Dear Friends, As a new year dawns, it seems as if there are lots of challenges to face. We think of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the huge implications of that in terms of loss of life in both Ukraine and Russia. We think of the trauma experienced as people see homes and businesses […]
Dear Friends,I wonder how brave you are at taking on new challenges? I’m not so good at stepping out of my comfort zone and I notice as I get older it becomes more difficult. The pandemic perhaps heightened those feelings of anxiety when we had to navigate life in all sorts of new ways. For […]
Dear Friends, One of the things that tends to jog our memories are the photographs that we take. In a digital age, many people have hundreds of photos stored on their mobile phones. If we are at an event or meeting up with friends, if there are family landmarks or occasions, out come the phones […]
Dear Friends, It’s hard to convey the sense of sadness and sorrow the Nation and the Commonwealth are feeling as we prepare for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as this month’s magazine goes to print. As we have communicated in some special services recently to give thanks for her remarkable life of […]
Dear Friends, This month marks a very special occasion in the life of the church as we celebrate 90 years of Christian witness throughSt. Finnian’s Parish. It’s a time for celebration, a time for reflection. It’s a time for looking backwards and for looking forwards. There are some in the church who have been here […]
Dear Friends, I had an invitation to speak at another church recently. It was a return visit after Dr. Stephen Rodgers, the pastor of King’s Way Church in Dunmurry came to visit our church and speak throughout Holy Week. The worship style would be quite different in King’s Way but I found it to be […]
Dear Friends, On 6th February, Her Majesty the Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. A special 4 day bank holiday is being marked with events to celebrate this significant landmark from Thursday 2nd […]
Dear Friends, One of the highlights of recent weeks has been the opportunity to walk together through Lent, Holy Week and Easter and to be able to do so in person. This is not a privilege we take for granted, given the events of the past couple of years. Last year our Holy Week services […]
Dear Friends, As we journey through the season of Lent, it’s often a season when we strip things back. We perhaps try to give up some treats or luxuries we normally enjoy. We perhaps try to immerse ourselves in some spiritual disciplines like Bible reading or prayer or to attend some special services during this […]
Dear Friends, The season of Lent is almost upon us. Lent is a season I always approach with a mixture of joy and apprehension. It’s a huge privilege to journey through that season with the idea of journeying with Jesus towards the Cross. It’s a season for deepening our spiritual lives with a mixture of […]