Christmas & New Year
THE RECTOR WRITES
This Christmas many people will be seeking out the very best present for their close relative or friend, and only the best will
do …..
“Two wealthy brothers set out one Christmas to purchase the very best Christmas present they could find for their mother. The search for this present became so fierce that the two broth- ers turned it into a contest to see who could find the most unique and extraordinary present that was available. One broth- er thought he had found the perfect present. He found a Zurka bird.
Now the Zurka bird was no ordinary bird. It was a very rare and special bird. Costing many thousands of pounds, it had to be flown in from the Amazon. It could speak five different lan- guages. It could recite beautiful poetry and sing opera. It was an amazing bird, indeed.
So the brother paid dearly for the Zurka bird, wrapped it careful- ly and had it sent to his mother for Christmas. On Christmas day, he gave his mother plenty of time to wake up, eat break- fast, and open his gift. Finally he could wait no longer. He called his mother and when she answered the phone, he almost shout- ed into it, ‘Mother, mother, what did you think of the beautiful Zurka bird that I sent you?’
In the midst of the giving and receiving of what we may believe is the greatest of presents we too can forget that the very best was given to us a long time ago and is there for us to freely re- ceive. The clue is in the angelic message from Luke’s Gospel that we may sing or hear read at this time of year. ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Christ the Lord.’ Luke 2:10/11 Jesus is God’s best present sent to us, the Saviour who was born and freely died for us that we might live.
Jesus can be freely received by opening our hearts to him, ask- ing him in, receiving the forgiveness of sins and following him through the teaching of the scriptures and the Holy Spirit, start- ing with the stories about Him that begin on Christmas Day. It’s not just a Christmas present but one that can transform every day of our lives. This is the very best present to receive and the one to tell everyone about!
May God truly bless you this Christmas.
Canon Jim Carson
PARISH DIARY
December
21st – 10:00am Malvern School Carol Service
25th – 10:30am Holy Communion
31st – 8:00pm Parish Party
11:30pm Watchnight Service
January
1st – 11:30am Holy Communion
6:30pm in St Stephens
8th – 11:30am Morning Prayer
7:00pm Praise Service
15th – 11:30am Family Service
6:30pm in St Stephens
22nd – 11:30am Morning Prayer
7:00pm Praise Service
29th – 11:30am Service of the Word
6:30pm in St Stephens
SHOE BOX APPEAL
A BIG THANK YOU
It’s amazing what a simple gift-filled shoebox can do for a child in need. It can put a smile on a face it can also make a child feel loved. It can even bring lasting joy into difficult circumstances. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated in any way towards the appeal.
Donations ranged from providing empty shoeboxes to money towards delivery, individual items that accounted for additional boxes being made up, to completed boxes. I am pleased to report that St Michael’s together with St Stephens completed 75 boxes. We don’t know who our 75 Shoe Boxes will go to. We do know however that it will put a smile on some child’s face.
MISSIONARY NEWS
CMS
Many of our readers will have met Paul, Tania and Lana Baker at our November Open Sunday. It was really good to see them again and to hear all their news. Paul told us although they were there in Kiwoko hospital in Uganda, he as an engineer looking after the upkeep of all the equipment and keeping an eye on I.T and making sure the garage and electricity functioned, Tania ran the guest house where many visitors passed through and made sure the fashion School flourished and also bringing up Lana, their main function was to tell the people of Jesus Christ and to demonstrate the Love of Jesus. Paul also told us he was very touched and pleased we had offered to do something practical for his work. No one else had done this, all money seemed to go into the hospital itself and he is looking forward to seeing a new modern and safe ramp being built for the mechanics working under cars. Please continue to remember Paul, Tania and Lana in your prayers.
Our thanks also to those who support CMS so faithfully, sadly our contributions look like being down a little this year but this is happening all over.
Paul and Alison Guinness and their son Jeremy are doing well. Please continue to pray for them as new parents, and finishing their degrees this month.
CROSSLINKS
Josh writes –
Hi, thanks so much for your prayers! We had a fun five days together studying Hebrew with 9 students. The highlights were hearing them laugh when they read (and worked out) the name Gideon gave his son, and watching them compare Hebrew Bible and Chinese bible side by side, and using the limited Hebrew they had to work out which Hebrew words corresponded to which Chinese words. We’re hoping to study together again – probably sometime in January, using the Jonah material I was working on in the summer.
Today’s Hebrew class (with the children) was also fun. For the first time I observed one of the Chinese teachers teach the class (she’s been teaching for a while, but we’re now at the stage where she feels comfortable to teach instead of me), and she did a fantastic job.
Do keep praying for the Hebrew work – I was reminded of the importance of it when I was reminded that we’ve just celebrat- ed the 499th birthday of the reformation.
Also please pray for our preacher training class (Tuesday nights, and once a month on Sunday night – this week) and planning for the next semester. Our pastor leaves for the US for 3 months on the 28th, and our new international student worker is leaving for 6 weeks starting this Sunday, so any for- ward planning we can do, really ought to get done this week.
Pray too for an evangelism training day we’re planning for the 26th – more on that next week.
Thanks so much for your prayers!
Josh
PARISH PARTY
On Saturday 31st December just before our Watchnight Service we will have a Quiz and some games – maybe a Beetle Drive! This is always a good evening for all ages and starts about 8.00pm, includes supper and concludes to just before 11.30pm and is followed by a Watchnight Service.
We send our sincere thanks to Mrs Jenny Williams, CEO of Habitat NI and to Danny and Pete our Supervisors on the Youth Change- makers programme for transforming our Minor Hall, Choir Room and Moore Room.
The young people are now finished and the last day of the programme will be th completed by Habitat NI volunteers on 7 December.
We have been truly blessed by Habitat NI and the wonderful young people, particular- ly so when all of the labour and materials have been completely free of charge.
All of the painting was done by the young people and their teachers from schools in Belfast, Carrickfergus, and as far away as Banbridge and Newry. During the days when the young people have been with us I have been able to tell them about our local community, particularly about the need for support for children and young people with their education and for the un-employed who we want to support back into work.
The rooms that have been painted will be used for new activities we are planning including the CAP Job Club.
Heather
CAP JOB CLUB
Our CAP Job Club will open at 9.30am on Wednesday 18th January with an information morning and opportunity to sign up for the first ‘Steps to Employment’ course.
Stephen Whitten from the Church Army and Janet Spence from St Stephen’s will be my partner Job Coaches and we are looking forward to welcoming people and supporting them as they seek work.
Each Wednesday morning we will have breakfast, computers to help source job vacancies and complete online application forms etc., space to chat, tea/coffee, a library and more, all with support from our team and completely free of charge.
Each ‘Steps to Employment’ course will run for 8 weeks and will take place at intervals throughout the year.
If you know anyone who is unemployed please tell them about our CAP Job Club and encourage them to come along. We will have information available about all of CAP’s services in the Shankill area including free debt counselling and money man- agement courses.
Please continue to pray for ‘CAP Shankill’, for Stephen, Janet and myself in the Job Club, for Pastor Philip in Church of the Nazarene who is running the CAP Release Group and for Dan Black who runs the CAP Debt Centre in Carnmoney Presbyterian which looks after clients in the Shankill area.
ALPHA COURSE
Sincere thanks to Jim Newberry for leading our Alpha Course and to Gordon McDade for his help in facilitating the group discussion. This has been a very enjoyable course during which we have learned much and enjoyed spending time with each other. We will be continuing on a Thursday evening in the New Year with Bible Study and discussion on how we practically live out our faith as disciples of Jesus.
YOUTH ALPHA
Our Youth Alpha Course finishes soon with a Christmas Party and celebration but before that we have our teach-in on the Holy Spirit on Sunday 11th December. We will begin with breakfast, watch our Youth Alpha films, enjoy some worship and discussion and create some cool Christmas items – if you are 11 years and over don’t miss it!!
IRISH COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
We were delighted during November to host a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Irish Council of Churches. Canon Jim began with prayer, the Executive Committee held their meeting and this was followed by a panel discussion. On the panel answering questions were Baroness May Blood, Rev Colin Duncan from Shankill & Woodvale Methodist Churches, Mr Noel Hunter from West Kirk Presbyterian Church and Heather Carson. Following lunch we were taken on a very interesting tour of the murals in Lower Shankill by Robert and Sam from Lower Shankill Community Association and this was enjoyed by everyone. Many thanks are due to the ladies who catered throughout the day, there was lots of praise for the lovely scones, shortbread and delicious buffet lunch.