The first Poppy Festival in Portstewart Presbyterian Church was an incredible success and a fitting way to pay tribute to the great sacrifice of so many over two world wars and countless conflicts since. The exhibition provided an accurate insight into life during both wars, in no small part because of the generosity of Matthew McGee who allowed his private collection of memorabilia to be put on public display.
Those visiting the exhibition were presented with incredibly personal accounts of war time experiences as Noel Lyttle explained how his father and three brothers all went off to the first world war together, and amazingly, all returned safely. As well as the medals and photographs Noel was able to show visitors a new testament, given to all soldiers, with an inscription from the commanding officer. This new testament was over 100 years old.
Mark Niblock brought with him medals belonging to the Hayes brothers, members of Portstewart congregation, and who both, sadly, died in battle. These medals are all the more interesting and significant because the Hayes brothers’ death pennies, medals presented to the families of all who fell, are on permanent display in the vestibule of the church. A fitting way to connect not just the festival but the whole of remembrance with our congregation.
It is fitting to express our thanks to all who organised, stewarded, donated and baked for the festival. If you missed the festival then please enjoy the pictures below and why not watch the special evening service celebrating remembrance day and the festival.
This morning Stanley is leading worship while Stuart is in Ballywillan. Pray for Stanley, pray also for Stuart and the congregation of Ballywillan as they are updated on how the vacancy is progressing.
Monday 28th October
This week is traditionally the beginning of the communion season. A week of reflection and preparation as communion Sunday approaches. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Psalm 139:23) What so we worry about? What pre-occupies our minds? Lay this before the Lord and seek his peace.
Tuesday 29th October
Search me, God… see if there is any offensive way in me…(Psalm 139:24) What are the things we need to confess to God? What are the sins, the actions, the secrets no-one else knows and we strive to keep hidden but we know they need to be brought into the light of God’s grace.
Wednesday 30th October
Search me, God… and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:24) What does it mean to follow Jesus as his disciple? What does it mean to rest in Christ alone for our salvation? Pray that God would draw us closer to him, deepening our relationship with him.
Thursday 31st October
Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? (Psalm 113:5-6) Take time to thank God for the incredible way in which he not only reaches down to us, but stoops, bends, humbles himself to come to us. Thank God that we don’t have to attain his glory and position because he comes to us.
Friday 1st November
This evening is our pre-communion service when we will be welcoming 6 new communicants. Thank God for the growth there has been in our church membership over the last three years. Pray for our new communicants that they would find not only a family to be nurtured in, but a place in which they can serve.
Saturday 2nd November
This evening is our family light party. Pray for Michelle and her team who are putting this together. Pray that at a time when so many people are obsessed with all that is dark, the light of Jesus will shine.
This Sunday (20th October) is our annual GB enrolment service. This is a special day in the life of our GB company and our church family because it is the day when we officially say that the girls are members of the GB company here in Portstewart. This is always a wonderful occasion when the church is filled with the girls family and friends. After the service we all go back up to the hall for what has become our traditional hotdog lunch. The girls love the opportunity to eat with their friends (and blow off some energy as they run around the hall). We as a church enjoy hosting the lunch because we get to spend time with the girls and their families.
So do please come along this Sunday at 10:30 to support the Girls Brigade as they make their enrolment promises and celebrate the fact they are part of this incredible GB family.
If you haven’t yet been part of GB, it’s not to late. The girls meet every Wednesday night. Under 5’s and Explorers between 6 and 7 pm while the juniors and company section all meet from 7 – 8:30.
The United Appeal is the Presbyterian Church in Ireland coming together to do what we couldn’t do as individual congregations. United Appeal supports the work of global mission workers, chaplains in hospitals, the forces and prisons. It supports mission at home in local congregations and contributes towards care homes and rehabilitation centres.
Here in Portstewart we benefit from the United Appeal. Michelle Hutchinson, our youth and family worker, is part funded by a grant of £15000 a year for three years from the Council of Mission in Ireland. This has allowed us to continue with the work in the school, the community and of course our own young people. This would be much more difficult without the support of the United Appeal.
Harvest is an opportunity to contribute to the work of United Appeal. In your envelop packs you will find a United Appeal envelop for this Sunday. We are encouraging you to prayerfully consider how you might support this important work. If you don’t have an envelope and would like to contribute please speak to our Treasurer, Robin Gawne, or any of the stewards on duty on Sunday.
In an increasingly busy world Harvest is the opportunity to pause and take in the goodness of God.
This year in our harvest morning service we will be asking what does it mean to Taste and see that the Lord is good. We will of course be surrounded by flowers and vegetables as well as the numerous offerings for the food bank. Surely God’s goodness goes beyond the church decorations, and what is it to taste such goodness? Taste is something we experience, it is one of our 5 senses and so we will seek to experience the goodness of God. There will be a very practical way of experiencing God’s goodness as we will be having lunch together immediately after the service.
In the evening we will continue this theme of experiencing the goodness of God, but this time we will ask how can we know God’s goodness in a difficult season of life. Where is the goodness of God in illness, or bereavement, or unemployment? We will look at God’s promise to restore the lost years found in Joel 2:25. And I will restore to you the years the locust hath eaten.
Why not come along on Sunday 13th October at 10:30 am and 6:30 pm to not only celebrate but experience the goodness of God – regardless of your situation.
