Dear Friends, We have been reminded in recent weeks and months about how delicate and painful the business of remembering is in our context in Northern Ireland. The determination to allow an Orange Order march down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road after 28 years, followed by a large-scale protest and the subsequent decision to reverse […]

Dear Friends, If you happen to have grown up in the church there are certain recurring patterns as we observe the seasons of the church’s year. Many speak to me of how they love the major festivals like Christmas and Easter. There is music and liturgies that we associate with those times and even though […]

Dear Friends, September marks the beginning of a new season of church life and activities. It’s delightful to be beginning the month with a service of Holy Baptism as we welcome Louis Porter into the family of the church. This means that our usual Connect Service will not be happening in the church hall in […]

Dear Friends, One of the things I’m always conscious of as we enter the months of July and August, is how grateful we are for all of our volunteers in church. During these months things sometimes quieten down a bit in terms of groups taking a well-deserved break after the busyness of the yearly programme. […]

Dear Friends, As we move into the month of June, many turn their thoughts to completing exams, getting outdoors, enjoying the (hopefully!) better weather and bright evenings. As a reluctant, rather than enthusiastic gardener, I do love to see the wonderful blooms on display infull colour as I visit in people’s homes and drive to […]

Dear Friends, Ascension Thursday falls on 14th May this year and we hope to share a celebration of Holy Communion together at 7.30 pm using music from the Taizé community in France. Ascension is a major festival in the Christian calendar but it never seems to capture the imagination of the public in the way […]

Dear Friends, One of the things that I have been reflecting on is how the events of Easter changed the perspective of Jesus’ disciples. Holy Week is an intense time when we walk with Jesus through the events of his final week on earth prior to his crucifixion. We think about His triumphal entry into […]

Dear Friends, I recently heard an interview on the radio with a lady who was a superfan of the band Depeche Mode. They have been together as a band over 40 years and as this lady was celebrating her 60th birthday, she planned to see them 3 times over the course of a year in […]

Dear Friends, With Easter falling early this year our thoughts are turning to the season of Lent which begins in February. Rather like January, when people start the year with noble aspirations and resolutions about self- improvement, a healthier diet, exercise, perhaps learning a new skill or mastering a new language, the season of Lent […]

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 […]