The Power of Invitation One of the things I have been thinking about recently is the power of invitation. Invitations can lead us in both positive and negative directions. During my second curacy, where I served as an assistant in a busy parish in Dublin, my boss used to impress upon us the importance of […]
Making New Starts It’s the time of year when social media feeds are full of photos of children heading back to school. Some are starting for the first time and are there smiling nervously while their older seasoned siblings seem to be taking it all in their stride. People are making preparations, too, for heading […]
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 […]
Making the most of who we are, where we are Over the summer months I have had the privilege of worshipping in a few different places while on holiday, and certain things have struck me very powerfully. Those who have been leading worship have prepared thoughtfully and conscientiously to make it a positive and inspiring […]
BOOK BEFORE 12th AUGUST AND SAVE £5! By any standards, Rob has led a pretty interesting life. Sure, he has long list of achievements – he founded Care for the Family over 35 years ago, is now the bestselling author of nearly 30 books and has been awarded an OBE. But he’s also dealt […]
An Inspiring Meeting on the Glider Belfast was buzzing last week as it hosted the biggest celebration of Irish music and culture, the Fleadh from 2-9 August. It is estimated that 1.65 million visitors came to the city to sample the atmosphere and take part in the multiplicity of concerts and events around this special […]
Thinking Outside the Box A cousin of my father’s was an artist in London. He could turn his hand to many mediums and was continually creative in how he responded to situations. He was once refused entry to a nightclub in the early 1970’s and, in response to this, when we came to visit he […]
The Joy of Pilgrimage A few weeks ago, I stood at the top of Croagh Patrick with my son Conor. It’s often called Ireland’s holiest mountain and is associated with St. Patrick, who is believed to have made the ascent in 441 AD and spent 40 days in prayer and fasting as he considered how […]