Presbyterian Herald December 2019/January 2020

DECEMBER 2019/ JANUARY 2020

CARING IN GOD’S WORLD

Amelie Gray wins the Moderator’s art competition

GO MAKE DISCIPLES…

FAILURES OR EXAMPLES?

Equipping young people for ministry Challenging our attitudes to poverty

CONTENTS | DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

FEATURES

16 A Bethlehem experience Edengrove’s Christmas outreach

18 Enjoy

The Moderator’s Christmas reflection

20 The turbulent teens

Looking back at the last decade

22 Hashtags and hormones Sex and relationships from a biblical perspective

24 A new home

How we relate to migration

26 Responding to reality

Analysing the cultural landscape

37 Side by side

Women’s intergenerational ministry

38 Farming God’s way

A Bethlehem experience p16

The World Development Appeal 2019

42 Ministering to ministers

Pastorally supporting ministers and their families

44 Imagination and interpretation

Interview with Walter Brueggemann

46 Giving the gift of hope

The work of the Presbyterian Children’s Society Responding to reality p26

REGULARS

4 7 8 9 13 14 15 29 48 50 55 57

CONTRIBUTORS

Letters News In this month…

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

Cover illustartion by Barry Falls Dec 2019/Jan 2020 No 827 £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

Farming God’s way p38

Olwyn Mark is head of research and strategic partnerships at Love for Life (www.loveforlife.org.uk).

Rev Niall Lockhart is minister of Ballyhenry and convener of PCI’s pastoral care of manse families panel.

Ruth Sanderson lives in Co Down with her husband Harry. She is a freelance radio/television presenter and producer.

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.

Editor: Sarah Harding

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 Subscriptions and Advertising: Elaine Huddleston; Suzanne Hamilton; official views of the Church, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement Renée Finnegan of the goods or services. The Editor reserves the right to decline any Design and Layout: advertisement or letter without assigning any reason. Letters may be Edward Connolly edited for publication. No correspondence can be entered into regarding Printing: non-publication of advertisements or letters.

W & G Baird Ltd.

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

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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EDITORIAL

LETTERS In this month…

The joy of Jesus

A recent report from the Good Relations Indicator discovered that, compared to two years ago, fewer people in Northern Ireland think relations between Protestants and Catholics are improving (a drop from 49% to 43%).

A decade ago in the Herald, as featured in ‘In this month’, Dr John Dunlop commented, “Sectarianism is…more contagious and dangerous than swine flu and all of us have it.” It is therefore sad to think that a decade later and more than 20 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, we are not moving in a better direction for peace and reconciliation.

Perhaps this is because society in general now seems more polarised. Whether it is Brexit in the UK and Ireland, or the Trump administration in the USA, politics has created an environment where people have little respect for opposing opinions and disagreeing well doesn’t seem to exist. The focus is firmly on self-preservation and fear of the unknown.

In his article 10 years ago, John Dunlop described sectarianism as: “…a good thing which has become diseased. The good thing is a sense of one’s own selfworth. The diseased thing is the automatic unconscious culturally inherited denigration of the worth of someone else who is different.”

In the new multicultural Ireland, ‘someone else who is different’ has extended beyond Protestant and Catholic, to all people of different races, colours and cultures. Pip Florit highlights a new PCI Bible study resource that explores how migration relates to our churches and communities.

She points out: “The Bible does not just suggest hospitality – it commands it.” At this festive season, it is poignant to be reminded of an immigrant couple arriving in Bethlehem, desperately searching for somewhere to have their special baby.

As we stand on the cusp of a new decade, Ruth Sanderson takes stock of the last one, and unfortunately it doesn’t make for very cheery reading. She says, “Ten years on, the world feels very uncertain. The future is anything but clear, not politically, environmentally or globally.” Yet as Christians, we know that God is in control of all things and we have no need to fear the future. The hope that we have, that began with a baby of immigrant parents, is the rock on which we stand.

Our Moderator, Dr William Henry, reminds us that the joy of Jesus is ours to treasure. I echo his words to all Herald readers at this special time of year: “I want to encourage you this Advent season to celebrate the joy of Christmas and enjoy God.”

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

Dear Editor What a surprise I had when I opened the October edition of the Herald at the archives’ page for October 1969 and read that the piece ‘Inside scenes in Belfast’s stricken Shankill’ was written by my late husband, Rev F.J. Nelson. I remember that most nights he was down the Shankill while I stayed at home looking after our three small children – at that time, four years, three years and four months old (I must confess I was anxious as to whether I would get to the RVH when the time came when I saw on TV the city on fire.) My husband did not talk much about what he had seen and done, but he made sure we all went to church in Argyle Place on a Sunday morning. Many years later I learnt that he was known on the Shankill as ‘the man of peace’.

My husband, known as Eric, was a great believer in reconciliation and a supporter of the Corrymeela community from its beginning. Over the years, we both attended the friends’ meetings at the centre and I am able to continue to follow its work today through their magazine. I am sure Eric would have been very interested in the new resource book launched in November, Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles.

It has always been my continuing hope that Jesus’

prayer, “that all may be one” (John 17), will one day be fulfilled.

Nanette Nelson North Yorkshire

Darkest day Dear Editor I have noticed that since Monday 21 October, many individuals on social media have used #DarkestDay, including many Christians and even some of our minsters.

Whilst I agree that was a dark day for Northern Ireland, particularly since a fairly unregulated form of abortion would now appear to be available, it is in fact quite wrong, and I suggest theologically wrongheaded, to declare 21 Oct 2019 the ‘Darkest day’.

In Christian and theological terms, there was only one dark day. In fact, it was the ‘Darkest day’, so much so that God himself turned the world dark, but that was the day our Lord and Saviour died at Calvary. It certainly wasn’t the day that Caesar made a new law or implemented a particularly cruel or anti-Christian edict.

Therefore, for any Christian, particularly an evangelical Christian, to suggest otherwise is deplorable and ministers, particularly of our denomination, involved in this nonsense, should know better. #DarkestDay is a very inappropriate virtue signal, that all who genuinely believe

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

in the real ‘Darkest Day’ should avoid. Sadly, like the shambles that was the attempted sitting of the Assembly on 21 October, #DarkestDay is more about the optics than of any real effort and should be correctly described as a stunt.

If we Christians really want to be taken seriously, then we must stand by what we actually believe, we should resist being used as political pawns and must resist politicians who say loads but deliver little.

In other words, on this issue, we must accept that Monday 21 October 2019 was a dark day, but it certainly wasn’t the #DarkestDay. Matt Nelson Millisle

Political involvement Dear Editor Thirty years ago, whilst at a student protest against Margaret Thatcher’s cuts to education, a Student Union official turned to a group of us from the Christian Union and said, “I didn’t realise God was interested in anything other than abortion!”.

Looking over the past few months, it appears that God, or at least the church, has got interested again in politics – well abortion!

Now, we should be interested in abortion, but what about: end of life care; hospital waiting lists; underfunding of schools; jobs etc. Should we not be interested in all aspects of political life?

To be clear, I am not advocating any political party or ideology, God carries no political labels, but he does call on us to speak. To speak for the poor, the oppressed, the widow and the orphan. To seek justice, to love mercy and the good of all.

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.

Undoubtedly, many are saying “Amen”, but this means we are to stand against corruption, dishonesty and abuse of position in politics.

Therefore, we are to be careful who we align with and who we allow to align with us. Our first and primary aim is to stand for the gospel. No man or women is perfect, we are all sinful, that is the reality, but it is not an excuse.

Ignoring the deep-seated problems in our politics and in our political parties will not bring glory to God. Some of us will be called to be actively involved in politics, and that is a good and a godly calling, but God must remain at the centre of all we do and say.

As for the rest of us, we must pray for our politicians, all our politicians, plus we must remember God is interested in all our politics, not just abortion!

Mark Neale Portadown

PCIcast Dear Editor Many Herald readers will be familiar with names like Mortification of Spin, White Horse Inn, Answer Me This, Serial and 99% Invisible. Others may think we’re speaking double Dutch!

However, these are the names of some very popular and successful podcasts.

Whether a person is into theology, art, design, cars, comedy, flower arranging or anything else, there’s undoubtedly a podcast for them.

We would like to make Herald readers aware of a new podcast called PCIcast. It isn’t (yet!) as popular or successful as those listed above, but it is a conversation about life and faith in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland hosted by Rev Ben Preston

and Rev Craig Lynn. Folks can find the podcast by searching ‘PCIcast’ in whatever podcast app they use.

We invite people to subscribe, listen for themselves and join in the conversation online by following us on Twitter @PCIcast, @benspreston and @rookie_minister.

Rev Ben Preston (minister, Craigy Hill) Rev Craig Lynn (minister, Rathcoole)

Herald Extra podcast The Herald team are excited to introduce a new podcast linked to the Presbyterian Herald. Herald Extra will be a monthly feature that will delve deeper into some of the articles in each edition. With special guests, background stories and news, Herald Extra will enhance your experience of and engagement with the magazine.

To listen for free go to https://audioboom.com/ channel/presbyterianireland

Topical Tweets @pciassembly Terry Laverty quoted in Considering Grace: “I want to encourage anybody who is struggling as a result of violence & trauma to consider grace, to consider the hope that Jesus offers, to consider that there is a possibility of living without bitterness.” @PCIModerator Got an insight into the feelings and anxieties of members who live in border areas of Newry and Armagh on #Brexit. We need resolution of the issue for the future wellbeing of our communities. @EAUKnews We are encouraging our members to engage in this year’s General Election, first and foremost through prayer. Join us as we pray ahead of 12/12. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 @tidesdaily “Seek what you want from God through prayer not by aggressiveness and competitiveness. Do not be driven, divided and demented by clamouring desires – yield them to God.” David Cupples #tidesdaily

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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SPECIALIST SERVICE AGENCY

BIBLE 2020 Catherine Little highlights a new Bible Society initiative.

D

id you know that by 2020, 80% of the world’s adults will own a smartphone?

Never before in human history has there been such an opportunity for the church to reach out across the world with the Bible.

At Bible Society NI, we are passionate about reaching everyone with God’s Word because we believe the Bible is for everyone. Our heart is to see the lives of people everywhere changed by Jesus as they encounter him in his Word. To help us see this vision come to life we want to invite you and your church to get involved with our global Bible reading project, BIBLE 2020.

BIBLE 2020 is a Bible engagement app for smartphones and tablets which has the desire to see everyone, everywhere reading the Bible aloud every day in 2020. If you don’t have access to a smartphone or tablet, don’t worry; the reading plan will be available on our website (www.biblesocietyni.co.uk) and in our quarterly magazine W@W for you to view and follow along with us.

We believe BIBLE 2020 has the potential to excite, equip and disciple the local church as well as mobilise us to mission where we are. And all of it at the touch of a button!

Can you imagine the eternal impact this could have on your life, your church, local community and wider world as God’s Word is spoken and his Spirit moves? Lives everywhere will be changed.

Please join with us and others across the world and say ‘yes’ to reading your Bible and speaking it out loud every day in 2020. We have opportunities for you and your church to be involved for one week, one month or the full year – it’s entirely up to you. Join us as we proclaim God’s living and active Word to everyone, everywhere, every day in 2020.

Catherine Little is General Secretary of the Bible Society Northern Ireland.

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

As part of BIBLE 2020, you and your church will have the opportunity to: RECEIVE daily Bible readings for a year, straight to your phone, in a variety of languages and versions.

VIDEO yourself and your church reading and speaking the words of the passage.

SHARE your videos on the app’s global wall and to your social media accounts – allowing the Word of God to be proclaimed by you to your world.

WATCH other project participants from around the world sharing the Bible in their own heart languages.

CREATE community groups enabling accountability, discipleship and Bible discussion to flourish as you spur one another on in the journey.

HOST events that will allow more people to hear and engage with the Bible in your area, and see what others are doing too.

The BIBLE 2020 app is available to download from the App Store and Google Play. Begin reading, speaking and sharing the Bible from 1 January 2020.

To be part of the action or to find out more, please contact the Bible Society NI Tel: (028) 9032 6577 or email: info@biblesocietyni.co.uk

Everyone, Everywhe re reading the Bible alo ud Everyday in 2020 @biblesocietyni #Bible2020NI

Specialist Service Agencies The Bible Society NI are one of four Specialist Service Agencies, along with National Bible Society of Ireland, SAT-7, FEBA Radio and Wycliffe Bible Translators, that PCI’s General Assembly resolved to encourage congregations to support as far back as 2009.

IN THE ROUND | NEWS Abortion consultation released

SAT-7 broadcasts from protest-hit Lebanon As thousands of Lebanese from across the spectrum of religious groups and ethnic communities continue protests across Lebanon, Middle East Christian TV channel SAT-7 is tackling the issue through a series of live episodes on SAT-7 ARABIC. The channel has invited various leaders from the Lebanese Christian community to share their opinions and debate on a way forward.

“The aim is to offer space to debate how this situation is affecting the Christians in Lebanon and to hear the perspective of the church in Lebanon,” explained Maroun Bou Rached, Lebanon office executive director of SAT-7.

The channel is continuing its operations from Lebanon but is operating on a skeleton staff in the interests of staff safety, as no one is sure what will happen or how the situation could change.

“We ask that people across the world keep the people of Lebanon in their prayers; that they would pray specifically for a way forward – a vision for the country – a peaceful roadmap for our future that will show the way for tomorrow, and the future. Please pray that he will give us a vision, as people are worried about how the situation will unfold,” continued Bou Rached.

Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland has expressed concern about the government’s consultation on a proposed abortion framework.

Stating it was the worst of all worlds and goes far beyond what Westminster legislated for, Peter Lynas (NI director of Evangelical Alliance and former barrister) said, “The framing of the consultation is deeply concerning. The proposals suggest the British requirement that two doctors sign off on an abortion should not be adopted and instead look to open up provision to any healthcare professional, operating in almost any location.

“Lots of people don’t realise that GB has one of the most liberal abortion regimes in Europe. The NIO proposals read like a pro-abortion charter attempting to make Northern Ireland the abortion capital of Europe. The NIO have put out a six-week consultation, the shortest they could, launched the day before purdah, meaning the consultation will run while everyone is distracted by the election. The process and timing is incredibly concerning.”

He continued, “The proposals include allowing abortion up to 12 or 14 weeks without certification, for almost any reason up to 22 or 24 weeks on grounds similar to GB and up to birth for a disability that would have a ‘profound impact’ on the quality of a child’s life. The blatant disregard for disabled rights is staggering…We are encouraging as many people as possible to respond to the consultation.”

IN BRIEF BBC Radio 4 programme comes to Assembly Buildings BBC Radio 4’s flagship current affairs discussion programme, Any Questions?, will be now broadcast live from Assembly Buildings on Friday 17 January.

The programme will be broadcast immediately after the 8pm news that evening.

Christmas cards support ALONE

Moderator visits border presbyteries The Moderator, Dr William Henry, recently took time to visit the border presbyteries of Armagh, Monaghan and Newry to listen to the views of PCI members on Brexit as they anticipated forthcoming changes.

Beginning his day in Kilkeel, Dr Henry met with representatives of Sea Source, a membership organisation owned by fishermen of Northern Ireland. They highlighted the good relationships that exist with fishermen from Ireland and want to see that continue. Moving on to Newry, he then met with a local businessman who highlighted the unique challenges caused by Brexit uncertainty alongside currency fluctuations.

In Monaghan, the Moderator spent time with a beef farmer and businessmen involved in retail, transport and construction. They said that while monetary issues can be worked around, the possible impact on people and local relationships may be more challenging to resolve. In the evening around 25 local people involved in farming, engineering and associated industries met at Cladymore Presbyterian Church for an open discussion with the Moderator.

Birthday celebration for Father of the Assembly The Father of the Assembly, Rev Joe Mooney, has reached his 102nd birthday. Helping him celebrate at a family dinner in the Tullyglass House Hotel in Ballymena are his daughter Eileen, grandson David and great grandson Jake.

ALONE, the charity that supports older people to age at home, has partnered with Kelly Cards to release a range of Christmas cards for the holiday season.

10% from each sale goes directly to ALONE to help support their vital services for older people this winter. For more details on where you can purchase these cards, please contact fundraising@alone.ie

Schools’ ministry conference Scripture Union NI is hosting a schools’ ministry conference on Saturday 1 February at Stranmillis University College, Belfast. This conference is designed to inform, equip and inspire people to play their part – whether as part of a church community, a parent or a member of staff in a school.

The day will run from 9.30am3.30pm. Tickets cost £25, with a special early bird rate of £20 if booked before 31 December.

Find out more and book a place at www.suni.co.uk/ schoolsconference

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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IN THIS MONTH...

Dec 2009/Jan 2010

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

What would Jesus tweet?

Alan Meban

I heard about a minister who recently decided to set up a group on the Facebook website so that his congregation could continue discussing Sunday services…He announced his new innovation to the congregation.

After the service, someone spoke to him at the door and told him that there already was an active Facebook group for the congregation. He shut his down and joined the existing one.

If you’re on your church committee and you don’t remember anyone asking permission, that’s because most social media tools are informal. They reach underneath and around bureaucratic structures. Anyone can start a group. And if you don’t, someone else will.

While forms of communication come and go, people’s desire to communicate and build relationships seems to remain constant…

Lenora Rand speculated in an article in Christian Century that the popularity of social media sites seems to testify to the fact that many people miss what the church used to provide.

“A place to know others and be known, a place to weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh, a place to bear one another’s burdens and share one another’s joys – not just once a week or at Easter and Christmas, but daily.” …Technology is at best ancillary, and at worst an enslaving distraction.

It is definitely possible to get carried away with these new approaches…

Communicating through niche media should be in addition to and not instead of other approaches. But equally social media may be a beneficial way of reaching out to friends, followers and readers who fall into the age range most missing from our church communities…

What individuals and congregations say online is part of their Christian witness. Whenever it is used to show love, demonstrate grace and model Christlike thinking and actions then it can help build God’s kingdom.

Keeping Kilkenny beautiful

Heather Stewart, who is serving with the congregation of Kilkenny Presbyterian Church as a ministry volunteer, has been given an award by the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful group for her work involving young people helping to clean up part of the city as an expression of care for the city in the name of Christ. The award was presented by Sean Leahy, chairman of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful.

Also from Dec ’09/Jan ’10 8

US President Barack Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize

Herald December 2019/January 2020

A catastrophic earthquake hits Haiti

The virus of sectarianism John Dunlop

In one of the most famous speeches of all time Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Do you think that we might have a dream that one day the children of this island will not be judged by the games they play or the colour of their school uniforms, but by the content of their character?...

Sectarianism as a mental state and social attitude has been intensified by decades of killing, intimidation, suspicion and fear; but what is it?

Sectarianism is a good thing which has become diseased. The good thing is a sense of one’s own self-worth.

The diseased thing is the automatic unconscious culturally inherited denigration of the worth of someone else who is different. Sectarianism is dangerous because of the divisive and destructive attitudes and actions which flow from it. It’s more contagious and dangerous than swine flu and all of us have it…

James Cameron’s film Avatar is released in cinemas

MY STORY...

Rachel Beckley from Enniskillen Presbyterian tells the story of the craft fellowship group that she is a part of.

Take heart

I

t was a winter day. I had just finished making new covers for two small cushions. It wasn’t a complicated sewing job and I had been happy to spend time on a wet afternoon, making new from old. There was a small piece of the lovely cream and lilac coloured, printed cotton left over. “What could I make with this?” I thought. A small cushion heart someone had given me as a gift caught my eye. It didn’t take much time to make a template and cut out the fabric into a heart shape, sew up the seams and stuff it with kapok filling. needs to be encouraged. I made more hearts.

My wee heart almost completed, as I stitched a ribbon to the A few weeks later I found myself at the front of church – top, to be used as a hanging loop, a thought had jumped into beside me a homemade tree festooned with fabric cushion my mind. “Give a heart to take heart,” I thought. This small hearts. Each one was fitted with a small tag; the message from heart should be given as a gift of encouragement. As I chewed John 16:33 printed on one side and on the other these words: over the words in my mind, I remembered “This little heart has been created for you that the words ‘take heart’ occurred as a gift of encouragement. It is a symbol “Give a heart to take somewhere in the Bible. of God’s love and compassion for his heart,” I thought. This Thanks to the handy Bible app on my creation and is given to you to let you phone, I was able to quickly locate a couple small heart should be know that you are cherished. This little of verses. In Psalm 31:24: “Be strong and heart is unique – there is no other like it given as a gift of take heart all you whose hope is in the in the world. Just like you it is created for Lord”. These were comforting words, but a unique purpose. May the love of God encouragement. as I searched further it was verse 33 from enrich you and bring you hope.”

John 16 that really caught my attention, After the service finished my first heart “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. tree was stripped bare. More than 20 hearts were taken that In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have morning and a new craft group was formed to replenish the overcome the world.” It was a beautiful thought – take heart – tree. Over the next few months our group of crafters met and for ultimately there is love in the world. Despite all the sorrow throughout the autumn our craft fellowship group made dozens and all the darkness – the light of love we find in Jesus is a of beautiful cushion hearts. At Christmas we decorated a tree resounding and eternal source of hope and encouragement. with ‘take hearts’ and invited members of our congregation to I find it much easier to think when I am doing something take a heart and give a gift of encouragement to someone who with my hands. It’s the way I was made. I found more fabric was facing difficulty. and made another heart cushion, which I decorated with small The craft fellowship group continues to meet most weeks. In beads and some embroidery. Using the same template, I made the past three years we have made crochet blankets for refugees; another – different again. Over the next few days, in my spare we have made felt poppies for the 100-year commemoration time, I began making a collection of cushion hearts – all looking of the end of the Great War; and made bunting for our for a home. I was part of a house group and a fellowship group. community café. Our aim is simple: to enjoy the fellowship and At the next house group meeting I gave each person one of my friendship with others who just enjoy to create and to use our cushion hearts, with the instruction – give this to someone who gifts to bless and encourage.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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NEWS | PCI

News Special service in Kinghan A special service took place at Kinghan Church for the deaf in Belfast’s Botanic Avenue, Belfast recently to celebrate Canon Will Murphy’s 40 years as chaplain to the deaf community.

Representatives from PCI, the Church of Ireland and the wider deaf community were present at the packed service.

Launch of safeguarding material The new Child Safeguarding Statement and Pocket Guide were launched at a Taking Care roadshow hosted by Monaghan Presbytery.

Pictured (l-r) are Rev Colin Anderson, moderator of presbytery; Dr Jacqui Montgomery-Devlin, PCI’s Head of Safeguarding; Linda Mills, Taking Care task group; Rev Daryl Edwards, clerk of presbytery; and Lindsay Conway, Social Witness Secretary.

Considering Grace book launched A unique book that explores how Presbyterians responded to the Troubles was launched last month in Assembly Buildings, Belfast.

Considering Grace is the result of a three-year project by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. This sensitive undertaking has involved interviews with 120 people, who tell their stories of how they coped with unimaginable trauma and tests of faith.

Its title is taken from a comment that Rev Terry Laverty of Portstewart Presbyterian Church made when talking about the murder of his brother. It includes the stories of other Presbyterian ministers, victims, members of the security forces, those affected by loyalist paramilitarism, ex-combatants, emergency responders and healthcare workers, peacemakers, politicians, people who left Presbyterianism and ‘critical friends’ of the Presbyterian tradition.

Rev Tony Davidson who leads the PCI’s Dealing with the Past task group said, “The book provides an opportunity for the church to reflect on its pastoral response to its members and we hope it will encourage other people to tell their stories in a safe supportive environment.”

Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles by Gladys Ganiel and Jamie Yohanis is published by Merrion Press and priced at £12. It is available to buy at www.presbyterianireland.org/consideringgrace Presbyterian Moderator Dr WiIliam Henry and co-authors Jamie Yohanis and Gladys Ganiel.

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

Award finalists PCI’s Aaron House residential care home was among the finalists in the team category in the Independent Health Care Providers (IHCP) awards.

Led by manager Isabel Harper, the team provides lifelong care for 14 adults with profound learning and physical disabilities in a purpose-built facility in Dundonald. A sizeable number of the team have completed more than 10 years’ service, with some employed since the home opened

24 years ago. The team aims to treat all residents with great care, respect and dignity.

Friends of River House On 4 November 2019 the Friends of River House group planted a rose bush in memory of Mrs Ailine Hanna, a long-standing member of the group. Ailine passed away suddenly on 6 August 2019.

She was also at one-time a resident in River House during a short time of recuperation, a truly lovely lady who involved herself in the home in so many ways – writing poems and songs and playing the piano for services and the friends’ choir.

It will be a lovely way to remember Ailine when the flowers bloom – they are yellow, bright and cheerful, just like her! The first rose cut was given to the family.

Some of the Friends of River House group pictured beside the rose bush.

Find out more on www.presbyterianireland.org

Events

DIARY DATES December

The organ in contemporary praise Molesworth Presbyterian Church in Cookstown is hosting an event called ‘The Organ in Contemporary Praise’ on Saturday 25 January, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

For many congregations, the organ remains the primary and preferred accompaniment for praise in Sunday worship. If so, we can be locked into thinking that this restricts the choice of praise to traditional psalms, hymns and songs. But could it be that the organ is a more versatile instrument than we have imagined or explored? How can we creatively harness organ music in the service of more contemporary praise? What are the challenges and opportunities?

The Co Tyrone event will explore all these questions. It will also offer examples and practical ideas for extending your congregation’s repertoire of praise.

The cost is £5 per person. Go to www.presbyterianireland.org/events Booking closes on 22 January at 3pm.

Christmas Cracker

McQuiston Memorial – Saturday 7 Lislooney – Saturday 7 West Church Bangor – Saturday 14 Hillsborough – Saturday 14

January Emerge starts

Ballymena and Belfast – Friday 24

The Organ in Contemporary Praise

The Church and Boys Why are boys so under-represented in churches? Why do churches find it difficult to cater for boys? What would help boys in church to grow into mature men of faith?

These questions will be addressed at ‘The Church and Boys’ event, which takes place at Assembly Buildings, Belfast on Saturday 8 February between 10am and 12.30pm.

Come along to this one-off event and hear stories, see resources and listen to Nick Harding, author of The Church and Boys, as he spells out the problem and encourages us to see this in missional terms.

To book your place, complete the booking form at www.presbyterianireland.org/events

PCI is runner up in digital awards

Molesworth – Saturday 25

February The Church and Boys

Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Saturday 8

Transform PCI’s young adults’ conference called Transform will be held on 27 to 28 March at May Street Presbyterian in Belfast.

This is a great opportunity to gather with young adults from across the denomination for 24 hours of Bible teaching, seminars, discussion, food and much more.

The theme will be ‘Joy in the every-day’.

Speakers include Marty Gray and Rachel Jones with worship led

by Ben McKendry (Wellington).

Registration will open in January at www.presbyterianireland.org/ transform

Christmas Cracker

Pictured receiving the certificate on behalf of PCI is Rebecca McConnell along with Ben Elliott from the Church Comms Collective who were joint runners up in Best Use of Social Media at the 2019 Premier Digital Awards.

Last December’s ‘Christmas Means More’ and April’s ‘Easter Means Everything’ video campaigns were highlighted at an awards ceremony in London celebrating digital excellence amongt the UK faith community.

Along with the Church Comms Collective, PCI were runners up in ‘Best Use of Social Media’ at the 2019 Premier Digital Awards.

Announcing the shortlist, awards co-host Premier Gospel Radio presenter Selene C. Jordan said, “This award looks to recognise excellent creativity, positivity and engagement in social media.”

Videos from both campaigns can be watched on PCI’s Vimeo channel.

PCI is organising four Christmas Cracker events this year.

The first events are on Saturday 7 December in McQuiston Memorial, 83 Castlereagh Road, Belfast, between 2pm-5.30pm and in Lislooney Presbyterian, Tynan, Armagh, between 2pm-4pm.

There are two events on Saturday 14 December – West Church Bangor between 2pm and 5.30pm, and Hillsborough Presbyterian between 2pm and 5pm.

Hashtags and Hormones

Assembly Buildings, Belfast – Thursday 13

March Transform

Carnmoney Central – Friday 27 to Saturday 28

April Kids’ Big Day Out

Wellington – Saturday 4

Family Holiday

Castlewellan Castle – Tuesday 14 to Friday 17

May Little Day Out

Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Co Down – Thursday 14

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New training for youth workers Sharon Raine, from Youth Link, explains why training youth workers to gain sound theological knowledge, as well as the practical skills needed to engage the next generation of young people, is vital.

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outhscape, the Christian charity dedicated to studying the changing landscape of youth culture in the UK, commissioned a study of 2054 churches in 2015. It revealed a lack of confidence and resources when it comes to providing youth work compared to children’s work, and highlighted the staggering difference between youth work offered at large churches compared with small churches.

The study, entitled ‘Losing Heart’, found that churches know they are struggling with their youth and children’s work, lacking the people, funds and time to keep the work going, reminiscent of the words of Jesus in Luke 10:2: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.”

Youth Link’s mission is to build excellence in youth work and ministry and to enable youth workers to be agents of transformation and hope. We know that the majority (80%) of first-time commitments to the Christian faith happen by the age of 18. This is one of the reasons it is so important that we ensure youth workers gain sound theological knowledge as well as practical skills for engaging young people.

So, we were therefore delighted to announce recently that we will work with Moorlands College to deliver a Christian youth work degree through a

new centre called Moorlands NI @ Youth Link. Moorlands College is a renowned inter-denominational Christian college, respected for its rich theological teaching and practical training in youth work and ministry for over 70 years.

From September 2020, Moorlands will offer a BA Hons in Applied Theology (Youth and Community Work) with JNC professional recognition, delivered through study blocks held at the Youth Link premises in Belfast, and through

…it will be the only Christian youth work degree in Ireland with JNC professional recognition… placements arranged with local churches and other community networks. Students will also attend two study block weeks per year at Moorlands’ Christchurch campus in Dorset, where they will join with other students from other regions.

The chair of Moorlands’ board of trustees, Steve May-Miller, said the new collaboration is “part of an exciting UKwide vision for theological education and training” and fulfilled the college’s call to “lengthen and strengthen” the ministry to which God called it.

Since 2011, almost 140 students have graduated from the existing degree

course delivered at Youth Link in Belfast, with a very high proportion going on to secure employment in local churches and communities where they are helping to transform the lives of children, young people and families. One example is Ashley Parks, who initially started a placement at Castlereagh Presbyterian Church in 2008, worked there for four years after he graduated, and is now youth development worker at Hillsborough Presbyterian Church.

We hope to build on that success and we believe that the flexible nature of this course, and the fact that it will be the only Christian youth work degree in Ireland with JNC professional recognition, make it an attractive choice for students from all across the island.

The new degree has been designed to provide a firm foundation on which to build life and ministry. It will equip students graduating in 2023 and beyond to serve God in practical and relevant ways in a fast-changing world.

Sharon Raine is academic studies manager at Youth Link: NI, the inter-church youth agency for Northern Ireland whose member Churches include the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

For additional information, contact Sharon at Youth Link on +44 (0)28 9032 3217, visit www.youthlink.org.uk/moorlandsni or consider attending an open day on Thursday 23 January or Wednesday 11 March, 11am-12.30pm, at Youth Link.

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PERSONAL VIEW

Life lessons Brian Givans Christians Against Poverty volunteer

In 2008 our kirk session at Carnmoney approved a new 12-year strategy ‘2020 Vision’ and one of the top three priorities was to reach out to our local community. In 2009 God opened a door for us to help achieve this through Christians Against Poverty (CAP). I became the CAP centre manager, employed fulltime for the first seven years and for the last three years I have continued to work for CAP as a part-time volunteer.

CAP is a national charity which works through a local church to reach out to people who are trapped in personal debt. The debt management service combines the expert advice from our head office in Bradford with the home visits and support at a local level. We work with the family until their journey out of debt is complete.

It has been a privilege to be part of an organisation which has seen the transformation of so many lives. Carnmoney was one of the first five centres to open in Northern Ireland and there are now 20 across the province, as part of a UK-wide network of almost 300. The local centres are hosted by Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Baptist, Vineyard and other independent churches.

It is exciting to share our faith as CAP without the attachment of denominational badges. In my work across north Belfast and Newtownabbey, I have engaged with over 20 other congregations as we have dealt with enquiries from over 600 families. It has also been a blessing to have received the enabling funding from the Presbytery of North Belfast and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

My calling to this work came from Isaiah 58:10 where God promised to use me to bring his light into darkness. Debt causes stress, worry, uncertainty and fear, so it’s exciting to see lives not only becoming debt-free financially but also changed mentally, physically and spiritually. Over the past 10 years in our area there has been no let-up in the need for CAP’s help. Often the circumstances for the debt are outside the person’s control and they try, initially, to solve it themselves, until it becomes too much for them.

We get the opportunity to share God’s Word and pray with our clients. One day Rev Dario Leal and I visited a lady in west Belfast. Her debt was due to unemployment. She had to give up her job as a school cleaner due to severe stiffness in her wrists.

After I completed her financial plan, Dario prayed for her and we witnessed a miraculous healing as

she began to scream and wave her arms in the air. On another occasion we went to visit a family but there was no one at home.

We felt led to visit another lady whom CAP was helping. She was not expecting us, but we arrived just as she was about to carry out a suicide attempt – God’s perfect timing. Over the past 10 years it has been humbling to see over 40 people respond to Jesus.

I am accompanied on each home visit by a second person who acts as a befriender during the client’s journey out of debt. This has allowed many of our members who volunteer in this role to reach out to those who are hurting. It has proved time and time again that as we give to others, we also receive a rich blessing.

Today’s society tries to mould people into an attitude of being self-centred. Some of the people whom we share the journey with are in disbelief that anyone would want to help them without expecting anything in return. It is so countercultural.

Often churches will prefer to put religious observance above working with messy people. It’s time for church to get back to basics and serve the poor. Jesus worked with broken people and met their needs with love, compassion and practical help. If we follow his example, we will see miracles unfold.

I grew up on a small family farm near Ballygawley and experienced my parents working hard to raise a family on a very tight budget. My faith journey began in Ballyreagh Presbyterian Church and became rooted through the Christian Union at Queen’s University. My discipleship has been shaped over 40 years in Carnmoney Church. My main career for 32 years was in the IT industry where I was employed in a sales role. Negotiating contracts at many levels and building teams for each project has helped to prepare me for the variety of tasks which the CAP role has required.

My sales manager once told me, “Don’t ever worry about paying the taxman. For every £1 you earn, you will always get more from it than he does.” Sometimes I share this with a client to lighten the conversation.

My wife Deirdre and I enjoy visits with our daughters Sharon and Naomi who both live and work in England. I play social golf at Hilton, Templepatrick and am a season ticket holder at Ulster Rugby. Although some of the matches might end up causing me more stress than relaxation.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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AS I SEE IT...

Be a conscious consumer Chloe Fulton

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n my office, I’m known as ‘the Christmas police’ – no to work. You cannot escape. Your dream for a new future has Christmas music, no tinsel, no Christmas ‘chat’ until become a nightmare.

December. I am very firm in this rule! But I have to confess This is a reality for millions of families. In this case, IJM that, as I write this, it’s still October and I’m compiling the worked with police to rescue three families from a textile factory Christmas gift list in my head. Have you written your list yet? If and arrest the owner. But the brand he was supplying may have so, what do you think about when you decide what to buy? had no idea that the fabric they bought had been made by people Do we ever consider the person – or many people – who were in slavery. involved in making the gifts we’re buying? Do you think about This is a familiar pattern. From the mica used to give your how they’re treated? The conditions people work in? The hidden eyeshadow its shimmer, to the beans ground into our coffee, reality is that every one of us has likely purchased a product that slavery is hidden in many of our favourite items. The issue may could have been produced by someone in slavery. seem overwhelming, but as a consumer, you are powerful. Slavery There are over 40 million people in slavery in the world has flourished because consumers don’t know it’s happening; it’s today — that’s more than in the 200-year difficult for corporates to have full sight of transatlantic slave trade. Human trafficking …slavery is hidden in supply chains; and in the face of organised is one of the top three most lucrative illegal crime, it’s a challenge for justice systems in businesses worldwide, generating over $150 many of our favourite source countries to deal with the problem. billion each year. And we’re funding it.

IJM works with governments and items…as a consumer, We may not be buying directly from law enforcement to restore and equip slave-owners, but slavery lurks in the supply you are powerful. justice systems – from police to judiciary chains of hundreds of the products we use – to root out slavery on the ground and every day – and those we’re buying this Christmas. You might prosecute offenders. And we’ve found that slavery has decreased not know it, but everything from the shirt you’re wearing to roses, dramatically – by up to 86% – in places where we’ve partnered make-up, smartphones, prawns, rice, and jewellery, can have with police and governments to fight it. slavery in its supply chain.

So, what can you do as a consumer this Christmas? Look for The Ethical Trading Initiative reports that “77% of [UK] brands – particularly local ones – that are transparent about their companies believe there is a likelihood of modern slavery supply chains and are taking active steps to help stop slavery and occurring at some stage in their supply chains.” For example, exploitation. It may be against the grain, but why not consider consider a cotton shirt. The brand selling the shirt may have secondhand for some of your gifts? Or a local craft fair? audited their first-tier suppliers to ensure that the factories What’s more, you can challenge the brands you love and ask sewing the garment are paying fair wages. But the cotton fabric them to take action. Show you care – email, tweet, or write to is sourced from elsewhere. It is grown, spun, knitted or woven, brands and ask them where they make their products, and what and dyed – each in different places and by different people. Every steps they’re taking to avoid slavery. The more brands know their stage presents an opportunity for exploitation. customers care, the faster they’ll take action to help stop slavery International Justice Mission (IJM) witnesses this firsthand, at the source. as the world’s largest anti-slavery organisation. We are a team of Raise your voice on this issue, take a stand. Support charities investigators, lawyers, and social workers who assist police around like IJM who are working to find and rescue people in slavery the world to find and free people in slavery – and then prosecute and stop it. Or even give a Christmas gift of freedom through our traffickers to stop slavery at the source. gift catalogue (http://gifts.ijmuk.org). Slavery might be normal in What does slavery look like? Imagine being a mum who needs everyday products now, but it doesn’t have to be forever. Together, to provide for her children, and you’re promised accommodation we can make slave-free normal – let’s start this Christmas. and good wages, so you accept an advance and move your family.

But when you arrive, your ‘accommodation’ proves to be an Chloe Fulton is Ireland regional coordinator of International Justice asbestos-roofed shack, 3m square, without a toilet. You are forced Mission (IJM). For more information about IJM and ways that you to run an understaffed factory, keeping 60 powerlooms running can combat slavery, please visit: http://ijmuk.org/slavefree 24/7. Brutal 12-hour shifts, into the night, enforced by the abuse of the factory owner, become the norm. Your children are made

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TALKING POINTS

Accountable for creation Norman Hamilton shares his thoughts on taking seriously the call to care for God’s creation.

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avid Attenborough; Greta Thunberg; Extinction known as ‘wonky’ vegetables, rather than choose the perfectly Rebellion. Along with other groups and agencies, formed and beautifully packaged alternatives. And there is a real they are rarely out of the news as they campaign discipline in learning not to waste food that has been bought. for more action both by government and ordinary (As a family, we try not to be contributors to the scandal of the people to halt what they see as impending climate disaster. Not one million bananas that are thrown out every single day in the everyone agrees that there is a real climate threat – but few UK). would dare argue that the way we live can and should continue.

Changes to lifestyle are often really quite difficult. I try to use Certainly, my wife and I are constantly horrified at the amount public transport whenever possible – but the limited investment of plastic waste we generate… from milk jugs to yoghurt pots; in that is a real problem for both individuals and wider society. cling film to plastic bags; disposable food trays to shampoo With the encouragement of a ‘step counter’ on a new watch, bottles… plastic is everywhere, so convenient, so wasteful, so I am walking a lot more than I used to – and am feeling the polluting and so deadly to so many animals. benefit of that!

Sadly, Christians have been slow to campaign on and address And I will let you into a secret… I really quite enjoy browsing environmental issues, though that has not in and purchasing from charity shops, …as an ordinary always been the case. As far back as the for recycling and reusing some of the 16th century, Calvin wrote “let everyone Christian, I have a direct immense range of goods available is regard himself as the steward of God in immensely satisfying! (It is also worth responsibility to God for saying that many of the volunteers all things he possesses”. Our reluctance has many sides to it. One is that we live in and staff in these shops have quite an how I steward the a very individualistic and greedy society. extraordinary ministry to people in a wide resources of his creation variety of difficult circumstances.)

Another is that we are simply slow to connect the way we live and the items we Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, that are available to me. andDavid buy with the impact they bring, and which Extinction Rebellion campaign on we don’t know or even see. (For example, a grand scale, with groups such as the after looking at the information on some packaging, I recently Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (part of the work asked a major supermarket to explain why they thought it of the United Nations) bringing science to the discussions. They appropriate to import chicken from Thailand which is a mere seek to influence governments and big companies to change 6000 miles away. There was a rationale, but it was more focused their policies so that the earth’s atmosphere will not heat up any on their business model than anything to do with stewardship). more.

Whatever the arguments about climate change, Genesis 2 I am not a campaigner on any of these issues. I am, however, is quite explicit that as an ordinary Christian, I have a direct increasingly aware that I cannot be selective as to which parts responsibility to God for how I steward the resources of of the Bible are to be taken seriously. The call of Genesis to his creation that are available to me. I am to “take care” of play my part in caring for God’s creation is too strong – and them. This means that I am not to be party to abuse, waste or too urgent – for me to ignore. I am only one person in the 7.5 exploitation. Yet I also know that I am a fallen individual living billion people on the earth, but I am still accountable to God in a fallen human race in a fallen world. So, I am limited – but for who I am and what I do. that is no excuse to opt out of making at least some modest You are too. contribution to proper stewardship of God’s wonderful creation.

Everyone’s circumstances are different, and I do not expect others to do the same things that I seek to do.

I have tried to start with some modest changes to buying habits and lifestyle. For example, at the supermarket, Fairtrade coffee, tea and bananas are the only such products that I will buy. Where possible I look for foodstuffs that have very little plastic around them, or none at all (sometimes with limited Rev Dr Norman Hamilton success). I usually check the packaging, and will not buy fresh strawberries from the United States, nor that chicken from Norman Hamilton is minister emeritus of Thailand. I am more than content to buy what have become Ballysillan Presbyterian Church.

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CONGREGATIONAL STORY

A Bethlehem

Photography: Jamie Trimble

experience

Dave McConkey describes how Edengrove Presbyterian in Ballynahinch reached out to the local community in the Christmas period last year.

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n the words of Dr Seuss, “What if Christmas… doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!”

Those un-grinch-like sentiments might have been a good subtitle for the Bethlehem village experience we hosted for the second time at Edengrove Presbyterian Church, Ballynahinch, last Christmas. In a season when families can spend a fortune on Santa’s grottos, reindeer trails, and all sorts of other festive outings, we wanted to welcome our community through our doors to hear the real good news of Christmas; a free event that we hoped would reflect the love of God, the joy his message brings and point them to his free gift of eternal life.

The event took the form of a tour and each group of visitors was sent back in time to speak to some of the characters who were there to witness the strange happenings of some 2000 years ago. They first met the Apostle Paul, suffering in prison, who sent them back further on a journey where they would meet Zechariah the priest; the shepherds tending their flocks; the innkeeper; and Mary and Joseph; before finally returning to Paul’s cell, where he

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We welcomed around 1000 people through our doors over the course of around six hours… explained why he was imprisoned and why he would gladly give his life in the service of his Saviour.

The groups then entered Bethlehem marketplace, an area where our friends from Dunmore Silver Band were playing carols, alongside crafts, activities and games for children, a souvenir photo booth, and where refreshments were served. Each guest would leave with some Christian Christmas literature and an invite to our Christmas services the following week, while the children received a goody bag to remind them of all that they had heard.

We welcomed around 1,000 people through our doors over the course of around six hours and last year for the first time we were especially excited to host an autism-friendly tour as one of our groups.

Having become aware of the challenge it can be for those families with autistic children to find activities that they can all enjoy together, we felt we wanted to make sure that this event would cater to those needs. Just as the gospel is for everyone, then it must follow that our efforts to further Christ’s kingdom are equally inclusive.

We were able to communicate in advance with the parents, to ask about their children’s specific needs, and the use of lighting and the volume of any audio was adjusted accordingly. We

provided them with preview packs containing pictures and descriptions of what they would see and hear so they could prepare their children in advance for what they would experience and we allotted extra time so the group could move at its own pace without feeling under any pressure. We also set up a family room, a quiet space with some sensory toys, that they could step out and visit at any point if they needed to.

We are blessed in Edengrove to have some members who work in this field and are enormously gifted; they were able to serve as the tour guides for these families as they travelled along their Bethlehem journey.

Seeing and hearing how much it meant to these families, to be able to enjoy the experience with their whole family together, was one of the highlights of the event and we will without doubt seek to do whatever we can to continue to serve them at future events.

An event of this nature is an enormous undertaking during what is already a very busy time of the year, but the benefits and blessings that result have been numerous.

Most importantly, it was a day when over 1000 people came and heard the good news of Jesus Christ faithfully preached.

The threshold of the church we hope becomes a little easier to cross with every such visit.

If it was to achieve nothing else, then that alone would of course have made the effort worthwhile.

We were also enormously thankful to see so many from our local community come through our doors, perhaps for the very first time, and to have had the opportunity to greet them joyfully and, we trust, bless them with a Christmas experience they and their families will fondly remember. The threshold of the church we hope becomes a little easier to cross with every such visit.

The day can only happen with a large team of volunteers and there really is a job for everyone. From the actors to the car park attendants; from those who built props and scenery to those serving tea; from those who made costumes to those helping children complete crafts; serving together, using everyone’s gifts to make the day go off successfully has a wonderful way of deepening relationships and drawing our church family together.

Bethlehem Village 2018 really was a very special day for our church and we trust and pray in the lives of many of those who came to visit. We look forward to welcoming them and many others for Bethlehem Village 2020!

Dave McConkey is Edengrove Presbyterian’s coordinator of youth ministry.

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MODERATOR’S REFLECTION

Moderator, Dr William Henry, reflects on the importance of enjoying God and worshipping him during this Christmas season.

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ow do you react when you receive a present that’s at the bottom of your wish list? I remember a Christmas some time ago, when one of our girls was about three years old. She had tried her best to give pretty clear guidance about what might bring joy in terms of presents.

When anyone would ask, “What do you want for Christmas?” the answer was strong and succinct – “a doll’s house and a kitchen”.

Well, we tried to go one step better and in addition to those items we also got a changing station for her baby doll. It was really quite magnificent, and we were quietly proud of ourselves, so we placed this item central in the room; the first thing she would see as she ran through the door on Christmas morning. We were not, however, prepared for the very first words from her mouth that morning: “Just what I didn’t want”. Ouch! Truth hurts.

Sometimes we get it wrong. Even when we see and hear people who are right

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in front of us, who are speaking directly to us, we can still end up grabbing the wrong end of the stick.

The wrong response: fear Think of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. The hymn writer describes a “silent night” or even a “holy night” but it must have also been a cold night, as the shepherds huddled close together out on the Galilean hillside. The evening had begun just like any other, at the end of a long, tiring day. The shepherds were not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. Just then, out of nowhere, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear (Luke 2:9).

God became one of us so we could become one with him.

Now for men who were used to long periods of quiet and dreary monotony, the sight of the sky being filled with dazzling light and the blinding glory of God must have been unforgettable.

But their immediate emotion was of terror. Of course that was perfectly understandable… it’s not every day you are confronted by an angel!

The intended response: joy However, as unforgettable and astounding as that sight was – terror was not meant to be the abiding reaction to this scene. The shepherds needed to look beyond the messenger to see the message.

The announcement was not intended to evoke fear – but to bring joy – the angel went on to say, “Do not fear…I bring you good news that will cause great joy to all the people” (Luke 2:10), because a Saviour had been born.

There are certain truths about Jesus.

We know he was a great teacher and that he was a great helper. It’s also very clear that Jesus was a great encourager. But the

real joy of Christmas is in the fact that Jesus is a great Saviour. The message of Christmas is about the one whose life, death and resurrection has set people free from guilt, fear and sin. The child in the manger became the King on the cross.

Such a wonderful message was too great simply for just one angel to declare.

So suddenly on that hillside, in front of the shepherds, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

There was tremendous excitement and exuberant joy. As we approach Christmas, let us also be unashamed in our enjoyment of this season of celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Sometimes we can be embarrassed or even annoyed with the manner Christmas has been abused by those who do not take Jesus as seriously as some of us. Yes, there will be many who will try to remove Christ from Christmas, but the danger amidst our protestations and frustration is that we run the risk of losing our own sense of the joy that is central to the Christmas period. So let us, who know and love Jesus, make a commitment to enjoy all that Christmas presents us with; and in the midst of everything, keep Jesus central.

How can we enjoy God this Christmas?

I want to encourage you this Advent season to celebrate the joy of Christmas and enjoy God. You can delight in what God has done for you in sending a Saviour and giving you a hope and a future. I also want to encourage you to actively seek to keep Jesus paramount in your thoughts in the run-up to Christmas, and to make the most of the opportunities to speak to others about what it means for you to enjoy God at Christmas. So, keeping this very practical, what might this look like in daily life?

Enjoy God in your worship. Worship happens anytime you turn your heart towards Jesus and say, “You are worthy”.

When you make time for prayer, turn the radio to praise music, or use your morning commute to listen to Bible verses or your lunch break to meditate, this is worship. And, yes, worship

happens in churches. When the people of God make a public declaration of God’s goodness, worship is happening. We can express our love for God enthusiastically and openly, declaring with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest”. Enjoy worship, take the opportunity to invite others to church, welcome those who may not come very often and be joyful in showing them the joy we have found in Jesus.

Enjoy God in the Bible. We know the Bible is God’s book written to tell

…let us, who know and love Jesus, make a commitment to enjoy all that Christmas presents us with… us about himself. As we read it, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we learn about him and we learn about ourselves; but chiefly it points us to Jesus, the promised Saviour and our need of that salvation. You might have a little more time over the holiday period – spend some of that time simply reading your Bible and hearing God’s Word for your life. Find that place to be apart with God’s Word, a place of quiet and solitude.

It could be a window seat and a coffee.

It could be the cool quiet of an upstairs bedroom. Wherever it is, make sure you’re alone. With him. The Christmas memory you create with God and his Word will have a lasting effect.

Enjoy God in your family. Christmas is a time for sharing good times with friends and family. Look around at the people God brings your way. If you are married, enjoy God through the gift of a partner. If you have kids, enjoy God as you enjoy them. If you are single, enjoy God through your wider family and the many other close friendships you have cultivated. When we enjoy godly family relationships, we are enjoying God. Christian fellowship allows us to encounter the God who lives within each of us. Treasure up and ponder all the ways Christ reveals himself to you – in events, meals, relationships, relatives, and the comfort of his presence with you. Enjoy

your church family, join in, spend time with them, be blessed through hospitality, fun and fellowship.

Enjoy God in creation. There is something distinct about each season of the year. At Christmas it’s the shortness of daylight and the crispness of the winter air. Use the unhurried space around this Christmas period; take a walk, and enjoy God as you simply look around you, see the hand of the one who put everything in its place. Ponder afresh on our creator God, who stepped down from glory to be born as a Saviour.

Taking time to bask in the beauty of creation is a moment of God enjoyment.

Enjoy God in everything. Our reformed outlook never reduces worship to what we sing or what we do in a church building. All of life is worship as all of life is directed towards God and serving him wherever or whatever that entails. The world is filled with reasons to be downcast, but God still enters into the reality of our messy everyday lives and loves us. To set our hearts on God’s joy reminds us that we can choose how we respond to any particular moment. That’s our biggest challenge; to embrace every moment, to see the hand of God in each detail and to purposefully enjoy what God determines for us to do.

God became one of us so we could become one with him. He did away with every barrier, sin, and grave. Anything that might keep us from him was demolished in a manger. This is why I love Christmas – it’s a time to especially reflect on the truth of the gospel. Don’t get it wrong, don’t miss out. Let’s enjoy him this Christmas.

Look out on Facebook and Twitter for the Moderator’s Christmas campaign on enjoying God – a series of video clips will be released on each Sunday in Advent.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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Cabinet Office

The turbulent teens deargdoom57 Flickr.com

ChiralJon

Boaworm

Laura Poitras / Praxis Films

As we stand on the cusp of the 2020s, Ruth Sanderson takes a look back over the last decade.

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or as long as I can remember, the end of each decade has been waved away with a flourish. Before the fanfare of a new year, columns about the previous 10 years pack our newspapers and magazines; there is always a review of the year on TV. The highs, the lows, the analysis, the reflection. However, here we are, late in 2019, and there hasn’t been the same time-honoured passage for this particular decade. This feels a little

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conspicuous. Perhaps it’s too hard? It’s been a difficult decade – even its name has been problematic. Have we been living though the teens? Tweens? Twenty-tens?

It seems to have been one tremendous fudge for the past 10 years.

Now more than ever, he asks us to be…his voice in a climate of confusion.

Yet here we are on the eve of the 20s – have any of us really looked back?

Perhaps, like me, you are too obsessed with the current political machinations domestically, the unfolding American Trump saga and the alarming climate emergency to really have thought about it.

All across the world – populism, far right, far left, super powers, wars and rumours of wars are breaking out like blisters. We wring our hands, decry the craziness of

today’s world; yet if we look back to 2010 we can see the seeds were already sown.

Cast your mind back 10 years. Britain was gripped in an epic, snowy winter; Gordon Brown was British Prime Minister and would soon step aside to make way for the Cameron-Clegg coalition; Brian Cowen was Taoiseach in Ireland; and a huge volcano in Iceland was playing havoc with our holiday plans. It all seems like distant history.

However, if we think of how the past 10 years have been shaped, much of it can be seen through the lens of the 2008 global financial crisis. A decade ago we were still coming to terms with what the fall of huge banking institutions would mean.

Trading practices were being exposed and bankers were being uncovered as risky gamblers, betting our savings and pensions in an increasingly credit-thirsty world.

We were still trying to get our heads around what the fall of Lehman brothers meant and what subprime mortgages were – toxic debt portfolios. Ten years ago, the UK’s new chancellor George Osborne announced massive spending cuts, taxpayer funded banking bailouts, the slashing of local services and ‘the bonfire of the quangos’.

Austerity Britain was born. This led to movements like ‘Occupy’, mass citizen activism dismayed at how governments were treating normal people whilst cushioning the banking sector, who were seen as the ones who were ultimately to blame. In Ireland, the property bubble had burst and the Celtic Tiger days were at an abrupt end.

Of course globally it was a similar situation. In Europe, the economies of Greece and Portugal collapsed. America was hit by recession. With a new distrust of money, commodity prices went through the roof, leading to tension in the Middle East as vested interests tightened their grip on oil supplies. More mass political movements would break out and huge protests would lead to the sweeping away of governments in the Arab Spring. These began as a response to oppressive regimes and low living standards.

With the toppling of governments, power vacuums began to emerge. In places like Syria, this would lead ultimately to a civil war and the emergence of ISIS. Unrest and violence in the region – Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq – would prove a long drawn out military campaign for

British, American and European armed forces.

Much of the unrest unleashed by the Arab Spring, and indeed unrest domestically, began on newly fangled social media – voices which had never been heard before were meeting on Twitter and Reddit forums, harnessing this relatively new communication. Twitter and Facebook were still in their infancy, and Instagram didn’t exist until halfway through the decade. Not everyone had a smartphone. Ten years ago it was almost impossible to imagine the impact that this new online communication would have.

As we head into the 20s, we hope for a more certain, settled decade.

The last decade has been a revolution in terms of personal technology. The online world now affects everything from children chatting to each other (nonverbally of course), to the outcome of global elections. We stand on the edge of the artificial intelligence era – already many of us talk to Siri or Alexa. In another decade will we be looking back nostalgically at this as a time of digital naivety?

The digital revolution over the past 10 years highlighted the power of information. Now we all have a digital footprint, it is almost impossible not to have many details of our lives online somewhere. Huge companies harvest our data; our smartphone microphones and cameras can monitor conversations and internet usage. Yet it happened in a way which makes it all feel normal – imagine knowing that 10 years ago. But data isn’t solely used to sell us more stuff via algorithms. This power of information was highlighted by the WikiLeaks scandal, the arrest of players such as Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning. These computer bods became the embodiment of interstate danger. It soon became clear that information, and misinformation, were the new weapons used by superpowers to gain supremacy.

This past decade has also seen a rise in those superpowers, and the ‘strongmen’ who lead them – Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump. The old battle lines of Western democracy and Eastern totalitarianism are more blurred than ever.

In Europe, like America, there has been an increase in populism. The march towards nationalism saw the far right come to power notably in Austria and Hungary. Closer to home, the emergence of UKIP led the conservatives to become less middle of the road, forcing the opposition to increasingly polarised battle lines.

Of course the biggest upset for the UK and Ireland in the past decade has been Brexit. At the time of writing, a general election looms and the UK is more divided than ever. No one is sure if, when or how Brexit will happen, or what its impact will be on Ireland, north and south. The Northern Ireland Executive has collapsed, well over 1000 days have passed since it last sat and politicians are still at loggerheads.

Meanwhile, whilst politics becomes more extreme, and the world more dangerous, ‘global warming’ has become ‘climate change’ which now, at the end of 2019 has become ‘the climate emergency’.

This evolving language reflects its increasingly critical status. Almost all scientists agree that we are at a tipping point, a chance to save our planet from ourselves. Yet the US is exploring drilling for oil in the Arctic, the Amazon is burning and whilst the planet is finding new ways to generate electricity and cut carbon, the world population continues to rise. The battle for natural resources we once took for granted, like water and food, could become the new crisis of the 2020s.

Ten years on, the world feels very uncertain. The future is anything but clear, not politically, environmentally or globally.

We stand on the precipice of a time which feels alien to the 2000s, and stare into the 2020s, unsure of what’s to come. God, of course, is the God yesterday, today and forever. This is the time to reflect on how far the world has moved in the past 10 years, to thank him for what he has done in our lives, but also to look outside of ourselves unto what is unfolding. Now more than ever, he asks us to be his will in the world, to stand up for the weak, the poor, the downhearted, to be his voice in a climate of confusion.

As we head into the 20s, we hope for a more certain, settled decade. We must cling to God’s promises and pray for his guidance. Through him, we are the ones to change the world – and change it for the better.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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EVENT

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Olwyn Mark discusses the importance of presenting a biblical narrative to teenagers that addresses the issues they face, and highlights a new PCI event designed to help.

or over 16 years, Love for Life has had the incredible privilege of partnering with schools across Northern Ireland in their delivery of Personal Development and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). Last year we worked with 63% of post-primary schools and 39% of primary schools. 37,334 young people received an age-appropriate and value-rich message, reminding them of their incredible worth and inspiring them to make great choices when it comes to relationships. As one P7 teacher commented: “Excellent as always. Children really enjoyed the programme. As a mum I think it is delivered in a child appropriate way, and as a teacher, it is done at the right pace and level.”

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Alongside this important work in schools, Love for Life also seeks to equip and empower the church to unpack a biblical and pastoral response to issues around relationships and sexuality.

Young people are growing up in a culture where they are surrounded by mixed messages about their identity, relationships and sexuality. These messages are both implicit and explicit, where individual choice and freedom to be your true self shape the narrative.

Too often the church has remained silent on many of the issues that our young people are facing.

Our Western culture pursues a romantic and idealised view of love, and one that is hyper-sexualised from a young age. Meaning in life is found in achieving self-defined happiness and fulfillment, and sexual fulfilment is a vital part of this. As a result, young people can experience relentless pressure to be in a romantic relationship, and to be sexually active. Our own statistics, gathered from young people in schools across Northern Ireland, show that 16% of 15-year-olds are sexually active. “But surely God just wants everybody to be happy?” becomes the response of the Christian young person steeped in this narrative.

Technology and the online world have also revolutionised how we relate to one another. While the internet has

opened up a world of opportunity, it also needs to be navigated carefully and wisely. Instagram and Snapchat are an integral part of a young person’s social interactions. 99% of 12-15-yearolds are going online for 20 and a half hours a week (Ofcom, 2018). This is the equivalent of a part-time job! It is not just the time that is being spent online, but concern is raised over what is being consumed and what is being shared.

Cyberbullying, sexting and pornography present unique challenges that did not exist a generation ago. Again, our own statistics tell us that 38% of 15-yearolds have accessed online pornography.

27% of our 15-year-old males access online pornography every day, with an additional 30% weekly.

Young people growing up within the Christian community are not immune from these cultural messages, nor from these patterns of behaviour. So where does a Christian young person or youth leader go to seek help when they are struggling with a life controlling dependency on porn? Or where does the Christian parent turn for advice and support as they help their young person navigate puberty, relationships and the online world?

Too often the church has remained silent on many of the issues that our young people are facing, and parents, carers and leaders feel ill-equipped to respond. But to say nothing, is to say something, with the result that the cultural narrative is heard above that of the faith community. Silence fosters the perception that the Bible has nothing to say on relationships and sexuality, or

what it does say is irrelevant and outof-date. Silence in the home and within the church result in the sexual attitudes, belief and behaviours of Christian young people being shaped more by peers, social media and YouTube than by the living

Our Western culture pursues a romantic and idealised view of love, and one that is hyper-sexualised from a young age. and active Word, taught and lived out.

So how can we respond constructively and effectively? Love for Life had the amazing opportunity at the end of October to open up the conversation around relationships and sex with around 150 young people who attended our seminars at PCI’s MAD weekend. In the seminar we began to challenge some of the underlying cultural messages that they receive, unpack the biblical narrative around relationships and sex, as well as explore how they might respond with grace, wisdom and truth in situations

that they find themselves in. This is a conversation that we hope will be continued in youth settings across the churches.

‘Hashtags and Hormones’ will be another exciting opportunity for us to partner with PCI in gathering parents, carers, teachers, youth workers, and all those seeking to nurture and disciple the next generation. 86% of 16-year-olds tell us that family is the strongest influence on their choices. Parents and the wider family, including grandparents, have a significant opportunity for influence and can offer much-needed wisdom and guidance to their young people. We all have a role to play in supporting the family unit in doing this. Church leaders, including youth leaders, also play a key role in teaching and walking alongside children and young people. Please join us for this important evening as together we reflect on the cultural trends and messages, explore how we might tackle tricky questions or conversations, and encourage one other as we learn how to respond in this cultural moment with clarity, confidence and compassion.

Olwyn Mark is head of research and strategic partnerships at Love for Life.

Hashtags and Hormones Assembly Buildings conference centre 13 February 2020, 7.30-9.30pm Admission £5 per person Spaces must be booked online at www.presbyterianireland.org/events It has always been a huge challenge for parents and leaders who want to speak to teenagers about sex and relationships, especially from a biblical perspective. It seems that in recent years this has become so much harder and at the same time we all recognise that the need to do this effectively has never been more important.

We are delighted that Love for Life has agreed to work with PCI to facilitate this event, which is for volunteer leaders, parents, ministers and anyone in congregations who seek to support their young people. It is our desire that this event will give confidence and tools to begin conversations with teenagers about relationships and sex. It will be a positive and inspiring evening, and an interactive and engaging format will help to equip us as adults to support our young people in this vital area of their lives today.

Graeme Thompson, PCI’s Youth Development Officer.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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RESOURCE

A new

home

Pip Florit highlights a new Bible study resource, based on the book of Ruth, that explores how the theme of migration relates to our churches and communities.

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hasem grew up in Iran, a Muslim, like his family, his friends and 99% of his compatriots. In a country where converting from Islam is illegal, Ghasem’s life changed forever when he was introduced to Jesus. When his house church was attacked, he knew it was time to get out of Iran.

In June 2019, the UN Refugee Agency estimated that 70.8 million people had been forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of violence or natural disasters.

That’s about five million more than the entire population of the UK. Many more people have left their homes in search of better opportunities. Each of these people has a story – a story of leaving the familiar, a story of a journey, a story of arriving in an unknown place. For some, that place is Ireland.

The Bible is full of stories of migration.

Noah and his family fled a natural disaster; Abraham left home at God’s command; Joseph was trafficked into Egypt; Daniel was exiled to Babylon; Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem for a census and then fled from Herod, staying away until he died.

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Then there’s Ruth. The book of Ruth, in its four short chapters, tells a story of loss, sorrow, poverty, and vulnerability that give way to joy, provision, love, hope and redemption. And they tell a story of migration.

The book of Ruth forms the basis of PCI’s new Bible study resource, ‘Home’.

Designed for use with small discussion groups, Home contains six studies on Ruth, looking at the theme of migration and how it relates to our churches and communities. Each study contains video interviews with people who have come to Ireland from Mongolia, India, Iran, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These people tell the stories of their journeys and experiences of settling in a place where they had no contacts and few resources.

Growing up in the Northern Ireland of the 80s and 90s, I knew very few people

We have a part to play.

The Bible does not just suggest hospitality – it commands it.

who weren’t born in this place. Much of that was because Northern Ireland was a place to be avoided – we had our own problems, our own unrest. Today, our relatively settled societies, both north and south of the island, have become a place of refuge for many who are not safe in their own countries: Syrians whose countries have been torn apart by war; South Americans, who have fled gang violence; Iranians, who have escaped religious persecution; citizens of various countries, who have been victims of trafficking.

“They need to feel safe. They need to feel welcomed. They need protected. They need to be given a voice,” says Rev Ivan Steen, whose congregation is made up of a variety of nationalities, including a large population of asylum seekers. People who are vulnerable, afraid, discouraged, maybe traumatised, are on our doorsteps. People who are loved by God and need to be loved by his followers.

We have a part to play. The Bible does not just suggest hospitality – it commands it. Just as God welcomed and loved the Israelites when they were alienated from him, there are three

groups that God mandated them to care for: widows, orphans and foreigners (for example, see Deuteronomy 24:17-22; Exodus 20:21-22 and Jeremiah 22:3).

Ruth, as a widow and a foreigner, had few rights or means of providing for herself.

However, God’s commands became her means of survival. In Leviticus 22:23, God said, “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you.” As a result of this command, Ruth was able to glean in Boaz’s field, providing food for herself and Naomi and a beginning to their means of redemption.

So, how should we respond?

Educating yourself is a good start. How much do you know about migration and asylum? Do you know the difference between a migrant, an asylum seeker and a refugee? Did you know that asylum seekers in the UK live off £37.75 a week and aren’t allowed to work? Did you know that migrant visas work on a points system and the criteria is getting tougher?

Did you know that asylum seekers in Ireland are placed in ‘direct provision’ accommodation, where space and facilities are limited and the average stay is nearly two years? The first step in welcoming someone from another country can be understanding where they have come from and what they’re going through.

Culture can be a minefield for someone who isn’t used to it. If someone greeted you by pressing their nose against yours, you might think it was a bit strange,

Immigrants have much to share with us, if only we’ll open our homes, churches and lives to them. but if you were New Zealand Māori, it would be perfectly normal. We might think that everything we do in Irish or Northern Irish culture is normal, but to someone who has arrived fresh, we may do things that are, at best, unusual, at worst, offensive or dangerous. Ghasem, now seeking asylum in Belfast, said, “You can learn English…but you don’t know about the culture”. Language is the easy part, culture is not.

Church can be the place where cultural differences are the most prevalent, especially if the church offers a very different experience of religion from what a person is used to. Walk through your typical Sunday morning: what parts of your church routine are second nature to you but may be very foreign to others… shaking hands as you enter, knowing where to sit, standing up to sing, the children leaving for Sunday school, passing the offering plate round? How can you make these things easier to navigate?

You may find that there are things in your church that have always been that way, but can discourage people from making it as far as a pew. Those things may need to change. That change process can be uncomfortable, there’s no denying that, but remember that however uncomfortable it is for you, it’s probably 10 times more uncomfortable for the new

person walking through the door.

We are all individuals. Each immigrant is different, with their own story. For Demi from Mongolia, her biggest challenge was the uncertainty of the future, not even knowing what tomorrow would bring. Vincent, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was interrogated with his family when he arrived at Dublin airport, but spoke barely any English. John, from India, came to Ireland after great struggles at home, but now loves worshipping with the many people of different cultures in his church.

The simplest thing you can do is to listen, to give each person a voice, get to know their stories. You will both be blessed.

Ghasem has settled at Windsor Presbyterian Church and wasted no time in using his gifts to get involved – he runs the sound desk during the service, as well as coordinating a team of people to clean the church weekly. While his immediate hopes are to have his asylum application approved and be able to work, his deepest hope is “to improve in Jesus, to not go back to my guilt and sin.”

Ghasem, Demi, Vincent, John and Martin share their stories as part of Home, but there are many more stories all around us if we take the time to hear them. Boaz welcomed Ruth, regardless of her nationality and he was blessed with a wife and son, who would become the grandfather of King David. Immigrants have much to share with us, if only we’ll open our homes, churches and lives to them.

Pip Florit is PCI’s Mission Support Officer for Partnerships.

Home R U T H : A M I G R A N T ’ S S TO R Y

Home is available in digital and hard copy from the Mission Department and the PCI website. For more information or to place an order, contact: mission@presbyterianireland.org or go to: www.presbyterianireland.org/home

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Rick Hill encourages congregations to analyse the cultural landscape in which they function and make positive changes that will allow them to engage more effectively in the community.

“I

don’t like it around here anymore!”

Those were the words our six-year-old son shouted in frustration as we encouraged him to share his toys with his younger brother.

It’s funny that no matter what our age, we can be tempted to assume it’s never as good as it used to be. Do you ever feel like it’s just not the same as the good old days?

I wonder if we think about the church in this way. Perhaps remembering a church more central to society, our buildings bursting full of people and the Christian message being more widely accepted leaves us fearing that the glory days are over. However, Ecclesiastes 7:10 says: “Don’t say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it’s not wise to ask such questions.”

Nehemiah might have felt despair as he looked at Jerusalem’s broken walls. The city lay in ruins, the walls were destroyed and the people were in distress. What Nehemiah saw broke his heart: “When I

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heard these things, I sat down and wept.

For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”

What do you do if you don’t like what’s happening around you? It would have been easy to rush to activity, but Nehemiah’s first response was pausing to pray. Against a bleak backdrop prayer came before productivity.

Nehemiah’s next step was to survey the land, going at night to inspect the walls and get a full picture of the task at hand.

Before he communicated to anyone, he analysed the landscape and studied the culture. Observation came before action. We need to see the context we

…we can be so focused on getting those on the fringe into the core…that we miss…how we invest in our core members and send them out.

are leading in and reflect on our current reality.

Changing commitment patterns This is a generation with more choice than ever before. Work and family patterns have changed and lives are packed full. Parents are taxi drivers, entertainment options are endless, time is a luxury and choice is a god. Shortterm thinking dominates the landscape and long-term commitment is feared.

‘FOMO’ is a common phrase with the ‘Fear of Missing Out’ preventing people from committing in case a better offer comes along. People might love the idea that their church serves the poor every Thursday but don’t ask them to help every week. Comedian Milton Jones says: “Some people see the church as a giant helicopter. They’re scared to get too close in case they get sucked into the rotas.”

A generation ago, a strongly-committed church attender went to church three times a week. Today it might be closer to three times a month. It was also easier

to get church members to volunteer in organisations.

It’s a problem if our church relies on a schedule suited to the three-times-aweek attender and a dilemna when we have organisations to run. Now I don’t think we should necessarily lower our expectations. Church attendance and commitment have always mattered.

But if people are only going to commit to a couple of things, then are we sure they are prioritising the things of most importance? Karl Vaters writes: “Great churches are doing fewer services, but getting more out of them. When they ask people for a second commitment in their weekly calendar it’s for something that isn’t already happening in the main church service. Like an opportunity to meet practical needs or have deeper study and fellowship.” Perhaps doing less might mean helping people do what really matters.

I refuse to believe that people are no longer committed but they now commit in different ways. There’s an attraction to ‘Couch to 5k’ programmes that get us fit in six weeks or 28-day body cleanses that sheds weight fast. It’s more intense for shorter periods of time than every single week for the rest of their life.

I wonder if how people commit now can actually be used to our advantage.

What about a 10-week Alpha course with an end point in sight? Or a six-week book club to engage your neighbours? Or inviting people to serve in leadership for the next year? It might give opportunities to pilot fresh initiatives, trial new things and stop things that aren’t working so well. Karl Vaters says: “That’s how people commit today. In chunks of time and/or money. A wise leader won’t berate them for that. Instead, if they want to commit in chunks, let’s give them chunks to commit to. Then leverage that experience into long-term, consistent giving.”

Of course churches need weekly helpers and steady givers, but getting people involved in simple ways might be how to get the ball rolling. How do we ask people to step into service or leadership?

Rather than targeting everyone, we should be personally inviting individuals. People might still say no but they’ll never say yes if we don’t give them the option.

Engaging a younger generation means leaning away from a church-as-business model and towards a church-as-family model.

On the margins According to Christian Research, the church in the UK has lost 192,000 under 15s in the last nine years. Another survey revealed that one-third of 15-24-yearolds in Ireland didn’t know what Easter was about and a third of 10-13-year-olds don’t know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. Biblical illiteracy is high.

Generally, for those who haven’t grown up in church, God isn’t on their radar.

Many don’t believe in the God of the Bible and therefore rationally they won’t follow the principles in the Bible.

Even among young Christians, many embrace Jesus but neglect the church, sometimes deliberately due to growing suspicion of institutions, other times unintentionally drifting from one church to another. In an article on the Netflix generation, Brett McCracken writes: “We can cycle through entire seasons of TV in a weekend, binge-watching as fast as we can because there are just too many other shows to get to. But all of this only further entrenches us within consumerism which also wreaks havoc on our spiritual lives…We engage in ‘church shopping’ that is not unlike Netflix scrolling, looking for the perfect fit but feeling predictably anxious that the

search will never end.”

We need to remember that the church is scattered as well as gathered, and there is a pressing need in a churchless generation to envision, inspire, encourage and equip followers of Jesus to bear witness to Jesus wherever they find themselves. We must equip people to go and be carriers of the kingdom of God. Often, we can be so focused on getting those on the fringe into the core of our church that we miss giving attention to how we invest in our core members and send them out. Heat the core and let it work its way out to the fringes. If people see something compelling, either in our lives or in our community, then they will want to come and experience it.

In my congregation, the team who regularly ran Alpha courses on our own church premises, recently moved that course from our building to a local community centre in a working-class housing estate half a mile down the road.

It might sound like a small shift but it’s been significant because the focus was shifted from bringing the community into church to bringing church into the community.

Engaging a younger generation Often the way we do things in church doesn’t naturally engage a generation whose education system conditions them to be active rather than passive.

Technology goes hand in hand with life. Their phones have always been smart. When Youth for Christ asked 1000 teenagers about their favourite activities, their top three responses all involved consuming media. Their research revealed that while 94% of teenagers go online daily, 69% of young people never attend a youth club of any kind.

Attention spans are shorter and online content is consumed at a rapid pace.

Research shows that the average length of time a video is played on YouTube is 11 seconds. In other words, if it hasn’t engaged them in that time, they switch Herald December 2019/January 2020

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off. That’s a challenge to how we often do things in church where a 30-minute spoken presentation is foreign to the Snapchat generation.

This is also a generation suspicious of authority and institution. In previous generations those in authority (teachers, politicians, ministers) were automatically respected because of their position, however having a leadership position today doesn’t equal influence. Take the US President, holding the most powerful position on earth, yet at least half of his own country won’t follow his lead.

He has authority but lacks influence. In contrast, a 15-year-old Swedish girl starts skipping school to protest at climate change and less than a year later millions of people are doing the same all over the planet. She lacks authority but has influence.

Theologian Andrew Root describes this as the ‘age of authenticity’ where the idols are internet stars and social media influencers. People are better connected than ever before and their social circles aren’t limited by geography, however while community is craved, it is a struggle to achieve.

In the last decade, Barna tracked the faith development of millennials by conducting more than 27,000 interviews.

The researchers said that churches successfully engaging millennials made room for meaningful relationships through mentoring relationships.

Engaging a younger generation means leaning away from a church-as-business model and towards a church-as-family model.

Last year I had a phone call from a minister who was telling me about how he was trying to engage the young adults in his congregation. “I think I’m doing it wrong!” he said, before going on to tell me he just invited the young adults from his church to the manse for dinner once a month because he didn’t know what else to do. I think he was doing it just right!

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He was prioritising relationship and moving closer to them. I love how the Apostle Paul described his philosophy of ministry: “We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well.” In the same way we need to engage them in relationship.

Empowering with responsibility It’s not all negative. This generation care deeply and want to make a difference by being part of greater good in the

We’ll honour our forefathers by embracing their principles but being flexible with our practices. world. Research shows they are more likely to volunteer and give time to support good causes. They are self-starters who co-create, live stream and take part. Social media isn’t always destroying them, but often motivates their interests, choices and causes they support.

There’s an entrepreneurial spirit where creativity is high, innovation is important and communication is crucial. They aren’t just on the production line, they want to be the production line. Nontraditional careers are popular as many desire to make an impact on the world, live a life of meaning and lose themselves in a sense of purpose. They won’t just commit because a church, ministry or denomination is where they’ve always been. The cause must be practical, valuable and trustworthy. Don’t assume they aren’t capable. Mark Zuckerberg

launched Facebook as a student, Rory McIlroy has been a national sporting hero since his teens and last month a 15-year-old addressed the UN. Yet often in church, young people are given token roles, entertained or overlooked. More than involving them in our ideas, we need to allow them to shape their ideas, encourage them to have a go and resource them to do it.

We won’t honour our forefathers if we repeat their traditions but lose a generation. We’ll honour our forefathers by embracing their principles but being flexible with our practices. Everyone needs equipped for their ministry.

Let’s empower young people with responsibility.

Back to Nehemiah After Nehemiah wept over the city and inspected the walls, he went on to communicate a clear vision, build a team and involve others. Despite obstacles and opposition Nehemiah led with hope, discerned a response, shared a vision, called people to action and rolled up his own sleeves. Once we survey the land to assess current reality, our heart should stir to find a response, call people to action and roll up our sleeves to do something about the challenges we see. A world of despair desperately needs dealers of hope. Rather than carry a spirit of despair, retreat in frustration and assume the culture is too difficult, we need to respond with a realistic hope. Without hiding away from challenges or pretending everything is fine, we step forward with hope-filled reality that God can repair broken walls and restore ancient ruins.

Rick Hill is PCI’s Discipleship Officer.

DEC 2019/ JAN 2020

Mission Connect

Learning through play

Soaring temperatures and learning through play Diane Cusick

Mission news from workers around Ireland and the world.

Open doors of opportunity Leslie and Mabel Brush Glorifying God into old age Hazel Reid A hidden gem Wendy Hanna Made in Tuum Stephen and Angelina Cowan

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.

Shared fellowship Rev Colin McKibben

Including Dec/Jan prayer diary

Soaring temperatures and learning through play

Diane Cusick

Global mission worker in Zambia

A

s I write, Zambia is in the middle of a heatwave. This is our the Lord is working through our teachers to reach the children in summer, so we expect temperatures in the late 30s, but our centres and classes. this year has been exceptional with temperatures soaring I am also in the process of writing up the child protection policy high into the 40s! This has an effect on everyday life and with the for CCAP Synod of Zambia – after completion, it will be presented drought in the south and west of Zambia last year, people are to Synod next year for adoption. It is an exciting time as we hope struggling to find food and water and many of the animals in the to help both children and adults working with children to be more game reserves are dying. aware of how to look after On top of this, Zambia them. We will then have the It is great to see how the Lord is working is suffering an electricity challenge of actually helping shortage as we depend on people to understand how to through our teachers to reach the children hydropower, and so we have use it. in our centres and classes. at least 10-16 hours with no power daily. This means we cannot keep anything cool in our fridges, and businesses who rely on electricity are really suffering. Prices of most commodities have also risen dramatically in the past few months.

Please pray: However, my work in early childhood development continues to progress slowly. I travelled to Mzuzu, Malawi in November to assist • Pray for Zambia as a country to receive good rains this year so Livingstonia Synod in a refresher course for the teachers at CCAP that people and animals can have water and food, and also International Preschool. It was great to be a part of this as I used to that we can have electricity too.

• Pray for Diane as she prepares for all the training. Pray that she work with all the teachers involved. can motivate teachers to be excited about teaching children in I will be running a training course in Lundazi mid-December for a different way. teachers working in our early childhood classes in primary schools, • Pray that the teachers will be open to learn about new ways of and another one in Lusaka in early January 2020 for teachers in our teaching and that they will see the benefits for the children in church-based early childhood development centres. The teachers their care. in Lundazi are all teaching as if in primary schools with no play • Pray for CCAP Synod of Zambia as they begin implementing materials and children are sitting at desks with pencils and books, their new child protection policy in a country where child rights so it will be a big challenge to help them to understand that and protection is not widely practised or understood. children can learn through play. It is great, however, to see how Mission Connect | Herald December 2019/January 2020

Open doors of opportunity

Leslie and Mabel Brush

Community outreach workers in Tartaraghan Presbyterian Church

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well-known children’s chorus says, “It’s wonderful to be part church hall as the meeting house is too small; plans for a new of God’s amazing plan” and we’ve proved it! We look back church building are being progressed. with thanks on how God led us to Tartaraghan Presbyterian We are thankful to be part of a growing church which proclaims Church where we work as community outreach workers (partthe gospel and has a burden to reach out to the community. time). We both grew up in We have got involved in County Tyrone (Leslie from of the established We are thankful to be part of a growing church some Aughnacloy, Mabel from outreaches and helped Clonaneese) and for almost which proclaims the gospel and has a burden to begin other initiatives.

30 years we worked full-time Mabel leads a fortnightly reach out to the community. with Faith Mission in various women’s Bible study and locations in Ireland. visits those connected with In 2014, when based in Ballymena, our circumstances changed our congregation who’ve just had a baby, providing them with a dramatically due to Leslie’s health. After much prayer we moved ‘baby pack’ as we seek to build relationships with some who rarely to Portadown not really knowing what lay ahead, but with great attend church. peace knowing that God has determined “the exact places where As part of the church’s desire to reach out to the local they should live” (Acts 17:26). community, Leslie has visited homes within a two-mile radius of God opened a door of opportunity to serve in a practical way the meeting house with a ‘What’s on’ leaflet and a ‘Two ways to part-time at the Faith Mission centre in Portadown. We live near live’ gospel booklet. He also co-leads ‘Men @ 10.30’ – an informal Tartaraghan Presbyterian Church and received a warm welcome weekly outreach with bowls, darts, crafts, refreshments and a when we started to attend. Unbeknown to us, the elders had been gospel slot which started in 2019. Leslie also leads Bible studies praying for someone to come and help in pastoral visitation and with individuals in their homes. outreach.

Please pray: Tartaraghan is a rural area which has seen great change due to nearby housing developments at ‘the Birches’. This has been • Pray for wisdom and love as we communicate the gospel. reflected in the congregation with numbers boosted by people • Pray that God will guide all our plans. like ourselves attending who didn’t grow up in the congregation.

• Pray that we will see lives transformed for God’s glory.

We have lots of young families and meet to worship God in the Mission Connect | Herald December 2019/January 2020

Glorifying God into old age

Hazel Reid

Deaconess, First Broughshane Presbyterian Church

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art of my visitation is with a special group of people, who for Faith’ service for those who are unable to get out to church on a long time now, have been on my heart. Not only are they Sunday. We intend to have a service each season beginning with on my heart, but there is a question on my mind that I feel Christmas. It will involve a brief worship service in the church the need to explore – how can we as a church help these dear folks building with familiar hymns and Scripture, followed by a light continue, now they are well into old age, to “glorify God and enjoy lunch in the hall. him forever”?

Another aspect of ministry If my mind isn’t as sharp as it is ‘Shining Stars’ – a monthly Surely our faith can stay fresh as our physical once was, if I forget things, if my afternoon Sunday club which memory is fading, my health commenced in October. This health fails and memory fades? failing, if I have dementia, does was organised by Sandra, this mean I cannot still glorify God and enjoy him, worship him or one of our Sunday school teachers, who has brought together a even come to faith in him for the first time? committee of those interested in teaching primary school children Much thinking around dementia is very positive, suggesting that with additional needs about Jesus. familiar Scripture, hymns and prayer can trigger memories and thoughts of God, bringing feelings of God’s peace, security and Please pray: wellbeing. “Just as the Holy Spirit can unlock the hearts of lifeless • Pray that both Fresh Faith and Shining Stars would encourage sinners, in the same way he can unlock the confused minds of and help many families to experience the blessing of coming elderly people” (Louise Morse, Worshipping With Dementia). together as God’s people and be part of his family. Pray that all In Jeremiah 12:7-8 we read, “Blessed are those who trust in the who come will feel loved, valued and special, special to us as a Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are congregation of God’s people and special to God. like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach down • Pray for Wednesday Friends – as we meet each week, may the deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by long months women be encouraged and challenged in their faith. of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing • Pray that God will bless the girls in the Girls’ Brigade and help fruit.” them to trust him.

Surely our faith can stay fresh as our physical health fails and • As we study ‘Essentials’ in small groups, may we be mature in memory fades?

Christ as a congregation.

At the beginning of December we hope to hold a ‘Fresh Mission Connect | Herald December 2019/January 2020

A hidden gem

Wendy Hanna

Clerical officer, Lawnfield House

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t is possible that if you’ve been to Newcastle you may have time with our residents, carry out daily devotions, crafts, singing missed Lawnfield House, but not anymore. New signage was and entertainment, and accompany staff and residents on trips. erected in October, ensuring that we are clearly visible from the Previously the hosts had stayed in the bungalow attached to main road.

Lawnfield, but since February 2018 this has been converted to We may have been hidden, but we are a gem worth finding. domiciliary living and is currently tenanted by two young men, Lawnfield House residential who are supported by the care home offers both domiciliary care Although Lawnfield is ‘home’ to five residents, Lawnfield permanent and respite team. accommodation for the elderly Throughout the year we it is definitely a ‘holiday’ venue for our respite and for anyone aged 18 and hold many celebrations in residents who enjoy their trip to the seaside. over with various physical Lawnfield. We have had a lot disabilities, visual or sensory of important birthdays among impairment and learning disability. In any one week at Lawnfield our permanent residents this year and, of course, anyone who has there can be residents aged from 18 to 100! a birthday while visiting with us is always treated to a cake and Currently we have five permanent residents, with beds for 14 candles. respite residents. However, it is hoped to change this from January We celebrated the 4th of July with a party (where some very 2020 and to offer 12 permanent beds and seven respite beds. famous people made an appearance) and in September the staff Although Lawnfield is ‘home’ to five residents, it is definitely a and residents invited their friends and family into Lawnfield to the ‘holiday’ venue for our respite residents who enjoy their trip to MacMillan coffee morning. This was enjoyed by all. the seaside. While we have a minibus and residents can enjoy an Now we are looking forward to the Christmas celebrations – and outing or two during their stay – to Newry, Downpatrick or even I am sure I saw an elf somewhere round the home already. further afield – most of our residents love nothing more than going into Newcastle for a coffee, shopping and then to return via the promenade to soak in the scenery.

As well as outings there is always something happening in Please pray: Lawnfield. There are board games, crafts, colouring-in and the • Please pray that the permanent beds will soon be filled. lounge is often used as a bowling alley! There is a weekly visit • Remember in your prayers, the hosts and volunteers who from a hairdresser and we have different speakers who provide come into Lawnfield. We are very thankful for their time and devotions and fellowship every week too. Some weeks we have commitment and the residents appreciate all they do for them. ‘hosts’ who stay in the cabin in Lawnfield grounds. They spend Mission Connect | Herald December 2019/January 2020

Made in Tuum

Stephen and Angelina Cowan Global mission workers in Kenya

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he convoy of Land Rovers, all three of them, bumped slowly is the ongoing tragedy for many. Into this reality, we and other over the plains on their way from Tuum to Baragoi. For the Christians endeavour to share God’s relevance and love. middle vehicle, its inaugural journey had begun, though it During their October mission trip to Tuum, the visiting Nairobi had started months, even years earlier, in the Samburu Awareness law students were challenged to re-examine their familiar and Action Programme (SSAP) garage workshop. Built in Tuum, evangelistic methods of using loud speakers and keyboards, its construction had been delayed, as progress had straddled the replacing them with friendship evangelism. Long journeys to all-absorbing cultural ceremonies, had struggled with increasing Samburu homes, sparse camping conditions and everyday life access to drugs and had struggles in traditional villages stagnated as workers wavered greatly impacted the students Into this reality, we and other Christians to take up their given and they were able to interact responsibilities and tasks. more genuinely with many endeavour to share God’s relevance and love.

In the third Land Rover, in who gathered in the evenings. which we were travelling, we Moses, a Samburu pastor who became aware of an increasing alien smell. We quickly pulled over, often joins with us, recently spoke with authority from his ‘insider’ all jumped out and saw the smoke now belching from under the position, deeply challenging many spiritual strongholds. His words seat behind me. Stephen eventually concluded an electrical short are listened to and increasingly ‘heard’, whether in the ‘garage had occurred, caused by a gas cylinder being thrown into the rear church’ tea break sessions or in this month’s Bible teaching and of the vehicle, breaking the protective cover over the wires leading staff training time. to the extra battery under the seat. Thankfully insufficient heat had been generated to explode the cylinder. The occupant of the seat, a young girl who was carrying her newborn baby, clambered back into the vehicle and gratefully we continued our journey.

Beyond Baragoi we caught up with the leading Land Rover.

Please pray: Together we negotiated our way through a traffic jam of hundreds • Give thanks for protection during the many journeys necessary of animals meandering across the road, creating their own horizon to cover a wide geographical area. from a nearby dam to distant hills. The young, recently initiated • Pray for the cessation of the recent upsurge of violence and warriors watched over their herds and interacted with each other insecurity. and social media. Shortly after we passed, a massive cattle raid • Pray that we are relevant and creative in sharing the incredible took place. All animals were stolen, two of the young men were journey God’s Son made for us. killed and three hospitalised with gunshot injuries. Sadly, such Mission Connect | Herald December 2019/January 2020

Shared fellowship

Rev Colin McKibben Alt Presbyterian Church

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lt is a small border congregation of 23 families in County Catholic. Alt has a small PW which at times has fellowship with Donegal, close to the village of Castlefin, bordering the Donoughmore PW. village of Clady to the north and Castlederg to the south in This year our auxiliary minister Evelyn Boyd retired.

County Tyrone. It became part of a four-point charge in 2015, with Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in our search for another Carnone, Convoy and Donoughmore. one, and as a result of this the four churches decided to move The congregation are very friendly, hardworking, forward times so that I could be with them all on a Sunday morning. It is an thinking, and made up of a early start – 9am and finishing good mix of age groups who around 1.30pm. This seems I look forward to see where God will lead us attend regularly – they are to be working very well and well respected within their it is such a privilege to be as he takes us into the future. community. They take pride in with the members of our four their buildings as they see this congregations each Sunday. as one of the small parts of their witness in the community.

On the fourth Sunday of the month, Rev Gabrielle Farquhar and Sunday school is small with eight children, but it is vibrant, and her husband Maurice (an accredited preacher) take the services. taught on a rotational basis.

It is great to have them and the congregations have taken them Each year the congregation runs a community fun day in the hall to their hearts. I look forward to see where God will lead us as and in a local field provided by one of the members; this takes the he takes us into the future. In January the four churches come form of a sports fun day with BBQ and epilogue. together for joint Communion which is very special.

Harvest is a very special time in this farming community – it We hope to appoint a part-time youth worker for the next three is well supported and celebrated by all the local churches. For years and to have the finances in place for this. Hopefully they will the first time this year they held a BBQ after church for the sister start in the new year. congregations and community and just over 200 people came. It was a great afternoon of fellowship, with the desserts going down a treat.

Please pray: Coming into the autumn, a shared Bible study commences • Give thanks for the work of the members of Alt. between the four congregations and neighbouring churches • Pray for our new elders as they settle into their posts. and is held in Donoughmore. Youth club is provided on Friday • Pray for the appointment of a part-time youth worker. nights by the members of Carnone, with a membership of 70 • Pray that members would continue to grow deeper in their faith. children from the four churches and the community. Holiday • Pray that more of our younger members (25-35) will attend on a Bible club is held in Convoy each August and is supported by all more regular basis. the congregations and all the community, both Protestant and Mission Connect | Herald December 2019/January 2020

DEC 2019/ JAN 2020

Please pray for... n WORLD DEVELOPMENT – Pray that this year’s World Development Appeal entitled ‘Farming God’s Way’, supporting Tearfund and Christian projects in Mozambique and Bangladesh, will be well-supported. n 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. n DEACONESS – Joanne Dunlop, serving in Craigavon and Antrim Area hospitals. Give thanks for the ongoing encouragement of God-appointed encounters with patients and staff members at both hospitals.

n STRATEGIC PLANNING – The Council for Social Witness has embarked on its next Strategic Plan 2018-2023. Give thanks for the achievements under God’s grace in the last Strategic Plan and pray that God will give guidance and direction for ongoing work and future development.

n HOME MISSION – Greystones congregation, whose vision is to be a church that reaches out to the men and women of north County Wicklow with Christ’s transforming message of grace, love and forgiveness. Pray too for the minister, Rev Gary McDowell.

n DEACONESS – Hazel Reid serving in First Broughshane. Pray for Hazel as she visits people, especially those in the congregation with ill health.

n GLOBAL MISSION WORKERS – PCI global mission workers, most of whom will be spending Christmas overseas, separated from their wider family. Pray that each will be blessed and encouraged as they celebrate the birth of the One they are seeking to serve.

n PAKISTAN – Staff and students at Gujranwala Theological Seminary and United Bible Training Centre.

Pray especially for the resourcing and development of these institutions.

Joanne Dunlop

n HOME MISSION – Carrigart and Dunfanaghy congregations, and for the minister, Rev Andrew Watson. Pray that the Lord would help the congregations to apply what they are learning at services and Bible studies in their everyday lives to his glory.

n KENYA – Gary and Mary Reid and their ongoing mission within Maasailand.

Pray particularly for the ongoing work at the Ewang’an Worship Centre and for its successful completion. n 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.

n DISABILITY SERVICES COMMITTEE – The Disability Services Committee oversees the work of the Kinghan Church, Willow Brook, Aaron House, Lawnfield House and Peacehaven and also advises the wider Church on issues related to disability. Give thanks for the opportunity to serve in this very special area of social care.

n COMMUNITY OUTREACH – Timothy Vaughan, community outreach worker in Garnerville Presbyterian Church. Pray for his work with Knocknagoney Primary School, that God’s light would shine through. n SOCIAL WORKERS AND CARE STAFF – Give thanks for a dedicated workforce of over 400 social workers and care staff throughout PCI’s units. Pray for them as they work unsociable hours, often in difficult and demanding circumstances and pray that they find relaxation during their downtime. n 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.

n 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. n NIGHTLIGHT – The ongoing work of Nightlight. Pray for Brian and Linzie and all the volunteers during this busy Christmas party season. n ROMANIA – Csaba and Ilona Veres and their work with the Diakonia mission.

Pray that staff will use opportunities to share the good news at Christmas and New Year family events throughout the region.

n URBAN MISSION – Rev Rodney Cameron and St Columba’s congregation. Pray for their new social outreach programme in the Old Warren estate, with a weekly drop-in and monthly soup lunch. n CHAPLAINS – Forces chaplains who work with new recruits – often young men and women with little church connection before joining the armed services. n URBAN MISSION – The life and witness of Taughmonagh Presbyterian Church in south Belfast and remember the minister, Rev Robert Love.

n DEACONESS – Sonya Anderson, serving in Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee. Pray for the church family to continue to grow strong inwardly and remain focused outwardly on the community. n MIDDLE EAST – This is the region that witnessed the birth of Christ. Pray for the people of this region, especially that the traumatised, the refugee, the widow and the orphan may know the hope and comfort of ‘Immanuel – God with us’. n VOLUNTARY, COMMUNITY AND FAITH SECTORS – Many organisations and groups within these sectors have had their funding reduced or completely cut over past months.

Pray for those service users who will struggle without the appropriate support, and for individuals who have lost their jobs as a result of the withdrawal or reduction in funding. n MIDDLE EAST – Staff at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary, and pray for the students as they study and prepare for future service. n IRISH MISSION – Philip Whelton, Irish mission worker serving in Arklow. Pray for the children’s and youth clubs, as well as the holiday Bible club, that through these ministries many young people will come to know Jesus. n DEACONESS – Michelle Purdy serving in Ballyclare and for all the opportunities she has to love others through the toddler group, foodbank and links with local community groups.

Csaba and Ilona Veres

n SPAIN – Grupos Biblicos Unídos (GBU) – a Spanish Christian student organisation as they seek to reach non-Christian students with the gospel and develop leaders who in future will contribute to the growth and development of the church in Spain.

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

www.presbyterianireland.org/prayer

Side by Side

Pauline Kennedy shares some of the heart behind the ‘Side by Side’ events that took place recently in Belfast, Ballymena, Richhill and Derry.

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ast year PCI organised a focus day to think of ways to encourage intergenerational women’s ministry within our congregations and to inspire spiritual growth. As a result of this a new initiative called ‘Side by Side’ was planned, aiming to enthuse, envision and equip women of all ages and stages to think differently about how we do women’s ministry and how we can come alongside each other.

In September and October, four regional events took place with over 800 women attending. We were overwhelmed by the interest and delighted that all four venues booked out very quickly. This enthusiasm highlights that there is an appetite for this conversation throughout our congregations.

Together, at each event, we had the opportunity to explore how we can be women who build each other up, finding fresh ways to walk and grow in faith together. We also took time to consider what the Bible says about coming side by side each other and how we need to focus on Jesus who modelled coming close to those who worked alongside him for the sake of the gospel. We heard different stories of how women are doing this in their everyday lives and in the life and witness of their congregations, as well as looking at some practical steps we can take to help us move towards others.

It’s important to say that Side by Side is not a programme, and it’s not the next new ‘shiny thing’. It’s simply doing what we’ve been called to do by the One who did it for us. It’s a way of life. Therefore, we need to intentionally find ways to invest in the lives of others. In her book, One-to-One, Sophie de Witt defines this as: “One Christian taking the initiative with another individual to help them know Christ better and obey him more fully, through studying the Scriptures, prayer (for and with them) and sharing one’s life with them – leaving the results to God.” Being side by side with someone is not complicated or difficult. Every day, God gives us ways to connect with one another in our church families and communities.

What about you? Who is God putting on your heart even now as you read this?

How could you invest in them over the next year? Pray for opportunities and conversations, and be alert to God’s leading. Then, ask him to help you to take the next step. Love always moves towards others. Getting side by side – rather than keeping our distance – is about answering that call to love and be loved in the community of his church.

Pauline Kennedy is PCI’s Women’s Ministry and PW Development Officer.

Resources We want to inspire and enthuse you to catch this vision. We also want to enable and equip you by highlighting some great resources that are available: The Side by Side web page features a downloadable version of the Side by Side video and recordings of the talks and stories shared at these events (www. presbyterianireland.org/sidebyside) Women Growing Together Side by Side is a resource that summarises the heart behind side by side relationships, giving practical suggestions about what to do next. They are available to purchase from the Congregational Life and Witness office or through the Side by Side webpage.

ASK is a set of cards, on various themes, which can be used as prayer prompts.

Share is a resource that helps support congregations to develop their community witness, and grow in confidence in telling others about Jesus.

Proximity is a resource that has been specifically designed for meeting one-to-one or in twos and threes to study the Bible.

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ASK, Share and Proximity are all available from the resources section of the PCI website: www.presbyterianireland.org We will continue to build on the Side by Side initiative as we look forward to having Sophie de Witt (author of Compared to Her and One-to-One) as the keynote speaker at the Presbyterian Women’s annual conference on 7 May 2020 – everyone welcome.

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Farming God’s way

Uel Marrs highlights this year’s World Development Appeal and describes his recent trip to Mozambique to see some of the Appeal’s projects in action.

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

Photography: Chris Nelson

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tepping out of the vehicle, it was shirt-sleeve weather for the small party who had travelled from Ireland, with temperatures not far short of 30°C. All the same, I couldn’t help noticing that some of the local people were wearing woolly hats.

On inquiring about this, it was explained to me that this was winter time in Mozambique!

The country of Mozambique, located in the tropics, bordered by the Indian Ocean, is vulnerable to floods, cyclones and drought. 80% of the population lives on less than $2 per day; 50% have no access to clean water; and 2.1 million people do not have enough food. This is compounded by the fact that, after the nation received its independence from Portugal in 1975, there were many years of civil war between warring factions who had struggled to reach what is still a tenuous peace agreement.

We had arrived in a rural area known as Inhassoro in the Inhambane District of the country. Weaving our way between the simply constructed dwellings, it became clear that we were being introduced to a community comprised mainly of subsistence farmers who had few material possessions. We had been briefed that about one third of that community were ‘food insecure’ and, for many, in each year, April to August were known as ‘the hungry months’. They regularly came through seasons when they did not know where they would find their next meal.

…whatever hardships they had to deal with… these were a dignified people who had hope in their hearts.

A welcoming party approached, coming from the small, mud church in the distance, dancing and singing vibrantly.

One young woman with a baby on her back was leading the singing and wearing one of the woolly hats; one proclaimed boldly, “Love Worship!” As we listened to their praise we had a growing sense that whatever hardships they had to deal with from day to day, these were a dignified people who had hope in their hearts.

We processed informally along with our welcoming party into the church, a building that had been completed just six months earlier. To the side of the church you could see large holes in the ground from which the mud had been extracted to construct the building. Gradually a congregation gathered and mats were spread out on the dusty floor so that people could be seated, with plastic chairs at the front for the guests and the church leaders.

The pastor welcomed us warmly and took the opportunity to express deep appreciation for the support they had been receiving from Tearfund’s partner in Mozambique, the Ecumenical Committee for Social Development (CEDES). Yet I found there was something remarkable about his words of thanks, for while the community had experienced material improvement in their livelihoods in recent years, the pastor’s heartfelt thanks recognised that this was very much a result of the inspiring vision and ideas that the church and wider community gained from engaging in the Bible study programme provided for them.

Togetherness Horácio Valoi, the CEDES programme director for the district, explained that the programme referred to by the pastor was entitled, Umoja, a Swahili word that means ‘togetherness’. It recognises the capacity of every man, woman and child to come together and share in a vision for their future, one not limited by their context, culture or circumstances. Each one of the Bible studies had focused on stories of God’s working in the world and had been key to empowering the church to achieve their vision. They had been encouraged to come together in cooperatives and to work together to identify and pool their resources, and to discover the resilience to work for that vision to become a reality.

CEDES also recognised that there were no quick-fix solutions but that as Herald December 2019/January 2020

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communities work together, God has a purpose for them and with time they will come to lead and control their own development as they respond to their circumstances and are propelled into action towards improving their livelihoods.

One of the results was that within the church, families, and communities, relationships deepened, both with God and each other. What started in the church spilled over into the wider community, ultimately strengthening relationships between church and community as people recognised that they needed one another.

Using what you have One of the series of studies was based on the story of Moses in Exodus 3 and 4. Having encountered God in the burning bush, Moses was called to rescue the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt. Yet having fled the royal courts of Egypt, Moses was now living the humble existence of a shepherd out in the desert, wondering how on earth he would accomplish what God was asking him to do. He felt so inadequate and was desperate for help for what seemed an impossible task.

What form did God’s help take? Was it to provide Moses with an army or a handout of money? No, God’s response was simply to ask him, “Moses, what is that in your hand?” Yet all that Moses was carrying was a simple shepherd’s staff that he used for pulling sheep out of holes and warding off wild animals.

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

Many were delighting in the faithfulness of God and finding their worth in him…

It was something that he carried with him all the time to the point he barely even noticed he had it. It seemed that God’s help was to be found in what Moses already had at hand, a simple staff that in time Moses would use to perform miraculous signs: thrown down before Pharaoh to become a snake; raised up to part the Red Sea; and striking a rock to bring forth life-giving water.

This Bible study, and others like it, inspired the church and ultimately the wider community in Inhassoro to grasp afresh the truth that they had a God who takes hold of ordinary, everyday lives to accomplish some of the most extraordinary achievements.

In addition to the Bible studies, CEDES provided the church and community with training in conservation agriculture. In the past they had relied on ‘slash and burn’ farming over large tracts of land. This method depended on having access to a plough to turn over the land, being able to buy and plant seed, relying on expensive, chemical fertiliser that few could afford, and, not least, praying for it to rain at the right times! Yet drought was commonplace and invariably many in the community had to live through a hungry season, at best having one meal a

day, while at other times going without food altogether. As a result, one third of the households in the locality were food insecure.

Changing farming practices So what had God made clear during the Bible studies? What had the people come to see as locally available resources that were readily at hand, ones they had not seen before? As a result of the cooperatives, large plots of land were broken down into smaller beds for each person. Instead of using a plough, hoes were employed, and each family was able to tend to their smallholding. While they couldn’t afford chemical fertiliser, they were able to gather up chicken manure from the yards of their homesteads and occasionally collect some bat droppings, which together with last year’s plant debris such as ground nut leaves which are high in zinc, contributed to making a natural mulch known as ‘God’s blanket’.

This helped to maintain the water content in the soil, to reduce soil erosion and served as an organic fertiliser.

Seedlings were planted one by one, being carefully spaced, and these farmers visited their plot each day diligently weeding. In this semi-arid region, impacted by climate change, rainfall was unpredictable. So in addition to praying for rain, they hand-dug shallow wells as near as possible to their plots so they could water them daily. If they struggled to buy a watering can they improvised by punching holes in the bottom of a

plastic juice bottle. All in all, these new approaches to farming ultimately led to a better quality and quantity of crops, such as kale, cabbage, carrots, onions, lettuce and green peppers. On top of that, they found they were even able to produce a harvest outside the normal growing season!

It was exciting to hear the farmers tell their stories of inspirational Bible study, new farming techniques that were reliant on local resources, and the wonderful impact on church and community life.

Later in the day we had the opportunity to drive out to see their plots just a short distance from the church, and it was then that the full impact of what had been achieved was brought home to us. After travelling along the main road, down along a dirt track through the bush, we arrived at a flat, expansive area where the community were cultivating their plots.

People could be seen dotted here and there, tending to their crops. One by one, as they saw us approaching, they set down their tools and converged on our vehicle. An older lady started to sing a chorus and one by one all the farmers joined in, joining together to welcome us on our arrival and then taking a moment to pray with thankfulness for this occasion. These hard-working folk had a quiet joy about them, a sense of togetherness, of thankfulness, of anticipation and hope in their hearts, despite all the back-breaking work they were engaged in. The fruitfulness of their labour was clear to see, despite the

Your support of the 2019 World Development Appeal will enable organisations…to engage with some of the world’s poorest people… fragility of their environment and the lack of rainfall in that region.

It was a delight to see all the greenery spreading out across the otherwise arid plain. They continued to share their stories of blessing, highlighting the significance of conservation farming techniques, and insisted on providing us with gifts from their harvest – some of the biggest cabbages I have ever seen!

Now these farmers not only had enough food for their families but a small surplus that they could sell. With a little extra cash coming in and with training from CEDES’ ‘savings and loans’, selfhelp groups began to spring up, as did small businesses. Families began to make improvements to their houses, to educate their children, and to put an offering in the basket at Sunday church services.

In the case of the congregation we had encountered, they had been able to move from meeting under a tree to having a semi-permanent structure, the one we had visited earlier in the day. Here people were growing more resilient and hopeful about the future. All of life was changed for the better and every facet of life was

being transformed. Many were delighting in the faithfulness of God and finding their worth in him through this church and community transformation process.

How to offer your support Psalm 126:6 says, “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” Your support of the 2019 World Development Appeal will enable organisations like CEDES and others to engage with some of the world’s poorest people, implementing good sustainable development practices and seeding the hope of a more secure future, where communities work together to enjoy the fruits of the resources and resilience within them. By prayerfully and practically contributing to this year’s Appeal, you are demonstrating God’s love for those struggling to survive in dangerous and fragile states around the world.

Learn, pray, and give through the resources provided by World Development, online at www. presbyterianireland.org/world-development Uel Marrs is PCI’s Secretary of the Council for Global Mission.

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Ministering to ministers

Niall Lockhart outlines the work of PCI’s panel that is focused on how the Church pastorally supports ministers and their families.

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grew up in a manse. I have many memories of meetings in our lounge, callers at our door, and phone calls at varying hours of the day and night as my mum and dad engaged with the pastoral needs of a congregation.

As a family, the congregation where my dad served throughout the length of his ministry was in the fullest sense ‘home’ for us. At every stage along the way we were blessed with friends who did life with us and people of all ages who genuinely cared for us.

Yet looking back it’s maybe only now that I realise there was one thing that,

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Niall with his father

growing up, I didn’t have. I didn’t have a minister. We didn’t have a minister. Of course technically I did, but that minister was my dad.

The questions: ‘who ministers to the ministers?’ and ‘who ministers to their families?’ are questions that naturally arise within our Presbyterian way of doing things. Our General Assembly has a panel for the pastoral care of ministers and their families, which sits under the Council for Training in Ministry.

The existence of such a panel does not single ministers and their families out as being either special or unique. All individuals and all families, within our Church, need pastoral care. However, what it does seek to ensure is that ministers and their families do not get overlooked.

Fellowship is often most rich when it is a sharing among sisters and brothers who would not necessarily seek each other out.

Following on from the 2018 General Assembly, our panel sought to engage in a listening exercise with the wider Church regarding this important issue.

This process provided an invaluable opportunity to hear from each of our presbyteries and also to reflect upon where they felt, within our Presbyterian set-up, pastoral care for ministers and their families should properly lie.

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is an ‘ordered Church’. As such we have a ‘Code’, a constitution, which describes the roles and responsibilities that individuals and various bodies have within the life of the Church. As our panel reflected upon the task assigned to it, we began to realise that the Code itself was relatively silent on this important issue. So the idea emerged of introducing some small, but significant changes to the Code, to both clarify and shape how ministers within PCI (and their families) should receive and experience pastoral care.

Within our Church it is presbytery that has responsibility for the oversight of the ministers and elders connected with it. The 2019 Assembly agreed to introduce an additional word into the Code’s description of what presbytery is, and by extension, what it does. That word is ‘fellowship’.

Further to June’s Assembly, the Code now expressly names presbytery as a place of ‘fellowship’ (Par 69(2)). Fellowship is a Bible word, with a richness and a bigness to it. The New Testament word koinōnia which lies behind our English word ‘fellowship’ carries with it a range of meanings: it is about sharing together in a common task; it is about relationships; a practical togetherness; partnership; a willingness not just to be joined, but even to suffer together. Koinōnia in its New Testament usage is an action word, it is not just something you enjoy or opt in or out of. It is a strong word; it speaks of commitment, something that is worked out, a belonging that is intrinsic to who you are.

Sometimes words can be like seeds.

When first planted they lie below the

surface and then they begin to grow.

Every minister within PCI is a member of a presbytery, or as our Code now puts it, a member of a ‘fellowship’.

Reimagining presbytery in this way has real potential to be a blessing to ministers across our denomination.

Fellowship is often most rich when it is a sharing among sisters and brothers who would not necessarily seek each other out. There is something stretching, but over the long haul enriching, about growing in a fellowship that Eugene Peterson you have not chosen to be a part of, and where you are not in charge.

If presbytery is a fellowship, it flows naturally from this that the fellowship will have a pastoral concern for those within its membership, and especially for those (and their families) who do not otherwise have a minister. This was also acknowledged by the 2019 Assembly which clarified the duty upon each presbytery to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for the pastoral care of ministers and their families (Code Par 73(e)).

One of the strengths of our presbytery system is that it encourages a diversity within a wider unity. Our presbyteries are not all the same. That variety is a good thing. Local approaches can be honed and shaped in a way that works on the ground. Stories begin to flow of ways in which presbyteries have been doing, and are now developing, this work of pastoral care among their ministers. Pastor pastorums; pastoral teams; companies of pastors; one-to-one pastoral linkups; social gatherings; signposting to retreats and outside agencies; the simple

One of the strengths of our presbytery system is that it encourages a diversity within a wider unity.

recommending of a book or the sharing of a cup of coffee – all of these and more are increasingly becoming tools in the box as presbyteries seek to care for ministers and their families.

Eugene Peterson, who visited with us in PCI at our Special Assembly back in 1997, describes the life of any Christian as “a long obedience in the same direction”.

Recently I picked up a book

by Zack Eswine entitled The Imperfect Pastor. The title of his book needs little explanation. Ministers are ordinary people who do a particular job. Their families are ordinary people.

Like any individual, and any family, if ministers and their families are to embrace a long obedience in the same direction, they need pastoral care.

As a Church we are always ‘re-forming’ how we do things. Nurturing an environment of fellowship, encouragement and care, with presbyteries at the strategic centre of how this is done, is something that by definition every minister has not only a stake in, but an opportunity to play their part in.

As a panel we seek to play our part, facilitating the sharing of resources, stories and models of good practice, while at the same time helping identify issues where further work needs to be done. We seek to be encouragers as the Church continues on this journey. We seek to do this within the context of PCI, a place that is for all of us; our Church, our home.

Rev Niall Lockhart is minister of Ballyhenry and convener of PCI’s pastoral care of ministers and their families panel.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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Imagination & interpretation Betsy Cameron chats to the Old Testament scholar and theologian, Walter Brueggemann.

T

he first thing you notice is his intense, piercing gaze and the second thing is his hearty, warm laugh, often at his own expense.

As engaging as he is scholarly, it is hard to imagine a more towering figure in biblical scholarship than the American theologian Walter Brueggemann. A prolific writer of over 100 books and a brilliant communicator, his influence has extended way beyond ‘the ivory tower’ to the ordinary person in the pew. For everyone interested in exploring the riches of God’s Word – whether an academic, minister or layperson – he opens up the Bible in imaginative, exciting and challenging ways.

At 86, he describes himself as “disciplined, blessed and old”. His life’s journey has been one of faith, having grown up the son of a German evangelical pastor in the rural midwest of America and been shaped by that culture of German pietism. He memorised the catechism at age 13, went to church camps in the summer and studied theology as a young adult. Faith, he says, “was the air I breathed every day.”

In seminary, he found himself drawn to the Old Testament, the department “with all the best teachers”. He also discovered the work of the German theologian Gerhard von Rad, who explored the importance of the Hebrew Bible for Christians during the Nazi years when this was a difficult thing

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to do. At home in the Old Testament, Brueggemann found enough there to capture his attention and, over his life, has made enormous contributions to our understanding of the prophets and the psalms, as well as contributing to the work of interpreting Scripture.

I am intrigued, first of all, by his interest in the prophets, those notoriously strange figures whose messages never find what we might call a warm reception.

This brings us neatly to a word that recurs throughout his work: imagination. The prophets, through the poetry of their words, present an alternative world to the one they see around them. Through this act of the imagination, they remind us that a different world is possible. The situations that the prophets speak into so closely resemble our contemporary world that they might be headlines from the day’s news, which makes their ancient message of huge importance still today. “I think that’s why people show up at church. They want to know whether there is any other world available than the one that we can see,

The task of the church, says Brueggemann, is to…“manifest the transformative power of the gospel…”

which we can hardly bear.”

If you have ever explored the riches of the psalms and learned to categorise them as ones of “orientation, disorientation and reorientation,” then you have relied on Brueggemann’s important insights into these complex poetic works. I ask him what he finds interesting about the psalms, and he enthusiastically replies, “Everything!

Their honesty, their playfulness with imagery, their relentless focus on God.” Another of Brueggemann’s contributions has been in the area of biblical interpretation. I’m aware that the suggestion that we interpret when we read the Bible is troubling to some.

Brueggemann responds, “The Bible is not hard to read because of bureaucratic jargon or confusion. It is hard to read because it is dense and elusive. It requires interpretation and every interpretation is in some part advocacy of a subjective kind. This means that our interpretive work is urgent and will never end.”

Whereas many Christians devote a lot of energy to the quarrel between liberals and conservatives, Brueggemann has a different take. He understands that all of us, whether liberal or conservative, are “mostly held in thrall to the dominant ideology” and so, perversely, might have more in common than we think. For Brueggemann, the “dominant ideology” involves consumerism and our reckless desire to have more; nationalism, which tell us that God is on our side; and militarism, which tells us that enemies must be destroyed. The stranglehold of

the dominant ideology generates “greed, anxiety and violence” and “is a lie, which cannot produce life.” The task of the church, says Brueggemann, is to resist the lure of ideology and to “manifest the transformative power of the gospel, to witness to and to act out God’s purpose for the world that is justice and peace.”

I know he is an avid baseball fan – the St Louis Cardinals are his team – and wonder if he has any other ordinary interests or hobbies when he takes a break from academia, so I ask him what he’s been reading lately. He tells me he has just finished Forgive Us Our Debts, which explores the Old Testament practice of cancelling debt in the Jubilee year. Perhaps he never really strays far from that ancient Semitic world he loves so much.

Though his life’s work has been in the Old Testament, Brueggemann goes to one of Paul’s letters to cite his favourite

The Bible is…hard to read because it is dense and elusive. It requires interpretation… verse, referring back to the catechism he learnt as a boy. “Question 72 in the old Evangelical Catechism asks, ‘Wherein is the humiliation and exaltation of Christ briefly expressed?’

The answer is Philippians 2:511. I never thought the answer was ‘brief ’, but it catches the whole thing.” And his favourite hymn – a “singable version of our best faith” – is Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. He reminds me that, in the big picture of the Bible story, we learn about the judgment of God and the hope of God. We are taught that “the world is under the promises of God that in the end will

not fail” and that God’s holiness and the command of Jesus to love our neighbour help us “contest the tension” between the world we see and the world we yearn for.

An ordained minister, Brueggemann declares he could never be a pastor as he lacks the requisite patience. He shrugs off the label ‘theologian’ even while admitting that he “likes to work at seeing the astonishing contemporaneity of the church’s theological claims.”

The idea of being thought of as a writer, however, seems to be a shoe that fits. “I love knowing, most of the time, what right word comes next.”

And what words he has held up for us to explore – words rich with meaning and possibility that fire our imagination, that point us to hope and that deepen our understanding of what it means to live in this world as followers of Jesus.

Three Presbyterians describe how Brueggemann’s work has influenced them: Many have testified to Brueggemann’s profound influence on their reading of Scripture and I’m glad to explain why that’s the case for me too. The title of one of his books conveys much of what Brueggemann has brought to our interpretation of the Bible – The Prophetic Imagination.

An appreciation of the way in which human words can become porous to the probing of the Spirit of God is central to Brueggemann’s work. Such rhetorically-charged and context-sensitive language, poetic, in fact, becomes a more fitting vehicle for the sharing of divine truth than merely propositional language which diminishes the message by being dull, flat and predictable.

In short, Brueggemann is a sage seer who, in the title of another of his books, encourages us to be Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth.

Allen Sleith, minister of Hillsborough Presbyterian Church

I began reading and listening to Walter Brueggemann just a few years ago. He demonstrates that whatever theological category we attribute to one another, all of us engage in interpretation when we examine the Scriptures. Accordingly, our response, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to the Bible involves our personal, social and cultural experiences. No wonder, therefore, that methods and outcomes differ as we try to form definite convictions about the will of God. However, Brueggemann not only challenges me to participate in this interpretative process but also encourages me to continue to work out my faith in practical terms. He writes: “Faith is both the conviction that justice can be accomplished and the refusal to accept injustice”. Brueggemann’s argument that the transformative good news of Jesus Christ runs counter to all forms of oppression on every level rings loudly and clearly. I intend to read and listen more.

Sylvia McCracken, elder in Belmont Presbyterian Church

I first read Walter Brueggemann by oil lamp in Malawi more than 30 years ago and was excited, energised and entranced by how he brought the Bible alive. He brought Word and world together in amazing ways, demonstrating how the ancient biblical text helps us understand the contemporary world in transformative ways, rooted in the gospel imperatives of justice, righteousness, concern for the poor and peace. For Brueggemann, conservative evangelicals too often go to the text knowing exactly what it is going to say; and progressive liberals too often skip over the strange world of the Bible, embarrassed by how alien, irrelevant and incomprehensible it all sounds to modern ears. Deploying all the tools of scholarship he can muster, his approach is to pay close attention to the text in an engaged and open-minded way to see what it might be saying that has not been noticed before. The result has been consistently challenging, stimulating and profoundly deepening of my faith.

Mark Gray, minister of Bannside Presbyterian Church

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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Giving the

gift of hope

Jason Nicholson outlines the life-changing work of the Presbyterian Children’s Society.

C

hristmas! For many, the season evokes thoughts of fun with friends and family and the enjoyment of giving and receiving gifts. For them, as the song and the shopkeepers compellingly suggest: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” But for others, Christmas can be a painful reminder of a broken relationship, absent loved ones, illness, loneliness or financial hardships, any of which can make this season the most worrying time of the year.

For some, it’s a time of great celebration: festive food, neatly wrapped presents, carefully decorated trees, song and dance. Whilst for others, faced with the agony of financial stresses and strains, it’s a time of great crisis: lack of food, no presents, lament and despair. For some, Christmas equals profit; while for Christians, Christmas is unmistakably concerned with the Prophet from Bethlehem.

These contrasts surrounding Christmas are deeply challenging; they are, however, not new. Christ was born into a world of contrasts; a “season of darkness” (to use Dickens’ phrase from A Tale of Two Cities) welcomed the light of the world: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a

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land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2).

He was born far away from home, after an almost perilous journey that symbolised the restless and wandering nature of the world into which he came.

He was cradled in a stable; a symbol of the fact that during his earthly ministry, he would never enjoy the securities and safeties of life that many of us take for granted. He travelled the roads and towns of ancient Judea, with at times “nowhere even to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).

Furthermore, he died relatively poor, despite his resplendent riches in heaven.

Riches he gave up willingly to help support others and to restore humanity’s hope: “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

When we reflect on those words, we

Compared with last year, applications to date for regular grants from the Society have increased by around 60%.

are challenged by his example of riches to rags; the complete antithesis of what many of us hope for today. His generous grace and boundless compassion contrasts the selfish commercial materialism which can unconsciously grip our hearts and wallets, despite our best efforts to protect them. Yet, despite this, the practice of giving is central to the Christmas story. Everyone, it appears, gave something; some giving more than others.

Firstly, Mary gave her body to bear God’s Son. As a young woman engaged to Joseph, she probably had her own hopes and dreams. But, when confronted with the news of God’s plan, she relinquished her own intentions and submitted to his. As Christians, perhaps we should follow Mary’s example and give ourselves completely to God in the service of others?

Secondly, the shepherds gave their testimony about the newborn Messiah.

After hearing the announcement of his birth and bearing witness to a heavenly host praising God, the shepherds left

their sheep and hurried to find the newborn child. However, they didn’t withhold the news of this heavenly gift from others; they enthusiastically proclaimed the birth of the promised Messiah. Perhaps, we should consider sharing with others those blessings God has provided for us?

Thirdly, the wise men gave gifts to Jesus. These mysterious men, travelling all the way from Persia and arriving in Jerusalem, asked, “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).

After finding the child, and kneeling to offer their worship, they presented Christ with gifts that simultaneously acknowledged his royalty (gold), deity (frankincense) and humanity (myrrh).

In all of our Christmas celebrations, we too should first offer Jesus our worship.

Then, by recognising the significance

of his grace towards us in our need, we can share his grace with others in their need, recognising their intrinsic dignity and value. Furthermore, and realising that the greatest giver in the Christmas story is God himself, you and I have a responsibility to “share freely with others in need” (Deuteronomy 15:11).

This biblical imperative has been taken seriously by Presbyterians, through the work of the Presbyterian Children’s Society, for over 153 years.

In responding to the need in our denomination, the Society continues to give hope to Presbyterian children and their families in times of financial need. We are helping ‘people like us’ who, because of circumstances such as

…the Society continues to give hope to Presbyterian children and their families in times of financial need. bereavement, separation, divorce, single parenthood, disability, and low income, would struggle to make ends meet. This work is growing.

Compared with last year, applications to date for regular grants from the Society have increased by around 60%.

An increase in demand for exceptional grants has also been prevalent this year.

The need among Presbyterian families is evident, particularly as the impact of welfare reform, recent large-scale redundancies and rising living costs are experienced by many families throughout Ireland. Presbyterians, in appreciating this great need, have always responded well. Therefore, faced with an increased demand for our grants, which last year totalled almost two thirds of a million pounds, we encourage congregations to continue giving generously to the ongoing work of the Society.

Like that first Christmas, life can greet us with many interruptions, which most of us I’m sure would be completely unprepared for. They can stir anxiety and fear. They can rob us of our sleep and our joy. Mary and Joseph’s life was interrupted with a surprise pregnancy and a sudden census. Likewise, many of the applications received by the Society for help detail similar unforeseen interruptions; situations perhaps less dramatic but in many ways, no less worrying or difficult.

Consider those families recently faced with the prospect of redundancy on the cusp of Christmas; or a widow left to care for three children after their father dies suddenly. These families, like any of those supported by the Society, are confronted with a range of emotions all of us in their circumstances would share – desperation, denial, heartache and

Contact our office or visit our website for more information.

Tel: +44 (0)28 9032 3737 Email: info@presbyterianchildrenssociety.org Web: www.presbyterianchildrenssociety.org Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101444

hopelessness.

Faced with financial distress, an application is made to the Society by their minister, whose constant presence and comforting prayers helps to complement the practical financial provision from the Society in the form of a grant. Does this solve all of the family’s difficulties? Perhaps not. But it does reassure them that light follows darkness.

This has been the experience of many families across the generations helped by the Society. Cathy, who features in the Society’s new promotional film People Like Us, says, “Nobody’s life is plain sailing. But it’s nice to know that someone’s praying for you. It’s nice to know that somebody out there cares that wee bit about you and that can make you feel so less lonely.”

If the work of the Society demonstrates anything, it is surely that whatever our background or circumstances, there is

help and there is always hope. Kelley, another mother supported by the Society, encourages us to know that we’re never alone: “…We’ve got that wider Church family who don’t know us personally, but who are actually willing to give money to help people like us.”

These are real people, with real needs, really helped by you. For Mary and Joseph, while the long road from Nazareth to Bethlehem was unpleasant and difficult, when they finally arrived, ‘hope’ was born. This is what the Society seeks to bring to Presbyterian families not just at Christmas, but throughout their lives. Please help us to continue to give the gift of hope to Presbyterian families in financial need.

Jason Nicolson is executive secretary of the Presbyterian Children’s Society. To donate, enquire about grant application, or find out more about the Society’s work, go to: www.presbyterianchildrenssociety.org Herald December 2019/January 2020

47

REVIEWS

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

Sparkle. Pop. Rampage.

Rend Collective Kids SPARROW RECORDS

£9

«««««

I really like the Rend Collective so was very excited to hear they had made a kids’ album. At first I wasn’t sure what the title, Sparkle.

Pop. Rampage. meant, but after listening to the songs it makes perfect sense.

I like this album a lot because it makes me happy and some of the words are very funny – it sounds like the kind of songs that I would make up in my head! It’s all sorts of happy songs rolled into one fun album.

The music makes me feel like I want to jump up and dance and sing along to it. Listening to it makes me feel brave; it makes me feel like no matter what the world throws at you, God is always in my corner to help. It also makes me want to be more kind.

My favourite song is God of Science because it makes me think of all the good things that God has blessed us with. It reminds me not to take the world for granted because God has made everything. One of my favourite lines is: “You made apple juice, sunflowers, penguins and rhinos, pineapples, Jupiter, elbows and geckos... pandas and nostrils and trees.”

I think anyone would enjoy this CD because I have a little sister and she really likes it and I’m 11 and I love it too. My parents love it as well, so everyone should buy the album and worship God in style.

KM

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The Longest Wait Alison Brewis, illustrated by Jenny Brake 10PUBLISHING £3.50

«««««

The Longest Wait is a delightfully written and beautifully illustrated book telling the nativity in a unique way as we follow the story of those who are waiting for Christmas to happen.

The story opens with two little children tucked up in their beds on Christmas Eve patiently waiting for Christmas morning to arrive: “Tickety tock. Tickety tock. It feels like forever, just watching the clock.” But then cleverly moves to Mary and Joseph and how they must have felt, nervously waiting for the birth of their son.

We then move on to two biblical characters, Anna and Simeon, both very old but eagerly awaiting the fulfilment of God’s promises of a baby who would be King. Before returning to Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus on Christmas morning. Then back to the two little children opening their gifts and declaring, “All that God promised is now coming true – Jesus is born! Happy Christmas to you!”

The Longest Wait is a gentle way of explaining to children that Christmas is about more than looking forward to receiving gifts – that it is also about the long-awaited birth of Jesus Christ and how his birth is good news for the whole world.

My only concern would be that Anna and Simeon may not be well known Bible characters to most young children, but perhaps their mention could provide an opportunity to tell their story too.

For children aged three to six years, this rhyming storybook is a lovely way for children to discover the good news of Christmas.

EH

The Bible in One Year Nicky Gumbel HODDER & STOUGHTON

£25

«««««

The Bible in One Year commentary is already a successful app that has over three million subscribers worldwide.

That commentary is now available in this large hardback book.

Taking you through the entire Bible in one year, each day you are guided to read a section from Psalms or Proverbs, as well as a New Testament passage and an Old Testament one. Nicky Gumbel, from Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, then very cleverly chooses a theme that weaves all three passages together. There is an excellent discipline in reading the Bible each day, but it is not always easy to choose Bible reading notes that will aid this activity.

The Bible in One Year is masterfully put together – the commentary is pitched perfectly in tone and style which makes the readings very accessible. There is a good balance between explaining difficult passages and providing extra food for thought on them. It can be easily dipped in and out of; one or two of the passages might provide enough spiritual nourishment for the day, if time is limited, or you feel God has given you a specific word to think through. It is equally useful for the fervent scholar who wants to cover the breadth of the Bible over the course of a year.

There are those who may prefer to stick to using the app, finding its flexibility of use appealing, but there will be others who will enjoy having the physical book and find it easier to use. I highly recommend either. The book would certainly make an excellent Christmas present.

SH

REVIEWERS

EH – Elaine Huddleston is an administrative officer for PCI’s Creative Production Department

Wake Up to Advent John Sentamu SPCK PUBLISHING

£9.99

«««««

For many, like myself, who are without a liturgical background, Advent is an unknown precursor to Christmas.

Yet for all, Christian and not, this is a season of preparing, mostly in commercialism terms.

However, in Waking Up to Advent, John Sentamu is keen to encourage and equip followers of Christ with a preparedness, mentally and spiritually, in the build-up to remembering and celebrating, with thankfulness, the birth of our Saviour.

The author’s purpose is to centre our thoughts and actions on reflecting a lifestyle of faith that is glorifying to God and attractive to others who are still to encounter Christ. It’s a call to intentional living that goes beyond the Christmas dinner and gifts shared with family and friends. This book of daily readings covers the four weeks of Advent, and has a focus to engage the reader with challenging questions for reflection.

If you are someone who doesn’t normally use a daily devotion, why wait to make a New Year’s resolution when you can start it now, in the lead-up to Christmas. In all the busyness of relevant preparations, you could take the time to reorientate your life towards Jesus being the reason for the season.

RF

SH – Sarah Harding is editor of the Presbyterian Herald RF – Renée Finnegan is an administrative officer for the Presbyterian Herald KM – Katie McCormick is from Cregagh Presbyterian and is aged 11

Behold: A Christmas collection Lauren Daigle CENTRICITY MUSIC

£9.93

«««««

Lauren Daigle is a phenomenally successful Christian artist from Louisiana who has seen this success also spread into the secular charts.

She rose to fame as a contestant on American Idol a decade ago, but her fame, especially in the UK and Ireland, has really only taken off in the last few years.

The Weirdest Nativity Andrew Sach and Jonathan Gemmel 10 PUBLISHING £2.99

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Picture all that you know of the nativity, and then experience it in a fresh new way because The Weirdest Nativity is like no nativity you would imagine.

More often than not, we let the story of the birth of Jesus wash over us in an all too familiar way. However this nifty

This Christmas album is a deluxe version of one released three years ago – it has three new songs added and one reworked since the original. There is a very definite jazz style to the whole album, and it is clear that this is firmly in Daigle’s comfort zone, having grown up in New Orleans. She says she tried to replicate the “ragtime players busking for a dime on the corners of the sound corridor known as the French Quarter”, calling it her “happy place”.

There is one original song, Light of the World, which is a beautiful modern track proclaiming glory to the Messiah King.

The classic hymns O Holy Night and Silent Night are great versions and there are some lovely moments with lighter tracks like Jingle Bells and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Whilst at times the styling seems a little over-egged and contrived, on the whole, this is a lovely Christmas album that will put you in the festive mood. If played over Christmas lunch, it will make you feel like you’re in a fancy restaurant, enjoying Christmas joy in style.

SH

book, based on what the Bible teaches in Revelation 12, helps us to see the bigger picture. It’s an evangelistic tool that is incredibly more than the nativity narrative recorded in Matthew and Luke.

The authors have uniquely written this with the agnostic in mind but, as a disciple of Jesus, I found it very useful as it explains Revelation 12 like I have never heard it before. The book encompasses the whole sweep of Scripture, from the Old Testament to the New in the context of the nativity. Written in everyday language that connects with the reader, it is seamlessly transferable in how we relate the gospel to friends and family as we share our faith.

This is a compelling read with an emphasis on “the wonder of forgiveness, the assurance of victory and the hope of eternity” gifted to us as Christians.

RF

Herald December 2019/January 2020

49

LIFE IN PCI

Commissioning in Waringstown Conor Patton (the new youth and community ministry coordinator in Waringstown Presbyterian Church) is pictured after his commissioning with David Munroe (deputy clerk), Rev Stuart Hawthorne (minister of the Co Armagh church), David Crawford (clerk of kirk session) and Brian Taylor (ruling elder).

Full attendance in Bushmills Cousins Timothy Creith and James Creith received their 10-year full attendance awards at Bushmills Presbyterian Church. They are pictured with May McLester (the League of Church Loyalty secretary) and Rev Nancy Cubitt (minister of the Co Antrim church).

New elders in Second Castlederg Long service marked in Druminnis The 50th anniversary of Jim Megaw’s ordination as a ruling elder was marked in Druminnis Presbyterian recently. Rev Sam Finlay (minister of the Co Armagh church), Winnie Megaw, Mr Megaw and clerk of session Ronnie Black are pictured in the front row. Members of kirk session Johnston Reid, Noel McKee, Reuben Lucas, Joe McCall and Trevor Edgar are in the back row.

Two new elders have been ordained and installed at Second Castlederg Presbyterian Church. Pictured in the front row are: Rev Charles Clements (minister of the Co Tyrone church), Rev Jane Nelson (moderator of Omagh Presbytery), newly ordained elders Rosemary Craig BEM and Sandra Thompson, Bert Huey (clerk of session) and Pearl Quigley (Session member). In the back row are members of the presbytery commission Rev Jonathan Cowan, Audrey Hodge, Dawn McClung, Norman McMullan, Maurice Surphlis, and Rev Robert Herron (clerk of presbytery).

New elders in Wellington Wellington Presbyterian Church recently installed and ordained six new elders at a special service conducted by Ballymena Presbytery. Pictured in the back row are Geoff Marshall (clerk of session), Gordon McNair (representative elder), Rev Alistair Bates (minister), and presbytery commission members Kenneth McDowell, Robin Johnston and Rev David McMillan. Front row: Rev Joseph Andrews (clerk of presbytery), new elders David Currie, Keith Irwin, James Millar, David McKean, James McClintock and Ronnie Crooks, and Rev William Moody (moderator of presbytery).

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

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

New elder in Tassagh George Wright (fourth from left) has been ordained and installed as a ruling elder in Tassagh Presbyterian Church. Also pictured are members of the commission of Armagh Presbytery: Philip Crozier, Rev Graham Mullan, Rev Simon Hamilton, Rev Peter Gamble and Adrian McMullan.

Minister leaves Tullylish and Gilford The occasion of Rev Stephen Hibbert moving from Tullylish and Gilford Presbyterian churches to Glendermott Presbyterian was marked in Tullylish recently. Pictured are: Mr Hibbert, Aimee Halliday (member of the Sunday school), his wife Valerie, John McCullagh (clerk of session) and Valerie Cull (Presbyterian Women chairwoman). Photograph courtesy of the Banbridge Chronicle.

Six new elders at Trinity, Ahoghill New elders in Drumquin Three new elders have been ordained in Drumquin Presbyterian. The new elders – Dr Paul Booth, Ross Hemphill and Ross Hunter – are pictured in the front row with William Nethery (clerk of session of the Co Tyrone church), John Nethery and David Hemphill (elders). Rev John Hanson (minister of Drumquin) and Rev Robert Orr (moderator of Omagh Presbytery) are in the back row.

A commission from the Ballymena Presbytery took part in the ordination and installation of six ruling elders in Trinity, Ahoghill. The new elders – Hubert Scullion, John Glass, Richard Wright, Richard Logan, Bertie Bell and Mick Mearns – are pictured in the front row. Back row: James Lamont (deputy clerk), John Wright, Gareth Mills, Rev Mark Neilly, Rev Brian Smyth (minister of the Co Antrim congregation), Kenny McDowell, Tommy Simpson, Rev Martin McNeilly and Rev William Moody (moderator).

Charity coffee morning in Clough Members of Clough Presbyterian Church in Co Down and friends are pictured after a successful coffee morning in support of Cancer Fund for Children, Daisy Lodge, Newcastle. A cheque for £430.51 was handed over to a representative of the charity by Karen Adger (wife of the minister, Rev Adrian Adger), who is also pictured.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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LIFE IN PCI

New minister in Dundalk

Retirement in Kilkeel

Rev Jonathan Porter has been ordained and installed as minister of Dundalk Presbyterian Church. Pictured are: Rev David Bruce (Secretary of the Council for Mission in Ireland), Robyn Porter, Mr Porter, David Redmond (clerk of session), Rev Colin Anderson (moderator of presbytery) and Rev Daryl Edwards (clerk of presbytery).

John Peacock has retired as secretary of Kilkeel Presbyterian Church after 30 years of faithful service. He was presented with a gift by the minister of the Co Down congregation, Rev Stephen Johnston.

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

New elders in Saltersland Five new elders have been installed in Saltersland Presbyterian Church.

Pictured in the front row are: Bill Hutchinson, Alex Adair, Eileen Gilmour, Johno Johnston and Will McKinley. Back row: Rev Tom Greer, Rev David Brownlow, Rev Jonathan Curry, Rev Gareth Stewart, two representative elders and Matt Hyndman (clerk of session of the Co Tyrone church).

New elders in Alt Two new elders, Chester Roulston and Isobel Roulston, were ordained and installed in Alt Presbyterian Church recently. The service was conducted by Derry and Donegal Presbytery in one of its oldest churches. The moderator of presbytery, Rev Colin McKibbin, is also the minister of Alt and he, together with Dr Brian Brown and Rev Mark Russell, participated in the service. Pictured in the front row are: Mr Roulston and Ms Roulston. Middle row: Dr Brown, Mr McKibbin and Mr Russell. Back row: Cynthia Patterson, Nelson Roulston, Harry Wallace, Malcolm Cooper and Billy Long.

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

Dedication of gifts in Warrenpoint Rev Stuart Finlay (minister of Warrenpoint Presbyterian Church) dedicated a set of four beautifully made hand-turned maple collection plates at a morning service in memory of the late Ernest McGuffin MBE, who passed away last year. Mr McGuffin was a lifetime worshipper at the church and was secretary of congregation for many years. His wife Muriel McGuffin and four sons, Wilson, Raymond, Geoffrey, and Nigel, presented the gifts to the congregation.

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

Gardenmore celebration Four generations of the Woodside family, with Rev John Woodside holding his granddaughter, are pictured at the recent 250th anniversary service in Gardenmore Presbyterian, Larne. Mr Woodside was the guest preacher at the service.

Cheque presentation in Strabane Rev Mark Shaw is pictured receiving a cheque on behalf of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. The money was raised at a soup lunch held at Strabane Presbyterian Church.

Presentations at Bessbrook Special presentations have been made at Bessbrook Presbyterian Church to mark 20 years of faithful service by Rev Keith McIntyre and his wife Annette. Speaking on behalf of the Co Armagh congregation, clerk of session Danny Kennedy paid tribute to the faithful ministry of Mr McIntyre as teaching elder and the unwavering support given to him by both his wife and daughter Rebekah. Mr Kennedy also referred to his work as a hospital chaplain. Long-serving church committee members Sylvia Hanna and Bea Jones presented Mrs McIntyre with a floral tribute and Mr McIntyre with a painting of the Bessbrook meeting house.

Pictured in the back row are members of Session: Danny Kennedy (clerk), Earl Smyth, Sam Paul and Jim Strain (elder emeritus).

New elders in Groomsport The Presbytery of Ards has ordained and installed three new elders in Groomsport Presbyterian. The new elders – Dr Michael Steele, Sharon Goldie and Roy McWhinney – are in the centre of the front row. Also pictured are Groomsport minister Rev Paul Dalzell, Alastair McQuoid (clerk of session) and members of the Ards Presbytery commission.

Wedding dress festival in Irvinestown A successful wedding dress festival was held in Irvinestown Presbyterian in Co Fermanagh recently. Pictured are some of the ladies from Irvinestown, Pettigo and Tempo congregations who helped with the catering arrangements. From left are: Linda Wray, Cherry Armstrong, Barbara Aiken, Debbie Smyth, Jean Ruddock, Florence Wray and Heather Hunter. Photograph courtesy of Norman Donnell, Irvinestown.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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SEND WINTER FUEL TO ANSWER PRAYERS OF VULNERABLE ARMENIAN CHRISTIANS

AS THE COLD WEATHER BITES “God is my only relative and I entrust all my hopes to His hands as He never leaves me alone,” said Arpik. “Through the Church sisters and brothers, I always receive God’s support. My God is alive and that means that I live too.” The childless 92-year-old lost her home in Armenia’s terrible 1988 earthquake. She has lived alone in a temporary shelter ever since, with no surviving relatives to visit or care for her. But Barnabas Fund helps her.

Every winter, Barnabas Fund is supporting some of the neediest Armenian Christians, to survive the bitter winters when temperatures often fall to -30°C or lower.

Barnabas Fund is providing winter fuel for Arpik (above) and other needy Armenian Christians

WILL YOU PARTNER WITH US TO BE AN ANSWER TO THEIR PRAYERS? Your gift to Barnabas Fund will be used by Armenian church leaders to help the neediest and most vulnerable believers this winter.

Fuel for one family for the whole winter costs around £70. If you would like to make a gift to help impoverished Armenian Christian families this winter, please direct your donation to: 79-719 Winter Fuel Support in Armenia Cheques payable to “Barnabas Fund” ref 79-719.

Or give online at: barnabasfund.org/donate

Office 113, Russell Business Centre, 40-42 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 6AA 07875 539003 | ireland@barnabasfund.org Barnabas Fund is a company registered in England Number 04029536. Registered Charity Number 1092935

CROSSWORD Puzzle no 257 1

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compiled by Harry Douglas

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

ACROSS 1 OT master builder (8) 7 Posh young men, perhaps (5) 9 What Jesus’ name is (9) 10 Roland, maybe (3) 11 Second name Farrow (3) 12 A type of poem (3) 13 Ungraceful (9) 15 A quick movement of the head (3) 16 Definitely not a believer (8) 20 This comes before dong (4) 21 Spiritual renewal (11) 23 Spanish gentleman (3) 25 Hide for future use (5) 27 Extremely knowledgeable person (6) 29 A place of great activity (4) 30 A curve (3) 31 The beginning of it all (7) 32 Often written in school (5)

DOWN 1 Natives of the Big Apple (3,7) 2 Famous composer (6) 3 Old churches (7,6) 4 Continental Alf (7) 5 Home of ham, Italian style (5) 6 Seller of property (6,5) 7 A customer of 6 down (6) 8 Physical or mental suffering (4) 14 This reverses the meaning (3) 17 Seats two or three (6) 18 Often heard at a wedding (1,2) 19 Found in a grate (7) 22 Fabric of woven silk (5) 24 Killer whale (4) 25 A female person (3) 26 A short tree-lined street? (3) 28 Dance movement (3)

REFLECTIONS

I believe

Betsy Cameron

W

hen I was little, I believed so many things. When Then there are beliefs we hold about big and complex issues – my Sunday school teachers told me that Jesus Brexit, the health system, benefits, the environment, migration, loved me, I believed them with all my heart. crime. Sometimes our beliefs are quite strong even though When the older children next door told me a our experience with the issues is limited and our knowledge certain square of lino in their spooky basement would drop incomplete. Still, it never stops us pontificating! What beliefs me into a bottomless pit if I stepped on it, I believed them. do you hold? For example, do you believe things are worse now When presents appeared mysteriously in the middle of the than they used to be? Or do you believe that things are getting night underneath our decorated Christmas tree, I believed that better? Do you believe health and safety has ‘gone mad’? Or Santa brought them. Well, how could I not – one year I actually do you believe that rules and regulations protect us? Do you heard, with my own ears, the reindeer pawing on the roof. (This believe that the ‘PC wolves’ are out to get us and prevent us was also the year I spent Christmas in bed with the dreaded from expressing our opinions freely? Or do you believe it’s good vomiting bug, but perhaps that is only a coincidence.) to put some brakes on the way we are allowed to speak in the Like most children, I was trusting and public square? Do you believe in ‘good impressionable even if this also meant I guys and bad guys’? Or do you believe Sometimes our beliefs was gullible and capable of being misled. there’s potential for both good and bad in Sorry, I must pause here and let you know are quite strong even all of us? that my childhood friend Kim never I had a nice coffee outing with my though our experience knew until adulthood that ‘misled’ was friend Heather recently. We tried, as we pronounced ‘mis-LED.’ She believed all usually do, to put the world to rights, with the issues is those years that it was pronounced – oh, let and in the course of our conversation, limited... me see if I can do this on paper – ‘MYtouched on so many things: poverty, longzuld.’ And now I want you to hear that, as term unemployment, crime, education, I do, every time you encounter the word. You’re welcome. transgender issues. (And wedding hats.) We tried to imagine You would think part of our journey to adulthood would what a fair tax system would look like or what it would mean if involve learning to sieve through the dross that we are exposed every child had a hope-filled future or how the NHS could be to in order to find the pearls of truth. We need to understand improved. In the end, where were we? Back where we started the world and figure out what we believe to be true. You with no real clarity apart from the realisation that these things might imagine that this process of discernment is relatively are so big and we are so small. straightforward and that the road is paved with lots of good Our faith is also made up of a set of beliefs. In the common sense. Well, you would like to think so, wouldn’t you?

Presbyterian church I grew up in, it was our practice to recite But actually, the older I get, the more perplexed I become about the Apostle’s Creed every week, which served as a weekly how we settle into our ideas and beliefs. Can I just point out reminder of what beliefs were most important to us. The word – there are some really weird beliefs out there! Flat earthers? ‘creed’ comes from the Latin ‘credo’ and means ‘I believe’. This That’s actually a thing, you know. Moon landing conspiracists? I ancient text, with its trinitarian structure, summarises in a could go on. succinct, poetic way the tenets of our faith, and that learning So there’s stuff people choose to believe for no apparent went deep. reason, often in the face of compelling evidence to the contrary.

But other beliefs are important to me, too. I believe we are The church, through history, has not always been great at called to love and serve. I believe that we must work for justice. accepting evidence that brings us new insights. Remember I believe that all will be well. I believe that the promises of God how persecuted Galileo was because he dared to suggest that will hold true. And I believe with all my heart that we are held the earth was not the centre of the solar system? The idea that and loved by creator God. the earth is one of a number of planets all orbiting the sun challenged not only what people saw – or believed they saw – but also challenged their interpretation of Scripture and what they believed about our place in God’s creation.

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First Lisburn Presbyterian Church seeks to appoint a full-time

Children’s, Youth and Family Worker 37.5 hours of work, to include evening and weekend work Youth and Community work scale Band B:1 3-year fixed term contract subject to funding.

We are looking for an experienced youth worker to coordinate our Children’s, Youth and Families Ministry and undertake the duties of a youth worker, including outreach, taking the major responsibility for pastoral care and discipling of our young people.

Application should be submitted via our website at https://firstlisburn.org/jobs Closing date for applications is Monday 16 December 2019.

Presbyter an CHURCH IN IRELAND

Appointment of Convener of the Council for Social Witness Applications are invited for the Convenership of the Council for Social Witness within the structures of the General Assembly, to take up post immediately following the June 2020 General Assembly. The position is open to ministers, elders and communicant members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Further details, including an application form, are available on the PCI website – www.presbyterianireland.org/convenerships Closing date for applications is 9.30am on 13 January 2020.

In the interim anyone wishing to express an interest should contact the Deputy Clerk: Rev Jim Stothers, Assembly Buildings, Belfast BT1 6DW Tel: +44(0)28 9041 7204 Email: deputyclerk@presbyterianireland.org

Presbyter an

Presbyter an

Deputy Clerk of Assembly and Deputy General Secretary

Appointment of Conveners of

CHURCH IN IRELAND

Salary Scale: £42,582-£51,876 per annum The post holder is appointed by the General Assembly to assist and, where appropriate, deputise for the Clerk and General Secretary in the performance of his duties and to carry out designated Executive Secretarial functions.

Applicants must: Be an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (or eligible to transfer from another denomination with a reformed theology – the essential nature of this post requires that the successful candidate meet this criterion as provided for under excepted occupations in the Fair Employment Treatment (NI) order) Possess a degree level qualification Have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the Code of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Have a knowledge of the ethos, practice, structure and governance of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Have a knowledge of the interchurch, governmental, political and statutory structures in NI and RoI. Be in full sympathy with the doctrinal position and ethos of the PCI and willing “loyally to implement” all decisions of the Courts of the Church Application packs are available for download under “PCI jobs” at www.presbyterianireland.org/opportunities or by email to personnel@presbyterianireland.org or telephone: +44(0)28 9041 7255.

Applications should be returned to the Personnel Department, not later than 3pm on Friday 7 February 2020.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

• • • • • •

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

CHURCH IN IRELAND

Church Relations Committee General Assembly Business Committee State Education Committee Disability Services Committee Taking Care Committee Applications are invited for the Convenerships of the Church Relations Committee and of the General Assembly Business Committee under the General Council; of the State Education Committee under the Council for Public Affairs; of the Disability Services Committee and of the Taking Care Committee under the Council for Social Witness.

These positions are open to ministers, elders and communicant members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and those appointed will take up their posts immediately following the June 2020 General Assembly.

Further details, including application forms, are available on the PCI website – www.presbyterianireland.org/convenerships Closing date for applications is 9.30am on 13 January 2020.

In the interim anyone wishing to express an interest should contact the Deputy Clerk: Rev Jim Stothers, Assembly Buildings, Belfast BT1 6DW Tel: +44(0)28 9041 7204 Email: deputyclerk@presbyterianireland.org

REFLECTIONS

Just as I am Arthur Clarke

Study on the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-24)

“T

he most divinely tender and most humanly and regret he threw off his uniform and walked arm in arm touching story ever told on our earth.” So wrote with his mother and they died together.

George Buttrick, the celebrated New York His father saw him. The speech of contrition, prepared and minister in the inter-war years. He went on: rehearsed as he trudged home along the road he had once fared “To judge this parable [Luke 15:11-24] with our words is futile, forth on, so full of dreams, was never fully delivered. His father, like the attempt to measure the sunrise with the span of our scanning the horizon, as was his wont, recognised his son – he fingers. For it is more than words; it is fashioned from the love ran and welcomed and kissed his boy again and again. Abraham which endured Calvary.”

Lincoln was often asked how he would treat the rebellious As a piece of literature, this story of South when they were finally defeated choice and consequences, self-indulgence and had returned to the Union. Lincoln The gracious father, and self-assessment, recompense and replied, “I will treat them as if they had redemption, satisfies both emotion and never been away.” reflecting the grace of reason. In it are the essentials of any truly The gracious father, reflecting the our Heavenly Father, deep religious encounter as in evangelical grace of our Heavenly Father, welcomed conversion. welcomed the penitent the penitent son without a hint of Give me my share. Rebellion often recrimination. With a ring on his finger, presents a plausible case. To this boy, home son without a hint of shoes on his feet and a robe on his back, was irksome and his supposed freedom recrimination…Truly the the returning son was ready for the father’s was restrained. The tediousness of his dull party. Truly the love of God is broader love of God is broader brother and the strong, yet caring, rule of than the measures of man’s mind. his father fretted him sorely. He wanted But. A story from Victorian times than the measures of to see and indulge himself in the world highlights a truth always to be borne in man’s mind. beyond his door. His father made no mind. The head of a strictly Sabbatarian attempt to hold him. “Not long after that family of landed gentry status bought his the younger son got together all he had.” Now he would live a favourite son an expensive hunting horse upon his attaining life of unfettered joy. Why be held by the shibboleths of a ‘law manhood. Feigning sickness one weekend, this son remained at and order’ home! home while the family went off to worship. When the family He wasted his substance. And as night follows day, “There returned home from church neither the son nor the horse were was a severe famine in that country”. The chickens were in their respective places. A hasty inspection of the family’s coming home to roost. So, he went and hired himself out. In grounds soon explained all. The horse, with a broken leg, was desperation he accepted servitude under a Gentile and with spread-eagled over a fence and the son, with many broken worse to follow: “He sent him to his fields to feed pigs.” bones, lay in a ditch. After the mother of all family rows, father When he came to his senses. It was a moment of realism. and son were reconciled, the restoration of relationships being His vow prompted action and he set off for home. He resolved the essence of forgiveness. But, there is a ‘but’ in this story: to cast himself on his father’s mercy. Life at home on any terms the horse was dead! The prodigal was home again and family surpassed the misery of ‘the far country’. He changed his mind, relationships were renewed, but his inheritance was squandered. acknowledged his folly and determined to make amends. This God and people can offer forgiveness and restoration begins was genuine repentance. Andrew Roberts, in his book, The its gracious work, but nature knows no such process. Innocence Storm of War: A new history of the Second World War, told of a Jew, once violated cannot be restored. Even forgiven sin must face who for material gain, sided with the Nazis. They gave him the inescapable consequences. degrading task of shepherding the doomed to die into the gas chambers. To his amazement, among the women he was urging forward to their death was his mother. In a moment of shame

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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FREE SAMPLE CHAIR TRIAL

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

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Your Legacy Of Hope And Care

- a gift in your Will to Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

A gift in your Will to NICHS could not only help your loved ones, but leave a legacy of hope for generations to come.

In Northern Ireland almost half of all adult deaths are caused by chest, heart and stroke illnesses. NICHS are working to change this through funding research and caring for those who are affected by devastating health conditions every day.

A gift to us in your Will could be invested in critical local

research that will change the future for families at risk from our biggest killers.

The smallest investment can lead to the biggest breakthrough.

For a leaflet or further information on leaving a legacy to NICHS, please call us on: 028 9032 0184, or write to NICHS Gifts in Wills, 21 Dublin Road, Belfast, BT2 7HB

Please visit our website to see how our Medical Research Programme has already supported groundbreaking projects and is committed to many more over the coming years. www.nichs.org.uk

Charity Reg No. NIC103593 NICHS_legacy AD_Pres Herald.indd 1

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Herald December 2019/January 2020

59

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 ARKLOW: (Home Mission Scheme, Reviewable Tenure – 7 years) REV GARY McDOWELL: Mrs Emily Kearon, Malindi, Sea Road, Arklow, Co Wicklow.

BALLYHOBRIDGE, CLONES, NEWBLISS and STONEBRIDGE: (Part-time 50%, Reviewable Tenure – 7 years) 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.

TOBERMORE & DRAPERSTOWN: (Part-time 50%, Reviewable Tenure – 5 years) REV DR J.A. CURRY: Mr Gordon Dickson Jnr, 7 Strawmore Road, Draperstown, BT45 7JE.

2 LEAVE TO CALL DEFERRED

BALLYCARRY: REV H.M. RENDELL: Miss Daphne Bashford, 36 Island Road, Ballycarry, Carrickfergus, BT38 9JE.

GORTNESSY: REV J.S. McCREA: Mr Ross Hyndman, 32 Temple Road, Strathfoyle, Londonderry, BT47 6UB.

BALLYCLARE: REV P.A. BOVILL: Mr Niall McConkey, 30 Village Green, Doagh, Ballyclare, BT39 0UD.

RICHVIEW: REV N.S. HARRISON: Mr Victor Garland, 25 Abingdon Drive, Belfast, BT12 5PX.

CAIRNALBANA and GLENARM: (Reviewable Tenure – 5 years) REV R.S. AGNEW: (Cairnalbana) Mr Brian Alexander, 84 Drumcrow Road, Cairnalbana, Glenarm, BT44 0DW. (Glenarm) Mr David Preston, 42 Rossburn Manor, Connor, Ballymena, BT42 3RB. CAIRNCASTLE: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years) REV R.I. CARTON: Mr Cowper Lynas, 2 Croft Heights, Ballygally, Larne, BT40 2QS. CARROWDORE & BALLYFRENIS and BALLYBLACK: REV S.A. LITTLE: (Carrowdore & Ballyfrenis) Mr Herbert Robinson, 9 Islandhill Road, Millisle, BT22 2BS. (Ballyblack) Mr Alex Warden, 92 Bowtown Road, Newtownards, BT23 8SL. CASTLEWELLAN and LEITRIM: (Reviewable Tenure – 5 years) REV N.J. KANE: (Castlewellan) Mr Desmond Wilson, 44 Ballylough Road, Castlewellan, BT31 9NN. (Leitrim) Mr Drew Harte, 100 Carrigagh Road, Dromara, Dromore, BT25 2HR. COAGH, BALLYGONEY and SALTERSLAND: REV T.W.A. GREER: (Coagh) Mrs Amy Allingham, 17 Coagh Road, Cookstown, BT80 8RL. (Ballygoney) Mr Bruce Johnston, 4 Mill Road, Old Coagh Road, Cookstown, BT80 0NE. (Saltersland) Mr Matt Hyndman, 4 Brennan Court, Castledawson Road, Magherafelt, BT45 6AT.

SETTLED STATED SUPPLY APPOINTED BALLINDERRY: RT REV DR W.J. HENRY, Minister of Maze BOVEEDY: REV DR T.J. McCORMICK, Minister of 1st Kilrea CAHIR: REV WILLIAM MONTGOMERY, Minister of Fermoy KATESBRIDGE: REV N.J. KANE, Minister of Magherally KILREA, SECOND: REV S.A. MORROW, Minister of Moneydig TYRONE’S DITCHES: REV J.K.A. McINTYRE, Minister of Bessbrook

3 DECLARED VACANT

COOKSTOWN, FIRST: REV W.A.DICKEY: Mr Gordon Black, 21 The Dales, Cookstown, BT80 8TF.

ANAHILT AND DRUMLOUGH: REV L.A. PATTERSON: (Anahilt) Mr Laurence Hook, 10 Spirehill Road, Hillsborough, BT26 6LU. (Drumlough) Mr David Gibson, 56 Drumaknockan Road, Hillsborough, BT26 6EU.

DROMORE, FIRST: REV R.A. LIDDLE: Mr Cecil Gamble, 12 Diamond Road, Dromore, BT25 1PQ.

BALLYCAIRN: REV ROBERT LOVE: Mr Brian Milligan, 19 Glenariff Drive, Dunmurry, BT17 9AZ.

DRUMBANAGHER, FIRST & JERRETTSPASS and KINGSMILLS: REV B.D. COLVIN: (Drumbanager, First & Jerrettspass) Mr George Moffett, 16 Glen Road, Drummiller, Newry, BT34 1SP. (Kingsmills) Mr Raymond McCormick, 119 Kingsmills Road, Bessbrook, Newry, BT35 7BP.

BALLYGOMARTIN: REV I.K. McDONALD: Mr Raymond Cummings, 43A Lyndhurst Gardens, Belfast, BT13 3PH.

GLENGORMLEY: REV T.C. MORRISON: Mr Derek Kyle, Glengormley Presbyterian Church, 267 Antrim Road, Glengormley, BT36 7QN. HOLYWOOD, FIRST: REV N.D. CRAIG: Mr Craig Russell, 7 Bangor Road, Holywood. BT18 0NU. KILLINCHY: REV N.R.A. COOPER: Mrs Morna McGibbon, 71 Comber Road, Killinchy, BT23 6PF. LISSARA: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years) REV W.H. HIGGINS: Mr Matthew Cuffey, 227 Derryboy Road, Crossgar, Downpatrick BT30 9DL. RAMELTON and KILMACRENNAN: REV C.M. WILSON: (Ramelton) Mr David Armour, Loughnagin, Letterkenny, Co Donegal. (Kilmacrennan) Mr Nathaniel Rogers, Gortnavern, Coolboy, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

SAINTFIELD, SECOND: REV D.J. HYNDMAN: Mr Stanley McFarland, 29 Forge Hill Court, Saintfield, BT24 7LW.

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ST ANDREW’S, BELFAST: (Reviewable Tenure – 7 years) REV M.R. BURNSIDE: Mrs Edith McCallum, 115 Comber Road, Dundonald, BT16 2BT.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

BALLYKELLY: REV J.L. BLAIR: Mrs Doreen Nicholl, Shackleton Lodge, 8 Dukes Lane, Ballykelly, BT49 9JT. BELVOIR: REV B.J. McCROSKERY: Mr Brian Dunwoody, 19 Drumart Drive, Belfast, BT8 7ET. BURT: REV JAMES LAMONT: Mr James Buchanan, Heathfield, Speenoge, Burt, Co Donegal, F93 W3K6.

CARNDONAGH, GREENBANK, MALIN and MOVILLE: REV DR DAVID LATIMER: (Carndonagh) Mr Tom Campbell, Carndonagh, Lifford, Co Donegal. (Malin) Mrs Barbara Smyth, Dunross, Culdaff, Co Donegal. (Moville) Mr Joseph McNeely, Rock House, Lecamey, Lifford, Co Donegal.

CLOGHERNEY and SIXMILECROSS: REV R.G. McELNEA: (Clogherney) Miss Ruth Kerr, 2 Georgian Vilas, Omagh, BT79 0AT. (Sixmilecross) Mr Alan Gibson, 1 Dreenan Road, Beragh, Omagh, BT79 0SH. CRUMLIN ROAD: VERY REV DR T.N. HAMILTON: Mr James Coleman, 2 Abbeydale Parade, Belfast, BT14 7HJ.

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

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.

DRUMACHOSE and DERRAMORE: REV T.A.S. GRAHAM: (Drumachose) Mr Sam McGregor, 15 Meadowvale Park, Limavady, BT49 0NU. (Derramore) Mr Sam Kelly, 220 Windyhill Road, Coleraine, BT51 4JL.

RYANS and 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.

DUNBOE, FIRST: REV M.E. DONALD: Mr Peter Kirk, 5 Liffock Court, Castlerock, Coleraine, BT51 4DQ.

WARRENPOINT and ROSTREVOR: REV S.S. JOHNSTON: (Warrenpoint) Mr Denis Brady, 28 Seaview, Warrenpoint, Newry, BT34 3NJ. (Rostrevor) Mr Terry O’Flynn, 15 Aurora Na Mara, Shore Road, Rostrevor, BT34 3UP.

GILFORD and TULLYLISH: REV T.A. CONWAY: (Gilford) Mr Paul Cochrane, Stramore Road, Gilford, Craigavon.

(Tullylish) Mr John McCullagh, 2 Old Bann Road, Gilford, Craigavon, BT63 6DZ. INCH: REV JAMES LAMONT: Mr James Buchanan, Heathfield, Speenoge, Burt, Co Donegal, F93 W3K6.

KILCOOLEY: REV T.J. McCONAGHIE: Mrs Sylvia Ferguson, 4 Dermott Road, Comber, BT23 5LG. KILFENNAN: REV GRAEME ORR: Mr Will Doran, 2 Moulton Park, Eglinton, BT47 3XP. KILKENNY: REV WILLIAM MONTGOMERY: Mr John Ellis, Annamult, Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny.

LIMERICK, CHRIST CHURCH: REV W.J. HAYES: Mr Brian Park, 19 Aylesbury, Clonmacken, Ennis Road, Limerick.

MAY STREET: REV GRAEME FOWLES: Mr Arthur Acheson, 56 Quarry Road, Belfast, BT4 2NQ. NEW MOSSLEY: REV DR W.J.M. PARKER: Mr Howard Keery, 16 Earlford Heights, Mossley, Newtownabbey, BT36 5WZ. NEWINGTON: REV DR I.D. NEISH: Mr John Lynass, 8 Bushfoot Park, Portballintrae, BT57 8YX. NEWTOWNSTEWART and GORTIN: REV R.B. THOMPSON: (Newtownstewart) Mr James Baxter, 22 Strabane Road, Newtownstewart, Omagh, BT78 4BD. (Gortin) Mr Adrian Adams, 32 Lisnaharney Road, Lislap, Omagh, BT79 7UE. PORTAVOGIE: REV G.J SIMPSON: Mr Trevor Kennedy, 1 Cairndore Road, Newtownards, BT23 8RD. PORTSTEWART: REV R.J. COLLINS: Mr Peter O’Neill, 3 Henry O’Neill Heights, Portstewart, BT55 7UD. RALOO and MAGHERAMORNE: REV DR C.A. GRANT: (Raloo) Mr Geoff McBride, 72 Raloo Road, Larne, BT40 3DU. (Magheramorne) Mr Morris Gardner, 89 Ballypollard Road, Magheramorne, Larne, BT40 3JG. VINECASH: REV DR MICHAEL McCLENAHAN: Mr Thomas Graham, 38 Richmount, Portadown, BT62 4JQ.

THE ELDERSHIP Ordained & Installed: FAUGHANVALE: Grace Montgomery PORTGLENONE, FIRST: Kyle Gilmour, Adrian Lowry, Billy McCaughern, Thomas McLeister Died: ANTRIM, FIRST: Eric Bownes, Bertie Strange BALLYARNETT: William John Wilson BALLYMENA, HARRYVILLE: John Getty BALLYMENA, HIGH KIRK: William Gillen CASTLEDERG, FIRST: William Lecky DONOUGHMORE: James McKane DUNDONALD: Robert Marshall, Bruce Robertson DUNDONALD, CHRISTCHURCH: Trevor Evans FITZROY: Stanley McDowell GRANSHAW: John Young HOLYWOOD, FIRST: Hugh Coulter KILLEAD: William Rea KILRAUGHTS, FIRST: Robert Richmond, William Moore LIMERICK, CHRIST CHURCH: Beryl Forrester STORMONT: Claire Falkiner, Joan Williams, Pat Kirkwood, Margaret Reid, Colin Douglas TOWNSEND STREET: James O’Neill WESTBOURNE: Maureen French

THE MINISTRY Installed: Gareth McFadden, as Minister of Kilbride on 8th November 2019.

Resigned: Victor Dobbin, as Minister without charge on 5th November 2019.

Gareth McFadden, as Minister of Anahilt and Drumlough on 7th November 2019.

Died: Rev Brian Kennaway, Minister Emeritus of Crumlin, on 14th October 2019.

TEMPORARY STATED SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT ARMOY and 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. BELLVILLE: REV D.S. HENRY: Mr Mervyn King, 29 Ardmore Road, Derryadd, Lurgan, BT66 6QP. DERVOCK: REV R.M. MOODY: Mr John Surgenor, 82 Toberdoney Road, Dervock, Ballymoney, BT53 8DH. DONEGORE, SECOND: REV JONATHAN BOYD: Mr Samuel Gawn, 120 Parkgate Road, Kells, Ballymena, BT42 3PQ. KELLS: (Home Mission) REV ALAN McQUADE: Ms Ruth McCartney, Shancarnan, Moynalty, Kells, Co Meath. A82 PF60.

Herald December 2019/January 2020

61

CLASSIFIEDS

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

Spain

Accommodation Northern Ireland PORTSTEWART: Sea Holly Lodge. Modern luxury bungalow, presented to the highest standard, 3 bedrooms (1 en-suite) in quiet cul-de-sac. Ten minutes walk from promenade, garden front and rear, TV/ video, washing machine, dryer, microwave.

No smoking, no pets. Available high and low season. Tel: Tommy or Hannah Collins 028 29540645 Mobile: 07989 397942.

HOLIDAY RENTAL: Beautiful 3-terraced, 2-bedroom villa in Torrox Costa, southern Spain. Sleeps 4-6. Fantastic sea views, pool open March-November. Very reasonable rates. Good availability from December 2019 to Autumn 2020. All proceeds to help local missionaries and youth work. For brochure email juliechitty@hotmail.co.uk or phone 0034 651653838.

PORTSTEWART: Tourism NI certified tourist establishment. 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house (1 bedroom and bathroom downstairs). Off-street parking, private back garden. Walking distance to beach and promenade. Tripadvisor certificate of excellence. Available all year.

Contact Neville: 07889 631275.

TWO-BEDROOM HOUSE TO RENT: Close to City Hospital, QUB and Methody.

For details Tel: 07753 421716.

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Republic of Ireland H A V E A H O L I D AY, H E L P A MISSIONARY: Fully equipped seaside cottage in Dunfanaghy, Donegal. Sleeps 5. Phone Alan 00353 851231274 or see www.justcome.biz

MOIRA PRESBYTERIAN WILL cater for groups coming to visi Hillsborough Castle, the Forest Park, Dobbies, Sprucefield, Lisburn etc. Morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, high tea. Contact (Mrs) Aelwyn Simpson 028 92612329.

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62

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Catering

Herald December 2019/January 2020

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