Irish news digest June 22

CMSI Completes Belfast office move

CMSI has moved its Belfast Office to Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park in South Belfast. The final move from Dargan Road was completed on 17th June and the new office is now fully operational.

This move has been a long time coming. Last summer, CMSI agreed the sale of the offices in Dargan Road and identified the Lady Dixon property as a suitable location for new offices. After many months of false dawns and delays, the move was finally set to begin on 24th March. Then, on the evening of 23rd March, the UK Government announced its Covid-19 lockdown measures, leading to a further ten-week delay.

On 3rd and 4th June, the removal company was finally able to transport the furniture and 100 crates to the new site. The last two weeks have seen staff working on a rota to clear the remaining furniture from Dargan Road and to unpack and set-up at Lady Dixon Park.

Speaking about this latest development, CMSI’s Mission Director, Jenny Smyth said:

“The office move has been a long road, firstly exploring all the possibilities with our Dargan Road premises, then finding a buyer and searching for a place to make our CMSI home. God has guided us to and blessed us with a beautiful place to be – in a park famous for roses! The office is fully accessible, light and airy, and we are delighted that the move is now complete. I am thankful for the support of our Trustees, the staff and our wonderful band of volunteers! We pray that God will continue to lead and bless the work of the society in the new chapter now unfolding.”

While some Covid restrictions remain in place, a number of the CMSI staff team will continue to work mainly from home. But the new Belfast office will be staffed throughout the summer and the staff can be contacted via phone and email.

Location of new Belfast Office – Above Stables Cafe in Sir Thomas And Lady Dixon Park, near Drumbeg and Dunmurry.
Contact Details
Email:[ belfastoffice@cmsireland.org ]
Phone: 028 90775020 (NI/UK); 048 90775020 (RoI)
Postal Address – CMS Ireland, Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park,
237 Upper Malone Road, Belfast, BT17 9LA

UK government change will impact on world’s poorest

The decision to merge DFID_UK and the Foreign Office will have a hugely detrimental effect on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. Christian Aid urges members of the public to write to their MP to voice their concern: http://christianaid.org.uk/news/dfid-fco-…

Faith At Home video for parents

Resilience is the focus in this week’s Faith At Home video for parents.
Featuring contributions from young people across the UK, the episode includes reflections, prayers, and ideas to try at home.

Catch up on all of the resources for parents and church leaders at [ cofe.io/FaithAtHome. ]

The prayer for the day is posted each morning on a social channel and it’s also available on our website.

Today’s is available on Facebook here:
[ https://www.facebook.com/thechurchofengland/photos/a.10151252590056385/10158595389721385/ ]

Mayor thanks members of the Eglinton Churches Together

The Mayor of Derry and Strabane paid an early morning visit to Eglinton Community Centre on Friday to meet and thank members of the Eglinton Churches Together group which has been helping vulnerable and self-isolating members of the community during the Covid-19 lockdown. Councillor Brian Tierney spent about an hour chatting to local clergymen, Rev Canon Paul Hoey (St Canice’s Church of Ireland) and Rev Lindsay Blair (Faughanvale Presbyterian Church), as well as the manager of the local community centre, Debbie Caulfield, and volunteers from the cross-community group.

St Canice’s Church of Ireland, Faughanvale Presbyterian Church and Faughanvale Roman Catholic Parish came together in the early days of the lockdown to help more vulnerable villagers and people in the surrounding area. More than three thousand homes in Eglinton and Greysteel were leafletted with flyers . Individuals from the churches were nominated as ‘contact persons’ who could be telephoned by members of the community.

Volunteers helped by picking up and delivering shopping, collecting medicines and other urgent supplies, and posting mail. Church members were also available for friendly phone calls to support those feeling lonely or anxious.

Walking 10 half-marathons for Methodist World Development

Janet Tinsley is walking 10 half-marathons over 10 days, for each of Methodist World Development & Relief’s 10 direct partners!
You can stay up to date with Janet’s efforts on her JustGiving page: [ https://buff.ly/3fFhH3h ]

At this time, when both WDR and their partners are anticipating a drop in income due to other events and fundraisers being cancelled, initiatives like this are vital and a blessing to their work!

We wish Janet (and her dog Heidi) all the best for their ‘Footsteps for Footprints’ challenge!

Saint Macartin’s Enniskillen on stream weekly

Morning services will be streamed every Sunday from Saint Macartin’s Cathedral Enniskillen at 11am even after it reopens on Sunday 29th June. Link – [ www.enniskillencathedral.com. ]

Food for thought

Points for Prayer

Pray for unpaid carers. They’re providing vital care and support during lockdown. But many are feeling lonely and isolated and thousands are going hungry. We pray for your provision and for increased support to be offered to unpaid carers.

Pray for the refugees around the world, especially for those who found their home in Ireland. Pray for safety on their journey towards a better life and for healing of any trauma they experienced.

Pray they will be treated with dignity wherever they go. May God bring healing in all aspects of their life and bring healing and restoration to their countries of origin, too.

God in Creation