HAZELBANK
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
www.hazelbank-church.co.uk
Volume 39 Issue No.1
Spring 2015
“He has risen from the dead
and is going ahead of you...”
Matthew 28:7
FROM THE MANSE
Well we are here! The last time I wrote in this
magazine we were in Castlecaulfield and I was
writing from a position of blindness as to how it
would be as your minister. So I want to begin by
thanking you all for how you have made us feel at
home in Hazelbank. Michael, when he is not out
working all night, has settled into the role of drummer in the praise
group, something he enjoys very much, and Hazel into a role in the
mums and tots; something as a former childminder, she has a passion
for, as she speaks to other mums, childminders and carers. I have
been finding my way around, listening to people, and learning more
about the church and the community where God has placed us. I have
been trying to build up a relationship with my fellow Elders going to
their homes and have found that a very pleasant experience. As a
church we are blessed to have people who want to see Hazelbank
grow and who know we need to start building again. I am a member
of the Coleraine Ministers’ Council and the new Coleraine Gospel
Partnership group, and I have enjoyed fellowship with other
ministers and pastors as we seek to do outreach together.
As a congregation I want to encourage you all; many of you have
gone out into your family, friends, neighbours and lapsed church
members and have invited them to Hazelbank and we praise God for
the numbers turning up on a Sunday morning and evening. We praise
Him even more that, already, people are coming to faith in Christ and
we look forward to welcoming more into this fellowship. To make
sure that this continues it is the responsibility of every person who is
a follower of Christ to be in the place of prayer whenever they can. I
give thanks for all who have already responded to this call and the
prayer meeting numbers have increased, but there is room for many
more to come along. Please support our quarterly half day of prayer,
you will find this such a blessing. We have been looking at Christian
Doctrine and Ecclesiastes, in order to equip us all to go into our
frontlines with the Good News of the Gospel. As your minister I can
only speak to a limited number of people, but that is multiplied when
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you all leave on a Sunday and go into your world and spread the
Good News of Jesus. Our Easter Outreach with the showing of ‘The
Cross’ on the Wednesday of Holy Week and our Good Friday and
Easter Sunday services give us opportunities to invite people to our
church.
From our Elders day away we have identified two great needs; first
of all we need more young families and secondly we need more
volunteers. If we don’t get more young families there is a big
possibility that our Sunday School will not be needed in five years
time! Also we have a great need for more people to come forward to
use their gifts and talents to serve in the church. We can no longer sit
back and leave it up to a few people who are simply being stretched
to the limit. So this Easter as we think of the great sacrifice, the great
price that Jesus paid to redeem us on the cross at Calvary, may we
allow it to challenge us to ask the questions; “What am I doing for
Him?” “What am I doing for the one who loved me so much that he
died on the cross for me?”, and if you do not know Jesus in a
personal way then may you seek forgiveness and ask Him into your
heart and know a peace in your life that you have never known
before.
O dearly, dearly has he loved!
And we must love him too,
and trust in his redeeming blood,
and try his works to do.
Your friend and pastor
David
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday 1st April
Showing “The Cross” (8:00 pm)
Friday 3rd April
Good Friday Service (8:00 pm)
Sunday 5th April
(11:00 am & 6:30 pm)
Easter Sunday Services of Outreach
Wednesday 15th April Social Evening and Church AGM
Saturday 18th April:
Quarterly Day of Prayer (9:30 am – 12:30 pm)
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WELCOME TO HAZELBANK!
Clerk of Session, Chris Alexander and Rev. David Brown with Members of the Presbytery
Commission, at the December Service of Installation.
A warm welcome to the family! With Hazel and David, are (left to right) Kimberly, Stephen, Michael,
Roy and Deborah.
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BE UNITED
This year Be United has decided to make a few changes; creating two
very distinct groups to provide environments in which young people
can find community and, most importantly, be discipled.
Junior Be United, has been meeting fortnightly on Friday nights.
These nights focus on bringing the young people into friendship with
one another, creating a safe fun environment for the start of the
weekend. This ministry is still at the beginning stages, with leaders
needed to staff the events. Please pray for the young group, that they
will bond together with lasting friendships, as they travel up through
our church.
At Senior Be United (Year 11+) we meet in members of the
congregations homes to join in fellowship with one another. If you
feel you would like to host an evening at your home, please contact
me (Robert McMullan).
We follow a programme of Worship, Instruction, Fellowship and
Evangelism. This term Roger Patterson, (from a neighbouring
church) has led us in Praise with our young people participating by
singing and through prayer. For Instruction we have been studying
the Book of Luke, seeking challenge in living radically for Jesus. Our
young people are constantly challenged to engage with God through
the Bible and work of His Spirit. We have also been blessed by
testimony from Ian Walker, George McMullan and Rev David
Brown, hearing how God has brought these men to faith and how he
is still working in their lives as they journey with Him. On Palm
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Sunday this term we plan to share God’s Love with the residents of
Edenmore Nursing home; singing Hymns and reading some
literature, engaging the young people in practical service for God’s
Kingdom. Please pray that this event will be a blessing to those
whom God wants, to those at Edenmore, and those taking part.
Please also pray for our leadership at Be United as we plan an
exciting adventure; our young people are going on an overnight stay
in Bushmills (31st March). We will have seminars focusing around
the theme of Easter, but we will also be out and about in Bushmills,
hopefully (weather permitting) going for a walk at the Giant’s
Causeway. So keep your eyes peeled for photographs in the next
issue of The Way!
A NOTE FROM ROB
On a personal note....
I have completed my first
term at Belfast Bible
College, soon to be my
first year. This year I have
been focusing on modules
including amongst others;
the Pentateuch (Gen –
Deut), Discipleship and
The Biblical Story; seeing
how God’s word can really
come alive in today’s
world and how its teachings are so relevant to Christian daily living.
I have found all the reading quite overwhelming at times, however
God has sustained me; helping me read more, expanding my
knowledge and enjoying learning more about Him. Please ask me
about what I am learning as I love to talk to people about my studies
and the college. I have also been blessed with a great small group
within college. We recently travelled to Dublin to look at the Bible
Manuscripts in the Chester Beatty Library, which were a real blessing
to see… If you have time this Easter make some time to go!!!
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Please pray for me as I finish up my first year, with assignment
deadlines coming fast and as we prepare for summer ministry in
Hazelbank. That God will lead and direct my path (as I know he will)
as I submit myself to his will.
Robert
UPDATE from ITALY
Many of you will be aware of the news from
Italy, through Alan and Tracey’s monthly
prayer letter. February was a month when
many in the church suffered from a severe
stomach bug and influenza. Alan has been
preaching on Sundays and taking the
midweek Bible studies, while Andea has
been in the US to attend the Shepherd’s
Conference. The possibility of being able to
build a new church is being considered; “We
keep planning and dreaming and leave the project in the Lord’s
hands.” The new Sunday School is being launched this month. Help
has been offered with Porto United, together with the use of the
public gym. A team of American teenagers was to visit the church in
March to spend time promoting Porto United in schools and the
community.
Please continue to pray for Alan, Tracey and all the family as they
continue to adapt to different circumstances; for further guidance and
direction about the future of the church in Mantova; for the new
Sunday School programme; for continued progress in language
learning.
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MONEY MATTERS
The 2014 Accounts will be reported on at the AGM on 15th April, and will
be made available in the printed booklet on that evening.
David Kerr - Congregational Treasurer
COLERAINE STREET PASTORS
(The church out on the streets to listen, care and help)
Street Pastors was started by
Rev Les Isaac in London in 2003
as an interdenominational
response to the problems of
urban society.On that first night,
18 volunteers took to the streets
of Brixton – 15 women and 3
men.
Currently over 12,000 street
pastors have been trained and
they play an active part in more
than 270 towns and cities around the UK. When you add prayer pastors,
management teams and trustees, this means that there are over 20,000
volunteers in total associated with the Street Pastors network.
There are also a growing number of Street Pastors teams overseas.
Street Pastors engage with people on the streets to care for them, listen to
them and help them. They work together with other partners in the nighttime economy to make communities safer.
David Burrowes MP & Patron of Street Pastors says:
“Street pastors are modern day good Samaritans – they step out in faith to
help those who are geographically nearby, even if they are otherwise in
different worlds.”
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Street Pastors are all volunteers. In Coleraine the first batch of Street
Pastors began training in September 2014 and our first local patrols went
out at Hallowe’en. We have 51 people trained at present.
We go out in teams of four, usually two men and two women.
4 main aspects to Street Pastors’ work locally:
Prayer Pastors:
This work is vital to all that we seek to do. Each time a Patrol goes out there
is a team of Prayer Pastors back at the Hub in Ballysally, praying for the
work. They are in contact with the teams via mobile phone and can pray for
specific incidents as they occur.
Each team member also has at least 3 people praying for them individually
while they are out.
Prayer Partners:
These are people who are willing to pray but are unable to make it to the
Hub, so they pray in their own homes.
Estates :–
Each Friday night from about 7:30 – 10:30/11:00 one team patrols Heights
while another covers Ballysally, Millburn & Harpur’s Hill.
Basically this work involves walking
around the estates engaging people in
conversation and generally getting to
know them & letting them get to know us.
We lift items that could be dangerous,
broken glass, needles etc., and dispose of
them safely. This work is likely to be
busier in the spring and summer when
days are longer and there are more young people around.
Nightclubs:Each Saturday night two teams are out – one in Portrush and another in
Portstewart from 11:30pm – 3:00a.m This work is very busy and includes:
 Helping people find friends, taxis, lifts home, accommodation
 Providing flip flops for girls who are in their bare feet
 Providing foil blankets for those who are shivering with cold and on
the verge of hypothermia
 Providing water for those who may be in danger of dehydrating
 Guarding vulnerable young people from predators who are out late
at night, seeking to take advantage of them.
 Lifting glasses & bottles that have the potential to become weapons
( on Boxing Night 150+ glass items were lifted in total)
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


Sweeping up broken glass
Providing a listening ear
Administering basic First Aid
The second intake of approx. 20
Street Pastors started training in
February and will be finished by
the end of April.
This is a cross-community venture with many different churches
represented, but we are united in our goal of showing God’s love to the
people we meet on each patrol.
You can find out more about Street Pastors on: www.streetpastors.org.uk or
you can check out our facebook page for local news.
NEWPORT FUNDRAISING DAY
As many of you will be aware, Boys’ Brigade Northern
Ireland is currently embarking on an ambitious project to
develop a new conference and residential centre at
Newport, which will comprise Headquarter Offices and
meeting rooms, a Main Hall for meetings and training, a
kitchen equipped for up to 100 diners, a Chapel, which will
incorporate the stained glass windows from Rathmore,
Training Rooms, and up to forty sleeping places in various sized rooms with
en-suite facilities.
A fundraising Golf Day is being arranged at Killymoon
Golf Club, Cookstown for Friday 1st May. This is planned
to be an enjoyable day of sporting fellowship followed by
a delicious meal in the club’s Fairways Restaurant. The
cost will be £30 per person / £120 per Fourball (including
meal). The closing date for entries is Tuesday 21st April
2015. Application forms and further details are available
from John McClure.
Further information about the exciting plans for Newport can be seen at
http://www.bbnewportfundraising.org/
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NEVER FAR AWAY
Lester Amann considers how the risen
Christ reveals Himself to us…
We can only imagine how the two
travellers to Emmaus felt knowing that
Jesus had died. Gone were their
hopes for a bright future. They thought
God had let them down. They had suffered a cruel blow and were
bewildered and upset. In their grief, the risen Jesus came alongside them
and spoke with them at length but somehow they didn’t recognise Him. Why
was this, and why did Jesus intend to leave them at Emmaus without first
revealing who He was?
The answers may be found by looking back at the encounters Jesus had
with people. He never forced His true nature onto anyone. Every individual
had to make up their own mind as to who He was, and to decide if the
things He said were true.
Today, Jesus does not ’gate-crash’ into our lives. In a number of ways He
gently and persuasively reveals Himself. So, the story of the walk to
Emmaus should encourage us each time we feel His absence; at those
times when we thought He would step in and immediately solve our
problems! On our journey of life, we can have times of sadness and it can
seem as though God is far away.
But while we are thinking that Jesus has left us alone, He is actually with
us. He knows where we are and what we are feeling. He can quietly draw
alongside us. Surprisingly, it can sometimes be in situations of sadness and
solitude that Jesus ‘speaks’ to us more clearly.
We don’t have to go off in search of some ’religious experience’ or to a
special ’holy place’. He is present in the here and now. Jesus is the unseen
companion on every journey and the unseen guest at every meal. In His
way and in His time, our Lord reveals Himself to us in different situations.
We may be aware of His presence in surprising circumstances and on
unexpected occasions. How important it is that we stay alert!
There will be times when we will be like those two men on the Emmaus
Road, searching for answers. We will earnestly desire clear and direct
answers to our questions and the knowledge, understanding or revelation
may be slow to come. But, with Jesus, there are many more lessons to be
learnt along our Emmaus Road than would have been discovered any other
way.
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