Will they jump or will they be pushed?;Training for leaders on Self–harming; New C of I publications; Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity 2013; O’Dowd critical of move on GCSEs; Parade ‘to play hymns’ at church
Will they jump or will they be pushed?
Ruth Burleigh and Revd Anne Taylor from Rathfarnham Parish, Dublin, will be taking to the skies for two worthy causes. The pair have decided to do a parachute jump for charity. The jump will take place on Sunday October 21 and the two charities that they hope to raise lots of money for are Bishops Appeal and The Cottage Home. All money raised will go directly to the charities and not towards expenses.
Bishops’ Appeal is the Church’s World Aid and Development Programme. It contributes to relief of suffering in time of emergencies whether natural or man–made. However, the main concern is to support ongoing development of sustainable agriculture, healthcare (including HIV/AIDS) and education in many parts of the world. See www.bishopsappeal.ireland.anglican.org
The Cottage Home Child and Family Services is a voluntary childcare organisation that has been providing childcare services for over 100 years. The original service started as a crèche and was the only provision of this nature in Ireland. Based on the needs of children and families at the time, the service very soon developed into providing residential care. Today Cottage Home continues to deliver residential care in two facilities and is developing family support services by setting up a dedicated Family Support Project in south County Dublin.
See www.cottagehome.ie
A coffee morning and a cake sale are being organised to help raise funds but anyone willing to encourage Ruth and Anne to jump can send a donation to: Rathfarnham Rectory, 41 Rathfarnham Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W.
Training for leaders on Self–harming
How can you help if you discover a young person you know is harming themselves?
Opening Doors events from The Big House are designed to help Christians respond to the difficult issues we encounter in the lives of young people in our churches, youth groups and homes. This free training for youth leaders combines practical Biblical theology with personal experience and professional advice.
The dates are : Tues 13 November, Rumours Café, Belfast at 7.15pm
Tues 20 November, The Sandel Centre, Coleraine, at 7.15pm
Cathy Bell is the Co–ordinator of Schools Counselling in NI, she is also the Chair of the BACP (the largest body of counsellors in the UK). She will be helping us to understand why young people (even Christians) self–harm and giving practical advice for anyone who wants to join with Jesus in walking with and caring for them.
http://www.thebighouse.org.uk
New C of I publications
A number of projects for publication in 2013 are currently in development by the Literature Committee of the Central Communications Board.
A new Parish Handbook which is intended to help equip those actively involved in parish life do so with greater confidence.
A new Church of Ireland Lent book with the potential to be both an aid to personal devotion and also a resource for group discussion during the penitential season. It will be Anglican in perspective but with a distinctive Church of Ireland dimension.
The Committee is considering the possibility of publishing, in conjunction with the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (CITI), a discrete selection of the Master in Theology dissertations in pamphlet form. These individual theological reflections (of 18,000–20,000 words each) have been recommended as of publishable quality and of potentially wider interest to both academic researchers and members of the Church. In time, such dissertations may be published annually and form a series of pamphlets reflecting the emerging work of CITI and its student ordinands.
Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity 2013
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013 will be celebrated between 18 and 25 January 2013. The Theme for 2013
is – What does God require of us?
(cf. Micah 6:6–8)
The preparatory resources to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity are now available on the World Council of Churches (WCC) website in four different languages.
www.oikoumene.org
O’Dowd critical of move on GCSEs
The Northern Ireland Education Minister John O’Dowd says the Education Secretary Michael Gove may have ‘fatally flawed’ the GCSE brand following the decision to replace the exam in England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19628029
Parade ‘to play hymns’ at church
Orange Order bands taking part in the Ulster Covenant parade will play hymns when passing a Catholic Church in Belfast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19625637