A call to prayer for Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Every day we are witnessing deeply harrowing images on the news and social media of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, with the number of people being killed or injured growing fast, and a danger of the conflict escalating more widely.
As Moderator, I am writing to ask that on this coming Sunday, 22nd October and in the week ahead you encourage the members of your congregation to pray earnestly for this unfolding crisis.
The Scriptures remind us, when faced with times of great distress and confusion and as we struggle to grasp divine perspective, that we should pour out our hearts to God in lament (Psalm 62 v 8) whilst still resting in the assurance of his sovereignty and providence. So, as we lift up in prayer the land of our Lord’s birth and the communities he once walked amongst, let us remember that Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who performed so many miracles long ago, is still able today to do immeasurably more than all we ask for or imagine. (Ephesians 3 v 20).
Please pray specifically:
For the Lord Jesus Christ to intervene in his Sovereign grace and mercy
For an end to the conflict and the safe release and return of hostages
For peacemakers to be raised up and leaders of communities and nations to be brought together in negotiation
For the grieving and heart-broken to know God’s comfort
For the traumatised and injured to receive timely, medical treatment and support.
For humanitarian relief to reach the displaced and most vulnerable, many who have lost everything, that they would know God’s protection and provision.
I know this unfolding crisis is already in your thoughts and prayers, and simply want to underline the importance of keeping the matter before your congregation this Sunday and beyond.
This Sunday (5th of March 2023) we begin a new Sunday morning series thinking about the grace of giving. The offering, in all of its forms; Free Will Offering, Building Fund, United Appeal as well as other special appeals, is an integral part of our worship.
God has freely given to us, our response is to freely give in return, to the work of the church as well as improving the conditions of our fellow man.
In this series we will talk about the vision of our church. What is it we are being asked to give to and for what purpose.
The series will begin with Stuart setting out the vision for the work of the church and how we as a congregation can get involved in turning that vision into a reality.
Martin Hampton, convenor of the United Appeal Panel will come and speak to us on Sunday 12th March about the work and importance of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s United Appeal.
This series will not be just another appeal for money, or an urging for the congregation to give more. The generosity of the congregation has already been recognised in how it has given to the United Appeal, World Development Appeal and the Moderator’s Appeal for Ukraine. Rather this series will aim to help us understand the place of our giving in the context of our worship of God.
Why not come along and find out more about how we can partner in the work of the church at home and abroad over the next 4 Sundays at 10:30 am.
BASIC is a new initiative from Coleraine and Limavady Presbytery aimed at helping young people from within the Presbytery come together in worship and fellowship. BASIC will strip back much of the hype around youth work and focus on the core principles of worshiping together and learning together.
Why not speak to your youth leader and ask to come along on Sunday 11th December in 1st Coleraine Presbyterian Church. Doors open at 6pm, event begins at 6:30 with food at the end before the doors close again at 8pm.
The World Development Appeal is an annual initiative of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland that focuses on helping people trapped in poverty. It endeavours to change lives and communities for the better by channeling resources in support of sustainable development projects in every continent. This work is taken forward through PCI’s development partners, Christian Aid and Tearfund.
The 2022 Appeal focuses on those who have been forced to flee their homes and on the communities they have ended up in. Almost 90 million people worldwide have fled their homes and journeyed elsewhere in search of safety or a better life. Many of the places they have arrived in are ill-equipped to host them. Yet, in those places, there are people and organisations who are dedicated to supporting these people on their journeys.
Lebanon is host to the highest number of refugees per capita in the world: 1.5 million refugees from neighbouring Syria are thought to live in Lebanon, having fled the civil war, which has been raging since 2011. Lebanon is facing its own political, economic and social difficulties, worsened by the effects of Covid-19 and the 2020 explosion in Beirut port. Inflation is soaring, food security is a growing issue and people are being forced into poverty.
The featured project this year is based in a suburb of Beirut that is home to Syrian and Palestinian refugees, living alongside undocumented Lebanese people. It is a bleak area, where life is difficult. Tearfund’s partner, the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD) works with a centre situated in the midst of this suburb, shining a light into dark situations. The Centre supports whole families, providing education for children, healthcare, psychosocial support and income generating opportunities.
This year’s Appeal will support the Centre as it seeks to be a light, changing stories of flight into stories of flourishing.
South Sudan
The Appeal will also support projects in South Sudan, through Christian Aid’s partner, the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC).
Following the outbreak of violence in 2013, one in every three people in South Sudan is an Internally Displaced Person. The huge movement of people around the country, with already existing tribal tensions has led to conflict.
The Church’s ability to speak into these situations of conflict is unique and the SSCC is working at community level to bring reconciliation across South Sudan. SSCC provides displaced people with psychosocial support, space and accompaniment to achieve peaceful resolutions at local level.
The Appeal will also support similar projects in other areas of the world.
Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East – with an area of 10,452 km², it’s smaller than Northern Ireland! Its population is about 6 million, and it has the highest percentage of Christians of any Middle Eastern country. However, the number of Christians is declining due to emigration (85% of the 15 million+ Lebanese diaspora are estimated to be Christian). Some estimates suggest Christians account for as little as 25% of the population (in 1950, this was 50%). Evangelicals are a much smaller percentage.
Despite this, the story is by no means all gloom: God is at work, and stories abound of God transforming lives, often through miraculous encounters with Jesus. Many people have chosen to stay and make a difference. The Tearfund supported Tahaddi Centre, one of the World Development Appeal’s focus projects for this year is a good example of how Christians have sought to rekindle the light of Christ in communities dominated by darkness and despair.
In the last three years, the Lebanese Pound has lost around 90% of its value. Inflation is the third highest in the world, resulting in 80% of the population being in poverty.
Government employees including doctors, nurses and teachers are no longer able to live on their salaries. As a result, 3,000 doctors and 5,000 nurses have left the country since 2019. Although they send back foreign currency to their families, this is a massive brain drain.
Some 2.2 million Lebanese need humanitarian aid. On top of that, there are 1.5 million Syrian and 200,000 Palestinian refugees in the country.
In 2020, there was a massive explosion in the docks area, destroying infrastructure, including grain stores, and causing considerable loss of life and trauma.
The war in Ukraine has had a disproportional impact, as Lebanon imports almost 90% of its grain and sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine.
Four out of ten school-aged migrants and refugees are not enrolled in education. In addition, 14% of Lebanese children dropped out during 2020-2021, with growing fears of a lost generation.
Syrian refugee families in informal settlements are among the most vulnerable. Almost all refugees are in debt and have had to cut spending on essentials, including food.
Child labour among Syrians doubled in 2020 and some 25% of refugee girls aged 15-19 are married.
The Tahaddi Centre
The Tahaddi Centre is in an area of considerable deprivation. The community is predominantly made up of Syrian refugees, undocumented Lebanese and Dom (a traveller people historically from the Indian sub-continent).
The area houses thousands of people, maybe even tens of thousands. No one knows. These people are undocumented, living in congested, multiple-occupancy housing in an area with utility provision for perhaps 50 houses. There is little running water, sewage provisions or electricity. The buildings are ramshackle concrete constructions that are prone to collapse.
The place is drab, dull, even dirty. There is raw sewage on the streets. Education and employment opportunities are minimal. Many of the children are not in school and some are forced to work. Most adults rely on sporadic manual labouring jobs. As a result, physical and mental health problems are common. The cycle of poverty is passed down from one generation to the next, with little prospect of this cycle being broken.
The Tahaddi Centre stands in marked contrast to the community it serves. It is colourful and bright, the staff are energetic and enthusiastic. They speak of hope, they show love and compassion, they serve sacrificially, making a real, significant difference to the people of the community.
The Centre, founded about 25 years ago, provides education for children who cannot access it or have dropped out of the public school system. The demand for places outstrips the supply, so much so that the centre now provides three consecutive teaching sessions for children. The joy on the children’s faces is testament to quality of teaching and the commitment of the staff.
In addition, there is a small, basic health centre and a sewing workshop for up to 20 women. The approach is holistic; there are social workers following up with families, psychosocial support is provided to those who have suffered trauma. There is an awareness of the need to address the wide ranging needs of the community, from education to health, employment to food supplies to housing.
Tahaddi means ‘challenge’ in Arabic, and there are plenty of challenges to be faced. Tahaddi’s aim is to challenge poverty and, through its key values of justice, integrity and compassion, to rekindle hope.
Speaking about the Tahaddi Centre, Tearfund’s Farah Bou Kheir says “this is where your faith shines… The situation is very tough. You see God is in action and you have a call…to be agent of hope, to be agent of change. And you don’t know how God is working with the hearts of those people.
It’s like an act of worship. They are worshipping God by being cheerful givers to a place, which is very needy… so that those who are receiving would be thankful… So you can see how the role of the church when it comes to resources is tying both communities together, the giver and the receiver.”
Farah describes the centre like a lighthouse. He says “Giving to the World Development Appeal is an invitation for the church to be present in this context, and to be the hands of Jesus that extend the hand of compassion to a needy community…to address the needs of the vulnerable and to be the light in the dark spots.”
Lebanon is not an easy place to live, for most, but in the midst of the darkness, God is moving, shining His light through places like the Tahaddi Centre.
There is a lot going on in Portstewart this Christmas. It all begins on Saturday 26th of November from 10:30 – 13:30 when the Christmas Market returns to our halls for the first time since the Covid pandemic struck.
Why not come along and sample the wonderful traybakes, cakes and incredible variety of craft stalls. More than a few Christmas presents can be sourced and all under the one roof.
Sunday the 4th December is the annual Salvation Army toy appeal. Bring a toy labelled for a boy or girl and leave it under the church Christmas tree. That sense of Christian community continues on Monday the 5th of December when the local churches come together for community carol singing. We meet at 6:30 in Burnside Presbyterian Church carpark before singing at the local folds and sheltered housing.
Then on Sunday 11th December our brothers and sisters in Burnside Presbyterian church are holding a drive in Carol service in their church carpark. A novel way for us all to come together and hear the Christmas story. Our own carol service will be on the 18th December at 6:30. This service will involve many of our own members, a choir which is coming together especially for the occasion. All of this with the unique Christmas atmosphere as we worship by candlelight
Our young people from GB, Glow Club and Treasure Hunters will all be coming together to tell the nativity service on the morning of the 18th. Two services not to be missed.
We will again be hosting the primary school carol service on the 16th December. All of this as well as our Christmas morning service and it really is a time to celebrate this Christmas time. Why not make plans to come to one or more of the events this Christmas.
