Parish Magazine Winter 2016 - Camus-Juxta-Bann

Looking Back  - Looking Forward

Advent - Christmas - Epiphany

St Mary’s Church  Macosquin

The Parish of Camus-juxta-Bann

December 2016

Rector’s Reflection The Church of Ireland Census
If you  attended any of our Sunday  services in November you were asked to take part in  the Church of Ireland census.  The previous census, three years ago,  showed that throughout Ireland, almost 85% of people claiming to be members of the Church of Ireland  did not attend any Sunday services in November.  The majority of Church- goers were female,  middle-aged, or elderly.   

Some would argue  that this has always been the case, however  here in the Parish of Camus-juxta-Bann, most people remember tha the Sunday School had more than one hundred children on the roll.  The youngsters filled the church and Minor Hall to capacity every Sunday. This year we have less than 30 children in our Sunday Club.  

The findings of  the 2013 census  were  a ‘wake up call’ for the Church of Ireland and   the Bishops  of every Diocese drew up programmes to address the problem of dwindling numbers’ If church attendance  continued to decline  as old-age took its toll,   the Church of Ireland seemed to have very little future. The Year of Opportunity 2016  has been the response in the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe

In no way should we disregard the gravity of the situation, however there is another way to look at it.   At the end of November, we are conscious that Autumn is past and   the season of winter has begun. The shortest day of the year is imminent; but  less that a fortnight later, 2017 will be upon us and days will lengthen again.

Despite the prophets of doom who bewail falling numbers and fear for the future of many churches, I do believe that God has not abandoned the Church of Ireland, for it is his  church not ours.  As its custodians our duty is to be involved, care for it, and hand it on to a new generation .  December is  the Advent season and the message of the Biblical prophets is about new beginnings, being forward-looking and  optimistic.  
      
Those prophets looked forward in faith and in hope to the coming of a Saviour who would transform the world.  When  he did come, as Emmanuel, ‘God with us,’ he  brought in a new era. Is it merely coincidental that the birth of Jesus Christ took place at the time when a census  was being carried out throughout the Roman Empire?  Is there not also significance that the month of January was named after Janus, a Roman God who had two faces, one which  looked back nostalgically to the past and the other which looked forward positively to brighter and better days in the year ahead?
Jesus has not gone away.  He is still ‘God with us’ As Christians, and specifically as members of the Church of Ireland, we are called to be people of faith who don’t look  back nostalgically or despondently to good days long past,  but think ahead, plan for  even better days in the future, and who  say with confidence;
‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’  Mike Roemmele       

Looking Back
2016 in our Diocese has been ‘A Year of Opportunity,’ encouraging every parish to undertake new initiatives  for three specific, vital aspects of the church’s work.  Mission,  Ministry to Children and Generosity - in response to the generosity of  God .

The Year of Opportunity  was preceded by a year of prayer and preparation as each Parish Development Team reflected and planned their programme and prayed that God would  inspire and bless their initiatives in 2016.

Those prayers have been answered..  Throughout the Diocese, in so many of our activities, parishes  have been richly blessed  this year.

Highlights of 2016 in our parish
The Year of Opportunity, was launched in a spectacular event,  attended by more than 1,000 members from all 52 parishes of our dioceses. At the Technical College in Letterkenny we heard about exciting plans for the year,  and also  things  already accomplished in our Diocese. Among them was the remarkable achievement of our own Confirmation Group,  whose members had raised £1,000 to buy the first cow for the Diocese of Butere in Kenya, where the ,ministry of the Anglican  church was established 100 years ago by  the son and daughter of a former Bishop of Derry and Raphoe  As other parishes of our Diocese do likewise, the milk from the cows will make the Kenyan clergy of Butere self-supporting.    In that effort alone, our parish, led by  the Confirmation group,  met all three of the Diocesan objectives for the year,   Mission, Ministry to Children, and Generosity.

Since then,  other activities have engaged the whole Macosquin church in a variety of enterprises, many of them worshipful.  The Lent and Holy Week services involved different groups of church members, among them, the Sunday Club, the Confirmation Group, the Mothers’ Union, the Men’s Society and the choir, all of whom planned and conducted our worship  in fresh and meaningful,  soul-touching ways.

For many of us, worshipful highlights of the year were the Parish Retreat at the Iosas Centre. ending at   the Cathedral during the Confirmation Weekend, and ‘The All - Age Service’ and Parish Lunch in the Upper Hall at the beginning of  September.

For regular church attenders, this was a very unusual form of service , but it met with an enthusiastic response from adults and children alike,  and we plan to hold similar services in 2017, hoping that they will attract people who rarely come to church.

The Pilgrim Course- ‘Lord, teach us to pray.  When you pray say, Our Father...’
Eating  and chatting together around a table about things which really matter, is one of the best ways to learn.  It is  the underlying principle of a Pilgrim Course.  During November  parishioners  have been enjoying each others’ company on Wednesday evenings, eating a light meal and discussing  the different petitions in the Lord’s Prayer.  They learned why  Jesus gave that prayer to his disciples as a template for their  prayers.  We plan to arrange another Pilgrim Course   early next  Summer.
   
Harvest Thanksgiving celebration

‘Awesome and inspiring’ are just two of the complimentary words which were used to describe this year’s Church Harvest Decorations and the Harvest Thanksgiving Service.

The decorated windows displays,  planned and arranged by a groups of parishioners,  represented different blessings, sacred and secular,  for which we have cause to be grateful throughout the year. They included not only the harvest of land and sea and the  skills involved in many occupations.  but also the church’s involvement in  family life, its ministry to children, its mission, worship and pastoral ministry.  
You will see some of the photographs if you browse the Parish website.

2016 Commemorations
The 2015 Battlefield Tour group, accompanied by members of the congregation, attended a service of Remembrance at Fort Dunree on 29th June. This  commemorated more than 250 people, Roman Catholic and Protestant from the Innishowen Peninsula who fought and died together in the trenches in France  during the First World War.  

In mid-September we also remembered the Battle of Britain  and the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire Aircraft which played such a vital role in the protection of the British Isles during the Second World War. The Men’s Society hosted a public talk by   Jonny McNee, who in 2010 led a project to locate and recover one of those aircraft which suffered engine failure shortly after taking off from Eglinton in 1942.
 
The pilot  bailed out and landed safely, but the aeroplane  fell from the sky and lay buried, but intact in the bog near Greencastle, until  Jonny McNee excavated it.
  
It was  a fascinating and  moving story, which also had a connection with our church and our Presbyterian neighbours .  The  Spitfire recovered by Jonny McNee was one of twelve donated to the Royal Air Force by  American Philanthropist, Garfield Weston.  The recent renovation of the church in Englishtown and the replacement of our Church Roof were also partly funded by grants from the Garfield Weston Trust.

Farewell to Fr Charlie Keaney and Dean William Morton
‘The Lord bless their goings out and comings in.’
One of our late summer holiday  activities was a Sunday afternoon walk in the Roe Valley Country park, followed by a picnic tea in the Rector’s garden. We were accompanied by Father Keaney of St John’s Roman Catholic Church in Killowen.  Father Charlie was a good neighbour and very supportive friend of our parish.  He is a native of Coleraine and has now gone to the United States for a year of study.  He hopes to return to this diocese next Summer. We presented him with a copy of the Church of Ireland Illustrated History as a farewell gift from our Parish

Dean William Morton left Londonderry in October to take up  his new  appointment as Dean of St. Patrick’s, Dublin, the Church of Ireland’s National Cathedral.
He will long be remembered for his leadership and many achievements during his19 years at St Columb’s.  The historic building and its magnificent organ were completely refurbished.  The Cathedral developed its ministry to visitors and is now highly regarded as  a  centre of culture and worship in the city.    It was fitting that during his final service, Dean William dedicated the carved stone cross,  which for generations had been fixed to the top of the spire.  Now beautifully restored,  its new role beside the cathedral is a permanent memorial to more than 1,000 the men from the city of Londonderry, who died one hundred years ago in the Battle of the  Somme.

Commemorating the Faithful Departed
Every year at the Feast of All Saints’ and All Souls we hold services to remember and give thanks for the lives of people who were special to us and to pray for the bereaved.  Such services unite us with   those who have gone before, the living with the departed. In the words of the Book of Common Prayer  ‘The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant.’  

The significance of such services  was highlighted in a poignant way this year on  All Souls Day (2nd November), when we were joined at our Wednesday Mid-week Communion Service by a family who came to place a memorial to their grandparents, Henry and Helen Mc Lain in the Garden of Prayer and Reflection.  They had been buried in our graveyard, long ago but the location of the grave is unknown. The couple first met in Co. Fermanagh, where Henry was a teacher in Crom Estate National School and Helen worked in the Castle. They were married in 1913 and had two children, Audley and Norman.   

The family moved to Macosquin in 1916 when Henry was appointed to the Richardson National School.  He also played the organ in the Church. Their third child Vera was born in January 1919.

Sadly Helen died three weeks after Vera's birth. Henry died in September 1922. The children were then separated. Audley went to live with her grandmother in Scotland and Norman was looked after by an Aunt in Donegal.   Vera stayed with the Forsythe family,  who lived in the house opposite the school, now owned by Gunther and Mildred Budina.  She grew up in Macosquin  and attended the Richardson Memorial School all her childhood days.

Dear Canon Roemmele,
We were  heartened by the warm welcome you and your parishioners gave us yesterday. The service in your beautiful church and the dedication ceremony in the churchyard gave an opportunity to commemorate the lives of our grandparents. After their deaths their young children were brought up separately. Yesterday we felt that their family was at last united and we appreciate that.  Thank you very much.
Yours sincerely, Winsome (nee McLain), Robin Kilpatrick, Wendy McLain
   

Reflection on Ordination Selection for Training  - by Ian Mills
Canon Mike has asked me to outline the process by which the Church of Ireland encourages, selects and trains its ordinands. What I will describe below is explained in much greater detail on the website of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute; you are welcome to access it at www.theologicalinstitute.ie

When I talk to clergy, they often ask how my studies are going in Dublin. Then, at some point in the conversation,  they  invariably smile and say, “It’s all changed since I was there!’. It’s true, the means by which the Church of Ireland trains its clergy and lay readers is constantly evolving—the current system of training has only been in place since 2012. But there are certain core elements to our training which have always been in place, and will remain so. It is the aim of the current process to equip ordinands with the pastoral and professional skills to face ministry in the 21st century, while providing a solid background in Biblical studies and systematic theology.

If you are exploring a call to ordained ministry, the earliest, most tentative steps are always taken at a local level. Conversations with your Rector might lead to a meeting with the Diocesan Director of Ordinands. If, after a lot of thinking and praying you wish to test your vocation further, you will meet with the Bishop, who might, or might not recommend that you be considered to enrol on a Foundation Course—a year long correspondence course through a Church of England seminary, St John’s Nottingham, and the University of Durham.

Through this Foundation Course emerges the opportunity to attend weekend residential courses  at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin, and to meet others from all parts of Ireland who are exploring a similar calling.

Completing the Foundation Course  paves the way for more conversations with your Bishop, and more prayerful discernment. If the Bishop is satisfied that your vocation should be tested by the Church, he/she will sponsor your attendance at a Selection Conference—these are held annually, usually during Lent. This is a 48 hour residential course involving prayer, worship and interviews with various panels of bishops, priests and lay people. Prior to Selection Conference, you will already have attended a separate psychological assessment.  

Depending on the outcome of Selection Conference, you might be offered a place to study on a full  (three year) or part time (currently six years; although this is being reviewed) basis at the Institute, beginning each September.

At the Institute we study a variety of practical and academic disciplines, including Liturgy, Biblical Studies, Anglicanism, various aspects of Theology and Homiletics (preaching).
   
The first two years are fully residential;  the third year is a  ‘Deacon internship’
—Ordinands serve in a parish under a training rector for three weeks each month, and attend the Institute for one week each month.

During this time we are required to complete a Master’s dissertation of around 20,000 words. Ordinands who have completed the academic course and satisfied the various vocational requirements are, God willing, ordained Priest.

On paper the process can appear daunting. True, it is neither easy nor short, but by necessity one which allows time for personal reflection and prayerful discernment of God’s calling at each and every stage. But to be involved in it is a blessing and privilege. I would be delighted to talk to anyone who has any questions or would like to know more about any particular aspect of our training.

Perhaps in a future edition of the Parish Magazine I might outline our weekly and daily routine at the Institute.

In the meantime, I would value your prayers, as would my colleagues at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute.

A Prayer for Ordinands
Almighty God, you have entrusted to your Church a share in the ministry of your Son our great high priest: inspire by your Holy Spirit the hearts of many to offer themselves for the ministry of your Church, that strengthened by his power, they may work for the increase of your kingdom and set forward the eternal praise of your name; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Mission through Generosity
During 2016 our Parish has contributed to a number of worthy causes and the missionary work of the church. The following are a few examples: Organised by Janet Kennedy we made a substantial donation to the Leprosy Mission.  Our annual collection for Christian Aid was held in May. The Millen family arranged the annual Mission to Seafarers’ Coleraine Collection in August.  In October we collected over £1030 for the Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal, and once again Joy White coordinated the Poppy Appeal collection for the Royal British Legion. As our Missions and Charities Coordinator, Janet Kennedy also commended a selection of other Missionary Societies and charitable causes to the Select Vestry for our support

Select Vestry Business in 2016 - Fabric, Furnishings and  Finance
Having restored the church clock faces, redecorated the church, and replaced the chairs in the Minor Hall with more comfortable seating, the Select Vestry’s next objective  is to renew the church lighting in the very near future with an efficient and more economical system.. With the continuing help of our volunteers  the church, parish halls and graveyard have been immaculately maintained throughout the year and most recently, Tommy Daly has replaced  cracked and  broken panes in the Church Porch window.

Church Finances
Few parishioners know that the cost of maintaining the church’s ministry in our parish amounts to almost  £1500 per week, and that most of that money comes from generous  members of the congregation in their weekly or annual giving.
This year, Kenny Mc Afee (our Parish Treasurer) has reported to the Select Vestry at every meeting that our  weekly income from most of our parishioners  has remained constant and continues to meet our needs. Nonetheless, we are also aware that a few church members give very little and  very rarely attend services.  Some have not  contributed to the upkeep or work of the church in the past two years. In effect, this means that their membership has been subsidised by others,  and because of this we will not issue their Freewill Offering envelopes for 2017, unless they apply for them. It should also be noted that when they reach age 18,  children are no longer regarded as ‘subscribing members,’ unless they make their own contributions to the church .     

End of Financial Year
All Churches and Charitable organisations are legally required to close their annual accounts on 31st   December.  This means that any income and expenditure transactions for the year must be completed by that date. The last Sunday we can receive any  2016 Church Freewill Offering envelopes or contributions by cheque is  25th December if they are to be recorded in the audited Financial Report for this year. Remember that our Bank only accepts cheques which are made payable to ‘Camus-juxta-Bann.’

Church wardens Responsibilities
Church wardens are responsible for the annual verification and update of the Church’s Inventory.   The following  items and their inscriptions have been registered by the RCB in Dublin. and have been accounted  for by the churchwardens:

Alms Dish Brass 1965 ‘Presented in memory of Henry and Susan Mc Math by their children Ellis, Nancy and Susannah.   
4 Brass collecting plates

Chalice silver   Parish Church of Macosquin 1838

Chalice silver (2) ‘Presented in loving memory of June Caroline Dunn by her daughter Jane Anderson Dunn 1967'

Chalice silver plate x 2 ‘Presented to St Mary’s Church Camus-juxta-Bann Parish by the Galbraith family in loving memory of their parents Andrew and Mary Victoria Galbraith 1969'

Paten Silver 1962 Made in London.   
Paten silver.  ‘Parish church of Macosquin 1838'  
Paten silver ‘Parish Church of Macosquin 1938Baptismal shell silver plate To the glory of God and in memory of W. Bro Ellis McMath WOM Macosquin District LOL No 6.  8th July 1979'
Chalice ‘Camus Parish Church Easter 1907 DK McLernon’
  
Flagon silverplate ‘1794 Parish Church of Macosquin 1838'

Flagon silver ‘1996 Marshall family’   Cruet set silver plate ‘1966 Marshall family’

Bread box silver ‘Parish of Camus-juxta-Bann In memory of Barbara Minchin.
Died 7th August 1962 aged 11years’

Baptismal shell silver. ‘Marshall family 1996'
  
Looking ahead
The Diocesan Year of Opportunity 2016 will finish at the end of December.  

In 2017 the Diocese will  prepare for a new initiative in which the focus in every parish will be  ‘Christian Stewardship’  and how we could use God’s gifts more effectively for his glory.  This is much more than a mere ‘money-raising exercise.’

Rather it is about planning exciting new initiatives and  future development within the  parishes of our Diocese.  In recent years, here in Macosquin we have shown time and again,  that where people share  a vision, and work together to achieve it, they are blessed with the  resources to do so.  ‘Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God’
 
Safeguarding Trust
Looking after the well-being of children and vulnerable adults is a primary responsibility of  every Select Vestry,  entrusted to each Safeguarding Trust Parish Panel. They oversee  recruitment, vetting, training and supervision of leaders and people with responsible roles,  to ensure that practices of each parish meet the regulations  of the Church of Ireland.  If any parishioner is ever concerned about any incident,  or  an alleged instance of inappropriate behaviour involving young persons or vulnerable adults,  this should be reported without delay to a member of the Parish Panel, whose names are listed on the cover of this magazine.

Ordinand’s Placement in Macosquin
Part of the training for ordinands is spent in different parish churches where they take part in the worship and see the different styles of leadership and  administrative organisation. In a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service,  a visiting preacher  said to us some years ago, ‘We can only learn from people who know something that we do no know.’   

During his placement with us  Ian Mills has preached at  services, and assisted  at Home Communions with the house-bound.  He has  visited parishioners   and members of the Select Vestry in their homes.  He has also been given an insight into the administrative work of the church. However, there is great potential for us to learn from him and from what he has learned about the way things are done in other churches .  At the end of  January he will accompany Lorna on a fact-finding three day mission to St Andrew’s Church in Hertford, which is thriving under the leadership of its  Rector, the Revd Alan Stewart,  originally from Garvagh.  Ian and Lorna have  a number of objectives and will report to the Select Vestry when they return.

  

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES AND CHURCH SERVICES

The Mothers’ Union
After several well attended  meetings with some fascinating speakers,  the 2016 programme will finish with a Christmas Party evening in the Old Rectory Long Room on Tuesday 20th December. We thank Joy and Stanley White for providing the venue.


Mothers Union Diocesan Christmas Tree Festival
St Columb’s Cathedral 14th  - 18th December  from 9.00am - 9.00pm.  Our member plan to go on the Friday.  If you have Christmas shopping to do, we recommend going to Londonderry on any of the days,  and visiting the Cathedral to see the displays.

The Senior Citizens’ Christmas lunch
Wednesday 14th December at 12.30pm, ending with Christmas music by Macosquin Primary School Choir. The maximum number we can seat is 60. Tickets (price £6.00) are only available from the Parish Office. After a Christmas Holiday break for the cooks and helpers,  the weekly  lunches will  resume on Wednesday 11th January 2017
  
Illumination of Village Christmas Tree Wednesday 14th December at 6.00pm, followed by refreshments in the Minor Hall and Carol singing around the village for the Northern Ireland Hospice, ending with a Hot Supper at Mary Pat’s.

Sunday Club Nativity Service Sunday 18th December at 10.30am

The Festival Service of Nine Lessons and Carols
Sunday 18th December at 7.00pm followed by seasonal refreshments

Sunday Club Christmas Party
Wednesday 21st December 4.00 - 6.00pm in the Upper Hall

The Christingle Service Wednesday 21st December at 6.30pm
This is a very popular informal service of Christmas readings and carols  attended by  children, mums and dads, godparents  and grandparents.  We send a personal invitation  to the families of all children, baptised in the past 10 years

The First Communion of Christmas A candlelight service with carols and a short address beginning at 11.00pm on Christmas Eve

Christmas Day
9.00am Holy Communion 10.30am Family Worship with Communion

Post Christmas Break The Rector will be away from the parish after services on Christmas Day for the following 10 days. In his absence pastoral care will be arranged by Lorna Doherty with support from local retired  clergy if required.

Canon John McCammon will celebrate communion at the  midweek service on Wednesday 28th December at 10.00am and  at 9.00am and 10.30am on 1st January.

Church Rotas
Keeping the wheels of Parish Life turning involves a considerable number of people, most of whom play several roles in the church throughout the year.   New rotas have now been prepared for 2017 and are displayed on Church noticeboards.  

The people involved should  check the following Rota Lists, note the dates,   and inform Lorna Doherty or Janet Kennedy as soon as possible if any  do not suit them,  so that changes can be made: Sanctuary Flowers, Church Cleaning, Lesson Readers, Sidespersons, Refreshments after church.

Looking further into the future 2017
The Rector is already planning the special services which will be held between New Year and Easter.  

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017
Crossing Barriers
He has invited a former army chaplain colleague to come and preach on Sunday 22nd January during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Fr Danny Hernandez is a Gibraltarian, and is currently based in Lisburn,  but is no stranger to this area, having served in Ballykelly.

During Lent
Lent has  been called the Springtime of the soul. It is a season of the church year when we delve deeply into our faith in Jesus Christ and how the word of God in the Bible  influences  the way we live as the Holy Spirit works within us.

At our Wednesday evening Lenten services  in March and April we will have a series of addresses by visiting speakers all of whom have a special interest.  The Theme will be Faith in the Bible as it relates to each speaker’s own  profession.
These include , Science, Medicine, the Law, Politics,   Journalism and Education.

At our  Holy Week services in the week before Easter,  we will have visiting clergy, some of them recently ordained.  They will  speak about Courage, Discipline, Loyalty, Integrity, Respect for others,  and Selfless Commitment.  

These are not only the Core Values and Standards of the British Army,  but are particularly notable in the story of our Lord’s Passion and the Way of the Cross.

The Annual General Vestry Meeting 2017
The routine management of a Church of Ireland  parish is entrusted to it Rector,  Churchwardens and  Select Vestry in the appointments  made at the annual General Vestry Meeting by the  registered General Vestry Members. If you are aged 18yrs, or over,  and not already a Registered General Vestry Member, and wish to take part in the Annual General Vestry Meeting,   you must complete a Registration form before the Select Vestry  revises the list at its  February meeting.

Every parish is a member of the  family of churches which make up a Diocese, and the administration of each Diocese is the responsibility of its clergy and the lay Synod members who are appointed for three year terms at the parish Triennial Annual General Vestry Meeting.

2017 is a Triennial year, and  at the annual General Vestry Meeting on 6th April,  in addition to the annual appointment of Church wardens, Glebewardens and the election of   other Select Vestry members , the following positions have to be filled by people who will be in post for three years:

Two Diocesan Synod Representatives (and two Supplementals)
Four Parochial Nominators (and four Supplemental Parochial Nominators).  

For all of  these positions you will need to give very careful consideration to the people you nominate,  or elect.
     
The Synod Representatives you nominate,  or vote for  must be:
Individuals who you know to have a genuine interest in the well-being of the Diocese and who are willing  to play an active  part in the business of the Diocese and its committees, and also in the wider Church of Ireland, if they are subsequently appointed to serve on  a committee,  or to membership of  the General Synod.

Parochial Nominators
Four of the people you appoint as Parochial Nominators, or Supplemental Nominators will work with the Diocesan Nominators and the Bishop  in the selection  of  a new Rector if  a vacancy occurs during their years in office.  

It is essential that they are people of integrity whose judgement you respect

They must be able to work as a team, fully understand their own  responsibilities and the work of a Rector.  They need a detailed  knowledge of the parish and the kind of ministry it will requirde form the incumbent they ask the Bishop to appoint.

They must have the ability to research strengths, weaknesses and qualities of candidates.  They also need good  interviewing skills.  

Not least must they be able to work confidentially, never discussing any aspect of  their work with another person,  even after the appointment has been made.
   
You will entrust the people you nominate, or vote for as your Parochial Nominators, with the responsibility of choosing your next Rector because you know them to be:

1 Committed,  subscribing members of the Church of Ireland in this parish

2 Regular communicants, attending one or more of our weekly services

3 Knowledgeable about the forms of worship which are appreciated by our worshippers and liturgies that will help the congregations continue to grow.

4 Supportive of the church and the Rector  in recent years, as elected members of the Select Vestry, or have a proven recent record of loyalty and commitment to the church in other ways

5 Well versed in the responsibilities and the leadership role of a Rector

6 Fully informed about all aspects of  parish life, and areas of ministry that they hope will be maintained or developed, and able to promote (sell)  the parish to any applicants for the post of Rector.

7 Willing to serve on the Select Vestry if elected,  and thereby  give their utmost support to  a new Rector,  at least in the initial years,  following an appointment.


Monthly Bookings of  Organisations which meet in the Parish Halls

The Macosquin  Women’s  Institute (Minor Hall)
2nd  Wednesday 7.30 - 9.30pm September - May

The Macosquin Senior Citizens’ Club (Upper Hall)
4th Wednesday October  - March 7.30 - 10.30pm

‘Memory Lane Band’ Rehearsals (Upper Hall)
Other Wednesdays 7.30- 9.30pm

The Mums and Toddlers Group (Upper Hall)
Tuesdays 10.30 - 12.00  in school term-time

The Cantemus Choir (Upper Hall)
Thursdays  Oct - March 7.00 - 9.30pm

The Mothers’ Union   (Minor Hall)
3rd Tuesday September - May 7.30 - 9.30pm
Foyle Maritime  Society (Minor Hall)
3rd Friday  October  - April 7.30 - 9.30pm

Knitting and Crochet (Minor Hall)
Mondays Oct - April 7.00- 9.00pm

We are always looking for groups  wishing to use our Halls.  They must have their own public liability insurance,  be willing to pay the £10 per hour fee to cover the cost of heating and leave the hall clean and tidy for the next users.
Mildred Budina manages our bookings.

From the Parish Registers
Holy Baptism
30th October Jake Curry

Christian Burial
11th September Thomas Rankin Campbell (Interred in Ballywillan cemetery)
28th September Rita Balmer (Brethren)
23rd October Sally Clarke (Killowen)

CHILDREN’S PAGE
The Birth of Jesus word search

Joseph,    Mary,    Bethlehem,   baby,  born,   wrapped,  clothes,  manger,  
 room, inn,   shepherds,  watch,   flocks, ,  angel,  appeared,  afraid, sign ,
glory,  peace,  earth

Bible Memory Verse
"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."   Luke 2:12

Silence is golden
One of the most beautiful  things about  many churches is the peace you often find during a service.  However there are other churches where few people know how to be still in the presence of the Lord and some folk even chat to each other during services.  
This is a good motto to keep in mind when you come to church:
 ‘Before the Service, speak to God .
 During the service,  listen to God as he speaks to you
 After the service,  speak and listen  to each other!’

Some Advent and Christmas Reflections
Old fashioned, Spiritual Christmas?
"What has happened to the old fashioned, spiritual Christmas? The cause is our disregard of Advent. The church set aside this four week pre Christmas season as a time of spiritual preparation for Christ’s coming. It is a time of quiet anticipation.

If Christ is going to come again into our hearts, there must be repentance. Without repentance, our hearts will be so full of worldly things that there will be ‘no room in the inn’ for Christ to be born again.…We have the joy not of celebration. Which is the joy of Christmas, but the joy of anticipation."

Memory Awakens Hope
    "Advent is concerned with that very connection between memory and hope which is so necessary to man. Advent’s intention is to awaken the most profound and basic emotional memory within us, namely, the memory of the God who became a child. This is a healing memory; it brings hope.

The purpose of the Church’s year is continually to rehearse her great history of memories, to awaken the heart’s memory so that it can discern the star of hope.…
It is the beautiful task of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope."

The Coming of the Light
Christmas celebrates the dawn of the Light of the World. The powers of darkness are overcome by his coming to share our life. The long reign of sin is ended and grace has been poured out upon the earth.   The Sun of Justice has arisen, and evil is vanquished."

Perhaps the hardest thing to remember about Christmas is this. "It celebrates the incarnation, not just the nativity.   The incarnation is an on going process of salvation, while the nativity is the once for all historical event of Bethlehem.

We do not really celebrate Christ’s ‘birthday,’ remembering something that happened long ago. We celebrate the stupendous fact of the incarnation, God entering our world so thoroughly that nothing has been the same since. And God continues to take flesh in our midst, in the men and women and children who form his body today. And the birth we celebrate is not just the past historical event but Christ’s continuing birth in his members, accomplished by the power of the Spirit through the waters of baptism.

    "…What we celebrate is our redemption in Christ and the transformation of all creation by the presence of the divine in our midst."
  


The Church of Ireland Gazette is our own weekly Church Newspaper which can be delivered to every parish church by annual for little more than 40pence per issue, or for £35 per annum you can download the e-paper version from the Internet.

Every issue tells of activities happening in Dioceses and  parishes throughout Ireland and in other parts of the Anglican Communion.   If you would like to see copies of recent issues or  become a subscriber, please speak with the Rector

Church News Ireland
This Church Website  is updated every day by Dean Houston Mc Kelvey using  material gathered from a host of sources.  It is packed with   information and comment not only about the Church of Ireland but other Christian  denominations in Ireland.

The Derry and Raphoe Diocesan Website
Our Diocesan Press Officer, Paul McFadden is a well known Journalist and frequent broadcaster on radio and television.  He also manages and updates our  Diocesan website every week.    If you visit it regularly, you will read Reports of   the Diocesan Synod, the Bishop’s plans for the future  and what is happening in the different parishes of our Diocese.  Contrary to the perception of the  ‘Gloom and Doom’ merchants who want you to beleive that the church is on its last legs,  you will see from the Website  that the Church of Ireland is very much alive in this Diocese.

Parish Website
Alfie Hunter updates our own website regularly but to do so,  he needs photographs and material from the different groups that are involved in the life of  our church.   Every organisation, the Sunday Club, Mothers’ Union, the Men’s Society, the  Select Vestry,  the Church Choir should have a member who is responsible for emailing him  information and pictures about their most recent activities.

Facebook
Don’t know what is happening in the Parish or the people involved? Nowadays people no longer rely on local newspapers or ‘Word of mouth’ to spread news, they are inconstant communication with their friends, sharing information  on Facebook.  
If you want to spread the word about anything happening in the church, or the people involved, tell Jill Oliver,  so that she can put it on Camus-Connections.
 
WHO’S WHO IN THE PARISH   (The Office Bearers of the church)

Rector Rev Canon Mike Roemmele   Parish Reader Lorna Doherty

Parish Secretary Lilian Davis       

Parish Treasurer Kenneth McAfee Stewardship Recorder Harry Caskey

Church Wardens Kenny Campbell, Pearl Mullen

Glebe Wardens Gordon Kennedy, Tommy Oliver (Co-opted) Nigel McQuilkin, Stuart Morrell, Sandy Reynolds,

Parish Administration  Lorna Doherty, Janet Kennedy

Other Members of Select Vestry: Shirley Baird, Collete Cuckoo, Russell Doherty,  Greg Duddy,  Maureen Jamieson

Parochial Nominators
Lorna Doherty, Gordon Kennedy, Russell Kennedy, Tommy Oliver,

Supplemental Nominators
Garry Anderson, Kenny Campbell, Alfie Hunter, Janet Kennedy

Diocesan Synod Representatives
Stuart Bredin, Janet Kennedy

Supplemental Synod Representatives
Gordon Kennedy, Tommy Oliver

Safeguarding Trust Parish Panel
The Rector, Clara Heaton, Shirley Baird, Kenny Campbell

Sunday Club Leaders Alfie Hutchinson, Lynne Ballentine, Isobel McAfee

Mothers’ Union Branch Leader   Bertha Madden    Secretary Janet Kennedy
Men’s Society Rector and Kenny Campbeell Mums and Toddlers Mary Campbell
Church Organist Erin Teacy

Parish Website: www.camus-juxta-bann. org  -  Alfie Hunter
Face Book Page:     Camus Connections   -  Jill Oliver