Dear Friends, I wonder where you sit on the New Year spectrum? Many people like to see in the New Year with family and friends, others prefer to go dancing and hit the town so to speak. Others find it a really difficult evening, a painful reminder of times past when people were present who […]
Dear Friends, Most of the people reading this magazine will be pretty familiar with the events of the first Christmas. People will know the familiar story of Mary and Joseph making their way to register in Bethlehem for the Roman census. They will know of how angels appeared to Mary and to the shepherds after […]
Dear Friends, One of the themes that has been recurring in our Bible readings in recent weeks has been the theme of remembering. As we prepare shortly to celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving, it’s a theme that plays a prominent role as the service looks back on the festival of first fruits when the Israelites brought the […]
Dear Friends, As I write this magazine our thoughts are turning towards Harvest Thanksgiving. These are always very special services for us in the church as we give thanks to God for His faithfulness to us. We remember those who have many struggles and overwhelming challenges to contend with, from food shortages to crop failures, […]
Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe that as this month’s magazine goes to print, schools will have reopened and the summer holidays will have drawn to a close. In parish life we look forward to organisations and activities reopening after the summer break. We are so grateful to all our marvellous volunteers who help to […]
Dear Friends, As our summer magazine goes to print, there is much concern about the violence on our streets in recent days. The concerns expressed about a serious sexual assault in Ballymena have spilled over into attacks on ethnic minorities, foreign nationals, refugees and asylum seekers. Large numbers of police have been injured, people’s homes […]
Dear Friends, As this month’s magazine goes to print, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Reverend Dr. Ryan Hawk as Curate Assistant here in St. Finnian’s. Ryan will take up his appointment in mid-June following his ordination to the Priesthood on Sunday 15th June at 3.30pm in Down Cathedral. We hope as many […]
Dear Friends, As the magazine is being prepared this month we are enjoying a beautiful week of spring weather. The sun has been shining, the clocks have gone forward and the gardeners are out in force, cutting the grass and getting everything into a beautiful array of colour and vitality. As these things are happening, […]
Dear Friends, Have you ever found yourself switching over the channel on the TV or the radio because what you are seeing or hearing is just too unpleasant to deal with? Sometimes I find myself doing that with certain news stories where the suffering or the detail is overwhelming and I don’t feel in a […]
Dear Friends, As Spring enters our consciousness with the brighter evenings and people descending on garden centres to get plants and seeds, are there lessons we can learn that would be of relevance to our church situation? In recent months many are aware of the challenges we face in attracting new people, with a particular […]