MARCH 2020
Who holds
the power?
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Challenging thoughts on the rising use of AI
A TIME TO PLANT
Upcoming PCI church planting conference
A BEAUTIFUL LIFE New movie on the life of Fred Rogers
A legacy led by love – a gift in your Will to Christian Aid At Christian Aid, everything we do is led by love. Growing numbers of people are being led by love to leave a gift to Christian Aid in their Will. By joining them, you could ensure that your dedication to ending poverty lives on after you are gone. To find out more about how a gift in your Will can leave a lasting gift to the world, please visit caid.ie/gifts-in-wills. To get your free Guide to Gifts in Wills, or to speak to us about leaving a gift in your Will, please email: giftsinwills@christian-aid.org or call 028 9064 8133 (Belfast) or 01 496 7040 (Dublin).
Christine Parakuo and her son Samson Kishoyian, Narok County, Kenya. Photo: Jimmy Obuya
Christian Aid Ireland: NI charity no. NIC101631 ROI charity no. 20014162
CONTENTS | MARCH 2020
FEATURES 12 Beyond the pregnancy crisis The work of PCI’s Supporting Families Through Challenging Times task group.
16 “God turned into good what was meant for evil”
A time to plant
Saintfield Road’s story of fire damage and repair
18 A time to plant
Upcoming PCI church planting conference
20 Artificial intelligence
Challenging thoughts on the rising use of AI
32 A beautiful life
New movie on the life of Fred Rogers
34 Providing the best start in life
The importance of ministry to the under fives
A time to plant p18
36 Singing songs of praise in Belfast Interview with Aled Jones and Claire McCollum
REGULARS 4 5 8 9 13 14 15 23 38 40 45
Letters News In this month My story Life lessons As I see it Andrew Conway Mission Connect Reviews Life in PCI Betsy Cameron
A beautiful life p32
Singing songs of praise in Belfast p36
CONTRIBUTORS Prof Stephen Williams is Honorary Professor of Theology at Queen’s University, Belfast.
Pip Florit is a Mission Support Officer for PCI. She is a member of Bloomfield Presbyterian and lives with her husband, Ismael, in Belfast.
Ruth Bromley is PCI’s Children’s Development Officer. She is married to Brendan, mum to Bess and is a member of First Holywood Presbyterian.
Rev Richard Houston is convener of PCI’s Supporting Families Through Challenging Times task group and minister of Lucan Presbyterian Church.
Cover illustration: Barry Falls March 2020 No. 829 £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
Editor: Sarah Harding Subscriptions and Advertising: Elaine Huddleston; Lisa Skinner; Suzanne Hamilton Design and Layout: Edward Connolly Printing: W & G Baird Ltd.
The views expressed in the features, news reports, letters and book reviews of this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor. Editorial comment and signed articles do not necessarily contain the official views of the Church, which can be laid down only by the General Assembly. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement of the goods or services. The Editor reserves the right to decline any advertisement or letter without assigning any reason. Letters may be edited for publication. No correspondence can be entered into regarding non-publication of advertisements or letters.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is a Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104483); Registered Charity in Republic of Ireland (20015695).
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CONFERENCE
A time to plant Pip Florit looks at the exciting ministry of church planting and highlights PCI’s upcoming conference, ‘A Time to Plant’.
A
cross Ireland, society is changing at a rapid rate. From demographics, to attitudes, to family structures, to morals, there has been, and continues to be, a shift. Attitudes to faith have not escaped this shift. We live in an increasingly secular society where more people have less experience of church. Perceptions of church have altered, creating a difficulty in reaching out to those who have no first-hand experience of church. And so the divide between church and society, the sacred and the secular, Christianity and spirituality is getting wider. How can we bridge this divide? The town of Balbriggan is about 20 miles north of Dublin, a popular home for commuters and migrants, but a place with little gospel witness. A couple of years ago, members of Donabate
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Presbyterian Church, a church planted around 10 years ago, saw the need for outreach in Balbriggan and began to engage with the community. Over the past two years, they have started a home group, played football with locals and held an Alpha course in a local pub. Since January, they have been piloting a Sunday afternoon service and are excited to see where God will lead the community. Balbriggan is just one of the stories of churches popping up throughout Ireland
…churches that don’t necessarily look like we expect, but…are reaching people who may never have heard that God loves them…
– churches that don’t necessarily look like we expect, but churches that are reaching people who may never have heard that God loves them and wants to give them new life. Perhaps this gives you a lot of questions: How do we plant churches? What does the Bible say about church planting? How can the church reach out to people who have little knowledge of God? What is my part in church planting? If you are asking any of these questions, PCI’s church planting conference is for you. ‘A Time to Plant’ will take place on Saturday 9 May at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dundalk. From 10am to 4.30pm, there will be opportunities to hear from people who have been involved in church planting, both internationally and in Ireland. The conference will seek
to spread the vision of ‘new life, new people, new places’, stirring up passion for what God is doing in church plants throughout Ireland. It will be a chance to meet with others who have that passion, to hear about what is happening and to look to the future, prayerfully considering what could happen. The conference will welcome Scotty Smith, author and founding pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as its keynote speaker. Scotty has written and spoken extensively about church planting and is no stranger to Ireland. His current congregation, West End Community Church, has partnered with Liberty Church to do inner city ministry in Dublin. Scotty has previously spoken at the Keswick Convention in Portstewart and the Generation Church Planting conference in Edinburgh. He will be speaking on the first three chapters of Ephesians, looking at the biblical rationale for planting churches and the vision for new life, new people and new places.
New life People are constantly searching for ways to make their lives better, for changes that will give them a life worth living. Diets, experiences, new clothes, new toys – it’s human nature to crave the new, the satisfying, the fulfilling. But human nature also means that it’s never enough, so our society has become one that is habitually discontented and searching. In the searching, so often the places where people look for a fulfilled life are places that drive them deeper into its absence. The evidence of this search is all around us. How different would Ireland look if people heard and understood that God offers mercy, love, grace and life? This is the message that God has entrusted his church with – the message of new life full of God and fulfilled in him. It is a message with the potential to breathe new life into spiritually dead places.
New people In our changing Ireland, increasing in multi-culturalism and secularism, more people than ever are disconnected from the church and have never heard this gospel of salvation. More people than ever do not know the truth that God loved them so much that he sent his Son to die for them. When we reach out, we’re no longer reaching out to ‘first-generation unchurched’, we’re reaching out to people who have minimal knowledge of God, and often minimal interest in him.
It is a message with the potential to breathe new life into spiritually dead places. We’re not primarily called to do this reaching out in an isolated situation, but as the church. Carnmoney Presbyterian Church has recently started a pop-up church along with other community activities in Ballyduff, a loyalist housing estate, as a means to connect with people with no previous church association. Members are going to where the people are at, rather than expecting the people to come to them.
New places It goes without saying that new life and new people can happen in places where established churches have been for many years, but it also has to happen in new places, places where there is no other witness. One of the advantages of a church plant is that it’s often not tied to a building – it can start where the people are and where it is needed. And often that isn’t in a stone building with a steeple. It could be a coffee shop, a school, a shopping centre, or a cinema. What if ‘places’ doesn’t just mean geographical places, but spiritual, emotional, traditional, cultural places? In Lurgan, members of a large church recognised that they were not reaching their immediate neighbours. As a result, a
team from the church has been regularly picking up litter in the area for the past year. This act of service has helped to build relationships with a number of local households and the church plans to run a course exploring faith in a neutral local school.
A time to plant We need new expressions of church to introduce new people in new places to new life in Christ. Maybe you’ve long since realised that, but maybe you don’t know what to do with that realisation or what your part in it is. Attending the conference may be the perfect starting point to give you an opportunity to explore that. As well as hearing from Scotty in the main sessions, there will be three breakout sessions, which will allow you to hear more stories of what God is doing around Ireland. These sessions will be opportunities to dig deeper into your own context, determining where you’re at, where you’re going and how you might get there. This is a conference for anyone with an inkling of interest in church planting, no matter where you are on that journey. Whether you want to find out more about these stories of church planting in Ireland, whether you want to know how you can support and pray for those involved, whether you want to get stuck in or whether you want to explore if God could be calling you to church planting, you are welcome.
A Time to Plant PCI church planting conference Saturday 9 May 10am – 4.30pm Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dundalk Cost: £22 (with a discounted price of £12 for students) For more information and to book your place, go to www.presbyterianireland.org/ atimetoplant
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A beautiful life Sarah Harding takes a look at the new movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, starring Tom Hanks, which tells the story of Fred Rogers.
T
om Hanks’ latest film brings to life a story about the American children’s television personality, Fred Rogers. From 1968 to 2001, Rogers entertained millions of American children on his show Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood. He encouraged children to talk about their feelings and proved that this could be achieved without gimmicks or sophistication. Rogers used puppets whose mouths didn’t move and sang self-written songs, to let children know they were special. Often, he would simply talk down the barrel of the lens in a slow and purposeful way to engage with his audience – children over three decades were captivated. Whilst Irish audiences might not be familiar with Rogers, and therefore not fully appreciate the film, it is the character of the real Fred Rogers that certainly has something to teach us all. He was an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, and although he never talked explicitly about God on his show, his life of faith resonated so strongly in who he was and what he said
Quotes by Fred Rogers
How many times have you noticed that it’s the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?
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that children and parents, over many years, were challenged and changed by encountering him.
The story The film is based on a true story and is set in 1998 when Esquire journalist, Lloyd Vogel, is tasked with interviewing Fred Rogers for a short piece on American heroes. Lloyd is an investigative journalist who is scathing of the assignment and, not believing that Rogers could be that good and kind in real life, sets about trying to write an exposé piece that will uncover the truth. Lloyd does discover the real Mr Rogers, but he finds out that he is exactly the same person as the one on screen, and a lasting friendship ensues. Fred’s agent tells Lloyd, “He loves people like you…”, clarifying, “broken ones”. Lloyd is a damaged character, having had a difficult
…his life of faith resonated so strongly in who he was and what he said…
I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be.
background and ongoing issues with his father. Rogers completely catches Lloyd unawares by sincerely caring, turning most questions directed at him back to the journalist. The plot explores many themes, like forgiveness, kindness and mental health; it’s the sort of film that you will be thinking about long after it is over.
Space for silence and listening Although Tom Hanks puts in a stellar performance as Mr Rogers, it is the real footage of Fred, available on YouTube, that I found particularly compelling. In many ways Rogers was ahead of his time. Long before the invention of the internet, social media and smartphones, which have undoubtedly contributed to our distracted, hurried and informationoverloaded society; Rogers recognised the importance of space for silence and listening. To watch this unfold on screen is actually quite jarring, simply because it appears so alien, not only to how other films are shot, but also to real life. There is a lovely scene when Fred
If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet… There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.
Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.
meets Lloyd for the first time. He is in the middle of filming and is already frustrating the director and production staff because he has taken a long time to talk to a small boy, with health issues, who is visiting the set. They are now long past the schedule Tom Hanks and as the director calls for action, Fred spies Lloyd waiting for him and immediately strides over, hand outstretched. He does not hurry his introduction, but takes time to let Lloyd know that he is welcome, his visit has been keenly anticipated and he is looking forward to spending time talking to him. Lloyd is taken aback by such sincerity and kindness, as well as the level of space and focus that Fred has bestowed on him, a stranger. In real life, the character of Lloyd Vogel is based on the journalist Tom Junod (his article is still available to view on Esquire’s website and is well worth a read). Tom’s friendship with Fred lasted until Rogers’ death five years later, but Tom testifies to his persistent effort to remain interested in Tom’s life, sending him over 70 (lengthy!) emails in that time. Rogers’ comments on the need for silence resonate even more powerfully today, “I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested in information than wonder; in noise rather than silence… how do we encourage reflection?” He was passionate about creating space for other people and knew the value this had on others, “If we can be present to the moment, to the person that we happen to be with…that’s what’s important.”
Mental health Another area in which Fred was ahead of his time was in regard to mental health. He recognised the importance Mutual caring relationships require kindness and patience, tolerance, optimism, joy in the other’s achievements, confidence in oneself, and the ability to give without undue thought of gain.
Anything mentionable is manageable.”
Faith
The real Fred Rogers
of developing good mental health in children, which would then impact on their adult lives. In one scene Fred has to put up a tent and struggles with it for several minutes. The director wants to re-shoot it for a cleaner take, but Fred prefers to leave it, commenting, “Children need to know that adults struggle with things too.”
I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested…in noise rather than silence… Above all he identified the need for children to talk about their feelings, and so on the show he didn’t shy away from raising big issues like divorce, death, bullying, anger and sadness. All of this was done in a slow, deliberate manner, almost as though Rogers had an audience of one and was engaging through the camera solely with that one child. He would often end his shows by saying, “There’s no one in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are.” One of the most poignant moments of the film is when Lloyd Vogel’s family are at his father’s bedside, knowing that he doesn’t have long to live. Fred, who has come to visit, senses the awkwardness and says, “You know, death is something many of us are uncomfortable speaking about. But to die is to be human. And anything human is mentionable.
There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.
Fred’s wife, Joanne, was keen that the scriptwriters didn’t portray Fred as a saint, because she knew he wasn’t one. The actress playing her is able to get this across, insisting that Fred worked hard at developing a love for others, namely by reading Scripture, praying for people by name and writing letters. It is humbling to be reminded that Fred Rogers didn’t have a superhero power to show kindness and love to others – he was intentional in his behaviour because he was disciplined to spend time and effort developing his character. He had an attitude of gratitude for his life, despite enduring some difficult obstacles of isolation and bullying growing up. In another moving scene, when Fred takes Lloyd out to a restaurant, he suggests they take a minute to stop, think and give thanks for all the people who have shaped their lives, people who have “loved you into being”. The restaurant goes quiet and everyone pauses for a whole minute – the power of this silence on screen is profound. The life of Fred Rogers should be inspirational to us all, particularly as people of faith. His Christian character was so marked, so utterly different, that it stood out, even peculiarly, to everyone. Perhaps our challenge is to ponder the following words by Rogers and consider what other people see when they look at us: “It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing what we do is more important than what we are when of course the opposite is true. What we are ultimately determines what we do.” Church resources are available at www.cpo.org.uk/digital
There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.
We speak with more than our mouths. We listen with more than our ears.
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