Mission Ireland

PRAYER FOCUS: 30 May – 5 June 2012

 

May – June 2012
Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:

• Mon 28 – Thur 31 May PCI General Assembly

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

Kerrykeel Presbyterian Church – Revd Janice Browne
Pray for:
• Pray for the Vintage Rally taking place on 9 June in the grounds of the Presbyterian Church. This is an annual event attended by several thousand people and is a wonderful opportunity for the community to get together for an afternoon of fun and fellowship.

Cavanaleck and Aughentaine Presbyterian Churches – Revd Colin Dickson

Over the weekend of 18 – 20 May, Cavanaleck and Aughentaine churches ran a Soccer Coaching course for their local team Fivemiletown United. Thirteen members of the club attended the course held at the church hall and local astropitch under the tutelage of Alan Nixon, a UEFA Pro-Licence coach.

Praise for:

• Give thanks to God for the numbers who came along to this and the Soccer outreach Service on the Sunday night.
• The opportunity to share the gospel in a friendly and relaxed environment with these men.
• Those who expressed an interest in attending a follow up Christianity Explored course which will be run in the local clubhouse in May and June.
• The developing relationships between our church and Fivemiletown United since 2009.
• Pray that in all our planning and strategic thinking we would continue to focus on worshipping and loving God as our priority.

Irvinestown, Pettigo & Tempo Presbyterian Churches – Revd Charles Clements

Pray for:

• We plan to have a fun evening on 4 June to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. Pray that this joint event will deepen the links between our three congregations.

Kilkenny - Tom Dowling, Irish Mission Worker

Prayer and Praise for:

• Pray for Paul Smith and Tom Dowling as they do street outreach in Kilkenny on Saturday afternoons.
• Give thanks for many good conversations with young and old.
• Pray for ongoing door-to-door visitation and Bible Studies.

Westport – Karen Burns and Rhonda Glass

Praise and Prayer for:

• Give thanks to God for a young man who has recently professed faith. He brought his brother to church last Sunday. Pray for his brother to be saved too.
• Give thanks that the building is now ‘ours’.
• Pray that God will move His people to give the finances necessary to see this building turned into a place for worship and outreach.

 

Mountpottinger & Mersey Street Presbyterian Churches – John McCandless, Community Outreach Worker
Pray for:

• Jubilee Celebrations at Mountpottinger; a fun day for local families on Saturday 2 June.
• Jubilee Celebrations for the community in the new apartment complex of the old Mersey Street school on Tuesday 5 June evening.

Deaconesses
Doreen Draffin – Whitehouse Presbyterian Church & Northern Ireland Hospice
Pray for:

• Pray for the opportunities during the Queen’s Jubilee celebration and the Olympic Torch Run of Friendship Evangelism in our areas.

Sonya McCullagh – Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee
Praise for:

• Give thanks for ‘Gift’ – Growing In Fellowship Together – a ladies group that has been running this past year. It has been an encouragement to many women within the church.
• Praise God for a group of ladies who took the initiative to start ‘Gift’!
• Give thanks for another year of ‘Coffee with Kids’; our parent and toddlers group.
• We thank God for the friendships that are made during this time and we are thankful for safety throughout the year.

The General Assembly
Pray for:

• The meetings of the General Assembly that take place from Monday 28 – Thursday 31 May.
• Pray for the new Moderator, Revd Roy Patton, and his wife Daphne.
• Pray for the Board of Mission in Ireland who present their report on Tuesday afternoon.

 

 

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 23 - 29 May 2012

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Fri 18 – Fri 25 May Attending the Church of Scotland General Assembly
• Sunday 27 May 3.30pm RUC George Cross Service at St. Anne’s Cathedral

• Mon 28 – Thur 31 May PCI General Assembly

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

Sligo & Boyle Presbyterian Churches – Revd Alan Mitchell
Praise and Prayer for:
• We give thanks for the presence in Sligo of Andras and Mariann Gilicze, ministers in the Hungarian Reformed Church; and rejoice in the blessing that is following their ministry in Sligo and Boyle.
• Pray that God will guide them and us as we seek His will for the future.
• We give thanks for a generous grant, as requested by our presbytery, from BMI that has enabled us to begin the complete refurbishment of all the old property outside our church building itself.
• We give thanks for the spirit of harmony and cooperation among the congregational leadership that has enabled this work to proceed quickly.
• Pray for us as a congregation as we meet regularly to seek God’s guidance as to how our new facilities can be used to advance His kingdom and further connect us with the wider community.
• We ask for prayer for Boyle as we seek God’s guidance as to how to reshape our witness there in the future; and for Mariann in particular, as she seeks to get to know families in and around Boyle with a view to encouraging them to attend church.
Donabate Church Plant – Revd Andy Carroll

Praise and Prayer for:

• Give thanks to God for how He’s working in and growing us as a church family.
• Please pray for our men’s ministry as we try to grow relationships among our men and give them opportunities to learn more about the gospel.
• We’re hoping to have a youth volunteer to come and work with us in September; please pray for the right person to emerge.
• Pray that in all our planning and strategic thinking we would continue to focus on worshipping and loving God as our priority.

Rathcoole Presbyterian Church

Pray for:

• Pray for Philip Houston who has recently been appointed as a Community Outreach Worker with Rathcoole Presbyterian church.

Ballysally Presbyterian Church – Revd John Coulter

Pray for:

• Please pray for the team from ‘Ambassadors in Sport’ who are due to run a Soccer School and make connections with the young people through school/youth events, from 27 May – 3 June.

Deaconesses
Amanda Cooper – New Row, Coleraine

Praise and Prayer for:

• Give thanks to God for the completion of our DivorceCare Programme and the lives He touched and helped throughout.
• Praise God for the power of His Word to speak truth, comfort and hope into broken lives.
• Please pray for wisdom and guidance as to when we should run the next series of DivorceCare.
• Please pray for a new weekly women’s Bible study we have begun for new believers. The ladies range in age from 16 to nearly 50.
• Pray that these young women will be established and encouraged through studying God’s Word together and applying it daily.

The General Assembly
Pray for:

• The meetings of the General Assembly that take place from Monday 28 – Thursday 31 May.
• Pray for the new Moderator, Revd Roy Patton, and his wife Daphne.
• Pray for the Board of Mission in Ireland who present their report on Tuesday afternoon.

 

 

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 16 - 22 May 2012

_{May 2012
Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org}

<sub>MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Wednesday 16 May 7.30pm YAC Graduation Service at Knock Presbyterian
for their Youth Ministry and Children’s Ministry Courses

• Fri 18 – Sat 26 May Attending the Church of Scotland General Assembly
BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND</sub>

_{Ballymote, Ballina, & Killala Presbyterian Churches – Revd Molly Deatherage
Praise and Prayer for:
• At Ballymote we give many thanks to all those who prayed for our community wide Alpha course. It finished up successfully before Easter, and those who participated are looking forward to using it to reach out to others in the area next year.
• At Ballina we are grateful that renovations on our church hall are underway, and hope that it makes it more appealing to visitors and easier to use for those who do projects and activities there.
• We are also thankful that we have the financial resources to pay for it ourselves.
• On May 20, the Presbytery Mission Committee chairman is coming to share about mission strategy in congregations across the Presbytery. Pray for our congregations, that they will be encouraged by what he has to say about conditions in our part of Ireland, and what other congregations are doing.
Cavanaleck and Aughentaine Presbyterian Churches – Revd Colin Dickson}

_{Pray for:}

_{• Our football coaching weekend, with a special football themed church service on Sunday evening (18-20 May).
• Following on from the coaching weekend, pray for the start of a Christianity Explored course to be run at the club house of Fivemiletown United.}

_{Sligo and Boyle Presbyterian Churches – Revd Alan Mitchell}

_{Praise and Prayer for:}

_{• We give thanks and praise God for good attendances (adults and children) at morning services.
• We ask for prayer for faithful Sunday school teachers who prepare diligently to teach God’s word to children of different ages and nationalities.
• Please pray for two ladies that travel considerable distances to worship with us on an increasingly regular basis, and for some Spanish students that now join our Korean students in worship on Sundays.}

_{Deaconesses
Rosemary Spiers – 1st Antrim}

_{Praise and Prayer for:}

_{• One man who faithfully comes each week to ‘Chat and Chew’ composes poems and on 17 May we are going to have a special morning for him and his small book of poems. (Donations are going to Tearfund).
• Each week is different and we give thanks for those that come into the Church halls. One week we had a man from America and a couple from Canada (researching their family trees). The following Thursday a friend, of a previous contact who sadly died a number of months ago came in, do pray for this man who has drink problems.
• I just give thanks to God for this ministry and for the team of helpers who have a love for God and people.}

_{Board of Mission in Ireland – Revd David Bruce
Pray for:}

_{• David’s meeting with some representatives from Derry and Donegal about plans for the future in Inishowen on 19 May.
• David as he meets with our probationary Deaconesses as they approach the end of their training on 21 May.
• The Union Commission meeting on 22 May.}

_{Rural Mission
Pray for:
• Pray for the BMI Rural Mission Network meeting for Down and Ards Presbytery taking place in Raffrey Presbyterian Church on Tuesday 22 May.}

_{North West 200
Pray for:
• John Kirkpatrick, Noel Agnew and Edwin Ewart who act as race chaplains at the North West 200.
• Pray for friendships and opportunities to share the good news of the gospel in meaningful ways.
• Pray for outreach taking place over the weekend. Leslie Lockhart, one of the participants on the BMI Evangelist Course, is involved in this outreach. He has asked for prayer and sends the following details of the weekend.
• Why not join us on Saturday night and encourage others to come for a free gospel concert with ‘Signs of Life’ and Derek Walker (duet)? We would value your prayers. The weekend agenda includes:
• Friday 6.00pm Tea at Portrush Presbyterian Church Hall (PPCH)
7.30 – 9.00pm Training & Teaching
9.00 - 10.30pm Outreach
11.00pm Supper
Saturday 8.30am Breakfast
9.00am Prayer & Devotional Time - PPCH
9.45am Outreach
1.00-2.00pm Lunch - PPCH
2.00pm Outreach
6.30pm Tea
8.00pm Outreach & Prep for Concert
8.30-11.00pm Concert - Portrush Town Hall}

_{Sunday 8.30am Breakfast
9.00am Prayer & Devotional Time Attend Various Church Services 1.00pm Lunch - PPCH
2.30-4.00pm Outreach
• To book: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/71582012/NW200%20Murlough%20application%20form-tidied.pdf
• If you want to come along contact Leslie on 07816138949, as we need to book you in for meals. Also, please feel free to forward this information on to others.}

_{YAC Kids’ Praise Party – ‘Light of the World’
Pray for:
• Please pray for the Kids’ Praise Party which will take place on Saturday 19 May at Carnmoney Presbyterian Church. It starts at 2.00pm with the Kids’ Olympics followed by the Kids’ Praise Party at 3.30pm. For further information: www.pciyac.org or tel: +44(0)28 9032 2284}

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 9 - 15 May 2012

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Saturday 12 May 7.00pm Flower Festival at Killymurris Presbyterian
Church

• Sunday 13 May 11.00am Disabled Ex-Servicemen’s Service at Sinclair
Seamen’s Presbyterian Church

7.30pm Omagh Presbytery PW Rally at Ardstraw Presbyterian Church

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

HOME & IRISH MISSION

Ballyloughan Presbyterian Church, Ballymena – Gareth Parker, Community Outreach Worker
Pray for:
• We run a community outreach period throughout the months of May and June called ‘The Church has Left the Building’. This involves six Wednesday nights starting on 9 May; five teams are involved in practical work, children’s, youth, door-to-door and prayer ministry. Along with this, there are special events as well, such as a community concert, a men’s five-a-side football tournament, a ladies pampering night, and then a community weekend including a family fun day and a family Sunday evening service to finish. It is a time of great opportunity to make new contacts and make an impact on the community by showing God’s love in a real way.
• Pray that God would work amongst the Church as they are actively involved in mission on their doorstep, and for the community that they might respond to the message presented in word and deed.

Cavanaleck and Aughentaine Presbyterian Churches – Revd Colin Dickson

Praise and Prayer for:

• We held a ‘Fit for Life’ course in the local secondary school during February and March 2012. Give thanks for a good response from the community and the clear communication of the gospel at these evenings.
• Pray for the follow up to ‘Fit for Life’ – a number of women are meeting together as a ‘seekers’ group to explore what the Christian faith is about.
• Pray for the ladies who are leading this and for open conversations which help point people to Jesus.

Board of Mission in Ireland
Pray for:

• BMI Standing Committee and Executive Staff planning day conference taking place on 10 May.

Deaconesses

Elizabeth Matthews – Elmwood, Lisburn
Praise and Prayer for:
• Please give thanks for the people who have attended our ‘Fit 4 Life’ programme in the past years and remember us as we plan another this year, beginning on Thursday 10 May to run for six weeks.
• Pray that the Lord will bring those He wants to attend.
• Pray for the speakers over the weeks, that the Lord would use them mightily to do a work for Himself. Our aim is to see people won for Christ.
• Pray that as people come in they will feel a warm welcome and know God’s presence with them.
• Pray with us that this will be a fruitful time.

North West 200
Pray for:
• Revd John Kirkpatrick and the Chaplaincy team who will conduct the Pre-Race Service at the Hospitality Marquee on Sunday 13 May at 3.00pm.

Board of Social Witness
Pray for:
• Pray for the Conveners and Key Staff Forum as they meet in Helen’s Bay Presbyterian Church on 10 May as part of their Strategic planning/business plan.

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 2 - 8 May 2012

 

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Thursday 3 May 2.00pm Attending PW Annual Meeting
• Friday 4 May 7.30pm Attending PW Annual Meeting

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

Dun Laoghaire – Richie Cronin, Community Outreach Worker
Pray for:
• Richie who finished working with Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian church at the end of April and will commence studies for PCI ministry in September.
• Please pray for our new Christianity Explored course, which has four people attending who are not from the church group.
• Pray for our new home group that was formed from the last Christianity Explored course. They are new or newish Christians who need discipling.

Maynooth – Kevin Hargaden, Irish Mission Worker

Prayer and Praise for:

• Pray for Kevin who will be sitting theology exams through May; he has seven papers to complete.
• Give thanks that the debate I asked prayer for was one of the best attended of the year, and that the CU side prevailed! There were good discussions with some of the audience afterwards.
• Thank God for the opportunity to speak about how the rules of religion and the liberation of the Gospel are not the same, and pray that the contacts we made would yield more and deeper conversations.

Board of Mission in Ireland
Pray for:

• Revd Brian Colvin, Convener, and the members of the Strategy for Mission Committee who meet on Tuesday 8 May.

Deaconesses
Margaret Robertson – Gardenmore, Larne
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks that the Easter Service in the Glasgow Rangers Supporters Club went really well.
• Pray for ‘Fit for Life’ every Tuesday night for the next six weeks.
• Pray for continued leading as we seek to reach out into the ‘factory’ area in Larne.

Michelle McCauley – Ballygowan and Second Saintfield
Pray for:
• Pray for Michelle, that she will adjust quickly to working in two congregations.
• ‘GriefShare’ that will start on 9 May in Second Saintfield. Pray that this will be an effective way of communicating God’s love to those who are hurting.
• ‘Parenting Matters’, a short parenting course, starting on 4 May for three Friday nights. Pray again that it would demonstrate God’s love and concern for all areas of individuals lives.

The Vine Centre – David Surgenor
Prayer and Praise for:
• Pray for the many people I am in contact with who are suffering from mental health issues; that I will be able to share God’s love through His word and prayer.
• Pray for opportunities that are opening up to do Positive Programmes (Care for the Family) with a parents group in a local primary school. Pray that I may get an opportunity to witness through these.
• Give thanks for the group from Whitehouse Presbyterian which has recently completed the (ACC) Pastoral Care Foundation Course.
• Give thanks for the group who have been involved in two workshops, for new Sunday school teachers and junior leaders.
• We give thanks in noting that the DPYK and Parenting Programmes are a result of the PW Birthday Project 2009/10.

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 25 April – 1 May 2012

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org
PRAYER FOCUS: 25 April – 1 May 2012

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Saturday 28 April 2.30pm Opening of new building at Arklow Presbyterian
Church

• Sunday 29 April 12.00noon Second Castlederg Presbyterian Church

3.00pm Alt Presbyterian Church

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

Corboy Presbyterian Church – Revd Stephen Lockington
Pray for:
• Pray for us in Corboy as we host a praise service on Sunday afternoon, 29 April, and take the opportunity to invite folk along.

Arklow Presbyterian Church – Revd Michael Anderson and Philip Whelton

Prayer and Praise for:

• Pray for the Official Opening Service of the renovated church building on 28 April.
• Pray for the provision of further funding to pay off our building debt.
• Give thanks to God that Sunday services and our mid-week Bible study are well attended. We thank God that recently on Sundays, every person who is on our ‘books’ attended church.

Cork & Aghada Presbyterian Churches – Revd John Faris and Harry Moreland
Praise and Prayer for:

• We had some encouragements over Easter in the Cork area. Harry and Anne Moreland led a Holiday Bible Club for three days in a community centre in Aghada, with up to 15 children attending. This was an encouraging start and we trust a good preparation for a club which a team from Maghera Presbyterian church will hold in early July.
• Good Friday and Easter Sunday services at Trinity Cork were well attended and we were glad to welcome visitors from the district who came to our ‘Titanic Commemoration’ service on 15 April.

Kilkenny – Tom Dowling, Irish Mission Worker
Prayer and Praise for:
• Pray for a young couple contacted on the doors to whom we spoke and gave literature on a previous visit and who are now “very interested” and want to meet with us again.
• Pray also for two men with whom we had a long discussion and who are coming to the next Christianity Explored Course.
• Pray for those who will attend this course, due to start at 11.30 am on 26 April at Bishop Birch Community Centre.
• Give thanks for another lady who had previously pulled out of a course, but now wants to resume.

Westport – Rhonda Glass and Karen Burns
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks that we have been granted planning permission for the church building. Pray for this project – for God’s wisdom and provision.
• Pray for the new family who will be arriving from America to work with us next month.

Deaconesses

Margaret Robertson – Gardenmore, Larne
Pray for:
• Margaret Robertson and the ladies of Gardenmore Presbyterian Church in Larne as they run ‘Fit for Life’ for six weeks, commencing on Tuesday 1 May.

Tracey Nicholl – Probationary Deaconess, Ballywillan
Pray for:
• Pray for Tracey as she is currently off on sick leave.

Sonya McCullagh – Shore Street, Donaghadee
Praise and Prayer for:
• We thank God for the encouragements that we have had from the introduction of two new Sunday services. We have started a quieter service every week, and a contemporary service that happens monthly. We have seen God at work during these services and we continue to pray for wisdom and guidance as we take steps forward.
• We are hoping to join with Youth for Christ and other churches in the town to welcome a ‘Project 32’ team to Donaghadee in the summer. Please pray as plans are being made for this summer outreach and the work we can be involved in.

Doreen Draffin – Whitehouse and Northern Ireland Hospice
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks for the regular attendance at our daytime Bible study; fifteen people have just completed the audio visual of John’s gospel. We plan to study the letters of John after the Easter holiday.
• Pray for my visits to Northern Ireland Hospice Care.
• Pray for sensitivity and wisdom with patients and relatives. Also remember all the staff who minister there.

 

Crumlin Road Presbyterian Church – Revd Jack Drennan
Prayer and Praise for:
• Pray for ‘The Gathering Place’. This is a room set apart for coffee drinking, conversation and prayer as a way of engaging with the thousands at the car boot sale outside the church.
• Pray as we seek to make further contact with the patrons of the car boot sale, which is held only yards from the front door of our church. There are thousands at this sale every week of the year from all parts of the world and Northern Ireland. We have been reconfiguring the church with a coffee area to make contact more possible. For several years we have had a prayer table in the car park each week and now we wish to enhance the relationship.
• Pray also for a prayer room in the local primary school which is open each Friday afternoon. We hope that it will be used by teachers, parents and local people as we pray together for the transformation of the community.
• Pray for the repairs to the church worship area - that it will provide a comfortable and useful space for mission.
• Pray for possible links between the congregation and ‘Redeeming our Communities’.
• Give thanks for the resources to make the worship area of the church more functional and appropriate; the Lord has provided the money, apparently from literally nothing.

Carlisle Presbyterian Church, Londonderry – Revd Robert Buick
Praise for:
• Give thanks for the good numbers (over 50 on Good Friday) who attended the series of short lunchtime services throughout Holy Week, when the church building was open each day from 12.30 – 1.30pm.
• In addition to those from the congregation, there were quite a number of visitors from other local congregations and some visitors from further afield. We give thanks for two German tourists who were visiting the city for one day and who saw the notices and came to look around our building and stayed to join us for the service and tea afterwards in the church hall.

Cookstown 100 Outreach
Pray for:
• Revd Billy Hamilton and the group from Claggan and Orritor Presbyterian Churches who will be involved in outreach on Friday and Saturday at the Cookstown 100 Motor Cycle Race.
Newcastle Titanic Event
Pray for:
• The Newcastle Titanic Event organised by the ‘Fifth Sunday’ Organising Committee. It will be held in the Slieve Donard Hotel at 7.30pm on Sunday 29 April. For more information: www.titanicnewcastle.info

Rural Mission Network
Pray for:
• Pray for the BMI Rural Mission Network meeting taking place in Second Dromara Presbyterian Church on Thursday 26 April.

 

Cookstown 100 Annual Biker Church Service

Sunday 22nd April Annual Biker Church Service Orritor Presbyterian Church at 3:30pm.

PRAYER FOCUS: 18 - 24 April 2012

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Saturday 21 April 2.30pm Opening of hall at Moville Presbyterian Church
in Donegal with Revd Gilbert Young

• Sunday 22 April 11.30am Maghera Presbyterian Church – Opening of new vestibule

3.15pm Attending the installation of Revd Dr Donald Watt as ecumenical canon in the Church of Ireland at Armagh Cathedral

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

Arklow Presbyterian Church – Revd Michael Anderson
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks to God that many different groups are now renting out our new premises. This allows people to cross the door of our church who would never otherwise cross the threshold.
• Pray that they would get to know us and feel comfortable enough to pick up some of our free gospel literature that is in the entrance area.

Greystones Presbyterian Church – Revd David Montgomery

Praise for:

• Praise God for a good response and attendance at the outreach to children held over Easter.

Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian Church – Richie Cronin, Community Outreach Worker
Pray for:

• Please pray for three people who have joined our new Christianity Explored course.
• Please pray for the new home group we have established on the back of the last Christianity Explored course.

Drogheda – Billy Patterson, Irish Mission Worker
Prayer and Praise for:
• Pray for Dromore 2012: www.dromore2012.com
• Pray for Billy as he speaks at this united Mission event in Dromore, Co Down.
• A week of events started on Saturday 14 April and will be followed by a week of Mission meetings to be held in the local High School.
• Give thanks for the cooperation of all the local churches in this event, and for the well-attended week of children’s meetings held from 9 -13 April.
• Give thanks that a good number of children committed their lives to Christ.

Deaconesses

Margaret Robertson – Gardenmore, Larne
Pray for:
• Our ‘Flapper Show’ on Tuesday 24 April; an outreach event of fashion in years gone by!

Amanda Cooper – New Row, Coleraine
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks and praise to God for the ministry of DivorceCare. As we near completion of the 13 week programme, we rejoice in the many ways He has provided help, hope and healing to our participants and volunteers!
• Please ask God to reveal His will as to what we as a Church family do now to continue our support and care for those going through separation and divorce.
• If we are to repeat this programme in the Autumn, please ask the Lord for clear guidance.

The Living Room Church Plant, Cliftonville Road Belfast – Revd Dario Leal
Praise and Prayer for:
• The Alpha Course Launch Night on Wednesday 11 April went really well. Thanks to all those who have been praying.
• Please continue to pray for the team and for more people to come to the course. We had 16 people there on Wednesday, and there were more that could not come then but will be there next week.
• We had a young man give his life to Christ, please pray for him. It was a very good night, and a nice start.
• Web: www.livingroombelfast.org

 

 

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 4 - 17 April 2012

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Friday 6 April 11.00am Deaconess Communion Service at Great
Victoria Street Presbyterian Church

• Sunday 8 April 11.30am 175th Anniversary Service at Ballygrainey
Presbyterian Church

6.30pm Ballymena Town Churches Service at Wellington Presbyterian Church

• Wednesday 11 April Visit of the Presbyterian Holiday Group at the Share
Centre with Lindsay Conway

• Sunday 15 April 11.30am Mullingar Presbyterian Church – close of
present building before building of new church.

7.00pm Comber Titanic Festival in 2nd Comber
Presbyterian Church

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

Drumkeeran, Killeshandra, Cavan and Bellasis Presbyterian Churches – Revd Jean Mackarel
Pray for:
• An Easter Celebration in Bellasis Presbyterian Church on Sunday 8 April at 3.30pm, with virtuoso violinist Vladimir Jablokov and his musicians. Tea will follow in the church hall. The programme includes Cavan Presbyterian Churches United Choir and Praise Band, and an Easter Message.

Mullingar Presbyterian Church – Revd Stephen Lockington

Prayer and Praise for:

• Pray for us in Mullingar as the congregation says goodbye to their building at a final service on 15 April with guest preacher the Moderator of the General Assembly, Dr Ivan Patterson.
• It is a significant occasion as we thank God for the past and look to Him for the future as we embark on a new-build.
• Pray for us as we face all the challenges being ‘homeless’ brings, as well as being united in heart and witness around the Gospel – that we keep the ‘main thing’ the main thing.

Fahan Presbyterian Church – Revd Knox Jones

Pray for:
• Pray for the Easter events in Fahan. On Thursday 5 April Fahan will stage a “half night” of prayer. We plan to pray specifically for the needs of the congregation and the local area.
• On Good Friday there will be a special service in the Church. This service has been well attended in recent years by members of Fahan and various visitors. Pray that God would speak to all who attend as we focus upon the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin. May God’s Spirit reveal to those present their need of Jesus as their personal Saviour.
• On Easter Saturday there will be a cake sale and coffee-morning in the hall. This has proved to be an excellent opportunity to welcome into our premises many from the local community and to strengthen relationships.

Greystones Presbyterian Church – Revd David Montgomery

Pray for:
• From Monday 2 – Friday 6 April we are involved in (along with Dun Laoghaire Presbyterian Church and four other churches) joint services in Crinken Church of Ireland. Revd David Montgomery will speak on “Walking the Road of the Cross”.
• On Good Friday we will have breakfast at the church followed by a short service. Please pray for Linzi Anderson, our youth intern, and the other leaders as they take a number of our young people away to Ovoca Manor over the Easter weekend.
• We will hold a Children’s Holiday Club from Wednesday 11 – Friday 13 April. Pray for a good number of children as we run this club with our own volunteers for the first time.
• Pray that a good number of the children who attended last summer will come back and that important contacts will be made with the parents.

Ballina, Killala and Ballymote Presbyterian Churches - Revd Molly Deatherage
Praise and Prayer for:

• At Ballymote we’re giving thanks, still, for the successful Alpha course; with 18-20 who attended right to the very end. It was a great unity builder as it was a cross-community course and folks from every church were there, as were the clergy. We are also praying about when to do the next one!
• At Ballina we are distributing invitations to Easter services in local coffee shops, meeting points, the hotels and B&Bs. Please pray that the Lord will speak to people who don’t attend services anywhere and draw them to the celebration as well as to Himself.
• We will once again be putting on a Passover Lamb supper, inviting some of the folks who don’t come very often. Please pray that it will be well attended and that those who come will receive a fresh understanding and perspective of the Gospel from the festivities.

Arklow Presbyterian Churches - Revd Michael Anderson and Philip Whelton
Praise and Prayer for:

• Give thanks to God that our Community Cake Sale and Casablance night went well and we had a lot of people in our church who would never have been in it before.
• Pray that as we invite people to our Good Friday Tenebrae service, they will come, now that they know us a little better.
• Pray that as they hear the gospel at that service, they may come to a living faith in Jesus Christ.

Drogheda – Billy Patterson, Irish Mission Worker
Pray for:
• I would value prayer for the mission coming to Dromore. The mission is supported by all the main churches in the town. It begins on Saturday 14 April – Sunday 29 April. The final week of the mission is in Dromore High School. www.dromore2012.com

Dublin – David Boyd, Irish Mission Worker
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks for a good ‘Serve Day’ on a recent Saturday as Meitheal, our Gospel Community went out on various projects with ‘Serve the City’.
• Thank God for the contact we had with lots of people and pray especially for an elderly man living on his own that some of the team were able to help, and also for another young man who is a recovering addict and who told me something of his story.
• Please pray also for Revd Noel Agnew as comes to take the Holy Week services in Adelaide Road. He will speak on Isaiah 53 and we trust that he will be a real blessing to our church community and especially to any visitors that are invited to come.

Greenisland Presbyterian Church
Pray for:

• Pray for Greenisland Presbyterian Church as we run Christianity Explored in a local hotel (Knockagh Lodge Hotel). This is the first time we have tried this kind of venture away from our own premises, and we hope we may attract people who would not be comfortable in a church setting.
• We have distributed publicity throughout Greenisland. The course will run for seven weeks on Thursdays, beginning 12 April at 7.30pm.

 

Deaconesses
Sonya McCullagh – Shore Street, Donaghadee
Praise and Prayer for:
• Praise God for our recent ‘Saturday Night Special’ held on St Patrick’s Day for young people. When we developed a strategy for youth and children’s ministry this past year, one of our aims was to run an outreach event where our Christian youth would have opportunity to serve, and that it would be an event for them to reach and win their friends for Christ. And so, our Christian young people took a lead in organising and running this event and we were so encouraged by their enthusiasm and passion. Many youth came along and had great fun as well as being challenged with the gospel. We thank God for all He provided during this event and we pray for those who came, that God would be speaking into their lives. We hope to run these events quarterly and so we ask for wisdom as we think ahead for the next event.

 

 

 

PRAYER FOCUS: 28 March – 3 April 2012

Information in relation to mission and outreach in Ireland for Prayer Focus can be emailed to prayerfocus@presbyterianireland.org
WEB ADDRESS: www.missionireland.org

MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Pray for:
The Moderator as he attends the following:
• Monday 26 March – 4 April Overseas trip to Romania

BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND

HOME & IRISH MISSION
Dunfanaghy Presbyterian Church – Vacancy Convener Revd Janice Browne

Pray for:

• The launch of the church’s new website on Saturday 31 March.
• The launch evening and that the new website will be a blessing to both church members and the wider world.

Maynooth Community Church – Revd Keith McCrory and Kevin Hargaden

Pray for:
• MCC as they seek as a community to share Jesus with their friends this Lent in the run up to Easter.
• Pray for Kevin who is taking part in a public debate ahead of Easter in NUI, Maynooth. Alongside John Samuel of Grosvenor Road Baptist Church in Dublin, he will be up against some philosophers and someone from Atheist Ireland addressing the topic “To be moral is to be religious”. The Christian Union have actually decided, in a very savvy Gospel decision, to attack that suggestion. So I will be trying to win the debate for them, but also arguing for the grace of the Gospel in a way that subverts expectations that to be Christian means to be nice.
• I have never debated before so I would appreciate prayers from folk. Especially, that I would represent the Gospel with clarity and that people would be moved to investigate it more this Easter as a result of what we say.

Legacurry Presbyterian Church - Revd Bobby Liddle
Pray for:

• Following on from three Christianity Explored courses in the autumn and spring, Legacurry is holding a series of special services leading up to Easter on the theme – ‘It was for us’. Revd Gary Trueman preached on 18 March, Revd Dr Alistair Dunlop on 25 March, and Revd David Bruce will preach on 1 April.
• Pray for the impact of the gospel and for the 5-week ‘Start Right’ follow-up course after Easter.

Westbourne Presbyterian Community Church, Newtownards Road, East Belfast – Revd Mervyn Gibson
Pray for:

• Please pray for the following events that are being planned to mark the Titanic Centenary.
• Saturday 31 March at 8.00pm, An Evening of Music, Poetry & Drama featuring members of the New Irish Choir & Orchestra, the actor Dan Gordon and friends of the Shipyard Church. Order tickets online www.Titanic-People.co.uk or telephone 028 9045 0507.
• Sunday 1 April at 11.00am, ‘Yardmen Service’. A ‘Yardmen Service’ to recognise and honour the achievement and lives of those who worked in the shipyards. This service is being organised jointly with ‘The Dock Church’, the new manifestation of church emerging in the Titanic Quarter – the old and the new coming together on Palm Sunday.

Drogheda – Billy Patterson, Irish Mission Worker
Pray for:
• The Hotel Bible Study on Wednesday evenings. We have some new people coming along. To view a short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pISNxQOTMAQ&list=UUcxyEXWRtnS4cx3qdB6qRRg&index=1&feature=plcp

Dromore 2012 – “Coming to Know God Personally”
Pray for:
• Pray for the upcoming mission in Dromore, County Down, in April. There is great interest from all the churches in the town for the mission. For more information: www.dromore2012.com

The Living Room Church Plant, Cliftonville Road Belfast – Revd Dario Leal
Praise and Prayer for:
• Throughout all the books of the gospel we see that Jesus did not attempt to bring new believers to the synagogue. Instead, He went to where the people in need already were. Following this example we began meeting on Wednesday evening for six weeks at the Devine Café on the Antrim Road and called it ‘The Devine Exchange’. The owner of this establishment graciously opened the doors for us to bring live, soothing Christian music. While customers came in for a bite to eat or coffee, our team in partnership with Crown Jesus Ministries, served as MC, shared testimonies and a brief message from the Bible. Many people lingered behind to speak to us, ask questions and share their prayer requests.
• Pray for Dario as he seeks to reach out into this needy area with the gospel.

Drumkeeran, killeshandra, Cavan and Bellasis Presbyterian Churches – Revd Jean Mackarel
Praise and Prayer for:
• Give thanks for the Mission, ‘Stirring the Heart’ Mission Part 2, held in Drumkeeran Presbyterian Church in West Cavan with Revd Drew and Roberta Moore, from Monday 26 – Friday 30 March at 8.00pm each night.
• The endeavour includes the Senior Citizens special extra event on Thursday 29, entitled ‘Tea with the Bishop’, at 6.00pm in Drumkeeran church hall.
• Pray for continuing impact in the watering of the Word, by the Spirit, following these kingdom ventures.
• Pray for all the choirs and groups taking part during the week, and those telling of their journey to faith and in faith.
• Pray for Drew and Roberta Moore.
• On Sunday 1 April 2012, RTE Radio will broadcast their service from Cavan Presbyterian church. It will be recorded on Sunday 1 April at 11.30am, and aired on Sunday 8 April in the morning. The church choir will lead the praise.
• Pray for us in the thorough preparation and inspiration required; that it will teach afresh the wonderful Easter story to listening ears tuned in on home radios or overseas on the worldwide web.

Deaconesses
Margaret Robertson – Gardenmore, Larne
Pray for:
• The evening service on Sunday 1 April at the Rangers Club in Larne.