SEPTEMBER 2010 CONTENTS

CONFERENCE

Ministers' Golf Outing........7
Lay Leader's Address........8
Headway Breakfast and AGM......10
The Ordination Service.....11
Comment: the Finance Debate - David Mullan....14
Comment: the Covenant Council - Peter Mercer.....15

FEATURES AND REPORTS

Final Service at Augher.....4
Galway United Methodist/Presbyterian Thanksgiving....6
President Designate welcomed home.....7
The British Methodist Conference.....17
Ecumenism, Mission and Unity....20
Newtownards' Ecclesiastical Heritage....21
Castlewellan Holiday Week: Jools' Diary...22
From Darknes to Light in Afghanistan....24
Haiti: what's happening?.....24
Back to Church Sunday.....25
Youth Pastors - the Great, the Good and the Gorgeous....29

REGULARS

President's Letter......16
Letters to the Editor....18
Methodist Women in Ireland....27
DYCW....28
Sunday Readings - Gillian Kingston....30
Ecology Matters - Alan & Helen Shiel....35
Bible Study - Rosemary Lindsay....36
On the Shelves - Sam Campbell....37
Obituary....38
Reviews - Dudley Levistone Cooney....39
Media - Jim Rea....41
Ed-lines - Ed McDade....41

You can buy the Methodist Newsletter at:
No 9 Resource Centre , 9 Lennoxvale, Belfast
The Good Book Shop , 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast
National Bible Society , 41 Daswon Street, Dublin 2

Price for a single copy: £1 (NI)  €1.25 (RoI)

The World Development Relief Fund has already allocated £5,000 to the emergency appeal. Donations will help make a difference to the people of Pakistan whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed in what the UN is describing as the worst natural disaster since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Christian Aid has sent £750,000 to help Act Alliance partners respond to the devastating floods that have killed more than 1,600 people.

ACT Alliance partners will provide food, shelter and medical assistance to around 230,000 people in Balochistan, Khyber Paktunkwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Reports vary, but current estimates suggest that in excess of 20 million people in Pakistan have been affected.

Up to date reports on relief efforts are available from the Christian Aid website, along with prayers and reflections for the people of Pakistan here .

Christian Aid Contacts:

Below are the various office contact details:

Belfast Office
Linden House
Beechill Business Park
96 Beechill Road
Belfast
BT8 7QN
Telephone: (+44) 028 9064 8133

Cork Office
Christian Aid Ireland
Hill View
Bandon
Co Cork
Telephone: (+353) 238 841 468

Dublin Office
Christian Aid Ireland
17 Clanwilliam Terrace
Grand Canal Quay
Dublin2
Telephone: (+353) 1 611 0801

As we return to our involvement in our church organisations after the summer break, let us remember the special promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12 when God commanded him to "take the path of faith" and go to Canaan - the Promised Land.

God kept His promise and abundantly blessed Abraham not only with material things but with the spiritual blessings of his "walk of faith" which were immeasurable. Just as the great treasures of God's blessing were made available to Abraham - far more than he had ever imagined, so today if we take the the "path of faith" we too can be a blessing wherever we go.

The blessings which God gives us cannot be kept for ourselves alone but we must generously share them with others as we embrace His Power and share His Love.

As we faithfully pray for others, God will use us as channels through which His blessings can flow out into the world to bring Him honour and glory. When the Love of Christ is revealed in our lives by the way we appreciate and encourage others, by coming alongside them in love and friendship, God's rich blessings are poured out through us to a fast-changing and uncertain world. So it is God`s command to us to Know Him and make Him Known in every sphere of our lives.

May you know God's bountiful blessings in your service for Him

Joy Graham - All Ireland President.

The First Step Centre wishes to apoint a youth worker to join their youth team and lead the young womens group.

The succesful candidate will have an exciting role running youth work programmes in the First Step Centre. Working directly with
young people the post will be both challenging and rewarding.

The post is for 10 hours per week and requires the applicant to work during evenings and weekends.

The First Step Centre has been open as a youth centre for 17 years
working with young people from a range of backgrounds coming from one
of the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland.

For an application pack please e-mail Jonny Lamberton  or call 077 3647 5060.

Closing Date Friday 27th August at 12:00.

Interviews beginning Thursday 2nd September.

Post funded by the Methodist Church in Ireland.

The First Step Centre wishes to apoint a suitably qualified person to lead their youth programme.

The succesful candidate will have an exciting role in leading and developing youth work in the First Step Centre. Working directly with young people the post will be both challenging and rewarding.

The post is for 16 hours per week and requires the applicant to work during evenings and weekends.

The First Step Centre has been open as a youth centre for 17 years working with young people from a range of backgrounds coming from one of the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland.

For an application pack please e-mail Jonny Lamberton or call 077 3647 5060.

Closing Date Friday 27th August at 12:00.

Interviews beginning Tuesday 31st September.

Post funded by Children in Need.

The First Step Drop-in Centre is a ministry of Jennymount Methodist Church. The First Step celebrated its 15th birthday in 2008. The Community Cafe is open 6 days each week serving a variety of cuisine. We also offer an outside catering service and are happy to provide details on request. If you're in your 60's come along to our Friendship Group on Mondays from 1:30 to 2:30. As a major youth provider in this community we continue to offer programmes designed around the needs of young men and young women. In addition to this we have a very busy childcare programme in partnership with SMILE Surestart. Please visit our websites for more information.

t 028 9074 4040
w www.firststepcentre.com

The First Step Drop-in Centre is a ministry of Jennymount Methodist Church. The First Step celebrated its 15th birthday in 2008. The Community Cafe is open 6 days each week serving a variety of cuisine. We also offer an outside catering service and are happy to provide details on request. If you're in your 60's come along to our Friendship Group on Mondays from 1:30 to 2:30. As a major youth provider in this community we continue to offer programmes designed around the needs of young men and young women. In addition to this we have a very busy childcare programme in partnership with SMILE Surestart. Please visit our websites for more information.

t 028 9074 4040
w www.firststepcentre.com

 

 

 

"The bombing of Strand Road PSNI Station stands in stark contrast with the atmosphere I experienced when along with other Church leaders I met with those families who had been affected by the events of Bloody Sunday and who were so happy with the findings of the Saville Report.  This, followed by the designation of the City as "City of Culture" brought Derry into the media spotlight for all the right reasons.  Now once again it is head-line news but for the wrong reason. 

Not only did this bomb attack endanger the lives of those within the police station but also the taxi driver forced to carry the device in his car and those living in the immediate vicinity of the explosion.

Along with public representatives and others I call on those carrying out this new wave of terrorism to consider their reasons for these actions and to recognise that such actions are now foreign to the mind-set of the population of the City."

Contact:           

Rev. Paul Kingston   (003531 2145619)
Methodist President

Issued by:         

Rev. Roy Cooper  (07710945104)

Age NI - The Big Knit 2010 - Get Creative, Get Knitting

Innocent Drinks is once again partnering Age NI on the innovative Big Knit fundraising campaign.

The Big Knit fundraiser needs people across Northern Ireland to knit small woolly hats to place on top of Innocent Smoothie bottles, these will then be sold in Sainsbury's and Boots stores during winter 2010.

For every hat knitted a donation of 25p will go directly to Age NI, the funds raised from this year's campaign will support Winter Warmth.

It's really simple - start knitting!

We have a big target to reach, 50,000 hats, but judging by the enthusiasm, talent and creativity of previous years, it will be a fun challenge!

Simple knitting patterns and instructions are available by contacting Dorothy McConkey on 90245729 or email or by downloading if patterns on the Age NI website .

Mission Partners from Ireland have over the years served with the Methodist Church in Ghana and Teams from Ireland have gone to be involved in building projects.

8th August 2010 see the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Rev. Paul Kingston leaving on a Pastoral Visit to Ghana. On this visit he will be representing both the Irish and British Methodist Conferences.

The Methodist Church in Ghana is one of the oldest Protestant denomination in Ghana tracing its roots back to 1st January 1835 with the landing of the Rev. Joseph Dunwell in Cape Coast. Over the intervening years Mission Partners have gone from the Irish Methodist Church to serve with the Church in Ghana People such as the Rev. Denis Bambrick (1968-74) as well as Miss Dorothy Maze and Rev. Irene Morrow.

The connection between Ghana and the Methodist Church in Ireland has since the 1980's been cemented by the building of a clinic at Kumasi by a team from Lisburn.
Each year Dr. Alan Millar and a group of nurses use their holidays to return to Wenchi Hospital in order to perform operations as well as train locals in the use of certain medical preceedures.

During the period of his visit the Rev. Kingston will attend the Conference of the Methodist Church in Ghana to be held in Cape Coast. He will also meet with the Presiding Bishop of the Church and visit Kumasi in the Southern Central Ashanti region.

Speaking of his Pastoral Visit the President said:

"I believe it will be a trip to remember. Methodists from Ghana make a very significant contribution to the life of British Methodism and here in Ireland we too have a scattering of Ghanaian families involved in some of our Methodist congregations. Hopefully, we
shall continue to find new ways of building on relationships that are already strong"

The President will return to Ireland on 26th August.

Contact: The Rev. Paul Kingston 003531 2145619

Issued by: The Rev. Rev. Roy Cooper, Communications Officer Methodist Church in Ireland
07710945104

The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Rev. Paul Kingston condemns without reserve the riotous behaviour witnessed in North Belfast over the past two nights.  He offers his sympathy to those police injured by the rioters and those whose property has been destroyed as a result of the rioting.

The Rev. Kingston is also concerned at the young age of some of those rioting and calls on parents to exercise control over their children to prevent them being used by the more sinister elements who are orchestrating these disturbances.

Contact:   Rev. Paul Kingston (003531-2145619)

Issued by:  Rev. Roy Cooper (07710945104 or 91815959)

JULY 2010 CONTENTS

CONFERENCE

Ministerial Session.......4
President's Inaugural Address ......6
Oh for a Thousand Tongues to Tweet!.....14
What does it take to host Conference?....24
Stations of Ministers and Probationers.....22
Service of Remembrance....25
Tributes to Ministers Retiring...30
Elections 2010/11.....32
Service of Commissioning for Probationers....32

REPRESENTATIVE SESSION

MMS (Ireland)....... 10
Methodist Women in Ireland....10
DYCW.....10
Budget Committee and CFC...12
Home Mission Department......14
General Committee....16/25
Home Mission Forum...17
The Covenant Council.....18
Council on Social Responsibility......19
Edgehill Theological College.....24
Faith and Order Committee....24
Business taken En Bloc....27
East Belfast Mission...30
Conversation on the Work of God....31

REGULARS

Methodist Women in Ireland....34
Bible Study - Rosemary Lindsay..38
Sunday Readings - Gillian Kingston....37
Obituaries......39/40
Ecology Matters - Alan and Helen Shiel....39
Media - Jim Rea....42
Ed-lines - Ed McDade.....42

You can buy the Methodist Newsletter at:
No 9 Resource Centre , 9 Lennoxvale, Belfast
The Good Book Shop , 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast
National Bible Society , 41 Daswon Street, Dublin 2

Price for a single copy: £1 (NI)  €1.25 (RoI)