Talking Point - May 2017 COOKE Church Reaching Out Engaging Growing www.cookecentenary.org.uk Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC104311)
A WORD FROM MORRIS In my ignorance I once asked someone who had done the Belfast Marathon if the worst part was the final uphill section passed Cooke up to Rosetta Roundabout and to my surprise he said, No!" The most agonising part was the downhill section from Rosetta back to the finish in Ormeau Park. He said that every step was agony on the shins. Now surprise, surprise I have never run a marathon but I do remember a time when my shins were so sore that every step I took was like walking on broken glass. When the children were quite young we were camping in Austria and on one beautiful summer's day we decided to go walking in the mountains. We took a cable car to the top of this mountain because we thought it would to easier to walk down rather than climb up. The trail guide said it would take about 3 hours, it took us 6! Exhausted we went to bed but when I tried to get up the next morning I could hardly move and as for walking down steps - forget it!. In Pilgrims Progress, Christian came to the point in the journey where the road divided and he had to choose between the Broad Way that looked easy and gentle or the Narrow Way that was difficult and steep. They both seemed to be heading in the same direction so it was a "no brainer" it would be silly to go the hard route. Soon he discovered that the easy way was not the painless way. That this road did not lead to the same place as the narrow one and to continue would lead to disaster. So he had to retrace his steps and at the fork in the road he had to take the steep road. Jesus said, " Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14. Morris Gault Welcome team FOR May Reception & Count Pamela McWilliams // Raymond Gilmore // Janis McKnight Cathy Smith // Cecil Hetherington - (Reception Only) Flowers for the Sanctuary 7th May - Florence Kinghan 21st May - AJ Cooke 14th May - IMO Arthur, John & Robin McWilliams 28th May - IMO Ian & Barbara McKnight 3
Corrina Heron It was a day of mixed emotions on Sunday 30th April when we shared our last service of worship with Corrina as an Assistant Minister. Corrina took the opportunity to thank everyone for their support and encouragement during her time with us and commended many aspects of the work that Cooke is involved with. Almost 100 members stayed for lunch and that provided the perfect opportunity for Scott and Corrina to move around and speak to everyone who wanted to wish them both well. We are very grateful to Mrs Pamela McWilliams, Mrs Joan Riddel & their team of helpers for organising such a marvellous spread, we were all well fed and the dessert table was magnificent! Well done ladies and gents. Around 50 members from Cooke attended Corrina s installation in Dunmurry on Wednesday 3th May 2017. It was a very emotional evening and after the service Rev Gault had the opportunity to speak on behalf of our congregation, his words were enormously encouraging and supportive of Corrina s ministry in Cooke. Their close working relationship and the high regard which each held for the other was very obvious. Below are the messages that Corrina wrote on her Facebook page after the Sunday morning service at Cooke and then on Thursday following her service of Ordination & Installation in Dunmurry. Feeling so blessed by the wonderful farewell service at Cooke on Sunday morning. It was a time of very mixed emotions as we are aware that we are leaving very good friends and a wonderful church family at Cooke after nearly 6 years. It hasn t quite hit me that we are away yet - we will miss you all so much and are so thankful to God for the time we have had together. A big thank you for the lovely lunch, far too generous gifts and most of all the friendship. I hope our paths will cross again. God bless for the future everyone at Cooke you are an amazing group of people. X What a week it has been! Last night I was so blessed by the service of ordination and installation in Dunmurry. It was a very meaningful service and in particular I was moved by the laying on of hands and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank you so much to everyone who attended for your encouragement and support and to Dunmurry for the lovely supper we had afterwards. I m feeling tired today but very blessed and looking forward to this new chapter of ministry in Dunmurry. Praise God! X Ulster project Thanks Thank you to everyone who has supported Laura & Aaron during the month of March by all the donations given for the tea and coffee. They have been overwhelmed by how supportive everyone has been. Sam Gallaher On Sunday 7th May 2017 we invited Captain Sam Gallaher and his wife Blanche to join us for morning worship to allow us the opportunity to pay tribute to Sam for his 30 years as Captain of the 8th Belfast Company of the Boys Brigade. Members of the 8th Old Boys Association as well as the President and Chief Executive of the Belfast Battalion of the BB also attended. On behalf of the congregation, the Clerk of Session Mrs Elaine MacNeill thanked Sam for his loyalty and commitment to the 8th Company, for his nurture of the boys and his dedication to the Officers during the 30 years of his Captaincy. The decision in November 2016, to propose the closure of the 8th BB due to the declining numbers of boys and the difficulty in sustaining a varied programme of activities for so few, had been tinged with much sadness and regret. The prime reason for the decision was to ensure the best possible experience for the boys so that their BB journey was enjoyable, exciting and challenging. The remaining boys in the 8th were merged with the 30th Company which met in Orangefield Presbyterian Church and their BB journey has continued. We were pleased that Stephen Nelson and Officers from the 30th Company were also able to attend the service that morning. Rev Gault presented Sam with gifts as a token of our appreciation and esteem. The 1st was the gift of a Bible, inscribed by John McCandless, a former Old Boy of the 8th and the 2nd was a cheque for Project Romania, a charity that is very close to Sam s heart. Flowers were also presented to Mrs Blanche Gallaher by Andrew Wisoner. After thanking Cooke congregation for the gifts and all the support he had been given during his Captaincy, Sam took the opportunity of making a presentation to Mr David Heasley, a fellow Officer in the Company to thank him for faithful service and support for almost 20 years. After the service Sam expressed his appreciation of all the sentiments that had been spoken that morning which had left him feeling humbled. It had been a fitting service to celebrate Sam s dedication to the work of the BB and in particular the 8th BB Company, to mark the closure of the 8th and to celebrate and give thanks for all that had been achieved through it in the lives of the many boys who had been members of the Company through the years. Marathon thanks Many thanks to those who came to help out with the various activities during the May Day Marathon. Joanie, Joan & Pamela did a roaring trade serving refreshments to spectators, Janice Glenn did a great job cutting back shrubs in the gardens, a small team of 3 ladies worked to clear weeds and moss from areas to the rear of the Macmillan Halls and there were a large number of helpers at the Water stage including some of the young people from Genesis. Well done everyone and Thank you - hope to see you again next year :) 4 5
Easter at cooke Christian Aid week Special services were held in the Cordner Hall on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings to reflect on the events of Holy Week. On Tuesday evening Rev Gault reflected on Pilate and the role he played in the crucifixion. Jonathan Newell led the Youth Service on Wednesday evening and everyone was encouraged to experience a proper "Passover" meal while Jonathan explained the significance of each of the items to be eaten. The focus on Thursday evening was the Last Supper as we gathered to share Communion together "Café style", serving each other. The traditional Good Friday service in the Ormeau Walk followed by the Walk of Witness to Cooke Church was again well supported by the Christian community from all the churches on the Ormeau Road. It was lovely to see the church so well filled for the short "Watchday" service as we remembered our Lord's death. The Easter Sunday morning service was a joyful celebration of the Risen Christ, death had been conquered, Christ was victorious. The Reception area of the Church had been beautifully decorated with Easter displays and there were lots of "Easter goodies" served with the refreshments for everyone to enjoy while they chatted after the service. Our thanks and appreciation are expressed to Morris and Jonathan who organised the Holy Week services, to Scott and Colin for leading the worship during the week, to Joan & Barbara for decorating the Church reception area and to Joanie for providing the delicious Easter refreshments. tea towel appeal The catering team are wondering If you can help them out They really need some tea towels To stop the dying drought Some new ones or some old ones That you have tucked away And thought that you would keep them For a rainy day. We really would appreciate If you could spare the time To look in all your cupboards Where you ve stored them at one time So if you come across some Please bring them to our church Where Pamela and Joanie Will quit their long lost search. Thank you :-) Film club 16th May - 7:30pm Hapless Henry Palfrey is patronised by his self-important chief clerk at work, ignored by restaurant waiters, conned by shady second-hand car salesmen, and, worst of all, endlessly wrong-footed by unspeakably rotten cad Raymond Delauney who has set his cap at April, new love of Palfrey s life. In desperation Henry enrolls at the College of Lifemanship to learn how to best such bounders and win the girl. Christian Aid Week 14th - 20th May 2017 We've been there for refugees since 1945. We won't turn our backs now. It's better to die in a refugee camp than to die in a war. To risk your children's lives in a plastic dinghy and to leave everything you know behind. When the alternative is terror, bombs and bullets, almost anything is better. This is the terrible choice facing tens of millions of people worldwide - fleeing conflict and disaster, making dangerous journeys in search of safety. British churches founded Christian Aid in 1945 to support refugees who had lost their homes and possessions in the Second World War. Twelve years later Christian Aid Week was launched to help fund this ongoing work. Since Christian Aid Week began 60 years ago, volunteers from churches have collected house-to-house. Together they delivered more than seven million envelopes last year, each one sending a message about Jesus' love and justice. It's a clear demonstration that Christians won't stand by while our neighbours are suffering. We know that the conflict that drives the refugee crises is not what God wants for the world. From the Israelites fleeing Egypt to Jesus fleeing Herod, the Bible is full of stories of people seeking sanctuary. Again and again, we're told of God's concern for the stranger in the land and so during Christian Aid Week we will play our part in answering God's call to love our neighbour. Mrs Debbie Herd is our Christian Aid representative and she will be coordinating the year's house collection for our congregation. All churches are given their own specific list of streets within their parish area and collectors are given badges, envelopes and bags. In 2016 the house collection undertaken by Cooke raised 671. As well as the house-to-house collection we will also have envelopes available in pews for a church collection. fundraising Thank you to everyone who donated to the clothing appeal. We raised 513.50 Also thanks to everyone who donated clothes or took a table at our Jack and Jill Market. We raised 145. We need lots of plants and cuttings, cakes, buns, breads and volunteers for our Fun Day on Saturday 20th May 2017. Plants, cakes etc can be left in the church on Friday 19th May 2017 from 7pm-8pm. On the day the barbeque starts at 11:30am. We would encourage you to come along and support this annual event. 6 7
Dates for your diary Worship Date Time Morning 7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May Acknowledgement of Sam Gallaher s service as BB Captain Children s Day and Cradle Roll Service Jonathan Newell Morris Gault Date Time Evening 7th May 14th May 21st May 28th May Deaths Elizabeth Shaw // 18 Ravenhill Park // 15 April 2017 Thomas Rowley // 118 Saintfield Road // 17 April 2017 Robert Kinghan // 51 Ivanhoe Avenue // 18 April 2017 Sarah Huey // 4 Stranmillis Reach // 29 April 2017 DEADLINE FOR SUMMER MAGAZINE: Sunday 11th June You can email contributions to magazine@cookecentenary.org.uk POINTS OF CONTACT MORRIS GAULT Minister JONATHAN NEWELL Assistant Minister ELAINE MACNEILL Clerk of Session T: 02890 642981 M: 07747 533175 E: morris@cookecentenary.org.uk M: 07921 233450 E: jonathan@cooke.church T: 02890 471989 M: 07801 883591 E: elaine@cookecentenary.org.uk The Editor and proof readers reserve the right to exclude or alter content within articles as a consequence of space restrictions and to comply with the ethos and values of the church.