self.

To become eligible for those new clothes, not only does the writer speak about being raised with Christ and setting our hearts on things above, but actually putting to death whatever belongs to our old earthly nature.

Recently, this imagery has been convicting and challenging me again in the deepest possible way. It certainly is not an isolated reference in the New Testament. A very graphic picture is also painted in Galatians of what it means to be a follower of Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (2:20).

Turning to Romans, a good part of the sixth chapter is turned over to being dead or buried with Christ and then raised with him to new life: “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried

This Easter…let’s collectively be challenged to die to the old and rise to the new; to bury with him all that is sinful…and be raised to the vibrant colours of resurrection life. with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:2-4).

Why should all of this be speaking to me so clearly at the moment? As I read the Passion narrative of Good Friday and visit the empty tomb on Easter morning, it’s the sheer overwhelming enormity of it all. Jesus Christ who died on the cross to take away my sin and who rose again from the dead, so that I can have life in all its fullness now and forevermore: “Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who, like me his praise should sing?” It’s good to step back from daily activity, and even Christian ministry, to catch the wonder of it all and be lost in worship.

John Stott in his commentary on Romans gives us a homely illustration of an elderly believer called John Jones, who is looking back over his long life, which is divided by two halves: the old self before and the new self after his conversion.

Volume one ended when his old self

I have been totally dissatisfied with a theology I have encountered recently which seems to state that as God accepts me the way I am, he is prepared to leave me just like that.

died with Christ to sin and volume two opened with his resurrection. “He has to keep reminding himself: ‘Volume one is long since closed. I am now living in volume two. It is inconceivable that I should reopen volume one, as if my death and resurrection with Christ had never taken place.’”

But that’s exactly where the problem lies! Too much of my life is still spent as if I am continuing to be at home in the earlier part of the book. Or to return to the analogy of the wardrobe, I can hear my wife telling me to discard those old socks, throw out that shirt not even fit for a charity shop and not to be waiting for that stained tie to come back into style.

Only it’s much more searching and probing than that. In Colossians 3 we are to rid ourselves “of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (3:8-10).

I’m writing very personally because I am acutely aware that I am very much an unfinished work. I’m wondering, however, if this Easter I can dare to ask you a question: If you have been buried with Christ and raised to new life by him, what still has to die in your life?

I have been totally dissatisfied with a theology I have encountered recently which seems to state that as God accepts me the way I am, he is prepared to leave me just like that. As if everything revolves around me and not the Lord; as if we encounter his unconditional love, but not the truth of his Word and holiness. Such love in any case would be imperfect and wholly inadequate if it did not change me from the inside out.

I was given a copy of a service of repentance produced by one of our presbyteries. It speaks of failures in our relationships to Christ, each other and the world: “A lost love for and devotion to Jesus”; “Disunity and division among fellow believers”; “We have Herald April 2019

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allowed worldly attitudes and values to seep into our lives”; “Our minds are more conformed to this world than transformed by the Word.”

These things are the exact opposite to what has been my moderatorial theme: ‘Building relationships – Christ’s love compels us’. This Easter, as individuals, congregations, presbyteries and as a denomination, let’s collectively be challenged to die to the old and rise to the new; to bury with him all that is sinful, old, tired and out of fashion and be raised to the vibrant colours of resurrection life.

Colossians reminds us then that since you “have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God… Put

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If we have been raised with Christ, then surely our conduct will be fundamentally altered. to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature… Put on the garments that suit God’s chosen people” (NEB).

I like the way Eugene Peterson works all of this out in As Kingfishers Catch Fire, an anthology of his sermons. If we have been raised with Christ, then surely our conduct will be fundamentally altered.

Peterson imagines a young man setting off on a two-mile walk across town to visit a girl. He is preoccupied by her and on the way calls in a shop to buy her chocolates and at a florists for a bouquet of flowers. He lingers as he passes the church where she has told him she would like to be married. As he reaches her house, he straightens his tie and fixes his hat. By the time he arrives, he will

be able to list a dozen specific actions along the way, all caused by the girl in his imagination. She was in his conduct.

Peterson concludes: “The image put before us is the ruling Christ, that we should ‘aspire to the realm above, where Christ is’ (NEB). If this ruling Christ is alive in our aspirations and dreams, we will do things we never dreamed of doing before. Christ will be in our imaginations, in our purposes, in our goals.”

I am unsure if the boy and girl in Peterson’s illustration ever got married, and if the groom subsequently obtained a new wardrobe. I do know that new wardrobes come as we are hidden in Christ and are made ever more gloriously alive in him. Happy Easter!

REFLECTIONS

Defiant neglecters Arthur Clarke Study in Luke 8:1-8

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verywhere Jesus went in his public ministry, he saw Another force we can offer is an internal one; the tyranny of nothing but faces. Wherever he went the crowds selfishness and the love of comfort. It is an inexorable principle gathered, their needs and motivations as varied as that any ambition or mindset deeply established in our will their faces. When he declared himself as the divinely becomes the polestar of our daily decisions. These become the commissioned sower of God’s Word, their response was as overriding considerations that pound out a predominant path varied as the soil on a Galilean hillside. through all our activities.

An understanding of agricultural practices in Jesus’ time helps It is a well-established reality that any faculty left unused us to grasp the message of this parable more clearly (Luke 8:4eventually dies. Charles Darwin, as a young man, was besotted 15). The fields in Palestine were in long narrow strips and these with the writings of Shakespeare. During years of intense strips were divided by little grass paths which were also a right scientific discipline, he promised himself excursions into the of way used by all the locals. These paths joys of drama when he retired. But when were beaten hard as stone, by the feet of he retired, the sincere man learned that the …the reign of science; regular walkers. So, in the act of sowing, for the poetic was dead. Here is a the eclipse of the eternal; capacity some seed fell on such well-worn paths parable within a parable! The prerequisite and the birds knew that! of entering the kingdom is an awareness and our society’s The essence of this parable is simple: of need. James Denney wrote in this obsession with the the seed is the Word of God and the connection: “The kingdom of heaven is not four differing responses to it reflect four for the well-meaning but the desperate, for immediacy of selfdiffering conditions of the hearts of the those who know that between them and hearers. The category of hearer, represented indulgence war against the great darkness stands only the divine by the seed on the worn path, is that of pity.” the soul. the callous neglecter whose hardened Finally, Jesus implied there was an heart knows only (in a phrase from infernal process at work. “The devil comes W.E. Sangster) ‘granite indifference’. To speculate why some and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not people choose to constantly refuse is to unstitch the mystery believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12). In The Screwtape Letters in of iniquity. John Betjeman encountered such a situation as a which a senior devil advises a learner on their common wiles, student and wrote: the junior reports that the new Christian he is detailed to trap “Some know for all their lives that Christ is God,/ Some start is into “reading history”. “Get him out of the house and into the upon that arduous love affair/ In clouds of doubt and argument; street and then get him on a bus,” advises the senior devil, as and some/ (My closest friends) seem not to want his love –/ their dedicated life’s purpose is to undo the work of God. And why this is, I wish to God I knew.”

A Puritan saint wrote: “Satan had three titles in Scripture, We can only suggest some of the influences which brought setting forth his malignity against the person and work of God some hearers to this great spiritual negativity: an external and his people: a dragon to note his malice, a serpent to denote force. The ethos of the times, the ideologies of the age and the his subtlety and a lion to denote his strength.” But for all his philosophy of a self-sufficient generation beats a hardened path ploys he is a defeated foe! through all hearts. A “crooked and perverse generation” loudly articulating its anti-God mantras, fills timid souls with dread.

A contemporary writer put it this way: “The despiritualised mindset of urban man is tough clay to harrow for God.” The thought forms of our time: the reign of science; the eclipse of the eternal; and our society’s obsession with the immediacy of self-indulgence war against the soul.

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The missing generation

Rick Hill discusses the issues involved in discipling young adults and highlights an upcoming PCI resource to help equip congregations for the task.

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ne of the iconic images of last summer was a waistcoat clad football manager standing on the touchline leading his country to the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time in almost 30 years.

Gareth Southgate won plaudits from all corners for his bold approach of trusting young players he had nurtured with the responsibility of playing for their country on the biggest stage. How can we be as caring and courageous when it comes to nurturing and releasing the next generation in our congregations?

The first decade of adulthood often contains the most significant transitions of life. As young adults leave the bubble of their teenage years behind them, they are suddenly confronted with having to make real decisions, each packed with moments that have the potential to cause faith to crumble. In these transitions, it’s so easy for many to lose confidence in

the faith they once had. In many places, young adults are the most likely to leave church and the most likely to not return.

It’s right to acknowledge the missing generation.

fully in an upcoming resource on young adult ministry. Two of the central themes that emerged were ‘relationship’ and ‘responsibility’.

Young people leave church when we ask them to be passengers rather than participants.

As we listened to the stories of young adult ministry, words like ‘relationship’, ‘community’, ‘belonging’ and ‘mentoring’ all featured highly. It became clear that the young adults most involved in church activities were those most deeply engaged in their church community.

This generation of young adults are at risk of information overload and choice paralysis. With endless social media feeds, constant movies on demand and instant access to smartphone apps, this generation are capable of accessing more information and creating more connections than ever before. Even when it comes to the things of faith, online sermons, podcasts and audiobooks mean

Last year, we hosted several focus groups for people engaged in ministry to young adults within congregations across our Church. The purpose of these discussions was to discover key principles to help congregations be effective in reaching and discipling young adults.

Some of these principles are shared here, while others will be unpacked more

Relationship

Top tips 1. Relationship and example Words like ‘mentoring’, ‘relationship’ and ‘example’ featured heavily in our conversations. Create opportunities where young adults can gather together and develop relationships with one another.

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2. Belonging to the church family There was a sense that the young adults best connected to the wider church family were those who stuck around long-term. Create opportunities where young adults can serve alongside older members in the church.

3. Foundational truth is vital It is vital to provide more than social opportunities for young adults, but also engage them in things of spiritual depth. Run a short series focused on real-life issues for young adults such as ‘Fruitfulness on the Frontline’ or invite some young adults to come along to your small group to encourage them to engage in Bible study.

4. Release them to serve and lead Some young adults are frustrated by the lack of opportunities to shape and lead things within the life of their congregations.

Allow them influence and not just involvement.

Invite the inputs and perspectives of some young adults at your next Session meeting.

5. Effective mission to young adults happens by young adults Young adults are often connected to a huge network of people through study, work, leisure or social media.

The best placed people to reach young adults are young adults themselves.

The more that young adults can be involved, the more they will own.

that they can discover, read and hear Christian content without ever setting foot in a local expression of the church.

The need isn’t more connections or better entertainment, but deeper relationship, and our focus group conversations underlined the benefits of getting alongside young adults and being present in their lives. In settings where ministry among young adults was thriving, the emphasis seemed to focus more on the lives of their people rather than the nature of their programmes.

While we might not think we have anything to pass on, we should be encouraged by the fact that we aren’t called to be perfect in our lives, but rather be present in their lives. Let’s not underestimate the power of our lives and the potential of relationship. Let’s not place young adults off to the side of church life but bring them more fully into our lives. Let’s not neglect everyday actions, such as the question of: “How was your week?”, the invitation to join an activity, or welcoming them into our homes for a meal.

Responsibility However, it was clear that young adults desired more than merely relationship on its own. What emerged from our conversations was the desire young adults had to be involved in serving and

The need isn’t more connections or better entertainment, but deeper relationship… leading in the life of the church. In fact, the more responsibility that could be given to young adults over time, the more committed they seemed to become to ministry and mission.

One congregation shared an example of a programme that had regularly failed to engage young adults. The simple transition of handing the keys of leadership over to a small group of committed young adults saw that completely change. By allowing them to shape things, they saw both commitment levels rise and the age demographic change. In other words, the people best placed to reach young adults, were young adults!

Another congregation shared how their young adults’ group wasn’t so much about doing ministry to young adults, but actually about doing ministry with young adults. This emphasis meant giving more ownership of the programme over to them while continuing to maintain some level of overall leadership and control. If you want to develop young adult focused initiatives, the more that young adults are

Resource To help develop the conversation of how we can be more effective in ministry to young adults, we will soon be launching a new resource called ‘Passing the baton’.

This resource is designed to be used by kirk sessions or those already engaged in young adults’ ministry, to help congregations consider how they can be more effective in ministry with this age group. ‘Passing the baton’ will offer four different models that could be adopted for young adult ministry, while also providing key recommendations and sharing some practical examples on video from congregations doing this well.

This resource will be available in May on the PCI website (www.presbyterianireland.org). More information to follow in the May Herald.

involved in planning and shaping it, the more they will own it!

Perhaps we might be tempted to be overly cautious and choose not to give responsibility to those who seem young, or perhaps we have been frustrated in the past by lack of commitment in a younger generation. However, it is key we move young adults from mere involvement to more influence. James Lawrence said, “Young people leave church when we ask them to be passengers rather than participants.” If our desire is simply for young adults to attend rather than contribute, then we run the risk of frustrating them in the present and missing their influence in the long-term.

There is no doubt that involving young adults in leadership can at times lead to frustrations or even failures, but we should be encouraged that throughout the story of Scripture, God is constantly in the business of using the young. While it might mean effort in the short-term, it should lead to celebration in the longterm. It’s messy in the nursery but neat and tidy in the graveyard, so let’s be prepared to take the risks and embrace the mess!

Rick Hill is PCI’s Discipleship Development Officer.

Quotes from Passing the baton: “Our church does a thing called ‘Discipleship Duos’ where we get partnered up with someone older and wiser from the church who prays for us and keeps us on track. It’s really nice to know that someone is there praying for you and to keep us accountable with our faith.”

Hannah McBride, Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church “They had never led before and were stepping up, so we thought we needed to train them in some way. We didn’t want to set them up and tell them to work away, but we wanted to try and equip them for that role.”

Rev Neil Stewart, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Greyabbey “The good thing is that they’re adults so if I’m not able to be there, they can do it themselves. It’s been empowering for them to know, ‘We can do this!’ And they do it very well.”

Scott McKeown, Union Road Presbyterian Church, Magherafelt

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TALKING POINTS

Gentleness

Norman Hamilton considers what our response should be to our increasingly aggressive and divided society.

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et your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians obedience to him becomes of lesser importance.

4:9).

In reading this article, please be assured that I do not distance This is surely one of the most ignored myself from the allure – and at times even the practice – of commands of Scripture today, for whatever living more in accordance with the standards of our society description might be applied to Christian people, I cannot than of following the guidance and commands of Scripture. As remember an occasion when someone was commended for their Oscar Wilde memorably said, “I can resist everything except evident gentleness. We live in a society which is increasingly temptation.” aggressive and divided. The norm appears to be that I am Yet my angst is increasing that in a world where relationships right, and almost by definition, you are wrong/out of touch/ seem to matter less and less, our witness to Christ and the claim misguided. I am easily offended. If you disagree with me, I to be led by the Word of God and the Spirit of God is being will attack you personally as easily as the ideas and views you seriously undermined by our copying of the standards of the hold. If you get in my way, I may well take whatever steps day. The fruit of the Spirit as spelled out in Galatians 5 seems are necessary to get things sorted to my own satisfaction – all too rare: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, including going to court. What I want, I faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. get – at almost any cost. such things there is no law.”

The gods of ‘me first’, my Against Our Moderator is surely right to be We talk a lot about renewal and even opening up a much-needed discussion revival. We are learning to do things family and my status on the crucial importance of good differently. We speak of discipleship and rival the idolatry of relationships for all of us who take the mission. We long for the intervention of name of Christ. Most of us will be well Almighty God in the affairs of state – politics, power, money aware of situations where fellowship has north and south/east and west. And all and ease. been broken and relationships fractured of these are greatly to be desired to see within the church of Jesus Christ. Indeed happen. But if the quality of my life in many of us may actually be having that experience personally public is not evidence of the grace of God at work; if my whole – and it corrodes our soul and brings love for the Lord and his approach to daily living is not evidently marked by love, joy, ways to a grinding halt. peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness Back in the 1970s, Rev John Stott described the teaching of and self-control, there is clearly a major ongoing work of God’s Jesus on the Mount as ‘countercultural’. He wrote this: “The Spirit needed in me. The words of a modern song by Matt followers of Jesus are to be different, from both the nominal Redman are a regular prayer of my own, for I see the gap that church and the secular world, different from both the religious the Lord needs to close in my own life: “So let my deeds outrun and the irreligious. The Sermon on the Mount is the most my words/ And let my life outweigh my songs.” complete delineation anywhere in the New Testament of the Few would disagree that the truth of the gospel of Christ Christian counterculture. Here is a Christian value system, and through Christ needs to be proclaimed energetically and ethical standard, religious devotion, attitude to money, ambition, enthusiastically in our God forsaking society today. However, lifestyle and network of relationships – all of which are totally it also seems clear that unless it is proclaimed with grace, at variance with those in the non-Christian world.” and demonstrated by evident godliness, the proclamation is If that was true then, how much more applicable is it now? devalued, demeaned and undermined. The ease and frequency Yet we need to remember that there is nothing new under the with which that is happening, and can happen, is very sobering sun – as Ecclesiastes reminds us. And in the book of Judges we and deeply troubling. read: “Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.”

There are many ‘other gods’ in today’s world and the Rev Dr Norman Hamilton temptation to idolise them is very great. The gods of ‘me first’, my family and my status rival the idolatry of politics, power, Norman Hamilton is the convener of the money and ease. Things that are good are elevated to the place Council for Public Affairs and minister of highest desire, and the countercultural call by Jesus and emeritus of Ballysillan Presbyterian Church.

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APRIL 2019

Mission Connect

Meeting the challenge in Carlow and Athy

Committed to building community Christine Wilson

Mission news from workers around Ireland and the world.

Celebrating 18 years of Diakonia Csaba and Ilona Veres Kinghan Church still going strong Judith Currie Yatima’s story Naomi Leremore God’s faithfulness Phyllis Linton

Every aspect of our Church’s mission depends to some extent on United Appeal. Hundreds of projects and programmes at home and overseas are helping to advance God’s kingdom, showing God’s love in action to hundreds of thousands of people.

Meeting the challenge in Carlow and Athy Rev Stephen Rea

Including April prayer diary

Committed to building community

Christine Wilson

Community outreach and family support worker, Lisnabreen Presbyterian Church, Bangor

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’ve never had a good memory. Just ask my husband Tim. It’s a group is very popular, approximately 45 families per week attend, constant source of frustration (and sometimes embarrassment) and it allows us to engage with and support many parents and for me. The reason I tell you this is because I had to go and carers from the local community. search for information to find out when I became the community With a gifted and dedicated volunteer team, I plan and run a outreach and family support worker for Lisnabreen. It’s been 10 full summer programme for families and children, which can years, nearly 11 and I am so thankful for every day I’ve been given springboard us into our regular church programming from to serve in Lisnabreen.

September. I dedicate a lot Lisnabreen’s mission of my time to visiting and We are thankful for the opportunity to be statement is ‘Centred on supporting families connected beholding Christ; committed to Lisnabreen through church salt and light to those in need or distress. to building community’ and programmes or services. This we seek to live out our faith work can be challenging and and mission in the Bloomfield and Whitehill housing estates which often the families are in difficult and concerning situations but surround our church. These are challenging areas with many again, we are thankful for the opportunity to be salt and light to deep rooted and wide-ranging issues such as poverty, high rates those in need or distress. It is these places that the gospel needs of family breakdown, mental health and addiction issues, as well shared. paramilitary influences. It can be tough to live out your faith where these complex issues are at play, but then Jesus told us it’s not the Please pray: healthy who need a doctor. Our local areas are filled with people • Give thanks for all the opportunities to reach out into our local created by God, who need love, compassion, hope, support and communities. God has always provided for us and, as a small care and we are humbled to be able to reach, serve and care for church, we want to praise and thank him for the programmes them. and services we can offer.

Currently, I am heavily involved in Bloomfield Primary School • Pray for open hearts and minds as we speak and live out our where I take monthly assemblies, lead their IGNITE group every faith among local families – we want to see lives, old and young, week and sit on the board of governors. It’s a privilege to have the saved and transformed by the gospel. opportunity to share the gospel with the pupils and staff (over 420 • Pray for our elders and church committee who work tirelessly people) on a weekly basis. and wholeheartedly to make Jesus known in our part of God’s On Fridays, I run our very busy parent and toddler group called creation. ‘the Breenies’ with a selfless and talented group of volunteers. This Mission Connect | Herald April 2019

Celebrating 18 years of Diakonia

Csaba and Ilona Veres

Global mission workers, Romania

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he story of the Roma all over Europe is one of poverty, there have been many steep climbs: building relationship; gaining disadvantage, low education, poor health, poor housing and the trust of the community; understanding aspects of culture; and limited chances for employment; however we believe God boldness in sharing the gospel in a culturally relevant way. is writing a new story of the Roma. His Spirit is at work through In March, a women’s fellowship group commenced in Méra. At the work of the Hungarian the beginning of this ministry Reformed Church – its mission to women it is important God is pouring out his Spirit, calling Roma to to continue to build up to Roma in Hungary (Cigany misszio) and its ministry in of trust and faith in Christ and to share their faith boldly. relationships Romania, the Diakonia – in a listen to the needs of the holistic approach to reaching women in order to support Europe’s largest ethnic minority. and encourage them in their relationship with the Lord. Clear and As I write, the fourth annual Reformed Church Roma mission practical teaching from the Word of God is especially crucial for conference is underway near Budapest with some 200 people in those who still struggle with the barrier of illiteracy and rely on attendance, and God is pouring out his Spirit, calling Roma to faith others to read the Bible for them. in Christ and to share their faith boldly.

Please pray: The Diakonia, founded by the Hungarian Reformed diocese in Transylvania in 2001, now celebrates its 18th birthday. Although • Give thanks for the work of God through the Diakonia over the today it serves needy communities throughout Transylvania with past 18 years, bringing help and dignity to needy communities ministries – including palliative nursing homecare, homecare for across Transylvania through education, healthcare, community the elderly, residential nursing homes and GP surgeries – at the development and Bible teaching. very outset and at its heart is the ministry to Roma children and • Praise God for those who have come to faith in Christ, and pray that they will grow in faith and be faithful witnesses to his power families. and grace.

Csaba coordinates children’s projects in seven villages in the Salaj • Pray for the staff of the Diakonia, for teachers, social workers County. The newest one, which started in January, is located in the and educators who minister to the Roma communities daily. village of Nagyfalu where two staff members teach 30 children Ask God to bless their special skills and give them hearts of and bring support and care to their families. The daily teaching compassion and opportunities to share their faith in a clear and takes place in rooms provided by the local council and several sensitive way. local churches are increasingly involved in the ministry.

• Pray for the new project in Nagyfalu, for strong and caring In the small village of Méra where Ilona works, the Roma education of the children and a good start to building community it serves live on a hill which means a steep climb for relationships with parents and carers. home visits to the community. Over the past 18 years in Méra Mission Connect | Herald April 2019

Kinghan Church still going strong Judith Currie

Congregational support worker, Kinghan Church

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he Kinghan Church, or ‘KC’ as it is commonly referred to, Our Bible study runs every other week, where people can come is a specialised church providing for the deaf and hard together in a relaxed environment and learn together. of hearing community. Kinghan Church was founded in Monthly outings are organised – these always vary to appeal to 1857 by John Kinghan and as many people as possible. is still going strong today.

In recent months they have …deafness…can leave many people feeling Our members come from all included: the Kildare Village, parts of Northern Ireland to Eden Pottery, a barbeque, isolated and vulnerable with little or no join together in worship and Titanic Belfast, the Ulster interaction with the outside world – fellowship. Due to the nature Museum, and many more. of deafness it can leave many If you would like to find this is why ‘KC’ is a lifeline for so many. people feeling isolated and out more about the work in vulnerable with little or no Kinghan Church you can get in interaction with the outside world – this is why ‘KC’ is a lifeline touch with us by: email kinghan@pcinet.org; web for so many. Our members can come along and join with their www.kinghanchurch.com; or telephone +44 (0)28 9032 2588. friends and communicate freely in their own language, British Sign Language (BSL).

All the staff in Kinghan Church can sign and communicate Please pray: effectively with the members. We provide a safe, friendly • Pray for all who attend the Thursday lunch club, that they would environment where our members feel able to come and access enjoy good fun and fellowship. help and seek advice. All the services are signed in BSL and voiced • Pray for Claire Nicholson, administrator, who provides a lifeline over. for many of the deaf members.

The weekly Thursday lunch club is always popular; members • Pray for all who attend KC, that they would be built up in their enjoy getting together with old friends over a bite to eat. They run faith and blessed with fellowship and community. and take charge of this themselves.

Mission Connect | Herald April 2019

Yatima’s story Naomi Leremore

Global mission worker, Kenya

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atima grew up in a loving home with his parents and three the orphaned family for the destruction of their fence or the younger siblings. His dad was a highly-respected head desecration of their parents’ graves. teacher within the community. Tragically, when Yatima was Naomi’s book nine years old, his father died. Four years later, he went through This is one of the case studies to be found in a newly revised the pain of bereavement again book on child rights and as his mum passed away. The advocacy from the Theological The number of orphaned and vulnerable orphaned family, now led by Education by Extension (TEE) 13-year-old Yatima, continued department that Naomi has children in Kenya is estimated to be a living peacefully on their been working on. The boy’s parents’ plot of land. staggering 3.6 million name is not really Yatima Then one day a tractor – which means ‘orphan’ crashed through the fence, in Swahili – however the actual story is true. The number of destroying it and their parents’ burial site. The siblings, with orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya is estimated to be a the help of some local youths, took the initiative of smashing staggering 3.6 million, with 9.5 million (that’s 45% of all Kenyan the windscreen of the tractor, preventing it from being driven children) experiencing poverty (UNICEF 2017). any further. That same day they were arrested by the police for Statistics like these can overwhelm an individual, but the damaging property. message from God’s Word is clear. Each Christian and church One person was behind the attempted grabbing of their land community is to stand up for the rights of the voiceless, – it was their elderly next-door neighbour. As the father of the defenceless, powerless and poor in society today. We must “learn county governor, his sense of entitlement and greediness fuelled to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the these actions. Although the local people condemned what he was fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:17). doing, they felt helpless in stopping him.

News spread quickly of the injustice and this provoked several political leaders to use their influence and put pressure on the Please pray: governor. He was threatened with an impending court case and • Pray that the new edition of the child rights and advocacy book potentially negative exposure through the media, if Yatima and his will be relevant and easy to understand. brothers were not immediately released from custody.

• Pray that the stories within it will challenge and provoke Yatima’s story ends there with the siblings being set free. thoughtful discussions, resulting in practical actions being taken The governor was able to bribe the police so no charges were to help every child who is in need. pressed against his father. No compensation was ever paid to Mission Connect | Herald April 2019

God’s faithfulness Phyllis Linton

Deaconess in West Church, Ballymena

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ecently in morning worship we sang the worship song What Thirdly, we have just commenced an Alpha course with over 70 a Faithful God Have I and it just sparked me into thinking people attending. This has created a real buzz of excitement that how faithful God is – every day in our lives as individuals and people will be saved, and that others will experience revival in corporately in our church families. I certainly can testify to God’s their faith. It is incredible to see how they are bonding in groups faithfulness to me in my 31st year of ministry, and recently I have and asking such honest and pertinent questions. It is just brilliant! been particularly aware of that in three areas of my ministry.

As I share leading the group with Jen, one of our younger leaders, Firstly, with the development it is wonderful to see her of our women’s ministry to using her skills as a leader and We are thankful to have new families join us include a coffee and craft sharing her living faith with group which runs weekly on a recently…a joy and encouragement to everybody others.

Thursday morning, and to see Thank you for being willing the joy they have in providing to pray for the work in West crafts, from knits for premature babies and beautiful dresses for Church, and maybe the following points will help you in this. girls in an orphanage in Colombia, to crafts for those struggling with dementia. Never mind the practical and spiritual support the women are to each other and to others in need, both in the church and in the community.

Secondly, to experience the power of the Holy Spirit as I lead or preach at worship is amazing. The conversations about faith that all of us as a staff team experience after worship are really encouraging. It is wonderful to sense God’s leading as I prepare, Please pray: and to know his Holy Spirit is working in people’s lives afterwards • Pray that many will be saved through the Alpha course. is truly humbling. We are thankful to have new families join us • Pray that more new families will join us in the days ahead. recently, and to watch them become integrated into the church • Pray that as we worship on a Sunday that the Holy Spirit will fall family is a joy and encouragement to everybody; as I visit them it upon us weekly and in power. gives me time to explore faith with them.

Mission Connect | Herald April 2019

Meeting the challenge in Carlow and Athy

Rev Stephen Rea

Carlow and Athy Presbyterian churches

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he Irish are a people in transition. They’re moving away (fast) We are getting there. I think it’s been a good witness. It’s helped from the old certainties about faith (Catholic), culture (late bring people together from many different countries and cultures 19th century romanticism), and who is Irish (no longer just and to find acceptance. One person tells another person; it’s white and indigenous). This is the setting for the Carlow and Athy largely word of mouth. churches – a place where the old ways are dissolving. It is both a So witnesses must be prepared to witness credibly in an challenge and an opportunity. How to reach out with the gospel increasingly secular Ireland. If necessary, a witness must be of Jesus to people who associate Christianity with a past they want prepared to stand up in court and be cross examined by some to forget? To a people who are legal character and that can be no longer sure they believe in very daunting. But the way of …the old ways are dissolving. It is both a God, and are often quite sure living commanded by Christ they don’t? To a population is diverging dramatically from challenge and an opportunity. which sees Christianity as a the social mores of the ‘new moralistic and authoritarian Ireland’. We in Carlow and religion which tries to make them feel guilt-ridden?

Athy need to have confidence that the gospel freedom holds its This is quite a challenge. Solutions? The Carlow church has own against the attempts of our humanist, individualist culture to grown, which is encouraging. ‘Why’ is more difficult to answer – emancipate people through social justice (however well meaning), unless the work really and truly depends on God it will not last. and sexual/identity politics. It’s not working. But if we are to be However, I think we can note the following: firstly, Jesus has real, credible witnesses we need to be prepared to be open and commanded us to be his witnesses and to proclaim his name. confident that Jesus is Lord. At times, that will be discomforting!

Secondly, witnesses must be credible. This second point should be written on all our church walls. If Christ commands us to love one another, then we must rise above the level of insipid tolerance of each other. That includes my neighbour, the stranger, the Please pray: immigrant. It demands an absence of racism and class distinctions.

At the risk of sounding all ‘social justicey’: everybody must • Pray that Christ will build his church. be treated equally. That must involve the ‘whole person’ i.e.

• Pray too that we will be credible witnesses to Jesus of Nazareth, identifying real practical needs, body and soul. I am not going to Saviour and Lord. risk hubris by saying we have arrived, but we’re not too bad at it.

Mission Connect | Herald April 2019

APRIL 2019

Please pray for...

1 HOME MISSION – Rev Daryl Edwards and the congregations of Cootehill, Drum and Kilmount. Give thanks for the children’s event with LEGO facilitated by CEF’s Cavan workers Simon and Jayne Gibson before Christmas, and pray for preparations for a similar event before Easter.

11 KENYA – Gary and Mary Reid and their ongoing mission within Maasailand, that many more people will come to know the Lord and desire to grow in their knowledge and love of him.

12 IRISH MISSION – William Workman, Irish mission worker serving in Athy and Carlow.

Give thanks that the children’s church in Athy is up and running, and pray that more families will attend worship on Sunday mornings.

2 IRISH MISSION – Tom Dowling, Irish mission worker serving in Kilkenny Presbyterian Church. Give thanks for the new believers; for those who are currently engaging with the Word of God and all who share so faithfully in this work.

13 THOMPSON HOUSE – in Belfast provides supported housing to 19 offenders. Pray for David Farrow, director, and his team of social workers and project staff as they encourage residents to establish their own homes, or otherwise become independent of the hostel.

3 BRAZIL – The Presbyterian Church of Brazil which has over a million members and over 5,000 congregations.

Pray for the leadership David Farrow team, including Rev Roberto Brasileiro Silva, president of the Supreme Council.

4 DEACONESS – Rosemary Spiers, serving in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards. Pray for friendships and conversations with women from the church and community at various ministries.

14 INDONESIA – The life and witness of the Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera; for its leaders as they work for the unity of the church, the training of new ministers, and for Christians to be able to build good relations with their Muslim neighbours.

5 CHAPLAINS – Rev Michael Anderson, part-time chaplain at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, as he visits patients at the hospital.

Give thanks to all the volunteers who help out at the Sunday services in the hospital.

15 CHAPLAINS – Rev Graeme Orr, part-time chaplain at Ulster University’s Magee campus in Londonderry. Pray for the members of the Christian Union, where the weekly attendance is around 30.

6 PORTUGAL – Chris and Rachel Humphries who began serving with the church planting team in Senhora da Hora, Porto at the beginning of March, as they settle into their new roles and life in Portugal.

16 HOME MISSION – Rev William Hayes and the congregations of Tullamore and Mountmellick in counties Offaly and Laois respectively. Pray for continued growth and visibility in the community.

7 PEACEHAVEN TRUST – in Greystones, Co Wicklow consists of three residential homes.

Pray for the 16 residents who live in Lydia House, Blake House and Applewood Heights and give thanks for the commitment of staff in ensuring residents’ needs are met.

8 DEACONESS – Margaret Robertson to know God’s presence daily as she serves in Elmwood, Lisburn and for wisdom to know how best to support and encourage the local community group in the housing estates next to the church.

9 HOME MISSION – The members of Inch congregation as they seek to bear witness to the gospel in Inch Island and beyond. Pray too that the congregation will be recognised as the family of God on Inch and remember Rev Jim Lamont (stated supply minister).

10 URBAN MISSION – The congregation of Westbourne in east Belfast, and for the minister, Rev Mervyn Gibson. Pray for all outreach initiatives planned for 2019.

17 ROMANIA – Give thanks for the ongoing work of the Diakonia mission supporting needy children and their families in Cluj Hazel Reid and Salaj counties, and for Csaba and Ilona Veres, global mission workers, as they continue to serve there.

18 COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Timothy Vaughan, community outreach worker in Garnerville Presbyterian Church. Pray for the Alpha course starting in April/May in the community, that it may be God-centred and Spirit-filled.

19 URBAN MISSION – Rev Rodney Cameron and St Columba’s congregation as they begin a concerted effort to connect and reconnect with people who live in the area around the church.

20 HOME MISSION – The congregation of Howth and Malahide to grow to become more like Jesus in tangible ways. Remember also the minister, Rev Alastair Dunlop.

21 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE – continues in Northern Ireland in the context of increasing demands placed on its services.

Pray for those who work within Health and Social Care and ask God to sustain them in stressful situations and grant them patience.

22 PAKISTAN – Staff and students at Gujranwala Theological Seminary and United Bible Training Centre. Pray especially for the resourcing and development of these institutions, so important for the training of church leaders.

23 CHAPLAINS – Forces chaplains who work with new recruits, who are often young men and women with little church connection before joining the armed services.

24 MIDDLE EAST – Staff at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary; pray too for the students as they study, and prepare for future service.

25 CHAPLAINS – Rev Colin Megaw, chaplain serving at Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre.

Pray for opportunities to share the gospel with the young people and that they might find new life in Christ.

26 MODERN SLAVERY – This can affect anyone, of any age, gender or nationality.

Some of the signs we need to be aware of include someone who is distrustful of authorities or someone who is unsure of their home address or the local area. Pray that we can be the eyes and ears of our communities and workplaces to spot these signs.

27 DEACONESS – Wisdom and guidance for Hazel Reid as she continues to serve the Lord in First Broughshane.

Pray too for the congregation’s witness to the local community.

28 SPECIALIST SERVICE AGENCIES – Continued support for the work of the Bible Society in Northern Ireland, the National Bible Society of Ireland, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Feba and SAT-7.

29 URBAN MISSION –The life and witness of Taughmonagh Presbyterian, Belfast and remember the minister, Rev Robert Love.

30 DEACONESS – Sonya Anderson, serving in Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee. Pray for opportunities to connect with families with young children and for wisdom to know how best to support them in the early years.

www.presbyterianireland.org/prayer

Photo: Jonny Sanlon

Joy

in the trial

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Sarah Harding talks to Adrian and Karen Adger about Adrian’s devastating diagnosis of cancer and their resolute commitment to keep ministering to the congregations they serve.

ev Adrian Adger has recently become a bit of an internet star (albeit a reluctant one!).

As minister to Clough and Seaforde congregations in the shadow of the Mournes, Adrian encouraged the churches to launch a Facebook page in October 2017. He says, “Little did we know then that we’d now be using this much more than we ever expected!”

A friend recently urged Adrian that he had a story to tell and so should share it on social media. “I thought, no, I’m not really into all that. Then he kept on talking to me about it and I thought, well maybe.

So, I talked to the elders and they said they would support the project.” With the help of videographer Jonny Sanlon, the congregations have released a series of four video blogs by Adrian, which detail how he came to faith; his path to ministry; meeting his wife Karen; and dealing with his diagnosis of incurable cancer.

The couple have been amazed at the response to the videos. The first one was viewed over 10,000 times on Facebook and Adrian has had reactions from people around the globe, including Russia, Thailand and Nigeria. “In many ways, it’s a very public illness that we’re going through. We decided to be open and share it with the church and with anyone who wants to know.

The farm at Ahoghill

That diagnosis shook me to the core of my being. It was like…a dark cloud coming over my life.

“There are so many people who are suffering with cancer and other difficulties. So, as people see the hope that we have, we want to signpost them to the Lord, that they can have that same hope.”

Finding guidance Adrian was brought up in Ahoghill, in a bungalow situated on his grandparents’ farm. He had a very happy childhood amongst the animals and day-to-day busyness of farm life. The family attended Trinity Presbyterian Church in the village, but when Adrian reached the age of 18 he decided that church wasn’t for him.

For the next four years, he says he “lived for himself ” until a near-miss car accident made him question his life without God. “It really shook me up. I thought to myself – what if I’d died? Where would I go?” This led him to receiving Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and going back to church. “The Herald April 2019

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Finding hope In February 2017 Adrian had a pain in his side, which the doctor originally thought was a stone in his kidney; however, following a scan it was soon discovered to be a tumour. Although the news was shocking and upsetting, the prognosis was good – the malignant tumour was removed, leaving all the surrounding lymph nodes clear – so the couple hoped that things would return to normal.

welcome I received was tremendous,” he says. “The church became my spiritual home and the people became so precious to me.”

Adrian was studying to be a chartered accountant at the time, but following a talk by a visiting missionary in church, he felt called to enter a life of ministry instead: first into the Belfast City Mission, then in Nigeria with Mission Africa, and finally becoming a Presbyterian minister. He served a happy assistantship in Ballyclare Presbyterian, before being called to the congregations of Clough and Seaforde in 2015.

Finding love Adrian describes his wife Karen as “the best thing that ever happened to him”.

The couple have been married just under six years and at the stage of his initial cancer diagnosis, aged 53, they had only been married for four. He says, “She has been amazing at every step of the way.

She has been such an encouraging and supportive wife to me.”

However, it’s fair to say, the path to true love started off a bit rocky. When Adrian tried to ask Karen out for coffee through a mutual friend, she initially declined.

“I thought, I’m not interested in going out with a Presbyterian minister!” She later relented but, coming from a Baptist family, was nervous about telling her parents. Karen shares that when relaying the news to her mother, the response was: “I’ll not be telling your father…”

The couple laugh that Adrian and his father-in-law Graham have a very close friendship now, and all of Karen’s family have been incredible supportive of them as a couple, especially in recent circumstances.

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We’ve learnt joy in the trial…You can either say, ‘Lord I’m angry with you’ or you can say, ‘I don’t understand but we’ll keep going.’

However, it was at the six-month routine scan that the devastating blow came – the cancer had spread to his abdomen and Adrian was told that it was now inoperable and incurable. “We came home and cried all night,” he says. “We were heartbroken; we had lost all sense of equilibrium.

“That diagnosis shook me to the core of my being. It was like a death sentence coming over me; a dark cloud coming over my life. I received a burden that was too heavy for us to carry and I wondered would I know joy again in my life.”

That Sunday the couple shared the news with their church family and they had a time of prayer. A missionary read Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”

Adrian says, “There were tears from me and others, and a peace came over me. I knew that joy had returned. After being totally disorientated, I was beginning to find my spiritual equilibrium again.”

Clough and Seaforde have rallied around their minister and for that Adrian and Karen are very grateful. Karen says, “I’ve never felt that Adrian and I are going through this on our own.

It’s a church family trial and we’re in it together.”

It is perhaps no surprise that in this buoyed sense of community the churches seem to be thriving, with new families joining, house groups starting and a revitalised sense of outreach. Despite the uncertainty of the future, Adrian forged ahead with plans for a gospel mission, which successfully happened back in October. He says, “The churches are in good heart. Here’s me unwell, and yet clearly God is at work.”

Apart from a short 10-week break when he was recovering from his initial surgery, Adrian has carried on with work.

His visitations have been reduced (he is unable to do any in hospitals because of the risk of infection), but he has steadfastly continued to preach. “I’ve been really tired most mornings, but on Sundays it’s like I receive supernatural strength to keep on teaching.”

Adrian explains he has a “renewed sense of call” to ministry. At one stage, following his diagnosis, he heard rumours were circulating that he would be resigning soon. “The next day I was in the cancer care unit, about to go for a scan and I read John 21 – ‘feed my lambs… take care of my sheep’ – it was almost bizarre that God was speaking to me about feeding the flock in the middle of my dire prognosis. God has fulfilled his Word in my heart and life and so I feel that through that he has strengthened my faith.”

Another verse that has been very poignant to Adrian is Philippians 1:6: “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Adrian says, “God’s Word reminds me that my confidence is in Jesus Christ – no cancer will thwart the purpose or plan of God for my life, or anything else.”

Coping The couple agree that when cancer hits a family it is overwhelming. Karen says bluntly, “It stinks. There’s no doubt about it. It really grieves us that we’re in this situation.”

Yet on the flipside, she says, “We’ve learnt joy in the trial. I’ve found that I’ve tried to be positive through the whole thing, depending on God’s grace. You can either say, ‘Lord I’m angry with you’ or you can say, ‘I don’t understand but we’ll keep going.’”

Adrian is reflective about the theology of what to pray when illness strikes.

“Karen and I both felt strongly that we should pray for healing. I don’t feel that as Christians we should be fatalistic and just accept things. God is interested in us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, so there’s a wholeness to us.

James 5 says, ‘Is anyone among you sick?

Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them…’ I think we have to be led by the Holy Spirit as well though.

And it’s not just about asking ‘heal me’, it’s about praising God and rejoicing in what Jesus Christ has done for us. We also rejoice that God is Sovereign and we delight in doing his will.”

The diagnosis has given Adrian much food for thought about death and the afterlife. He jokes, “How to spoil a party?

Start talking about death! Nobody wants to talk about it and nobody wants to think about it. Yet it’s there with us all the time now. I have thought a lot about eternity and heaven and in my preaching, there are times when I have sought to have more courage to speak to people about eternity and where they stand with God.” Karen agrees that she has seen a renewed boldness in Adrian’s preaching and witness. She quips, “The gloves are

off ! I would say there’s no fear in him now.”

Whilst the journey of cancer is obviously tough for the person who has been diagnosed, it is equally distressing for their nearest and dearest. Karen says, “I have found the support incredible. At different times, people have come up to me in church to ask if I’m ok. They don’t forget about me. The ladies are very kind, thoughtful and inclusive.”

She says she copes by trying to help other people with their problems and not just dwell on her own. “Getting into other people’s lives and situations definitely keeps me balanced. The more I

I have this assurance – the best is yet to come… for all whose faith is in the glorious name of Jesus Christ. pray for other people, I just feel so much better because it takes my focus off me.”

Adrian is full of praise and admiration for his wife. “In many ways, Karen’s just kept on going, she’s kept on serving the Lord. She has had godly habits that she has developed. Where I have been very weak at times, questioning things, Karen has been very strong. Her trust and confidence is in the Lord.”

Although she might have once been a somewhat reluctant minister’s wife, Karen wouldn’t change it for anything now. “I went kicking and screaming, but I couldn’t think of being anything other than a minister’s wife because I love it so much. Adrian’s ministry is my ministry too – we are a team.”

Finding series In a series of four short films, Adrian Adger shares some of his life experiences to encourage and inspire others to live their lives for God’s glory by finding forgiveness; guidance; love; and hope.

The ‘Finding’ series is available to view on the Clough and Seaforde churches’ website and Facebook page (www.cloughandseaforde.com; @CloughandSeafordePresbyterian). The videos can also be found on YouTube and Vimeo. The full series will be

The future At the start of 2019 Adrian received the news that the cancer has now spread to his liver. He is currently receiving a treatment called immunotherapy, which is relatively new and aims to boost the body’s own immunity to fight the cancer.

“They told me that if it had been a few years ago they couldn’t have offered me any further treatment,” says Adrian. “I would just have been told to go home. It’s a cutting-edge treatment and there have been some good trials from it so there’s reasonably good prospects.”

Whatever the outcome, the couple are steadfastly grounded in their faith, their love for each other, and the support of their churches, family and wider community. Adrian movingly articulates, “I have this assurance – the best is yet to come – for all the people of God; for all whose faith is in the glorious name of Jesus Christ. My name doesn’t matter, my name doesn’t count. But the glorious name of Jesus – there’s no greater name. I put my hope and confidence in a glorious Saviour and Lord.”

available on DVD in April.

This month, another video in the series will be added, called Finding Home. In this Adrian will asking the question, “Where is my home?” He will return to his roots in Ahoghill, go back to Newtownabbey where he and Karen first lived when they got married and also consider the bigger picture of our heavenly home.

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Left to their own devices?

U

ntil about 10 years ago, the advice we would give to parents wanting to protect their children was to put the family computer in the living room so that internet use could be easily monitored.

Enter Steve Jobs and the rise of the smartphone, and this recommendation was rendered obsolete. Digital technology is now advancing at an incredible speed, and it will take some time for society to adjust. As parents, though, time is a luxury we simply don’t have. Our children need our help and guidance now, not in 5, 10 or 15 years’ time, when it will be too late.

Most parents today will probably be what experts call ‘digital visitors’…most young people are ‘digital residents’…And therein lies the challenge.

Katharine Hill, from Care for the Family, gives some much-needed advice on how to parent confidently in a world full of screens.

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The digital age brings many advantages and wonderful opportunities. Long journeys with bored children and endless games of I spy are now a thing of the past. Learning opportunities are so much greater – no longer limited to children with access to books in the home. We can connect with friends across the city and families around the world. And what parent hasn’t breathed a sigh of relief when putting a child in front of a screen during the ‘happy hour’ – 5pm to 6pm – when blood sugar is running low, sibling rivalry is at its peak, and the pasta is not yet on the table.

But alongside the advantages, there are a number of challenges. The issue of screen time, for instance, causes many rows at home – you may be tearing your hair out right now with your three-yearold having an iPaddy when told to put the tablet away or a teenager who appears to be surgically attached to their mobile!

Along with worries about screen time, many parents are rightly concerned about the more serious dangers of pornography, sexting, cyber-bullying, internet addiction and grooming, not to mention the relentless pressure on children of social media and the selfie culture.

From their infancy, our role as parents is to teach our children life skills that will keep them safe. We teach them to tie shoelaces, cross the road, and swim – we have these skills ourselves, so we can pass them on. But when it comes to digital technology, many of us feel we have no idea how to keep a step ahead, and with teenagers especially, we can easily feel that they know more than we do.

Most parents today will probably be what experts call ‘digital visitors’. We use technology as a tool – going online to check the train times, do a grocery shop, or send an email. In contrast, most young people are ‘digital residents’ – digital technology is an integrated part of their lives. As ‘visitors’, even if we digest a digital dictionary and learn acronyms such as pcm (please call me) or, more importantly, pos (parent over shoulder), we’ll never be as at home in the digital world as those who live there. It involves a different attitude and approach to life.

And therein lies the challenge.

While we don’t need to be experts, we can do things not only to protect our children from the dangers but to help

If we have our phones at the meal table…or if the first thing they see us do when we come home from work is to check into a screen, they will take their cue from us. them make the most of what the digital world has to offer. When they are little, we put sharp knives and the bleach out of their reach. In the same way, we can use passwords, filters, and parental controls to keep our children safe online. Many families have found it helpful to sit down together and create a ‘family media agreement’ – age-appropriate guidelines in line with their family values that everyone, including parents (here’s the challenge!) signs up to.

Boundaries around internet use at home are vital, especially with those at the younger end of the spectrum, but they only go so far. What about when our children are out and about and we aren’t there? Unless we equip them to deal with

the issues themselves, they will only be as safe as the least protected child they know.

Ultimately, our task as parents isn’t about raising children or even teenagers – it’s about raising adults. We do this by passing on wisdom and values in the context of family life.

The saying that ‘values are more often caught than taught’ is so true; we may think our children aren’t listening to us, but the truth is, they don’t miss a thing. We are their role models. They will notice our actions and our reactions and, in particular, they will notice the relationship we have with technology.

If we have our phones at the meal table, if we are scrolling through Twitter in the playground when collecting them from school, or if the first thing they see us do when we come home from work is to check into a screen, they will take their cue from us. As parents, we are the greatest influence on their lives and, as well as this being a challenge, it gives us a great opportunity. Little by little, through conversations, time spent together, and the everyday ups and downs of family life, we are sowing values into their lives which become their reference point when they make their own decisions in years to come.

The writer of the book of Proverbs says: “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:6-7).

Our role as parents is a positive one.

Instead of being naysayers who limit our children’s options, we can teach them to manage their freedom well, training and empowering them from the inside out to make good choices in a world where all choices are possible.

Katharine Hill is the UK Director of Care for the Family.

Left to Their Own Devices: Confident parenting in a world of screens Katharine Hill £9.99 (Available from www.cff.org.uk or www.muddypearl.com)

Katharine Hill explores the impact of the digital world on teenagers and younger children, giving practical advice on screen time, social media, and consumer culture, as well as how to tackle some of the more serious issues such as online bullying, grooming and pornography.

Left to their own devices?

Belfast event Tuesday 21 May 2019 Orangefield Presbyterian Church, 464 Castlereagh Road, Belfast, BT5 6BH 7.30pm-10pm (doors open at 7pm) Tickets priced at £7 each (£4 concession) available from www.cff.org.uk Speakers: • Katharine Hill (UK Director of Care for the Family) • Philip Jinadu (Philip and his wife lead Woodlands Metro, a Bristol church full of millennials).

This event will help parents: • Positively engage with their children’s digital habits; • Gain insight into the importance of the most popular social media tools; • Gain practical tips on how to manage screen time.

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Photography: David Cavan

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efore Helen Warnock takes to the stage at Assembly Buildings for the Presbyterian Women annual conference, she has a message to the women who are planning to attend – come expectant to meet with God! When chatting with the principal of Belfast Bible College (BBC), it appears Presbyterian Women made an excellent choice for their guest speaker to talk on the new theme, Restore. Helen has a wonderful attitude about restoration, taking regular retreats and acknowledging rhythms of work and rest.

“I enjoy being with people but I really love time with me and God. On retreat, I might take a Bible passage to study or a theme, or review the year. I will set some agenda to the time that I take away from the office and from home.

“Also, weekends for me have a different rhythm – I tend to catch up with friends on Saturdays and Sundays are go-slow.

“The theme of rest is interwoven through the whole Bible story. I think that is something to take note of. Our lives are busy and difficult and yet there is a whisper – a calling on us – saying ‘there is more’. Restoration is something really

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Herald April 2019

Rest & Restore

Rebecca McConnell meets Helen Warnock ahead of the Presbyterian Women annual conference next month where the new theme of ‘Restore’ will be launched.

contemporary as well, I’m not surprised PW picked this as their new theme.”

And she knows what it is like to be busy, juggling her full-time role alongside a part-time doctorate in youth ministry from Chester University and her role on the teaching team at Central Belfast where she worships.

“My advice is to give yourself some space so you can be intentional – we have to have a lot more grace with each other.

We need to ask some hard questions as to why life is so busy and difficult, and does it need to be? We have to remember that time is a gift.”

The Presbyterian Women motto of ‘Women living for Jesus’ begs me to ask her another question: what part do groups have in discipling women in respect to restoration?

“There is something about restore that takes each other, whether it is as friends carrying each other at difficult times or

Our lives are busy and difficult and yet there is a whisper – a calling on us – saying ‘there is more!’

work colleagues supporting each other or even as parents creating safe places. How we interact with others is a massive part of restoration. That’s where PW can be brilliant with offers of practical help – there’s a lovely resource that we shouldn’t take for granted.”

It is clear that Helen grew up in a safe space with family to support her.

“Mum and dad were great at opening the Bible at home and praying and talking about faith, the same really for my extended family. My aunt went to Nepal with Interserve and so after university, I went there for six months through her connections and served with PCI in Kathmandu.

“There has always been a family kindness. It’s not twee, their actions were motivated by faith. There was patience, resilience and humour too! My family was really positive for me, especially in terms of my faith – I saw it lived out every day.”

Helen’s background in youth ministry, working for both Youth for Christ and Scripture Union NI (SUNI), led her to a new challenge working with adults at the College, a role that she is enjoying.

“We have around 25 on the staff team,

which was similar to SUNI. There has been a nice crossover in terms of running an organisation, but there are also new elements given our sole education remit. I like thinking strategically.

“Our current strategy pins on four main themes: education that equips; our mission and global heart (BBC was born out of this context); how can we engage better at home; and stimulating conversations – so we can form a good bridge with practical ministry.”

Helen recommends the women’s study fellowship that the College runs on Monday mornings term time: “I have been blown away by the variety of women that are on it. They have such different working and education backgrounds, from new mums to retired women; the sense of community they have built is fantastic.

“We also have a new master’s in Bible ministry in the contemporary world. It is part-time and block taught, a week in August and a week in February.”

Having worked in full-time ministry, I posed the question about burnout to Helen and if she has ever experienced it.

“Definitely I have been tired. The good thing for me is that I have a lot of friends in different jobs – there is no ‘poor us in

How we interact with others is a massive part of restoration. ministry’ attitude. I have a great family and good friends. I will look ahead and see when do I need to take time off, what’s the rhythm? And each season will be different. I work hard but I also need time when I am not working or thinking.

“I have been ridiculously busy with the doctorate but then I will finish that and have time that I can do other things.

Parents will have seasons with their kids too.

“People can work really long days regardless of what their job is and can come home tired, and we need to have space for laughter. As we get older, we become more aware of the weight people are carrying – life is not always easy. But we have to remember – there is more!

“I am really looking forward to May and I hope that I say something that resonates and inspires, but equally, I expect to be encouraged by the women that attend.

“I think we will have a really good afternoon and evening because people will come expectant to meet with God.

So, in some ways, as long as I don’t get in the way, that will happen. God tends to be very generous – he will speak and meet with people. I hope there is restoration in that space and in that time.

I will take my preparation seriously and prep as best I can, but the people in the room will set as much of the dynamic as I will, if not more.”

Ladies – the challenge has been set!

Find out more about Belfast Bible College courses at: www.belfastbiblecollege.com

Presbyterian Women’s annual conference This year’s Presbyterian Women conference will take place in Assembly Buildings, Belfast on Thursday 9 May, with Helen Warnock, principal of Belfast Bible College, as the guest speaker.

She will deliver talks on the theme ‘Restore’ at both the annual meeting, which begins at 2pm, and the evening celebration, which begins at 7.30pm.

Join with women from across Ireland to celebrate all God is doing in our lives and through his church to restore our world.

For more information visit www.presbyterianireland.org/pw or follow PW on Facebook @presbyterianwomen

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Tackling Bible poverty Julia McKinley and Catherine Little provide an update on the work of the National Bible Society of Ireland and the Bible Society in Northern Ireland.

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o you know the story of Mary Jones? A young girl who at the start of the 19th century saved up enough money and walked for more than 20 miles across the valleys of Wales to buy a Bible in Welsh, her heart language. She had wanted her own copy of God’s Word; she had wanted to study it and read it for herself.

This story inspired the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, which was set up to encourage the wider circulation and use of the Scriptures.

Bible society activity started in Ireland in 1806 with the foundation of the Hibernian Bible Society, now known as the National Bible Society of Ireland.

The early work in Ireland included the establishment of auxiliaries across the country, including one in Belfast in 1807.

In these early years the focus was on Bible distribution across Ireland – by the start of the 20th century more than 5.5 million portions of Scripture had been distributed in Ireland.

More than 210 years later this work continues with two Bible societies working on the island of Ireland. The National Bible Society of Ireland is based in Dublin and the Bible Society in Northern Ireland is based in Belfast.

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National Bible Society of Ireland (NBSI) In recent years the well-known and loved bookshop ‘Bestseller’ at 41 Dawson Street, Dublin, the hub of the NBSI, closed, leading to speculation that the Society as a whole was no more.

Julia McKinley (fourth from left)

However, the recent appointment of Julia McKinley as Development Officer for the National Bible Society of Ireland has sparked a new, fresh vision and a hopeful future for NBSI. On 24 January 2019, the NBSI

There are still millions of people without access to Scripture in their own heart language

commissioned Julia into the new role, with a short service of dedication held in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, kindly facilitated by Canon David Gillespie. Rev John Faris, retired minister of Cork and Aghada Presbyterian churches and NBSI board member, acted as commissioner for the service.

The National Bible Society’s president, Gillian Kingston, referred to the event as marking a new season in the Society’s ongoing journey to fulfil its original vision.

Julia’s role, which will fully kick off in the autumn, primarily will involve collaborating with other biblically-based organisations, partnering with the Bible Society in Northern Ireland on allIreland projects, and facilitating group engagement with Scripture at local and regional levels.

Part of the NBSI’s vision is to support active biblical engagement and facilitate the development of biblical literacy in Ireland across all denominations. The motivation for doing this is simple – the Word of God is powerful, transformative and changes lives.

A famous poet once said that poetry is a bit like a plough, opening over time the deep, fertile layers of the earth, so that “its rich black undersoil ends up on

the surface”. In a similar way, we view Scripture as having multiple layers, which speak across generations and bring the eternal into the present. As we dig into the deep spiritual treasures which the Scriptures offer, new facets of its richness and meaning are brought to light again and again.

is available to be used here. The Biblical Association of the Church of Ireland will be running this course in partnership with the National Bible Society of Ireland in Dublin in the autumn.

Two Bible societies working together

Bible Society in Northern Ireland Work in Northern Ireland in recent years has focused on encouraging support for global Bible mission. Bible Society NI supports projects around the world to translate, publish and distribute the Bible.

It also supports Bible engagement and advocacy, as well as literacy work – using the Bible to help people learn to read.

Bible Society NI supports other Bible societies globally to engage with their own contexts to provide what is needed.

There are still millions of people without access to Scripture in their own heart language, or millions of people who need the Bible in a different format, like an audio Bible or in sign language or braille.

Bible poverty exists. It exists around the world and here in our own context. Bible societies globally are working to reduce Bible poverty. You could get involved by supporting our Bible twinning project which provides Bibles to China, Cuba and Togo. In our homes many of us have more than one Bible but in places like China, Cuba and Togo there may not even be one Bible in a church!

Catherine Little, General Secretary of the Bible Society in Northern Ireland, visited Cuba last year and was involved in Bible distribution. When reflecting on the experience, Catherine said, “I had no idea of the range of emotions that were involved in giving someone their first Bible, watching them page through it and hold it tightly. It was such a humbling experience and definitely made me value my own Bible so much more.”

The Bible Commission (Bible Society) in Cuba has already distributed more than one million Bibles with plans for every Cuban to have their own Bible.

There are around 11 million people in Cuba and the church is growing – they need our support to put God’s Word into their hands.

Visit https://biblesocietyni.co.uk/getinvolved/give/bible-twinning to explore how you or your church could ‘twin’ your Bible with a Bible somewhere else.

Catherine Little (left)

…get involved by supporting our Bible twinning project which provides Bibles to China, Cuba and Togo New resources Lots of people in this country read the Bible every day, but lots of people don’t have that habit. Bible Society NI has produced a ‘Daily Bible Reading Guide’ to give people something to read every day – a helpful pointer to develop the routine of regular Bible reading.

Another new resource called ‘Where to look in the Bible’ provides a guide to finding helpful passages for everyday life.

This could be a useful tool for getting to know the Bible more, providing support and encouragement to others or finding comfort, reassurance and inspiration for yourself, family and friends from God’s Word.

Both the Daily Bible Reading Guide and Where to look in the Bible are available from the Bible Society NI office in Belfast.

A new online resource ‘Story’ has already had positive feedback. This is available to download for free and provides some video content to help think about Bible characters in a new way. Visit https://biblesocietyni.co.uk/ resources/story-watch-read-reflect to view ‘Mary and Joseph’ and ‘Gideon’ – other characters coming soon.

The Bible course, a new eight-week teaching resource about the big story of the Bible, has been developed by our colleagues in England and Wales and

Both the National Bible Society of Ireland and the Bible Society in Northern Ireland have continued plans to work together to reach everyone with God’s Word.

Bible 2020 will be one way you can join with us to proclaim God’s Word out loud with others from all over the world.

Bible 2020 is about everyone, everywhere reading the Bible out loud throughout 2020, creating a global community of people united through reading the same passage of Scripture every day. Get in touch to register your interest for this.

With new staff in place in both Bible societies, we are looking forward to new connections and opportunities to promote Bible mission, both locally and globally. We look forward to hearing from you.

Julia McKinley is the Development Officer for the National Bible Society of Ireland and Catherine Little is the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Northern Ireland.

www.nationalbiblesocietyofireland.ie julia@nbsi.ie +353 87 3844 990 Instagram and Pinterest @nationalbiblesocietyofireland

www.biblesocietyni.co.uk info@biblesocietyni.co.uk +44 (0)28 9032 6577 Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @biblesocietyni Herald April 2019

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REVIEWS

Unless otherwise stated all resources are available from your local Faith Mission Bookshop or online www.fmbookshops.com

Robin Mark Live: A Belfast symphony Robin Mark with the New Irish Choir and Orchestra INTEGRITY MUSIC

£12.99

«««««

If you like Robin Mark, and if you like the New Irish Choir and Orchestra, then the chances are pretty high you’ll love this album.

And if, like me, you have never owned any Robin Mark music but rather absorbed some of his best known hits through the osmosis of years of churchgoing, there are enough special moments in this collection to pay attention.

So well known and oft sung are Robin’s songs that it’s refreshing to hear them adapted for this special collaboration. Recorded live in Belfast, his intricate melodies and poetic lyrical flare lends itself perfectly to classical accompaniment. Humble and unassuming, the lead vocals are faultless throughout. The album begins with a beautiful string introduction and flows so effortlessly that even a cover of Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately sounds like it could have been written for the occasion.

The arrangements range from restrained and subtle to glorious cacophony, sometimes within a single song. I imagine the recorded effect, no matter how well mixed and produced, can’t compare to what the live experience would have been.

Days of Elijah and Lion of Judah are fitting, if predictable, tracks to end on, and are best listened to with the volume cranked up – the choral acapella lines in the latter might even give you goosebumps!

JA

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The Infographic Bible Karen Sawrey WILLIAMS COLLINS

£25

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As a designer I’m intrigued by visual language – graphics, signs, maps (who doesn’t love a good map?). From hieroglyphics to IKEA instructions, visual language has always been part of our lives. Recent research has even shown that combining visuals with text improves communication and learning by up to 89%.

Karen Sawrey, a designer and illustrator, has taken her skills and applied them to the Bible. She has created a publication that invites the reader to explore and interact with the Bible’s big story in a totally unique way. As Karen explains, “Jesus spoke in parables – creating images to help his audience understand and remember the essence of his message – and Paul chose to write in the street language of the day. This publication’s aim is to do both: to create a visual image, and then support that graphic with text that can be understood by anyone who picks up the book.”

For me, the book was relevant and engaging. Due to the text size and binding some of the layouts are challenging, but I think that adds to the appeal, as it encourages the reader to dig deeper into the content and really focus on the information being shared. The way themes and characters are linked, the connections and combinations that are made are compelling and genuinely insightful.

With over 200 pages filled with charts, illustrations and visuals, there is plenty to keep the interest, and not just of a designer. Spreads like the ‘First family tree’, ‘Science and Scripture’ and ‘Resurrection encounters’ are just a few that make this book an excellent accompaniment to your everyday Bible.

JMcC

Balmoral Cemetery Tom Hartley

BLACKSTAFF PRESS (AVAILABLE FROM BLACKSTAFFPRESS.COM)

£12.99

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In Tom Hartley’s research into the lives of the people buried in the cemeteries of Belfast, he has written about significant people from both parts of our community who have shaped the development of the city.

On this occasion he has turned his attention to a small cemetery on Stockman’s Lane which contains the bodies of historically important people who, in their day, were well known. Here, among others, lie the bodies of Henry Cooke; Hugh Hanna; John Edgar; Isabella Tod, the writer, campaigner and suffragette; W.D. Killen; James Glasgow, the missionary to India; Wilberforce Arnold, the co-founder of the Presbyterian Orphan Society, now the Presbyterian Children’s Society; the architects Robert Young and John Mackenzie; and John Pyper, the founder of what became Belfast High School.

His narrative lets us understand why Belfast was once described as a Presbyterian city. At the same time he explains some of the diversity of the dynamic Presbyterian community and their churches, their industry, their educational, artistic and social convictions and their diverse theological outlooks.

The book also contains over 100 photographs of Presbyterian church buildings, some of which no longer exist.

Concerning Abel, it is written in the 11th chapter of the letter to the Hebrews that “though he is dead, he still speaks”. These long dead citizens of this city still speak to us through this book. This city would be the poorer had they not lived and were it not for Tom Hartley we might drive past the small cemetery and know nothing of it.

JD

REVIEWERS

SN – Stuart Newburn works as part of the team at Central Belfast coordinating Compassion Ministry JMcC – James McCormick is head of PCI’s Creative Production Department

5 Things to Pray for Your City Pete Nicholas and Helen Thorne THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY

£2.99

«««««

This book is a great personal resource for anyone involved in ministry in a city. Cities never stop, from the trade industry to everyday commuters and residents all going about their daily lives; the local church has an incredible opportunity to speak right into that. I believe fully that our ministry is to be both private and public, and this book is a perfect devotional book to study in private or in a quiet time setting. It provides both things to pray for and basic, but effective, prayers to pray.

The book is broken down into five main chapters, each focusing on specific areas for prayer with biblical references.

I personally would not recommend this book for someone who is seeking deeper content in how to best reach a city. If someone is desiring that kind of content and challenge, I’d recommend Tim Keller’s Loving the City, or Mark Sayers’ book Disappearing Church, which provide more cultural content for the church in an urban setting. However, this book is perfect for developing an individual’s prayer and devotional life as it is a very easy read and gives clear guidelines on how to best use the book effectively.

As Tim Keller writes in the book’s introduction, “It is reasonable to conclude that God wants Christians everywhere to pray for their cities.” This book provides a framework on how best to begin praying fervently, not only for the life of the local church in your city, but also generally for things such as the economy, the government and justice.

SN

EH – Elaine Huddleston is an administrative officer for PCI’s Creative Production Department JD – John Dunlop is a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland RG – Rose Gray is a work experience student who worships in Bannside Presbyterian Church JA – Jasmine Alcorn is part of the worship team at Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church

Look Up Child Lauren Daigle CAPITOL CMG

£10.99

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This is Daigle’s third studio album, winning the award for Best Contemporary Christian Music album at the 2019 Grammys. From the initial flourish of strings, pounding piano bass line and rich, soulful vocals in the opening song, Still Rolling Stones, Daigle emphasises her modern, fresh style through this stirring song about God’s power to revive our lives.

These songs beautifully contrast the

A Very Happy Easter Tim Thornborough; Jennifer Davison THE GOOD BOOK COMPANY

£2.99

«««««

For children aged 2-6, A Very Happy Easter is a little different from other storybooks. As well as looking at the pictures and listening to the words, in this book your face must do some work too!

traditional hymns we are so used to hearing, and effectively demonstrate how faith and religion can complement modern pop culture to produce rousing and passionate albums, bursting with vitality and joy. Daigle conveys a sincere excitement for God and the amazing things he can do in our everyday lives, while effectively addressing numerous key issues which listeners can relate to – ranging from not feeling worthy enough in today’s image obsessed society to understanding God’s place in this broken and suffering world.

In an interview with Billboard, Daigle said that her music conveys “honesty and authenticity”, stating, “more people are going to relate to my music if it’s sincere… that’s how you reach people.”

Employing a wide range of musical genres, from reggae and upbeat to bluesy RnB, every listener will be able to find a song that resonates with them, both lyrically and musically. Overall, I highly recommend this album as Daigle flawlessly fuses the timeless truths of the Bible with modernity in a vivacious and spirited way.

RG

Throughout this delightfully creative retelling of the Easter story, the focus is on the faces of the people who were there that first Easter when Jesus died and rose again. We are encouraged to really look at their faces and copy the expressions we see, thinking about how Jesus’ friends would have felt. In doing so, our children can discover that Jesus’ friends felt fear and sadness at the crucifixion, followed by confusion, astonishment and then happiness at the resurrection.

Using simple colourful illustrations, this book is a great way to make story time interactive and explain the Easter story to young children in a way that connects emotionally. Finishing with Jesus sending his friends to tell everyone the good news, the book asks, “What face will you make now?” – I love how it closes with the challenge that the story isn’t over yet!

EH

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LIFE IN PCI Book launch in Clare Hundreds turned up at Clare Presbyterian Church recently, for the launch of a new book entitled, The History of Clare: The people, the place and the Presbyterians.

People with connections to the congregation or the Co Armagh village down through the years travelled from all over for the service of thanksgiving. The service was taken by Dr Joe Thompson, and former ministers Rev Colin Harris and Dr Samuel Hutchinson also participated. The hall was packed afterwards for the book signing, as old friends were reunited and new friendships formed.

Copies of the book have been requested from as far away as America, Canada and Australia, as well as by folk with a Clare connection living down South and all across the mainland. Copies of the book are still available to buy. At over 600 pages, the book costs £25, with all money going to the work of Clare Presbyterian Church. The book is available through Clare Church and some local shops – please contact John Mason for more details on 07720 402085.

Top left: Lucie Heasley, Chloe Cairns, Stephen McNabb and John Neill who attended the book launch.

Top right: Dr Joe Thompson, who was one of the advisors for the book on Clare, pictured with Jennifer McClelland.

Raffrey marks 175 years Raffrey Presbyterian Church celebrated the 175th anniversary of the formation of the congregation during 2018.

A number of events marked the milestone, including a special service which was attended by the presbytery moderator and former ministers of the Co Down congregation.

A Christmas tree festival weekend was also organised to mark the 175th anniversary. The 58 trees featured in the festival all gave expression to the Christian faith.

A special Christmas tree service at the beginning of December was a further means of witness both in the congregation and also within the community. Former Moderator Dr Noble McNeely conducted the morning service.

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Above left: Rev Brian Small, Florence McNeely and Dr Noble McNeely.

Above middle: Rev Owen Patterson (presbytery moderator), minister emeritus Rev Sam Conkey, Rev Brian Small (minister of Raffrey) and Rev Trevor Anderson (former minister).

Above right: Rev Brian Small, Dr Noble McNeely and Emma Thompson (festival coordinator).

To share good news stories from your congregation please send your photographs and details to herald@presbyterianireland.org

New rooms opened in Islandmagee A suite of rooms providing an office for the minister, a church office and a meeting room has been opened and dedicated at First Islandmagee. The Long-Ferguson rooms were the generous gift of Janet Long in memory of her husband Eric and son Mark, and were opened by Mrs Long following the dedication by Dr Michael Barry. Included in the photograph are Dr Barry, James Stock (builder), Mrs Long, William Kane (property committee convener), Rev Peter Bovill (minister of the Co Antrim church) and family members.

Diamond wedding anniversary for Ballyarnett couple Alfie and Irene Gallick (née Gamble) recently celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary with their family in the Drummond Hotel, Ballykelly.

They were married on 19 January 1959 in Christ Church, Londonderry and are now faithful members of Ballyarnett Presbyterian Church, Londonderry. They are pictured with their four children Carol, Frederick, Alexandra and Richard.

Prayer breakfast in Larne Presentation in Castlederg Members of the Corkey family are pictured presenting their father’s RAF stole to Rev Robert Orr, minister of First Castlederg Presbyterian Church. After serving in the Second World War, Rev Colin Corkey was minister of the Co Tyrone church from 1947 to 1952. Also pictured (right) is clerk of session Jim Emery.

On Saturday 9 February members of First Larne invited neighbouring congregations to join them for a prayer breakfast during the Moderator’s Week of Prayer. Using the themes and videos provided, the morning began with a cooked breakfast, followed by a context-setting introduction to group prayer by Dr Norman Hamilton (convener of the Council for Public Affairs). Pictured is Dr Colin McClure (minister of the Co Antrim church) and Dr Hamilton.

New elders for Regent Street A service of ordination and installation of ruling elders by a commission of Ards Presbytery was held in Regent Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards recently. The four new elders, Karen Glass, Julie McClelland, Louise McConnell and Charles Orr, are pictured in the front row with clerk of session Ian Macdonald (left) and Regent Street minister Rev Colin Jones (right). In the back row are members of the Ards Presbytery commission: Rev Aaron Ditty, Rev Mairisine Stanfield, Rev Robert Stevenson (acting moderator of presbytery), Rev John Flaherty (clerk of presbytery), Alex Palmer and Avril Lang.

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New minister in Co Tyrone Rev Joanne Smith has been ordained and installed as minister to the congregations of Caledon and Minterburn in Co Tyrone. She is pictured in the front row with Rev T. Davidson and Professor M. McClenahan. In the back row are: A. Foster, O. Milligan, A. Campbell, Rev P. Gamble, J. Lawson, G. Frazer and Rev I. Thompson.

Praise service in Newtownards Members of the seven Newtownards Presbyterian congregations gathered for a united evening praise service in Regent Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards recently. The Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen, was the guest preacher and the service was conducted by the minister of Regent Street congregation, Rev Colin Jones. Following the service, supper was served and a presentation was made to the Moderator and his wife. Pictured are: Mr Jones (minister of Regent Street), Elizabeth Jones, Dr McMullen and Barbara McMullen.

Due to the increased use of small digital and phone cameras we are having to reject some of the photos due to their quality or size. Digital images should have a minimum resolution of 2000x1500 pixels (approx 7x5 inches) at 300dpi and be the original, unedited image.

Further information can be found in our submission guidelines at www.presbyterianireland.org/herald

Glenhoy retirement Robert Mulligan has retired as treasurer in Glenhoy Presbyterian Church after more than 40 years’ service. He is pictured with Rev Edwin Frazer (minister of the Co Tyrone church), Joanne Frazer and his wife Eleanor.

Windows dedicated in Urney Moderator visits Bushmills PCI Moderator, Dr Charles McMullen, met Bridie Murdock during a visit to Bushmills Presbyterian recently. Mrs Murdock, who is 92 this month, is sexton/caretaker of the Co Antrim church.

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Two new windows were dedicated in Urney Presbyterian Church recently, in memory of John and Norma Lyttle, former members of the Co Tyrone congregation. Pictured are: David Hunter, Ruby Hunter (niece), Robin Bruce, Jean Bruce (niece), lan Lyttle (nephew), Elaine Lyttle, Sandra Nesbitt and Douglas Nesbitt (nephew).

Tag good news stories from your congregation on Twitter with #lifeinpci and @pciassembly

Retirement in Redrock George and Noreen Reaney were recently presented with an engraved crystal vase from Redrock Presbyterian Church to mark their retirement after 45 years of faithful service as leaders of Redrock youth club. They are pictured with Rev Sam Finlay (minister of the Co Armagh church).

Farewell in Comber Clerk of session Gary Dalzell, with Rev Roy Mackay in attendance, makes a farewell presentation to Rev Roy Vallely and his wife Zoe in recognition of his 10 years’ pulpit and pastoral support ministry in Second Presbyterian Church, Comber.

New elders in Magherahamlet Margaret Broome and Dr Robert Whan have been ordained and installed as elders in Magherahamlet Presbyterian by a commission of Down Presbytery. Pictured in the back row are members of the commission: Barry Redhead, Marcus McCorriston, James Gilmore, Rev Ernest Boggs (who preached the charge), Dr Will Patterson (head of commission) and Rev Mark Spratt (clerk of presbytery). Front row: Dr Annes Nel (acting moderator of presbytery), Mrs Broome, Dr Whan and Rev David Hyndman (minister of the Ballynahinch church).

Retirements at Trinity Bailieborough Trinity Bailieborough marked two retirements recently, with Doris Leinster and Bert Coote retiring as Sunday school/Bible class teachers after 11 years and 41 years respectively. They are pictured with Sunday school superintendent Carol Branyan (left) and vacancy convener Rev Daryl Edwards (right).

New elders for Spa Evelyn Brown and Stephen McBride have been ordained and installed as elders in the congregation of Spa by a commission of Down Presbytery. The service was presided over by the acting moderator of presbytery, Dr Annes Nel. Present also were the new clerk of presbytery Rev Mark Spratt and members of the commission convened by Dr William Patterson. The new elders are pictured with members of the Down Presbytery commission. Back row: Barry Redhead, Marcus McCorriston, Brian McGibbon, Rev Ernie Boggs and James Gilmore. Front row: Rev David Hyndman, Mr Spratt, Mrs Brown, Mr McBride, Dr Nel and Dr Patterson.

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TRAVEL with PURPOSE Places still available on both opportunities Holy Land 12-21 February 2020 Oberammergau Passion Play (Austrian Lakes & Mountains) 12-19 August 2020 Interested? Questions?

Details from the Rev Dr Colin McClure cmcclure@presbyterianireland.org 07984 030881

First Carrickfergus Presbyterian Church

First Broughshane Presbyterian Church

seeks to appoint a

seeks to appoint a

Youth and Children’s Worker

Musical Coordinator

To engage in all activities associated with youth and children’s ministry.

This is a part-time permanent position (20 hours per week which will include evenings and weekends).

Salary: £18,319 p.a. (pro rata, in keeping with PCI salary scale Band A1) Closing date: Friday 26 April 2019.

For further information, please contact Rev Dr Cecil Grant: cgrant@presbyterianireland.org 07989 353732

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to help lead and develop our corporate praise.

Applicants must be sympathetic to the ethos of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Further details, job description and application form available from: Rev Ronnie Agnew, 111 Raceview Road, Ballymena, Co Antrim BT42 4HY The closing date for applications is Friday 19 April 2019.

CROSSWORD Puzzle no 250 1

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compiled by Harry Douglas

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ACROSS 1 Massive lorry (10) 9 French water? (3) 10 To tremble with fear (5) 11 One had a red nose in December (8) 14 Scottish river (3) 15 The Sahara and Gobi are these (7) 17 Of happy disposition (6) 19 The centre of a storm (3) 20 A shortened version of extra sensory perception (3) 22 Paul’s was as a sail maker (10) 26 This answer is not odd (4) 27 Easy to placate (8) 28 This fish is often found in a can (4) 29 A Hollywood award (5) 32 Limavady’s river (3) 34 Oven found in a country kitchen? (3) 35 Barnabas was a native of this island (6) 36 Michael the singer (6)

DOWN 1 The walls came tumbling down here (7) 2 Initials of an Arab state (3) 3 One who leads or directs (5) 4 A role in our church leadership (5) 5 A fundamental necessity (4) 6 You and me (2) 7 The number of Wise Men (5) 8 Don’t bring these on thin ice (6) 12 Name before marriage (3) 13 A snake for example (7) 16 A cereal (3) 18 Annual information publications (9) 21 Five-sided shape (8) 23 Where our burdens are lifted (7) 24 To reveal or expose (7) 25 Right down the middle! (7) 30 An American taxi (3) 31 In the past (3) 33 A short operation (2)

REFLECTIONS

Twelve ordinary people Betsy Cameron

I

’ve always been a fan of courtroom drama (possibly because projects together to pass the time. Well, the internet hadn’t been I have never been the one in the dock) and especially like invented yet. the film Twelve Angry Men. The 12 men are jurors who Even so, as we were sent in to begin our work, the oldest juror, have just begun their deliberations in a murder case. The a retired farmer, sat down, folded his arms and declared loudly evidence against the accused is overwhelming, and most jurors his unwillingness to discuss the case. He felt sorry for the GP have already made up their minds that he is guilty before they and would not participate in anything that might lead to his even begin talking. Juror number eight, however, with integrity conviction even though we had no idea at that point where our and tenacity, begins to unpick the seemingly incontrovertible deliberations would lead us. We shuffled through the copious evidence and by the end, has shown his fellow jurors that there notes we’d made but an hour or so later, with our recalcitrant is enough reasonable doubt for ‘not guilty’ to be their only juror still refusing to budge, we sent a note to the judge that we verdict. were ‘hopelessly deadlocked’ – what else could we have done? – The play is a fascinating exploration of human behaviour. and turned our attention to our impending freedom.

We examine, uncomfortably, the flaws in our thinking, the Imagine our surprise at the judge’s reply, which was blind spots in our vision, the prejudices that lurk in all of us; something along the lines of “Ha!”. This stalemate went on for we explore that powerful, often fraught, several increasingly fraught days until one tension between the individual and the Groups are places where juror (not me) stood up, pounded the table group and understand that tipping point at dramatically and shouted hysterically that which we either hold on to or let go of our we can be our best – and we had a job to do and needed to get on own ideas based on the influence of others. our worst – selves. with it. The room was electric – I’ll never I had my own personal experience of forget it – and the old farmer, wiping tears courtroom drama many years ago when a from his eyes, finally joined us at the table. summons for jury duty arrived in the post. How exciting! From I came away from this experience with a profound and deep the pounding of the gavel to the dramatic cries of “Objection!”, respect for the democratic principles underpinning the legal I was ready for it all. Like a hopeful starlet auditioning for a system and an abiding faith in the good common sense of part, I earnestly answered the questions put to me during the ordinary people to sieve through a mountain of information, jury selection process: had I ever been on pain medication? work through things as a group and come up with a sound Had I ever had an operation? Had I ever been involved in an conclusion. My experience as a juror has influenced me over accident? the years in all the groups I have been a part of. It heartens me The case, prefiguring America’s opioid crisis by several to know that the group can achieve a kind of wisdom that the decades, involved a GP and a pharmacist who were charged individual may not be able to. It encourages me to know that if with illegally supplying narcotics to addicts. The trial was highly you have to work things out, you can (especially when you are technical, involving conflicting expert witness testimony, and put in a room and not allowed to leave until you do). dragged on for many long weeks which eventually stretched Of course, there’s another side to group dynamics as daily into months. Proceedings would often inexplicably splutter to headlines remind us. Juries get it wrong; politicians refuse to a halt as the two legal teams thrashed out some arcane legal compromise; crowds become frenzied, angry mobs. Groups are point with the judge, and we’d be escorted into our little room places where we can be our best – and our worst – selves. But as to twiddle our thumbs and talk to one another until we were Presbyterians, we understand that groups, working well, are the allowed back in. best way to organise ourselves and make decisions. We have our We were an interesting cross section of society: black, white, committees, our kirk sessions and our councils, and I am deeply young, old, all from very different backgrounds. In the normal appreciative of this structure, which is part of our DNA. run of things, our lives would probably never have meaningfully intersected, but by the time closing arguments were made, we had forged a group identity and felt like a team. We had shared things about our families and our interests, we knew how everyone took their coffee, we had done group craft

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CHURCH RECORD VACANT CONGREGATIONS, MODERATORS AND CLERKS OF KIRK SESSIONS (Information supplied by Clerks of Presbyteries, Conveners of Assembly Commissions and Councils).

1. LEAVE TO CALL GRANTED AGHADOWEY & CROSSGAR: REV. DR. MARK GOUDY: (Aghadowey) Mr. William Knox, 46A Mullaghinch Road, Aghadowey, Coleraine, BT51 4AT. (Crossgar) Mr. William Reid, 87 Broomhill Park, Coleraine, BT51 3AN. AUGHNACLOY & BALLYMAGRANE: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. N.L. SMYTH: (Aughnacloy) Dr. Cecil Givan, 230 Main Street, Lisnaskea, BT92 0JG. (Ballymagrane) Mr. Murray Robinson, 184 Caledon Road, Aughnacloy, BT69 6JD. BAILIEBOROUGH, FIRST; BAILIEBOROUGH, TRINITY, CORRANEARY & ERVEY: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. D.T.R. EDWARDS: (Bailieborough, First) Mr. Fred Gilmore, Lisgar, Bailieborough.

(Bailieborough, Trinity) Mr. Bert Coote, Kells Road, Bailieborough. (Corraneary) Mr. Eddie Martin, Ardmone, Canningstown, Cootehill. (Ervey) Miss Jean Archibald, Largy, Drumcondrath, Co. Meath.

BALLYGAWLEY & BALLYREAGH: REV. D.W. REID: (Ballygawley) Mr. Paul Coote, 2 Alexander Drive, Aughnacloy,BT69 6DP. (Ballyreagh) Mr. Trevor McDaniel, 120 Mullaghmore Road, Dungannon, BT70 1RD. BALLYGILBERT: REV. J.M. BROWNE: Mr. Alastair Vance, 1a Seahill Road, Holywood, BT18 0DA. BALLYMONEY, FIRST: REV. K.D.W. CROWE: Mr. Neil Robinson, 15 Kirk Road, Ballymoney, BT53 6PP. BALTEAGH & BOVEVAGH: REV. J.G. JONES: (Balteagh) Mr. William Robinson, 46 Drumaduff Road, Maine South, Limavady, BT49 OPT. (Bovevagh) Mr. Boyd Douglas, 279 Drumrane Road, Dungiven, Co Londonderry, BT47 4NL. BANGOR, HAMILTON ROAD (ASSOCIATE): (Reviewable Tenure - 5 years) REV. T.W.D. JOHNSTON: Mr. Tom Clarke, 85 Churchill Park, Bangor, BT20 5RW. BELFAST, ST. ANDREW’S: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years) REV. M.R. BURNSIDE: Mrs. Edith McCallum, 115 Comber Road, Dundonald, BT16 2BT.

KILBRIDE: REV. D.T. McNEILL: Mr. Alistair Lamont, Church Office, Kilbride Presbyterian Church, 12 Moyra Road, Doagh, Ballyclare, BT39 0SD. MARKETHILL, FIRST & SECOND: REV. N.J.E. REID: Mr. Ken Toal, 9 Magherydogherty Road, Markethill, BT60 1TX. RAMELTON & KILMACRENNAN: REV. C.M. WILSON: (Ramelton) Mr. David Armour, Loughnagin, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. (Kilmacrennan) Mr. Nathaniel Rogers, Gortnavern, Coolboy, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

RICHVIEW: (Part-Time (60%); Reviewable Tenure – 5 Years) REV. N.S. HARRISON: Mr. Victor Garland, 25 Abingdon Drive, Belfast, BT12 5PX. SAINTFIELD ROAD: REV. DR. IAN HART: Mr. Alistair McCracken, 19 Beaufort Crescent, Belfast, BT8 7UA.

2. LEAVE TO CALL DEFERRED BALLYBLACK: REV. S.A. LITTLE: Mr. Alex Warden, 92 Bowtown Road, Newtownards, BT23 8SL. GORTNESSY: REV. P.E. LINKENS: Mr. Ross Hyndman, 32 Temple Road, Strathfoyle, Londonderry, BT47 6UB.

SETTLED STATED SUPPLY APPOINTED BALLINDERRY: REV. W.J. HENRY, Minister of Maze BOVEEDY: REV. DR. T.J. McCORMICK, Minister of First Kilrea CAHIR: REV. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, Minister of Fermoy

BLACKROCK & BRAY: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. R.H. HOUSTON: (Blackrock) Mrs. Merle White, “Carnalea”, 71 Foxrock Manor, Dublin 8, D18 H2XA. (Bray) Mr. Karsten Lux, 73 Castlegate Apt., Castle Street, Dublin 2, D02 RC83.

KATESBRIDGE: REV. N.J. KANE, Minister of Magherally

BOARDMILLS, TRINITY: REV. S.A. WOODBURN: Mr. Adrian Patterson, 41 Cabra Road, Legacurry, Hillsborough, BT26 6NB.

TYRONE’S DITCHES: REV. J.K.A. McINTYRE, Minister of Bessbrook

CAIRNALBANA & GLENARM: (Reviewable Tenure - 5 years) REV. W.F. DICKEY: (Cairnalbana) Mr. B. Alexander, 84 Drumcrow Road, Glenarm, BT44 0DL. (Glenarm) Mr. D. Preston, 42 Rossburn Manor, Connor, BT42 3RB.

3. DECLARED VACANT

CARLISLE ROAD & CROSSROADS: (Reviewable tenure – 7 years) REV. K.H. HIBBERT: (Carlisle Road) Mr. Ivor Ferguson, 24 Riverside Park, Altnagelvin, Londonderry, BT47 3RU. (Crossroads) Mr. Richard Russell, 31 Creevagh Road, Londonderry, BT48 9XB. CAVANALECK & AUGHENTAINE: (Reviewable Tenure - 7 years) REV. W.D. CUPPLES: (Cavanaleck) Dr. Charles McKibbin, Cooneen Old Rectory, 9 Tattenabuddagh Lane, Fivemiletown, BT75 0NW. (Aughentaine) Mr. John McCrory, Screeby Road, Fivemiletown, BT75 0TP. COOKSTOWN, FIRST: REV. D.S. BROWNLOW: Mr. Gordon Black, 21 The Dales, Cookstown, BT80 8TF. CULNADY & SWATRAGH: REV. D.W. LEACH: (Culnady) Mr. Robert Kyle, 75 Culnady Road, Upperlands, BT46 7TN. (Swatragh) Mr. Ivan Bolton, 55 Barnside Road, Swatragh, BT46 5QS. DROMORE, FIRST: REV. R.A. LIDDLE: Mr. Cecil Gamble, 12 Diamond Road, Dromore, BT25 1PQ. DUNDALK: (Home Mission - Reviewable Tenure - 5 years) REV. T.D. HAGAN: Mr. David Redmond, Corderry House, Knockbridge, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

48

GLENDERMOTT: REV. K.A. JONES: Mr. George Walker, 3 Beverley Gardens, Londonderry, BT47 5PJ.

Herald April 2019

KILREA SECOND: REV. S.A. MORROW, Minister of Moneydig

ARKLOW: REV. GARY McDOWELL: Mrs. Emily Kearon, Malindi, Sea Road, Arklow.

ARMOY & RAMOAN: REV. NOEL McCLEAN: (Armoy) Mrs. Ann Campbell, 77B Bregagh Road, Armoy, Ballymoney, BT53 8TP. (Ramoan) Mr. Robert Getty, 23 Carrowcroey Road, Armoy, Ballymoney, BT53 8UH. BALLYCAIRN: REV. ROBERT LOVE: Mr. J.B. Milligan, 19 Glenariff Drive, Dunmurry, BT17 9AZ. BALLYHOBRIDGE, CLONES, NEWBLISS & STONEBRIDGE: REV. C.G. ANDERSON: (Ballyhobridge) Mr. David Jordan, Drumboghamagh, Newtownbutler, BT92 8LL. (Clones) Mr. Tom Elliott, Bellmount, Newtownbutler, BT92 6LT. (Newbliss) Mr. Thomas McConkey, Killyfuddy, Newbliss, Co. Monaghan.

(Stonebridge) Mr. Gerald Mackarel, Roughfort, Clones, Co. Monaghan.

BELVOIR: REV. B.J. McCROSKERY: Mr. Brian Dunwoody, 19 Drumart Drive, Belfast, BT8 7ET. BURT: REV. JAMES LAMONT: Mr. James Buchanan, Heathfield, Burt, Lifford, Co. Donegal.

CAIRNCASTLE: REV. R.I. CARTON: Mr. Cowper Lynas, 2 Croft Heights, Ballygally, Larne, BT40 2QS.

Editor’s Note: Information for this page is supplied by the General Secretary’s Department.

Vacancies for Conveners of Commissions, councils and committees of the General Assembly are online at www.presbyterianireland.org/convenerships CARNDONAGH, GREENBANK, MALIN & MOVILLE: REV. DR. DAVID LATIMER: (Carndonagh) Mr. David McKeague, Claggan, Culdaff, Co. Donegal. (Greenbank) Mr. Campbell Armstrong, Whitecastle, Quigley’s Point, Co. Donegal. (Malin) Mrs. Barbara Smyth, Dunross, Culdaff, Co. Donegal. (Moville) Mr. Joseph McNeely, Rock House, Lecamey, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal.

CASTLEWELLAN & LEITRIM: REV. N.J. KANE: (Castlewellan) Mr. Desmond Wilson, 44 Ballylough Road, Castlewellan, BT31 9NN. (Leitrim) Mr. Drew Harte, 100 Carrigagh Road, Dromara, BT25 2HR. COAGH, BALLYGONEY & SALTERSLAND: REV. T.W.A. GREER: (Coagh) Mrs. Amy Allingham, 17 Coagh Road, Cookstown, BT80 8RL. (Ballygoney) Ms. Essie Hessin, 10A Ballyloughan Road, Moneymore, Magherafelt, BT45 7YB. (Saltersland) Mr. Matt Hyndman, 4 Brennan Court, Magherafelt, BT45 6AT. CRUMLIN ROAD: VERY REV. DR. T.N. HAMILTON: Mr. James Coleman, 2 Abbeydale Parade, Belfast, BT14 7HJ. DERVOCK REV. R.M. MOODY: Mr. John Surgenor, 82 Toberdoney Road, Dervock, Ballymoney, BT53 8DH. DRUMBANAGHER, FIRST AND JERRETTSPASS & KINGSMILLS: REV. B.D. COLVIN: (Drumbanager, First and Jerrettspass) Mr. George Moffett, 16 Glen Road, Jerrettspass, Newry, BT34 1SP. (Kingsmills) Mr. Raymond McCormick, 119 Kingsmills Road, Bessbrook, Newry, BT35 7BP. INCH: REV. JAMES LAMONT: Mr. James Buchanan, Heathfield, Speenoge, Burt, Co. Donegal, F93 W3K6.

KILKENNY: REV. WILLIAM MONTGOMERY: Mr. John Ellis, Annamult, Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny.

LISSARA: REV. W.H. HIGGINS: Mr. Matthew Cuffey, 227 Derryboy Road, Crossgar, Downpatrick BT30 9DL.

Clerks of presbytery please note: Only material received by the General Secretary’s Department by the first Friday of the month can be included in the Church Record.

TOBERMORE & DRAPERSTOWN: REV. DR. J.A. CURRY: (Draperstown) Mr. Gordon Dickson Jnr, 7 Strawmore Road, Draperstown, BT45 7JE. VINECASH: REV. DR. MICHAEL McCLENAHAN: Mr. Thomas Graham, 38 Richmount, Portadown, BT62 4JQ.

THE ELDERSHIP Ordained & Installed: HOLYWOOD FIRST: Mark Bailie, Brendan Bromley, Lynda Francis, David Kennedy, Fiona Woods DRUMQUIN: Paul Booth, James Hemphill, Ross Hunter Installed: HOLYWOOD FIRST: Graeme Thompson Died: CASTLEWELLAN: Doreen McSpadden DONAGHMORE: James Malcolmson ELMWOOD: Nevin Leitch MOSSIDE: Neil White BALLYMENA FIRST: William McQuitty TEMPLEPATRICK: David Campbell ANTRIM, GREYSTONE ROAD: Jack McClay BALLYGAWLEY: William Loane DOUGLAS: Wesley Millar KILLYMURRIS: Robert McWhirtter

THE MINISTRY Died: Rev David McKee, Minister without charge (retired), died on 11 February 2019

MAY STREET: REV. GRAEME FOWLES: Mr. Arthur Acheson, 56 Quarry Road, Belfast, BT4 2NQ. MOSSIDE & TOBERDONEY: REV. A.J. BUICK: (Mosside) Mrs. Mabel Morrison, 284 Moyarget Road, Mosside, Ballymoney, BT53 8EH. (Toberdoney) Mr. Hugh Hill, 5 Castle Park, Deffrick, Ballymoney, BT53 8EW. NEWINGTON: REV. DR. I.D. NEISH: Mr. John Lynass, 8 Bushfoot Park, Portballintrae, BT57 8YX. RYANS & BROOKVALE: REV. F.J. GIBSON: (Ryans) Miss Nora Hamilton, Rathfriland Manor Nursing Home, Rossconor Terrace, Rathfriland, BT34 5DJ. (Brookvale) Mr. Norman McCrum, 49 Ballynamagna Road, Rathfriland, Newry, BT34 5PA. SESKINORE & EDENDERRY: REV. C.F.C. CLEMENTS: (Seskinore) Mr. J.A. Patterson, 119 Letfern Road, Seskinore, BT78 2JU. (Edenderry) Mrs. Muriel Good, 14 Racolpa Road, Mountfield, Omagh, BT79 0HU. WARRENPOINT & ROSTREVOR: REV. S.A. FINLAY: (Warrenpoint) Mr. Denis Brady, 28 Seaview, Warrenpoint, Newry, BT34 3NJ. (Rostrevor) Mr. Terry O’Flynn, 15 Aurora Na Mara, Rostrevor, Newry, BT34 3UP.

TEMPORARY STATED SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT BELVILLE: REV D.S. HENRY: Mr. Jack Parks, 95 Dromore Road, Hillsborough, BT26 6HU. DONEGORE, SECOND: REV. JONATHAN BOYD: Mr. Samuel Gawn, 120 Parkgate Road, Kells, Ballymena, BT42 3PQ. KELLS: (Home Mission) REV. DAVID NESBITT: Ms. Ruth McCartney, Shancarnan, Moynalty, Kells, Co Meath.

A82 PF60.

Herald April 2019

49

CLASSIFIEDS Accommodation Northern Ireland PORTSTEWART: Five-bedroom semidetached chalet bungalow overlooking sea coastal road. OFCH. Non smokers. WiFi available. Tel: 028 25582525.

PORTSTEWART: Luxury 4-bedroom cottage and 5-bedroom townhouse available June-Sept. Call: 07513 826551, Email: pabloguy50@gmail.com. Facebook: @campbellandcorentalproperties PORTSTEWART: Five-bedroom house for rental high and low season. Enclosed garden, private parking. Tel 07598 719348 after 6pm.

PORTSTEWART: Kate’s Place at 10 Aghermore Avenue is an attractive 3-bed bungalow. Family friendly with enclosed rear garden and off-street parking in a quiet cul-de-sac. Available all year round (no smoking, no pets, minimum 2 night stay). Telephone Kate for bookings: 07511 801651.

CAUSEWAY COAST: Luxury self-catering, www.causewaycountrycottages.com W I L L A N LO D G E, P O R T R U S H: Picturesque log cabin set among gardens located in quiet residential area. 3 bedrooms (one en-suite). Fully furnished and equipped. Reasonable rates. Telephone 07989 815312.

P O R T S T E WA R T/S T R A N D R OA D : Penthouse apartment, 4 bedrooms (2 double, 1 en-suite, 2 twin) sleeps 8. Sea views to Mussenden Temple / Donegal Hills.

TV/DVD, washing machine, tumble dryer, microwave, electric showers. No smoking, no pets. Town centre 2 minutes’ walk. £395 pw. Tel: 028 90826986 (evenings).

CROSSWORD Solution to No 250

ACROSS 1 Juggernaut 9 Eau 10 Shake 11 Reindeer 14 Dee 15 Deserts 17 Cheery 19 Eye 20 ESP 22 Occupation 26 Even 27 Placable 28 Tuna 29 Oscar 32 Roe 34 Aga 35 Cyprus 36 Bolton

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DOWN 1 Jericho 2 UAE 3 Guide 4 Elder 5 Need 6 Us 7 Three 8 Skates 12 Nee 13 Reptile 16 Rye 18 Yearbooks 21 Pentagon 23 Calvary 24 Uncover 25 Neutral 30 Cab 31 Ago 33 Op

Herald April 2019

Please note: Adverts must be received in writing (email or post) by the first of the month preceding publication to guarantee inclusion. Adverts received after that date will be published if space permits. Advertising rates can be found on the website – www.presbyterianireland.org/herald – or telephone the Herald office on +44 (0)28 9032 2284 for more information.

PORTSTEWART: A modern 3-bedroom semi-detached house presented to a high standard, with off-street parking and a fully enclosed rear garden. Near local amenities.

Available high and low season. No smoking and no pets allowed. Contact Paula: 07840 123518 or 028 79632163.

MODERN 3-BEDROOM END TERRACE in Portstewart available for holiday let June – end August. Close proximity to beach and town centre. Contact Denise 07738 632366.

FOR HOLIDAY RENTAL: A beautiful luxury 2-bedroom apartment on the coast road between Portrush and Portstewart, just past Tides restaurant. Unobstructed sea views over the Ballyreagh pitch and putt course. Living area on the ground floor, lounge on the first floor, completely redecorated and all new furniture etc.

Please note no pets nor smokers. £465 per week or £495 for July/Aug. Tel: 07745 158454.

ANNALONG: Two-bedroom bungalow sleeps four with extra travel cot on request, level access to the rear of the property extending to large enclosed garden overlooking the sea. OFCH, towels and bed linen provided. Local sites to visit include Silent Valley, Spelga Dam, Cranfield Beach, Carlingford Ferry, the Mourne Mountains and many more, local amenities – within 5 mins’ walk to shops, restaurant and Annalong Harbour. Pet and smoke free home located in Annalong. Contact 028 92689750 / 07747 716978.

HOUSE IN PORTSTEWART FOR RENT: Lovely 5-bedroom (one en-suite) semidetached house. Downstairs bedroom and cloakroom. Cost £400 per week. Contact Fiona 07920 016326.

BEAUTIFULLY FURNISHED HOLIDAY bungalow to let in Castlerock. 3 bedrooms sleeps 6. For all enquiries please phone 07968 963932.

HOLIDAY LET – PORTRUSH: 3-bedroom bungalow, WiFi, off-street parking and large enclosed garden. Convenient to shops, town centre, beach and golf course. Photographs can be forwarded.

07838 229909.

PORTSTEWART HOLIDAY LET: Spacious family home on the coast road with beautiful uninterrupted seaview. Tel: 028 40630294.

Republic of Ireland HOLIDAY COTTAGE IN Dunfanaghy www.Justcome.biz Tel: 00353 851231274.

Garden Opening in aid of Cancer Focus 52 Moyle Road, Newtownstewart Omagh BT78 4JT (Uel Henderson’s)

Saturday 25 May 10am-5pm Sunday 26 May 1pm-5pm Plant sales Teas (Sat) in Presbyterian Church Hall Enquiries to 07864 855315

GREYSTONES HOLIDAY HOME: Quiet area in Co Wicklow, 8 minutes’ walk to sea, village and DART to Dublin. Special reductions for clergy. Tel: 00353 012876805 / 0044 1189787018.

To Let Northern Ireland PORTSTEWART STUDENT LET – 93 Old Mill Grange, Portstewart. September 2019 – May 2020. 5 double bedrooms – 1 en-suite.

Easy access to university. Would accept 4/5 students. WiFi included with all mod cons.

Contact 07729 799829.

Self Catering SELF CATERING: FLORIDA (villa) lake view/private pool. Disney 20 mins. FLORIDA (apartment) resort – full facilities – heated pool. Disney 10 mins. SPAIN – large coastal apartments. Beach/restaurants mins. NORTHERN IRELAND – apartment – north Antrim coastal views – shops/ restaurants 5 mins. Contact 07971 194211/ geraldsmyth@hotmail.com

Holidays/Touring P O R T S T E WA R T : 2 - b e d ro o m apartment. Quiet cul-de-sac. June £290, July and August £350 per week. Contact 07751 514227.

CATERING: Heading to or from the North Coast? Ballyclare Presbyterian is in an ideal location for morning coffees, lunch or high tea. For more information contact Margaret on 07521 888365.

B A L LYG AW L E Y P R E S BY T E R I A N CHURCH: At the end of the motorway not the world. Is your group heading west for a trip? Why not avail of the excellent facilities and food provided by our ladies in aid of Ballygawley and Ballyreagh Church Projects in Moldova. Menus and prices available.

Contact Catherine on 028 85557839 or 07519 089895 after 7pm.

BANNSIDE PW, BANBRIDGE, will be pleased to cater for groups visiting the area for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and high tea. Please contact Marion on 028 40626987.

SLIGO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH will be delighted to cater for groups coming to visit Sligo, Mullaghmore, Drumcliffe and surrounding areas of interest on the Wild Atlantic Way. Morning coffee, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, high tea provided.

Contact Fiona 00353 871014058.

Services VIDEO RECORDING – Professional service for church, corporate, charity, interviews, website videos, short stories, appeals, events and weddings. Tel Phil 07531 779502 www.reelimpressions.com

Catering MOIRA PRESBYTERIAN WILL cater for groups coming to visit Hillsborough Castle, the forest park, Dobbies, Sprucefield, Lisburn etc. Morning coffee; lunch; afternoon tea; high tea. Contact: Mrs Simpson 028 92612329.

Ross Morrow A.L.C.M., L.T.C.L.

Piano Tuning Services available throughout Ireland

Tel: +44 (0)28 9268 9468 Mobile: 07788 746992

offering the perfect location for visiting the stunning North Coast.

Ideal destination for walking and golfing breaks as well as family gatherings and memorable holidays.

For rates, availability and details of our eight delightful cottages visit www.giantscausewaycottages.com Or call Audrey on (028) 2073 1673

Church AV Specialists

PA systems • Loop systems Projectors & screens • Installation & repairs alan@audiopromotions.co.uk www.audiopromotions.co.uk

07855 450887

Presbyter an

Presbyter an

Convener of the Human Resources Panel

Communications Intern

CHURCH IN IRELAND

Applications are invited for the Convenership of the Human Resources Panel of the Support Services Committee, under the General Council, to take up post as soon as possible.

The position is open to ministers, elders and communicant members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Details of this position, including an outline of the role, process of application etc., are available on the PCI website: www.presbyterianireland.org/convenerships In the interim anyone wishing to discuss the vacancy should contact the Convener of the Support Services Committee:

CHURCH IN IRELAND

Use your gift of creativity, originality, innovation and imagination to serve the Church.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is offering an exciting opportunity to intern in the area of communications.

The successful applicant will volunteer as part of a larger team to gather, create and disseminate the story of a wide variety of aspects of the life and witness of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland through both printed and social media.

They will have opportunities to sharpen and develop their skills through training and learning alongside others and be supervised and mentored in their development.

Mr David Thomson, Tel: 07894 831466 or Email: dw.thomson@btinternet.com

The internship runs from September 2019 to August 2020 and is open to those aged 21 and above.

Applications should be forwarded by Friday 26 April 2019 to the Convener of the Support Services Committee either by email to dw.thomson@btinternet.com or by post c/o the Personnel Department, Assembly Buildings, 2-10 Fisherwick Place, Belfast BT1 6DW.

Further details and an application form can be obtained by contacting the Council for Congregational Life and Witness office: Email: clw@presbyterianireland.org Telephone: +44 (0)28 9041 7249

Irvinestown, Tempo and Pettigo Presbyterian Churches

The closing date for applications is Friday 26 April 2019.

Ballantrae Church l/w St Colmon Church Ayrshire, Scotland

invite you to our

Wedding Dress Festival in Irvinestown Presbyterian Church building Friday 24 May, 2pm-7pm Saturday 25 May, 11am-7pm Sunday 26 May, 2pm-7pm Monday 27 May, 11am-4pm

This will include a wonderful display of dresses from our three parishes – from the very old to the very new!

Light refreshments will be available throughout the weekend.

For numbers of 15 or over a reservation would be appreciated.

Please call Alma on

(028) 6772 2678

Are seeking a minister with a commitment to Bible-based truth who will lead us to seek God for a vision of the way forward in our parishes.

If you feel God is calling you to our churches, you can be sure of a warm welcome and support from everyone in our congregations.

In addition to Sunday services in our two churches, Fresh Expressions of Church continue with alternating weekly events. Our parishes have long been recognised as being in one of the most unspoilt and prettiest areas in Ayrshire.

or after 6pm on

(028) 6638 8008.

For further information please contact the Clerk to the Nomination Committee: Harriet Ellis T: 01465 881221 E: harriet@riverstinchar.co.uk Or visit the profiles: www.ballantraeparishchurch.org.uk Charity no: SCO143811 www.stcolmonparishchurch.org.uk

Integrators of:

Professional Audio Projection / Displays Salvation Army - Bangor

Cameras Induction Loops With nearly 50 years experience in providing Audio & Visual equipment, we work hard to enable you to get the very best solution for your needs and budget.

Every Church is unique and we provide the right solution for you.

We visit with you and discuss your exact requirements and then provide a clear and itemised solution. Please feel free to contact us for a chat.

Duneane Presbyterian Church

Salvation Army - Portadown

St Andrews Presbyterian Church

Dervock Presbyterian Church

Abbots Cross Presbyterian Church

Magherlin Parish Church

57 Drum Road Cookstown BT80 8QS Tel: 028 8676 4059 www.reasound.com Contact : Roger McMullan

High Kirk Presbyterian Church