Carnmoney Parish Church ‘The Church of the Holy Evangelists’ Carnmoney Review Vicar: Rev. Andy Heber, 20 Glebe Road, Newtownabbey BT36 6UW. Tel: (028) 9083 6337 Website: www.carnmoney.connor.anglican.org Registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland - NIC102377 May 2019 2 In this month’s issue..... From the Curate’s Desk ....................... p4 CoI Men’s Society ................................ p9 Parish Register ..................................... p5 Mothers’ Union .................................... p9 Special Prayer Meeting ........................ p5 CMS Ireland Update ........................... p10 Diary for May ........................................ p6 Knitting B ............................................ p10 Readings & Readers ............................. p7 Children’s Easter Workshop ....... p12&13 Easter General Vestry ......................... p8 Data Protection Forms ......................... p14 Who’s Who Vicar Curate Rev. Andy Heber 028 9083 6337 Rev. Carol Harvey 07860 696800 [email protected] Sexton Lay Reader Harry Hamilton 9083 5848 Valerie Murray 9083 5761 Organist Vicar’s Warden David Rutherford 9028 7515 Brian Adrain 9084 4433 People’s Warden Hon. Secretary John Beck 9084 7026 Janet Crilly 9083 6166 Hon. Treasurer Vicar’s Glebewarden Joyce Lardie 9084 9584 Maurice Atkinson 9084 4093 People’s Glebewarden Church Envelopes Robert Campbell 9084 3505 Roy Williams, 5a Dorchester Gardens, N’Abbey BT36 5JJ. 9084 1752 Church Restoration Fund Gift Aid Secretary Renee Norwood 07990 673010 David Gibson 9086 2237 Faith Factory CMS Globes Linda McCullagh 07503 298562 John Beck 9084 7026 Carolyn Beasant 07857 329999 Magazine Distributor Jayne Gray 07512 039565 Georgie Gibb 9083 6967 Bible Reading Secretary Parish Website Georgie Siberry 9083 7015 Elaine Munn 07477 574247 Church of Ireland Gazette [email protected] - Weekly Notice Sheet Carnmoney Review Joan Bradbury 9083 6035 Harry Beckinsale 9336 6788 [email protected] [email protected] Wed. 8.00pm Fri. 6.30pm What’s On Choir Practice Church Lads’ Brigade Mon. 7.30pm Maurice Carson Tel: 9334 2342 Dana Henderson Tel: 9083 0420 Indoor Bowling Club Thu. 7.00pm John Fenton Tel: 9083 5409 Church Girls’ Brigade Church 2nd Tue. 8.00pm Amanda Templeton C.o.I. Men’s Society Hall Tel: 07468 486801 Trevor Gibb Tel: 9083 6967 Telephone 4th Tue. 7.30pm 3rd Thu. 8.00pm Mothers’ Union Healing Service Shirley Earley Tel: 9084 2008 Pat Archbold Tel: 9443 3618 028 9080 0770 3 Dear Parishioners, Here we are in May already! Where does the time go? When I was in my twenties, I thought that time would slow down when I got older. It hasn’t happened! There seems to be less time than ever. A very sobering thought for me, especially in the light of recent losses. As most of you will know, my friend Margaret (aged 94) and my beloved dog Ricci, aged almost 12 (84 in human years) died at the end of April. I met Margaret eleven years ago at a post heart attack rehabilitation class at Whiteabbey Hospital, and Ricci was a very precious gift from my first wedding in the Parish here - Ciaran and Ricci McCoy - twelve years ago on 10th July. On the one hand it all seems so long ago - on the other it has passed in a flash. So many things you wanted to share, for example, I wanted to take Margaret up to Portballintrae where she had been evacuated with her school during the war years. Likewise, I had always promised Ricci that when I “retired”, we would go on a road trip! Neither of them will feel this loss - as the survivor, the loss is mine! I know many of you remember ‘the good old days’ in the Parish. When the Sunday School boasted 60 plus children and the Church and its activities were at the very centre of ‘life’. The fact that we are continuing as a Parish when other parishes are floundering, the fact that we are surviving if you like, it’s not enough. Ten years ago in the May magazine, I wrote these words: “It is sadly inevitable that when looking at the parish, we will slip back to former glory times, and in a sense why not. Those were the days when the parish was a thriving part of the community, and surely that is what we want to see again - a revival of the place of the church in people’s lives. However, life has changed drastically over the past forty years............. If the church wants to be a living part of this new community, then the interface between church and people will need to change.” Yes, ten years ago we were aware of the need for change. Have we changed? Time passes so quickly - honestly, the time for action is NOW! Over the next months, we will be looking at the results of the questionnaires you filled in when Andy came. We will be searching out ‘your’ vision - God led - for our church. That will involve looking inwards and reaching outwards. Using our strengths to move forward, supporting each other where and when we can. However, we need to get away from what ‘I’ want and look at what ‘God’ wants. I would remind you again what a thriving community looks like and the part that the church played in achieving this. “When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Now the whole group of believers was one in heart and soul, and nobody called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything they owned…… it was distributed to anyone who needed it.” (Acts 4 vs 31-35) Here is a vision! This is a community that is full of God’s blessings because it is full of God’s Spirit. Time is never on our side - ten years have passed in the blink of an eye! Pentecost Sunday is the 9th June. Can we, as one body in Christ, firstly pray, and pray without ceasing, for the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in this place as together we seek and strive to fulfil ‘God’s’ plan. Love in Christ, Church Picnic and Change to Normal Pattern in May You may notice from the diary that for the second month running, our Family Service in May will again be on the second Sunday of the month, Sunday 12th May, rather than third. This is to coincide with the Church Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade Awards Service to mark the end of their year. We are hoping that the church will be packed with children, parents and our regular members as we reflect together on what Heaven is like. The children will be taking a leading part in the service, and at the end of the service will receive their awards from the leaders of the two organisations. After the service, to augment our Elevenses in the Church Hall, we are hoping that everyone will bring their own packed lunch so that we can enjoy a picnic together either outside or in the hall, depending on the weather, after which a number of impromptu games will take place. Everyone is very welcome. Please also bring a rug or deck chairs to sit on if you can. 4 Parish Register Christian Burial ‘ I am the Resurrection and the Life ‘ says the Lord 15th April Margaret Frances Wilson (nee Moat), Ballyclare In Memoriam Margaret Frances Wilson (nee Moat), wife of Lesley, mother to Dorothy and David, grandmother to Frances and Hilary, great grandmother to Evie and Tilda, passed away peacefully on 9th April 2019. A service of tribute and celebration for her life was held in Fleming and Cuthbert Funeral Home and afterwards to Belfast Crematorium. Her ashes were interred at her family grave in Umgall Cemetery. Margaret, born in Belfast on 24th September 1924, was the ‘middling’ daughter of three born to Henrietta and Hugh Moat. A highly spirited, intelligent and athletic girl, Margaret gained her Senior Certificate at the age of 16, securing a place at Queen’s University where her elder sister was already a student. Being too young to proceed, Margaret had to defer for a year, and tragically the war intervened and robbed her of the opportunity. The family business being bombed in the blitz, Margaret worked with her father, and on his death, with her mother, to help build it back up. But the experience she gained there was not lost, and on marrying Lesley Wilson in August 1948, she was able to assist him in the running of his farm and business in Straid. The marriage was blessed with two children, Dorothy and David. Country life was very different for Margaret, but she was soon accustomed to driving horse boxes around the countryside, taking the children and ponies to compete at various gymkhanas, horse shows and racing events, where they were very successful. She also bred and showed Cocker Spaniel dogs. Until the last few years, Margaret always had a faithful doggie friend by her side. She enjoyed sport and was an excellent golfer - at her peak, playing off a handicap of ‘7’, she won many major trophies and was Lady Captain of Ballyclare Golf Club. Widowed in 1993, Margaret’s life changed, and she moved from Straid to Ballyclare. When she wasn’t golfing or involved with her dogs, Margaret also enjoyed music, driving and travelling. Margaret was a people person, she loved nothing more than to spend time with family and friends; her last big gathering being her 90th birthday party, where she gave a celebratory speech which endorsed her gratitude for a life well lived. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends and we commend them to your prayers. Special Prayer Meeting Friday 31st May, 7-9pm in the Church Hall In order to coincide with the National ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative, and to mark the time between Ascension Day and Pentecost, our Rural Deanery are holding 10 evenings of prayer in different venues throughout the Deanery.