Parish of Urney. Christ Church & Church of The Good Shepherd Lent 2015 News Sheet Rector: Reverend Mark Greenstreet ~ Telephone

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1 Parish of Urney & Lent 2015 News Sheet Rector: Reverend Mark Greenstreet ~ Telephone I have, over these last three months or so, seen life from a very different perspective. For a while, rather than wander the corridors of Altnagelvin, visiting patients, I was the one sitting in the chair being carefully delivered to Ward 7 or to X-ray by the porters. But that wasn t the only time I d be confined to a wheelchair the same happened again over Christmas, first at Derry and then London s Stansted airport. On both of these occasions I was in considerable discomfort, and certainly in hospital there were some extraordinarily low moments. There were certainly anxieties and at times loneliness But despite all of those things, or perhaps through or because of those things I grew and learned a very great deal; about life, about others, and about myself as well. Very often it s precisely at times like these, when we are out of our comfort zone, or without familiar comforts or distractions, that we can feel that bit closer to God. Indeed it was precisely when he faced the lies and deceit of the devil, throughout forty agonisingly long days in the wilderness that Jesus revealed his metal. I pray that this lent you might have courage to come apart a tiny bit that is to set aside at least some of the things that usually occupy your time and clamour for your attention and focus once again, only more clearly upon Him. Often, after Christmas, I treat myself to something, perhaps a little thing for the house, or a game that I can enjoy with my daughter, Niamh.

2 This year it was MONOPOLY. I used to love it when I was young, so I thought it would be perfect. What a shock I got though, when I opened the box Mayfair and Park Lane, Old Kent Road and so on. they ve gone and in their place now is Knightsbridge and Saville Row. Gone too are properties for just a few hundred pounds the cheapest are now hundreds of thousands And cash, that s gone as well everyone has a credit card! Initially I had my reservations initially I felt like this wasn t the real thing but actually, after a second look, and more importantly, after giving it a try, the unthinkable happened it s actually better it s easier to get into the game it s actually more fun without the worry of counting all that money Before it could be ages before the action REALLY got going this is quicker and far more accessible, even for those who are perhaps unfamiliar Sadly whilst the world and society around us has been changing constantly over the years, often the Church has been slow or wholly resistant to those changes. Whilst people s working habits have changed, and the way they communicate is altogether different, inside the church very little is different - everything is perfectly preserved. We still use the language of own ancestors and sometimes our attitude is if it was good enough for them it is good enough for me

3 But the harsh reality of course is that, for the most part, traditional church has been failing for years. It is NOT that people have ceased to believe in God OR that the person of Jesus is less attractive than once he was, but it is because we lack an attractiveness or vitality that people crave. Our Bishop has announced that next year will be, in this Diocese, a year of opportunity, with churches all over the Diocese taking on new challenges. Here, this Lent we re going to begin our preparations for next year early. Jesus said I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full! and we hope to realise some of that fullness in practice. Prayer is meant to be the life blood of the Christian but we have allowed it to become either an empty ritual or something that we rely on only in an emergency. We will be striving to change that through regular active prayer for the parish and it s people. New services offering prayer and laying-on of hands (for healing) will be introduced, together with a book for prayer requests at both churches, and the Prayer Chain. Our popular mid-week Lenten services will also be looking at Powerful Prayer in the Bible and a new Learning and Action Group will pick up where the Lenten services leave off. Often a second look is all it takes Can I encourage you to LOOK AGAIN this Lent. To all those who join us, in Church AND online, my love and prayers that this time of thought and preparation really would stir up us and lead us closer to Jesus. Your Rector,

4 Sunday 8 th February The Second Sunday before Lent a.m. MORNING PRAYER noon MORNING PRAYER Sunday 15 th February The Sunday before Lent 8.30 a.m. NO SERVICE a.m. FAMILY SERVICE noon FAMILY SERVICE Wednesday 18 th February ASH WEDNESDAY 8.00 p.m. Service for Ash Wednesday Sunday 22 nd February The First Sunday in Lent a.m. HOLY COMMUNION noon HOLY COMMUNION Wednesday 25 th February 8.00 p.m. Lenten Service Sunday 1 st March The Second Sunday in Lent a.m. MORNING PRAYER noon MORNING PRAYER Wednesday 4 th March 8.00 p.m. Lenten Service Sunday 8 th March The Third Sunday in Lent a.m. HOLY COMMUNION noon HOLY COMMUNION Wednesday 11 th March 8.00 p.m. Lenten Service Sunday 15 th March The Fourth Sunday in Lent Mothering Sunday a.m. FAMILY SERVICE noon FAMILY SERVICE Wednesday 18 th March 8.00 p.m. Lenten Service Sunday 22 nd March The Fifth Sunday in Lent a.m. HOLY COMMUNION noon. HOLY COMMUNION Wednesday 25 th March The Annunciation of our Lord 8.00 p.m. Lenten Service

5 ~ Sunday 29 th March The Sixth Sunday in Lent ~ Palm Sunday a.m. MORNING PRAYER 7.00 p.m. Service of Prayer and Laying on of Hands for Healing ~ noon MORNING PRAYER ~ Monday 30 th March Monday in Holy Week 8.00 p.m. HOLY WEEK SERVICE ~ Tuesday 31 st March Tuesday in Holy Week 8.00 p.m. HOLY WEEK SERVICE ~ Wednesday 1 st April Wednesday in Holy Week 8.00 p.m. HOLY WEEK SERVICE ~ Thursday 2 nd April Maundy Thursday 8.00 p.m. HOLY COMMUNION ~ Friday 3 rd April Good Friday 8.00 p.m. TENEBRAE SERVICE ~ Sunday 5 th April EASTER DAY The First Sunday of Easter Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! 5.45 a.m. DAWN SERVICE a.m. HOLY COMMUNION noon HOLY COMMUNION ~

6 An extraordinary moment for parishioner Miss Elizabeth Hamilton, as she celebrated her 100 birthday on 3 January at Hillcrest Care Facility Omagh. Elizabeth is pictured proudly holding the special Queen s card to mark the occasion. Our Rector was on hand to convey thoughts, prayers and good wishes and to present Elizabeth with a bouquet of flowers from the whole family of the church. Elizabeth is a life long member of the parish and for many years a member of the choir in the Church of the Good Shepherd. Photo: Isobel O Brien Elizabeth with staff at the home. In the back row are, Lauren, Clodagh, Julie and Shelia and in the front row Julie and Carole with a special birthday cake for Elizabeth to mark the occasion. In the photo on the right pictured with Elizabeth is Julie Taylor the home manager. Photos: Isobel O Brien Elizabeth is pictured here with her nieces, Ruth, Rosie, Haslette and Elizabeth. Photo: Reverend Mark Greenstreet

7 During Bishop Good s Presidential Address at the Diocesan Synod 2014 he said that regarding 2016 it will be, a particular Year of Opportunity; a year in which we tackle each of the three challenge areas: NUMBERS, AGE-PROFILE and FINANCES. We do believe that each of these real challenges can become a real opportunity, and that we want the diocese to focus on the three critical themes of MISSION, GENEROSITY and CHILDREN. Since then a team from our parish has attended meetings at Rural Deanery level for guidance. Year 2015 is to be a Year of PRAYER, Planning and Preparation for Year 2016: to see every parish challenged and equipped to make disciples of Jesus Christ. to be cheerful about greater sharing of resources. to inspire a new generation of young people as followers of Christ. The following is from one of the sheets given to Parish Teams for their thoughts. What are your thoughts on this? Below are 10 reasons why a parish might take seriously this call to make 2016 a Year of Opportunity. They are not the only or even the best reasons. But for now, which of the following could provide the right motivation for your parish? Please score each on a scale of 1-10 where 10 means this is a very strong motive for us and 1 means it is not really a motive at all. Our existing congregation is getting older (and smaller) We have many lapsed members We need to try something new God has a plan for us and we need to fulfil it There are untapped resources within our parish If we don t get more money we won t survive The Bishop has challenged us to do this Every parish needs a periodic challenge to bring in the harvest There are lots of opportunities for us to connect with people in our community Other churches are taking our young people

8 Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and is the period of six weeks 40 days (not including Sundays) leading up to Easter, the most important festival in the Christian calendar. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week. This year Lent begins on 18 February and ends on 4 April. During the 40 days of Lent, Christians remember the time when Jesus went into the desert to fast and pray before beginning his work for God. During this time Jesus was tempted several times by Satan, but was able to resist. In western Christian churches, the day before Lent starts is called Shrove Tuesday. This is also known as Pancake Tuesday. This day was traditionally the last chance to use up the foods Christians would not be eating during Lent. Today people often give up something during Lent such as sweets, chocolate, crisps or some type of food. On Ash Wednesday in this country the Roman Catholic church, as do many other western Christian churches, hold services during which Christians are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes. This is a sign of saying sorry to God for any wrong doing (penitence) and mortality. The ashes come from burning the palm crosses from Palm Sunday of the previous year. After Jesus was baptised and before he began to teach He went into the wilderness so that he could think and pray. He stayed there for forty days. While He was there he was tempted three times by the Devil. First the Devil told him to turn some stones on the ground into bread so that he would not be hungry. Jesus replied. Next the Devil took him to a tower at the top of the Temple in Jerusalem and told him to throw himself down because angels would save him. Jesus refused and said,. Finally the Devil showed him all the lands around offered them to Jesus if he would worship the Devil. Jesus refused again saying, The devil left and angels came and attended Jesus who was now ready to begin his work of teaching and healing people.

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10 The used Clothes Collect in January raised. Our thanks to all who helped, supported or subscribed to this in any way. Our next fund raising event is the SMARTIES. You will receive a tube of Smarties. We hope you enjoy them and hopefully when you have enjoyed them you will fill the empty tube with your spare pieces and return the filled tube to the parish. The last time we had this type of fund raising over 1, was raised. All parishioners who subscribed to the parish in 2014 by Freewill Envelopes, Direct Debit or Annual Subscription should have received an individual statement showing their total Freewill Subscriptions for If you have not received one or have any queries contact any member of the vestry, treasurer or secretary. Area Service Tuesday 24 February at 8.00 p.m. in Daffodil Tea on the evening of Monday 16 March in the Church Hall. 22ⁿ February & 1 March 8 & 15 March 22ⁿ & 29 March 5, 12, 19 & 26 April February March April May Mrs. Ann Buick. Mrs Valerie Kee. Mrs Jacqueline Browne. Baird Families. Mr. Roy Brown & Mr. Harold Shannon. Mrs. Valerie Hamilton & Family. Mrs. Olive Baird & Family. Mrs Valerie Kee. 22ⁿ February 1 & 8 March 15 & 22ⁿ March 29 March & 5 April 12 & 19 April Mrs. Sylvia Campbell & Mrs. Ruby McConnell. Mrs. Frances Tinney & Mrs. Etta Brown. Mrs. Audrey Preston. Mrs. Ruby Donnell. Mrs Frances Moore. February Mr. William Steenson & Mr. Ronald Patton. March Mrs. Jennifer McAuley April Mrs. Kathleen Moore. Porch and Gallery Brass Cleaning - Mr. Brian Gilmour

11 10 January 2015 In Ardstraw New Cemetery following a service in the Church of the Good Shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord., Parkside Gardens, Sion Mills. We extend our sincere sympathy to her parents, Eva and William, brothers Alexander and Andrew and all the family circle. In memory of a dear husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather, died 14 th February Always remembered by his wife Etta, daughter Deirdre, sons Richard, Ian, Gareth, their spouses, grandchildren and all the family circle. Never more than a thought away, loved and remembered everyday. In memory of a dear mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister and sister-in-law, died 17 th February Always remembered by her son David, daughters Jennifer, Jillian, June, Heather, Dawn, their spouses grandchildren, brother, Bertie, sister-in-law Rita, and all the family circle. Simple words but very true, we will always love and remember you. In memory of a dear wife, mother and grandmother, died 4 th March Always remembered by husband, Walter, daughters, Eunice and Glenda, sons Mark, Nigel and Travis, and grandchildren. A silent thought, a quiet prayer, for someone special in God s care. In memory of a dear mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, died 7 th March Always remembered by her daughter Pamela, son-in-law Thomas, grandchildren and all the family circle. Resting where no shadows fall, loved and remembered by us all. In loving memory of a dear mother-in-law and Grandmother, died 19 th March Always remembered by son-in-law Walter and grandchildren, Eunice, Mark, Glenda, Nigel and Travis, and great grandchildren. Precious memories last forever.

12 If you have read through this news sheet prayer comes up several times. In our Rector s message he talks about prayer, Lent starts the Diocesan Year of Prayer and the pages for our younger parishioners is about Jesus praying in the wilderness for forty days. So when something like PRAYER comes from different sources at the same period of time it may be that all of us should be giving more time and thought to prayer. We should be praying for our family and friends, Church family and parish, for all who teach, guide and protect us, for all who are suffering from sickness and infirmities of age, for struggling Christians and for ourselves. The following comes from a Children s Ministry Resource Edition of the Holy Bible and the relevant Bible readings are Matthew 6:5-13 & Luke 11:1-13. Prayer is talking to God. You and I can tell God how great He is. We can ask Him to forgive us when we do wrong. We can thank him for all He does for us and for others. We can talk to him about the things that make us sad and the things that make us glad. We can ask Him to meet our needs and the needs of family members, friends, neighbours, missionaries and others. The Lord Jesus prayed much himself and He often talked about prayer. When His disciples wanted to know how to pray, He taught them what to do and what not to do. (Matthew 6:5). Don t pray like hypocrites, like those who pretend to be something they are not, who want to be seen and heard but are not praying from their heart. It isn t that God doesn t want us to pray publicly for prayer is important in Church worship, Bible or Prayer group study. It is when we pray with others we must make sure we are talking sincerely to God, not trying to impress those listening. (Matthew 6:6). Praying with others is good but not enough. Pray in your room or in another place where you can be alone. God will hear as you pray from your heart. (Matthew 6:7, 8). Do not pray by just repeating the same words over and over. By repeating yourself again and again is not praying from the heart and is not necessary. Our Father in Heaven knows your need before you ask Him. (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). In Luke 11: 1 We read about Jesus praying in a certain place, when He ceased then one of his disciples said to Him, Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. So Jesus said to them, When you pray say:..then Jesus give them the Model Prayer that we call the Lord s Prayer. (Luke 11:5-13). God will always give what is best for us, not necessarily what we want. Sometimes the answer will be No or Wait but often the answer will be Yes. Just remember God always knows best