Athy Messy Church Training Day; Retreat in the City; Places available For Galway Inter Faith Workshop; New Connor deacon; Moravian Bishop’s visit; Down Clergy Quiet Day before Lent; Media review
Athy Messy Church Training Day
Athy Union of Parishes (Dublin & Glendalough) is hosting a Messy Church Training day on Saturday February 23 from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm in Athy Church of Ireland Centre.
Messy Church is a format of children’s and family ministry that is especially suited to those on the fringe of the church. Regional Coordinator for Messy Church, Louise Ferguson, from Dromore will conduct the Messy Fiesta. Those who attend will be introduced to the concept of Messy Church and have the opportunity to give it a go.
A Messy Church event is usually held once a month, mid–week, in a parish hall or centre. It begins with welcome, tea/coffee for parents and games for the children. The afternoon is introduced when all have arrived, outlining the theme for the day, along with samples of the crafts that are on offer which are linked to the theme. After about an hour of messy creativity, there is a short time of worship which gives an opportunity to reflect on what they have been making and to teach about the theme. The afternoon concludes with a meal which is eaten together.
Athy Parish has been running Messy Church once a month since October 2012, and has found it to be an excellent programme for building up relationships with families in the local community.
Booking information on the Messy Fiesta is available from the Revd Cliff Jeffers at (athy@glendalough.anglican.org).
Retreat in the City
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin and the nearby St Werburgh’s Church will be the locations for a Lenten retreat from February 15 to February 17 2013.
Entitled “Retreat in the City”, the weekend–long event aims to give participants spiritual inspiration for their journeys and will be led by Ian Adams, Anglican priest and author of Cave, Refectory, Road.
Beginning on Friday evening, February 15 and continuing until after lunch on Sunday February 17, “Retreat in the City” will have a Lenten theme inspired by the monastics and spiritual writers of the past. Throughout the weekend, Ian Adams will lead sessions focusing on the season of Lent and what the monastics have to provide inspiration for the season as we journey towards Easter. There will also be time and space for personal reflection and spiritual directors will be available for retreatants to talk to. The whole weekend will be bound together by worship based on monastic offices.
The retreat is being organised by Christ Church Cathedral’s residential priest vicar, Revd Garth Bunting. “All of us lead very busy lives, with a lot going on and a lot of noise. The idea of a spiritual life is that we find peace and quiet regularly to listen to God’s voice. Going out to the countryside to find peace and quiet is great but that does not reflect our everyday experience. So we’re going to have the retreat here in the middle of the busy city,” he explains.
The retreat is open to all. It is non residential and costs €85 which includes tea and coffee as well as lunch on February 16 and 17. For those visiting the city there are a number of reasonably priced hotels within a few minutes’ walk of the cathedral.
For more information or to obtain a booking form for “Retreat in the City” contact the Revd Garth Bunting at garth.bunting@cccdub.ie or on +353 1 677 8099. Participants can apply online at http://www.christchurchdublin.ie/Worship/Retreat.htm
See today’s Media focus on CNI
Places available For Galway Inter Faith Workshop
A number of places are still available for those wishing to attend a Workshop on Inter Faith Engagement in Galway on Saturday 2 March.
The Workshop (organised by the Church of Ireland’s Inter Faith Working Group) will be based around the Porvoo Communion’s study guide ‘Keys to Inter Faith Engagement’. The Porvoo Communion is a communion of 13 mainly northern European Anglican and Lutheran churches, including the Church of Ireland.
The aim of the ‘Keys’ document, and of the Workshop, is to enable people to consider the situation where they live with their neighbours from different faith communities, and to support and develop inter faith dialogue. In particular, a number of themes will be explored at the Galway event:
• Who we are in our communities; what are the local, national and international issues?
• How do changing patterns of living in Ireland impact on faiths?
• What is needed to build long term trust?
• How should we share our faith with a Hindu or Muslim?
• What are our theological foundations?
The Workshop will be led by the Revd Canon Andrew Wingate. Andrew was the founding Director of the Saint Philip’s Centre for Study and Engagement in Leicester, and is now a consultant/teacher in the area of inter faith relations, particularly within Scandinavia. He was a member of the group which prepared ‘Keys to Inter Faith Engagement.’
The attendance fee (including lunch and tea/coffee) is £20 or €25. Students may attend free of charge. The fee can be paid by cash or cheque on the day but those wishing to attend should register in advance with the Revd Darren McCallig by email mccalld@tcd.ie or by telephone 353(0)1 896 1402.
This event is being held in the Chapel of Saint Columbanus (by kind permission of the chaplains) on the campus of NUI Galway. It will begin at 11.00am and conclude at 4.30pm. Parking will be available on campus in the vicinity of the Chapel.
New Connor deacon
St Paul’s Parish Church in Lisburn was full to capacity on the evening of Wednesday February 6 for a Service of Ordination to the Diaconate of Stephen McWhirter.
Stephen was joined on the night by his wife the Rev Jennifer McWhirter, his daughter Harvest and many other family and friends, with people travelling from as far away as Portadown and Bangor to celebrate the occasion.
Stephen was ordained by the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor, and the preacher was the Rt Rev John McDowell, Bishop of Clogher.
Music was provided by St Paul’s Choir and Praise Band and Emma and Lisa Carson sang during Communion. Following the service the congregation was treated to a lovely supper which had been prepared by some of the ladies of the parish.
Moravian Bishop’s visit
Bishop Graham Rights, Moravian Bishop of the Unity residing in the USA Southern Province, was recently a guest speaker in St Colmanell’s, Ahoghill (Connor)
A large congregation of Anglicans and Moravians heard the Bishop speak about the Agreement in the United States, called ‘Finding our Delight in the Lord’ and shared hopes for a similar agreement in Ireland.
Bishop Graham was staying in Gracehill before travelling down to Kilkenny for talks with the Church of Ireland based on the agreement reached between the Moravian Church in the United States and the Episcopal Church in the United States.
Travelling with him were the Rev Sarah Groves, Minister at Gracehill, the Rev Paul Holdsworth from the Belfast Moravian Congregations and the Rev Philip Cooper, Ecumenical Officer of the Moravian Church.
During his stay Graham covered a lot of ground visiting with Moravians in Belfast and Gracehill. He said the visit to the Holy Communion Service at St Colmanell’s had been a highlight of his visit.
A large congregation of Anglicans and Moravians heard the Bishop speak about the Agreement in the United States, called ‘Finding our Delight in the Lord’ and shared hopes for a similar agreement in Ireland.
Bishop Graham was staying in Gracehill before travelling down to Kilkenny for talks with the Church of Ireland based on the agreement reached between the Moravian Church in the United States and the Episcopal Church in the United States.
Travelling with him were the Rev Sarah Groves, Minister at Gracehill, the Rev Paul Holdsworth from the Belfast Moravian Congregations and the Rev Philip Cooper, Ecumenical Officer of the Moravian Church.
During his stay Graham covered a lot of ground visiting with Moravians in Belfast and Gracehill. He said the visit to the Holy Communion Service at St Colmanell’s had been a highlight of his visit.
Down Clergy Quiet Day before Lent
Serving and retired clergy and Church Army workers gathered in St Ignatius’ Carryduff on Shrove Tuesday for the annual Down & Dromore Quiet Day.
The day centred around worship and reflection before Lent began and Bishop Miller invited a former rector in the diocese, The Rt Revd John McDowell, Bishop of Clogher, to give the three addresses.
MEDIA REVIEW
Over 2,600 NI kids have started smoking since August
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/over-2-600-kids-have-started-smoking-since-august-1-4785645
NI needs hundreds of foster families
At least 200 new foster families are needed across NI this year to look after the record numbers of children in care, figures show.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21446825
PPS considers NI social media policy
The Public Prosecution Service says it is considering legal issues surrounding the use of social media before deciding whether a policy document needs to be produced in Northern Ireland.
http://www.u.tv/news/PPS-considers-NI-social-media-policy/3fc2c77c-4fa8-42f9-a5be-d48a0835ecfa