Christ Church & Church of the Good Shepherd

Parish of Urney Christ Church & Church of The Good Shepherd Christmas 2014 News Sheet Rector: Reverend Mark Greenstreet ~ Telephone 028 81658835

, it seems is a very popular word, especially around this time of year: ‘We hang out stockings at the end of the bed before going to bed on Christmas Eve’ ‘We go to mum and dad’s place on Christmas Day’ ‘We eat turkey and ham’ ‘We give the neighbours a tin of biscuits’ ‘We do something special to see in the New Year’… But think about it, if you will… How long does it take before something becomes a habit… before we treat the extraordinary as if it is of little or no significance, before that wonderful announcement becomes just old news… before that gift loses its appeal… Take a good look at the painting… the ox is there beside the feeding stall, a shepherd, or two, Mary and Joseph… but did you notice anything else? There is no vulnerable child wrapped in strips of cloth – his place has been usurped by Santa. And it’s my guess today that in homes up and down the country, and around the parish that’s exactly what HAS happened – rather than focus on Jesus at Christmas and celebrate HIS coming, it’s Santa (or at least all of the trappings of today’s commercial Christmas) that has our full attention… Santa in whom we put our trust… not Jesus at all. You can understand perhaps – the story of the incarnation, of Emmanuel – God HERE with us, is extraordinary – it is almost implausible that Jesus would leave all the glory of heaven for our sake, but then again… is it not tougher still to trust in the one who miraculously delivers Christmas gifts down the chimney, but countless people do!

Christmas was, when I was a child, a wonderful, magical time – at home AND in church… the carols, and candles… food and fun together… not JUST the presents… Today I fear that we just go through the motions… we do it all again… as we ALWAYS have – putting the tree up… and the decorations… singing the carols, having our fill of turkey and Christmas pudding. And then, come Boxing Day we put it all away again… and life returns to normal, as if it had never happened at all.

But the wonderful news of Christmas that the angels proclaimed in the skies above Bethlehem was that life never would be the same again…. the coming of the child in the manger had a massive impact upon the whole of humanity. Jesus is not like the decorations that we get out and dust down every year, nor like the gifts that keep our attention for a short while but are then forgotten… He is with us FOREVER, and he promises never to leave us or forsake us. But even more than that… the presence of Jesus in our lives, beyond Christmas and throughout the year affords us renewed hope and life.

I hope to see you in church over the Christmas period and wish you and yours a wonderful, joyful Christmas and New Year.

With my love and prayers

Your Rector, 5th November 2014 in Ardstraw New Cemetery following a service in the Church of the Good Shepherd “I am the resurrection and the life,” saith the Lord. , Ballyfatten Park, Sion Mills “Absent from the body, present with the Lord”

23rd November 2014 in Leckpatrick Graveyard following a service in the Church of the Good Shepherd “I am the resurrection and the life,” saith the Lord. late of Westway, Sion Mills. “Safe in the arms of Jesus”

Over the past several weeks two of our senior parishioners passed this life. On Sunday 2ⁿ� November we learned of the death of Sarah (Sadie) Hemphill. Sadie who was a quiet reserved person would have been 86 on 5�� November (the day of her funeral) had been in failing health for some time. To all her family circle we extend our sincere sympathy. Again on the morning of 21�� November we learned that Dorothy Donnell known to us all as Doris had passed away late the previous evening. Although just a couple of weeks short of her 96�� birthday her death was unexpected. Doris, who in her later life was one of the librarians in our local library, was well known to all the community . To her son, Ian, daughters, Elsie and Gillian and all the family circle we extend our deepest sympathy.

In loving memory of a dear father, Hugh, died 21�� December 2006. Always remembered by son Allan, daughter in law Lila and all the family circle. “A silent thought, a little prayer, for someone special in God’s Care”

In loving memory of Richard Williamson, died 24th December 2013. Always remembered by his wife, Martha, son, David, daughter, Thelma and all the family circle. “Forever in our thoughts”

In loving memory of a dear father, William James, died 31st December 1977 and a dear mother, Hanna, died 26th January 1984. Always remembered by their son Billy, daughter in law Jean and all the family circle. “Always in our thoughts, forever in our hearts”

In loving memory of Edwin Reid, died 17th January 1999. Always remembered by all the family circle. “In silence we remember” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Third Sunday of Advent ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Church of The Good Shepherd 8.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION 10.30 a.m. Christmas Worship for all the Family & Sunday School Nativity Presentation

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christ Church 12.00 noon Christmas Worship for all the Family & Sunday School Nativity Presentation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Church of The Good Shepherd 8.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION 10.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION 7.00 p.m. Christmas Carols by Candlelight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christ Church 12.00 noon A Service of Readings and Carols ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Church of The Good Shepherd 11.30 p.m. First Communion of Christmas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christ Church 9.00 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Church of The Good Shepherd 10.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please return your at any of our Christmas Services ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunday 28�� December

Church of The Good Shepherd NO SERVICE at 8.30 a.m. 10.30 a.m. MORNING PRAYER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christ Church 12.00 noon MORNING PRAYER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunday 4�� January

Church of The Good Shepherd 8.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION 10.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christ Church 12.00 noon HOLY COMMUNION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunday 11�� January

Church of The Good Shepherd 8.30 a.m. HOLY COMMUNION 10.30 a.m. MORNING PRAYER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christ Church 12.00 noon MORNING PRAYER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Being 100 years since the start of The Great War (WW 1) this years Remembrance Sunday was an event of important significance, to many people, in British and Irish history. At both of our morning services that Sunday the large turnout to commemorate the Act of Remembrance was proof of this. Again the afternoon service in the Church of The Good Shepherd for Strabane District Royal British Legion was further proof of this, the church was full.

The Poppy Appeal organiser for the district wishes to thank all those who donated to this worthy cause. The collection boxes in our two churches raised the sum of £61.51. Our parish was able to forward £787.50 (the amount raised through our special Poppy Appeal envelopes) and £932.50 (the amount from the Strabane District Service) to the Poppy Appeal 2014.

The Service of Hope and Remembrance on the evening of Sunday 16�� November was quite well attended. Names and some photos of those remembered were shown on the screens. The service give those who attended a special time to reflect and remember the life and special times they had with their loved ones and friends who have passed this life.

We would like to thank all the people who contributed, collected, and came along to our Christmas Bazaar and supported the Christmas Draw. The two events were well supported and raised £2739.00 towards our parish funds. Prize winners in the Christmas Draw were: Derek Morrow, Sion Mills; Julie Begley, Sion Mills; George Hamilton, Urney; Rosemary Williamson, Sion Mills; Ian Millar, Sion Mills and Alex Patterson Sion Mills.

All those parishioners who subscribe to the church by weekly envelopes, monthly envelopes or by annual subscription please remember that only payments received up to and including 31�� December can be included in your Freewill Giving for 2014. If you pay income tax at the standard rate you can ‘Gift Aid’ all your subscriptions. Contact your Church Wardens if you need any further details. We are having our annual clothes collection in January 2015. All types of Clothing, Bags & Shoes (please tie shoes together using laces), Hats and Belts, Towels & Curtains, Bed Linen (sheets, pillow cases, duvet covers) will be accepted. Please note Pillows and Duvets are not acceptable. The Church Hall will be open on Wednesday and Thursday 14�� & 15�� January from 11.00 a.m. until 9.00 p.m. to receive the bags. Cookstown Textile Recyclers are picking up all the bags on Friday morning. If you are unable to leave your bag/bags at the hall on the Wednesday or Thursday please contact one of the Select Vestry who will make arrangements to collect them.

Extract from ‘The Church of Ireland Gazette:

The Evangelical Alliance has said that it is “a shame that schools have decided to airbrush Christ out of Christmas” and has called on schools not to be afraid of returning to the traditional Nativity plays. The organisation Netmums which surveyed 2,000 parents across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has expressed concern that the traditional Nativity scene is being modernised and replaced by “winter celebrations” in which the religious figures are being replaced with characters such as Elvis Presley and footballers, while the Christmas carols are being replaced with pop songs…. Head of Public Affairs at the Evangelical Alliance said that “Christ has largely been airbrushed out of Easter and the same with Christmas”. He continued; “This is either extreme political correctness or perhaps a nation too embarrassed to face up to its Christian heritage and the radical challenging message of the Christmas story.” Siobhan Freegard, founder of Netmums told us: “Although Northern Ireland is much more traditional than most areas of the UK, with 51% of schools still holding some form of Nativity play with recognisable characters, many parents do wish their school would do more. “ She continued: “ It seems wrong to bombard kids with commercial messages about presents and Santa without them realising the true meaning of the celebration.” 14�� & 21�� December Mrs. Ina Hamilton. 28�� December & 4�� January Mrs. Lisa Hamilton. 11�� & 18�� January Mrs. Frances Lindsay 25�� January & 1st February Mrs. Christina Speers. 8th & 15th February Mrs. Annette Brown. 22ⁿ� February & 1�� March Mrs. Ann Buick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December Mrs. Olive Baird & Family. January Mrs. Valerie Shields. February Mr. Roy Brown & Mr. Harold Shannon. March Mrs. Valerie Hamilton & Family.

14th December Mrs. Celia Ferguson. 21�� & 28�� December Mrs. Rosemary Williamson. 4�� & 11�� January Mrs. Kathleen Moore & Mrs. Margaret McCallan. 18�� & 25�� January Mrs. Ria Wilson. 1�� & 8�� February Mrs. Violet Bailey. 15�� & 22ⁿ� February Mrs. Sylvia Campbell & Mrs. Ruby McConnell. 1�� & 8�� March Mrs. Frances Tinney & Mrs. Etta Brown. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December Mr. Crawford McCann & Mr. Uel McMullan. January Mrs. Pearl Harron & Mrs. Avril Kidd. February Mr. William Steenson & Mr. Ronald Patton. March Mrs. Jennifer McAuley Porch and Gallery Brass Cleaning - Mr. Brian Gilmour

With this News Sheet is the annual ‘bishops’ appeal’ envelope. If you wish to donate to this please return your donation in the envelope on or before Christmas Day.

The Sunday Schools will have their ‘Nativity Presentation’ on Sunday 14�� December. At this service you can place your present under the Christmas Tree for the not so privileged children in the district.