The Rector writes……
Last month in my introductory letter to you, I focused on the theme of baptism and highlighted the fact that we were having a special service where all the families who had children baptised in the parish in 2018 would come back and claim their individual leaf from our baptism tree. This month, I want to highlight the importance of confirmation in my letter. For a change this year, we have split the candidates into two different groups, one which meets in Blackrock on a Sunday morning and another which meets in Douglas on a Wednesday evening. Again, we have a relatively large group of candidates and so by splitting the class, I hope to facilitate even more creative activities and allow greater opportunity for discussion.
As I told the parents when I met them last month, confirmation is the child’s own decision. It is their opportunity to affirm their faith. So, it is very important that they are given the time and space to explore questions surrounding their belief and engage in discussion. The clergy put a huge amount of time into this process each year. Hazel, David and I will be involved in the Wednesday group each week. I am very grateful to my wife Jacqui, who assisted by some parents who are approved children’s workers in the parish, will be leading some of the Sunday morning classes in Blackrock. Others I will be taking as they happen immediately after the 11.30 service there.
The actual Confirmation Service will take place on Sunday 28 April in St Luke’s Church. It is an important occasion not just for the candidates themselves and their families, but also for the parish. I confess that I am often disappointed that many of our regular parishioners avoid this service thinking that it does not involve them. It does! All parishioners should be out in force that Sunday for two reasons; firstly to meet the Bishop’s on his annual visit to the parish and secondly, to support these young people on an important day for them in their Christian pilgrimage. By deliberately avoiding it, it gives the impression that you don’t care. Please don’t think that there will not be sufficient seats in the church that day. There are always plenty of spare pews after the candidates and their families have filled theirs! I hope this year you will note the date now and make every effort to support our young parishioners by your prayers and by your presence. To reinforce the point, the confirmation will be a united service this year.
Yours in Christ, Adrian
Review of the Register of Vestry Members.
This year the review of the Vestry Register for Douglas Union will be held at 7.30 on Thursday 28 February in the Canon Packham Hall in Douglas.
For Frankfield, it will be held in Holy Trinity Church at 9.45am on Sunday 3 March just prior to the morning service. The usual forms will be available in the churches a full fortnight before these meetings so that new parishioners, or those recently turned 18 can fill in the form and have their name added to our electoral register.
Bible Study will take place in the home of Joan Miller, Ballintemple on Wednesday, 13th & 27th February at 2.30pm and in the home of Carol Boylan, Moneygourney on Thursday, 14th & 28th February at 7.30pm.
Cork , Cloyne & Ross Children’s Ministry Group
Saturday 9th February 2019
9:30 – 14:00
Northridge House, St Luke’s Home, Mahon
over 18s only
WORKSHOP – Mental Health Training for Working with Children
Led by Tom Tate (www.whymind.ie) A discussion around the mental health needs of children – How to ensure we create a caring, safe and welcoming environment in our ministries for children who may suffer from issues around their mental health. Understanding the responsibility we hold as caregivers in our ministries relating to these issues, and identifying the time to pass on concerns we may have.
Contact the Revd Elaine Murray if you would like to attend this FREE event
087-2363100 emit@eircom.net
Keith and Lyn Scott
Keith and Lyn, our global mission partners, returned to Kitwe last Monday, 21st January. How can we support them in their work in the Diocese of Northern Zambia?
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Friendship: Find out about their leadership training work at St John’s Theological Seminary in Kitwe. Their news blog on cmsireland.org/blog gives interesting insights into their work, daily life and activities. You could also e-mail them your encouragement.
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Finance: Our parish makes an annual contribution to their work. Should you wish to increase this, feel free to do so.
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Prayer: To add to our prayers in church, remember them in your private prayers. In addition, the next meeting of the monthly Parish Prayer Group will focus on Lyn and Keith’s work with a power point presentation on Tuesday 25th February at 8pm. Do come along, even if you have not been to any of these meetings before. Details from Rev David.
Eco Tips
The first of February is the beginning of Spring and the Celtic Festival of Imbolc. This was transformed by the early church in Ireland to St.Brigid’s Day and it is a good place to start our Eco Congregation activities for the year ahead. As part of our membership of Eco-Congregation Ireland we are encouraged to look at the management of church land including our graveyards. To increase the benefits to wildlife, including insects, birds and bees in these areas, I am requesting donations of any perennials and shrubs that you may be dividing up around this time, or any seedlings you may not need that can be transplanted into selected areas in the coming months of February and March.
The aim is to have plants flowering or in seed for 9 months of the year in our church grounds.
I will be happy to store any donations in my garden until they can be planted.
Please contact me at 021-4843959. Many Thanks. Gay Elmes.
It is coming around again, that time of year, the time when we begin to prepare the candidates for confirmation. It should be an exciting time for candidates, clergy, families and Godparents. More often than not it is. I have found in my three full years here that mostly the confirmation classes are lively, interesting and a learning process for both clergy and candidates! Questions are asked and explored and asked from everyone involved, all aspects of the christian journey are explored and discussed.
No one is forced to be confirmed, it is entirely the young person’s decision as far as we are concerned. Their enthusiasm is very much evident, especially when the Bishop runs the diocesan confirmation morning which will be held on the 2nd March this year in the Canon Packham Hall. This event brings clergy and candidates from throughout the dioceses to meet with each other and the Bishop.
The challenge that I see it is to continue to engage with those following their confirmations. There is no simple answer to this, we can have Service & Sausages or something similar for younger parishioners. But, after a certain age, we cannot force young people to keep involved and connected with the Church. I wish I had the answer to give you, a simple formula, but greater minds than mine have tried and failed. Society is changing and we have to stay relevant without compromising what its all about. The love of God, living our lives as Christians and following Jesus.
We must continue to be welcoming, be open to maybe changing the way we have always done things, the church has always adapted. Everyone can come up with new ideas, and a willingness to carry them out. It is great to have young people wanting to be confirmed, but what is the next step then. Definitely something to ponder for all of us. David
CHURCH SERVICES – February, 2019
Sunday 3rd Feb
8.30 Holy Communion Blackrock
9.45 Service of the Word Passage
10.00 Service of the Word Frankfield
11.15 Service of the Word Douglas
11.30 Service of the Word Blackrock
18.00 ‘Service & Sausages’ Douglas
Wed. 6th Feb
11.00 Holy Communion Douglas
Sunday 10th Feb
8.30 Holy Communion Blackrock
9.45 Holy Communion Passage
10.00 Holy Communion Frankfield
11.15 Holy Communion Douglas
11.30 Holy Communion Blackrock
Sunday 17th Feb
8.30 Holy Communion Blackrock
9.45 Morning Prayer Passage
10.00 Holy Communion Frankfield
11.15 Morning Prayer Douglas
11.30 Holy Communion Blackrock
Sunday 24th Feb
8.30 Holy Communion Blackrock
9.45 Holy Communion Passage
10.00 Morning Prayer Frankfield
11.15 Holy Communion Douglas
11.30 Morning Prayer Blackrock
Parish Contacts:
Ven. Adrian Wilkinson, Tel: 4891539. E-mail: adrianwilkinson3@gmail.com
Rev. David Bowles Tel: 4358226. Email: dgd_bowles@yahoo.co.uk
Rev. Hazel Minion, Tel: 4361924. E-mail: hminion22@hotmail.com (Only contact if above unavailable)
Parish Office Tel: 4369578. E-mail: douglasofficecork@gmail.com (Friday mornings only)
Parish Website: www.douglas.cork.anglican.org Follow us on Twitter: @DouglasUnion
