the irish endeavourer (february 2016)

W W W . C E I R E L A N D . O R G

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 I S S U E

C H R I S T I A N E N D E A V O U R I R E L A N D

THE IRISHENDEAVOURER

EDITOR'S NOTE

Matt BishopE D I T O R

You'll notice that this edition is quite different from what you'vebeen reading lately! This is because I've just taken over as editorfor the magazine. I want to thank Carole Dillon for all her hard

work as editor over many issues of the magazine. MargaretHouston will continue to act as Information Officer. If you have

any news or information for the magazine, you can contactMargaret and I'll Endeavour to include it in the next issue!

Thanks very much.I hope you enjoy this issue of The Irish Endeavourer.

T H E I R I S H E N D E A V O U R E R | 0 2

THE IRISH ENDEAVOURER

Margaret Houston

I N F O R M A T I O N O F F I C E R

NATIONAL NEWS

CONTENTS

for more CE Ireland news & resources

Visit

04Dates for your diary

05Meet Phil Meeke

06President's Diary

07

101st CONVENTION

Convention 20

Juniors 22

YP's 23

Seniors/Comrades 24

WWW .CEIRELAND .ORG



Editor's Note 02

Contents 03

REGIONAL NEWS

Armagh & South Tyrone 14

Bangor & Ards 16

Belfast 17

Down 17

Jean's Journal Conclusion

Dublin & District 19

Enniskillen 19

2015/16 Mission Pojects 26

Magazine Information 27


08Obituary

09Seniors/Comrades

Looking Back 25

11YP's

132016 Summer Camps

MORE INFORMATION

DATES FORYOUR DIARYU p c o m i n g e v e n t s i n 2 0 1 6


February 26th: Irish Union Junior CETable Quiz

February 27th: Irish Union SpringCouncil in CE Headquarters

March 5th - 3pm to 5pm: EnniskillenUnion Junior Teddy Bears’ Picnic,Lisbellaw Methodist

March 12th - 3pm: Seniors’/Comrades’Spring Rally in Ravenhill Presbyterian,Belfast. Speaker - The Revd TonyDavidson of First Armagh Presbyterian

March 12th: Armagh & South TyroneUnion Junior Fun Morning

March 15th - 7:45pm: East AntrimExecutive in First CarrickfergusPresbyterian

April 6th - 2pm to 4pm: East AntrimUnion Craft Day & Teddy Bears’ Picnic

9th April - 7:30pm: YP Night inEdenderry Primary School, Portadown

April 19th - 7:45pm: East Antrim AGM inFirst Carrickfergus Presbyterian

April 23rd: Irish Union Junior TalentContest Finals in ImmanuelPresbyterian, Belfast

April 25th: Armagh & South TyronePresidential Rally

May 6th at 7:30pm: CE Celebration inBallinamallard Methodist

May 24th - 27th: Seniors’/Comrades’ SpringBreak in Causeway Hotel, Portrush

May 26th at 7:45pm: East Antrim Executivein Ballyhenry Presbyterian

June 25th at 7pm: Enniskillen Union CEBBQ

June 30th: Closing date for CE ConventionCompetition entries

July 16th - 22nd: Junior CE Camp inBallyholme Residential Centre, nearBallycastle

July 17th - 23rd: YP Camp in PCI CentreRostrevor

September 3rd: Irish Council in CEHeadquarters

September 16th - 17th: 102nd Irish NationalConvention in Ballygomartin Presbyterian,Belfast. Theme: 'Burn Like a Star - Light aFire in our Hearts'. Speaker: Bishop KenClarke.

If you have an event, in your Union orSociety, which you would like included,please email the details, including date,place & title of event to Margaret Houston:

Email - [email protected] - 02893353191Mobile: 07712979778.

Presbyterian CE. It was when Hilda wasexpecting Aaron & had to step downfrom CE that I got the job! It was myfault after all! Sixteen years later I amstill there!

After ‘O’ levels at Banbridge Academy,my farming "blood" took me toGreenmount Agricultural College for athree year course - happy memories &good friends!

I took the step of faith & became aChristian in Spring 1989 as I wasfinishing my course - forever indebtedto those who helped me during thattime.

Off I went to New Zealand for work &life experience for nine months -morehappy memories but was happy toreturn home to the farm & to Church.Youth Fellowship, teaching Bible Class,in charge of Sunday School & of course,as you know CE all followed. There is nobetter way to to grow in faith than to beinvolved in teaching! Having handed onother responsibilities, CE is now myfocus for I love sharing the Scriptures ona Tuesday night & from time to timedreaming up our fun CE outings - mightas well make use of the farm!

So much more to say but better finishoff - attending Spring & AutumnCouncil has helped me appreciate all thebehind the scenes work by many peopleat CE, so I look forward to IrishExecutive & working with those involvedin it.


I am Philip Meeke & I am a new faceon Irish Executive. After attendingSpring & Autumn Councils for the lastcouple of years this is where I havefound myself! So what about me? WellI am the ripe old age of 45, & each dayhave the privilege of working theland & with the animals on the familyfarm - with the family! It is a dairy,beef & arable farm in a beautiful partof Co Down near the village ofDromara - spot the Dromaramountains (Slieve Croob) in the photo.Is this a first - a farmer on IrishCouncil?

I have been married to Hilda fortwenty years & we have a son Aaron 16& a daughter Sarah 14. And that's how Ibecame involved in Garvaghy

The new face on I r i shExecut ive

MEET PHILMEEKE


13th November: A really wet day, butthere was a warm welcome from 1st ArdsJuniors. An opportunity to talk to themfrom the Bible & enjoy their competencein taking part in the meeting.

14th November: It was encouraging to joinwith a group from ClonaneesePresbyterian as time was spent praying forthe work of CE in Ireland.

27th November: Chaired a meeting ofIrish Executive. Some good discussionabout how to further the work of CE. Prayfor the Executive as decisions are made.

7th December: Panic! A 4 mile tailback onthe M1 meant I was late arriving at Hill StJCE, Lurgan, but God answered myprayers & I got there. A small group oflovely children who helped me think howthe decorations on my Christmas treecould remind us of the Gospel.

7th Dec: I had the opportunity to bringgreetings at Armagh and South TyroneUnion Carol service and read a Christmaspoem. Always an enjoyable eveningmeeting with friends in the Union andthinking about the true meaning ofChristmas.

11th December: My Christmas tree camewith me again to Clonaneese JCEChristmas evening. A full hall ofenthusiastic boys & girls who listened well.They kindly shared their colouring pencilswith me during the craft session so I couldmake a card for Trevor. Junior Highmembers made calendars for giving to thehousebound when they go carol singing.

PRESIDENT'SDIARYRosemary shares herPres ident ia l d iary wi th us

This is a brief summary of some of thethings I have been involved with asPresident of Irish Christian Endeavour.Visiting CE Societies is always a privilege– I love meeting with leaders & CEmembers, & being able to share withthem from God’s Word.

19th September: This is where the year asIrish CE President starts, as Jean handedover the Presidential chain and Iintroduced my theme for the year –‘Give us a Vision.’ A vision of how greatGod is; a vision for the lost & a vision toserve our great God.

5th October: This was a special occasionas I was invited to speak at 2 Senior CEson the same evening. We solved theproblem as 1st Portadown Seniors cameto join St Mark’s C of I Seniors. A goodevening spent around God’s Word.

31st October: The business side of CE asPlanning Board met to plan the activitiesfor the year.

2nd November: Leading the Bible studyat St Mark’s C of I in Portadown. Afriend came with me so we tookadvantage of her expertise on the pianoto sing favourite hymns.


Our Young People need lots of prayer thatthey will know the Lord’s leading in allthey do. We both enjoyed the lunch whichHeidi had prepared. Yum! Sadly we had todecline the offer of going to the beachwith the YPs as we had to head back toBallymena. (Would they have taken theopportunity to throw the President intothe sea? That is maybe an idea for themwhen Rosemary goes to see them!) Welldone Mark, Heidi & the rest of the leaders.

That brings me to the Convention inSeptember in Carrickfergus. This was areally busy day, going from one meetingto another, I really enjoyed spending timewith all the CE family, from the Seniors &the YPs to the Juniors. Well done EastAntrim Convention Committee.

Lots of people have asked me if I’m gladmy year of President is over. My truthfulanswer is “no” because I had a great timemeeting lots of Endeavourers & havingfellowship with them. At the start of myPresidential year, someone asked me, whatdid I see as my role as President, my replywas that I wanted to encourage the leaders,Juniors, YPs, YAs, Seniors & Comrades tokeep relying on the Lord Jesus forsalvation. Also to remember that the Lordknows all that is happening in theirlives & He is a Mighty God and will bewith us always. My prayer is that I havebeen an encourager & have broughthonour to the Lord.

Please continue to pray for Rosemary asPresident and the ongoing work ofChristian Endeavour. Always rememberMIGHTY IS OUR GOD.

JEAN'SJOURNALPas t Pres ident , Jean McGal lconc ludes her d iary jo t t ingsfor her year of Off ice .

As I write this we are approachingChristmas, it is hard to believe that it isnearly 3 months since I handed thePresidential chain over to Rosemary.

Over the summer I went to Junior Campin Ballycastle, it was good to see some ofthe Juniors that I had met before. TheJuniors were having a brilliant time, Ken& I enjoyed the quiz, but sadly our teamdidn’t win, the Leaders team won! Welldone to Rosemary, Caroline & all theCamp leaders. Also during the summer, Iwent to YP Camp in Rostrevor, Heather &I got lost, but after a few phone calls & abit of driving, it was wonderful to see 2 ofthe leaders waiting for us at the gate ofthe Centre. We had a lovely time gettingto know the young people, finding outwhat their plans were, as many of themwere getting exam results that day.

Both Derek & his wife, Eileen servedterms as President of East Antrim CEUnion. From boyhood he was deeplyinvolved & influenced by the Boys’Brigade. His Christian involvementextended to leadership roles inorganisations such as Mission Carrick,the Christian Caravaners’ Club, CE &above all in his local Church,Carrickfergus Methodist where he was aLocal Preacher of long standing & heldthe highest office open to a lay personbeing Circuit Steward for many years.

His engineering expertise provedinvaluable during the ten year period ofplanning & building the magnificentchurch & hall complex at CarrickfergusMethodist.

A former President of the MethodistChurch in Ireland & Superintendent ofthe Carrickfergus Circuit, the Revd AianFerguson, paid tribute to his dedication& zeal for that project at Derek’s funeral.

The funeral, conducted by the currentSuperintendent, the Revd Dr DavidClements, who also paid a glowingtribute, was attended by more than 500people - an estimation of the love,respect & esteem in which Derek washeld.

Supremely Derek was a family man.Eileen & their children Julie, Alison &David with their spouses Gareth,Timothy, Laura & his 8 grandchildrenmeant everything to him & it is to themwe extend our prayerful sympathy.


Derek Scoffield, who went to be withthe Lord on Saturday 5th December,2015 was born in Yorkshire but came toCarrickfergus at the age of 4 with hisparents.

Educated at Carrickfergus ModelSchool & Belfast Royal Academy hewent up to Queen’s where he readelectrical engineering. He was tobecome a chartered engineer & aFellow of the Institute of ElectricalEngineering.

Derek’s early commitment of his life toChrist was to influence all he did in life.Not only did his Christian life &witness radiate throughout his serviceto Christ & the Church but also inevery aspect of his life - family, work,sporting & within the community ingeneral.

His professional life was within theelectrical industry where he wasconsidered an excellent boss.

A keen sportsman, he played rugby forCarrickfergus & participated inathletics but later took up golf & bowlsbesides being a keen artist.

OBITUARY:DEREKSCOFFIELD

SPRING RALLYS E N I O R S / C O M R A D E S

The annual Spring Break will be fromthe evening of Tuesday 24th May2016 until the morning of Friday27th May 2016 in the Causeway Hotel,Bushmills. Last year’s Spring Breakproved to be a wonderful time ofrefreshment & fellowship & this wasin no small part due to the meticulousorganising skills of the Revd Stephen& Mrs Gwen Carson who madeeveryone feel so welcome. Read allabout it for yourself in the shortreport on the following page.

This year the Seniors’/Comrades’Spring Rally will be on Saturday 12thMarch, 2016 in Ravenhill PresbyterianChurch & the Speaker will be theRevd Tony Davidson, Minister ofFirst Armagh Presbyterian Church.

SPRING BREAKS E N I O R S / C O M R A D E S


dinner by some extra friends includingthe Irish CE President, Mrs Jean McGall& her husband, Ken.

Everyone agreed our accommodation,including the food & service in the hotel,was excellent & that combined withStephen’s & Gwen's planning & hostingcontributed to a brilliant few days for allpresent. Many have already plans in thewill of God to return next year. Why notjoin us?

Hazel Williamson


The Causeway Hotel, Bushmills, was ahaven of calm & comfort on a verywindy showery afternoon on Tuesday19th May for some 31 Seniors as theyarrived to commence their Spring Break. Stephen & Gwen Carson were on hand towelcome all the "old" & "new" faces & toanswer all queries.

We were given the programme ofactivities for the next few days which intrue "Carson style" was meticulouslyplanned. Each day we had a "ThoughtFor The Day" after breakfast & a "Timeof Fellowship" in the lounge after theevening meal. These times wereconducted by the Seniors themselvesexcept for a visiting speaker on theWednesday evening when Adrian Pogueinformed us about his involvement withthe Smiles Foundation & Radio Cracker.

For the duration of the break we wereblessed with good weather to enjoy thebeauty of God's creation along the NorthCoast. After a drive down to Ballycastleon Wednesday morning, we returned toDunluce Presbyterian Church hall whereGwen had arranged for the ladies of theChurch to provide a delicious lunch & wealso had a look round their church &beautiful new hall. That afternoon & onThursday we had free time to walk, shopor relax as we desired.

On Thursday evening before the closingtime of fellowship, much hilarity wasenjoyed as certain members performedtheir "party pieces"! On Wednesday &Thursday evenings we were joined for

SUMMERCAMP2015

Y O U N G P E O P L E

A wonderful world & a wonderfultime at YP Camp.


YP Camp was held from the 9th - 15thAugust 2015, in the PCI CentreRostrevor. 12 Young People camefrom different parts of the countrywith counties Fermanagh, Donegal &Down represented.

The theme for the week was, “AWonderful World”, & covered parts of theBible from Genesis to Revelation, lookingat God's original plan for the world, howsin entered the world, God's rescue plan &a view to God's perfect world restored. During the morning thoughts, we alsoexplored the Ten Commandments & howwe should apply these to our lives. During the days, we made use of thesurrounding countryside & wentout & about. Some of the activitiesincluded: orienteering, waterpark, treasurehunt around Newcastle, & rockclimbing! The fun didn't stop when thesun went down, with activities at theCentre each night ending in a sing-alongaround a campfire! We thank God for the good weather weenjoyed throughout the week, the fun &fellowship we had & most importantly thetime we had to study God's word.


ARMAGH &SOUTH TYRONE

R E G I O N A L N E W S

By Ruth Agnew

Mrs Pauline Condy, our President forArmagh & South Tyrone 2014/15, came tothe Fergus Hall in Portadown & spoke tothe Seniors towards the end of her year.She brought a word of testimony &encouragement. We had a time of singing& afterwards the ladies had brought alovely supper which was enjoyed by all.

To start my year, as President of Armaghand South Tyrone Union, I was invited totake Ballygawley Junior CE Parents’ Night.The children did an amazing job & theleaders had put a lot of hard work intomaking it a special night so that all whoattended heard the message, through songword & drama, that Jesus Christ died tosave each one of us. I was encouraged tosee how many children attended & theirenthusiasm.


We had a great night in TandrageeMethodist Church when Colin Daviesfrom Spud Bear Ministries told us abouthis passion for reaching the children, inthe developing world, with the news of thegospel through speaking bears. AsPresident of our Union this year, I led themeeting with a number from the differentSocieties taking part. Our MissionaryConvenor, Mrs Joan Doak put a lot of hardwork into the programme which wasenjoyed by all. Mr Gerry McIlveen, fromHill Street Seniors, led in prayer & hiswife, Muriel provided the music for theevening. The Bible reading was read to usby Mr Donald Poole from First PortadownSeniors. Mrs Rosemary McDaniel gave theannouncements of our upcoming eventsbetween now & Christmas. The ladiesfrom Tandragee provided a lovely supperwhich was very much appreciated byeveryone.

M i s s i o n R a l l y


The Senior CE Fellowship from FirstPortadown Presbyterian Church held adinner to celebrate the 125thAnniversary of CE in Ireland. It washeld in the Woodview Restaurant nearRichhill & was attended by both past &present CE members.

The meal was enjoyed by all present &we were grateful to Mrs BettyHawthorne, a faithful member formany years, for cutting the cake. SadlyMrs Hawthorne passed away shortlyafterwards & our thoughts & prayersare with her husband, Brian & all herfamily circle.

At the end of the evening Mr ArnoldSleator, Mr Bill Burnett & Mrs MerleEdgar gave informative, & oftenamusing, talks about CE in the earlyyears. Some other memberscontributed by relating experienceswhich they too could recall. Mr JohnRuddock then spoke about how thingshave changed since he joined in the1970s. This was followed by a poemwritten by the late Mr Tommy Dunn &read by Mrs Anne Clayton.

There was a great display ofmemorabilia, much of which wasbrought from the Church archives.Many attending had also broughtphotographs & other interesting itemsfrom the past. It was a very enjoyableevening spent together.

F i r s t P o r t a d o w n S e n i o r sH o l d 1 2 5 t h C e l e b r a t o r yD i n n e r

U n i o n C a r o l S e r v i c e

BANGOR &ARDS

R E G I O N A L N E W S

It is a privilege & an honour to be on theteam leading Trinity CE in Bangor. Wehave a weekly meeting held on a Fridaynight from 6:15 - 7:15. Our nights beginwith registration & games. Following thiswe gather for singing, memory verses &Bible stories. We started journeyingthrough the Old Testament last year,reflecting on how so many of the storiespoint us to Jesus. This year we arestudying the life of Moses & are currentlygetting ready to celebrate a mini Passoveron Friday night!

The Juniors meet in their groups everysix weeks to plan for their meetings inwhich we encourage them to take asactive a role as possible & theythoroughly enjoy this. Every 6 weeks wealso have a games night during whichchildren and leaders alike become quitecompetitive! Read messages from someof our Juniors.

Hi my name is Christopher. I am 8 yearsold & I have been coming to CE for 7weeks. My favourite memory verse isJohn 4:16 "I am the way the truth & thelife. No one comes to the father but byme." Jesus is the Son of God who cansave the world.


Hi my name is Anna. I am 10 years old & Ihave been coming to CE for 2 years. Myfavourite colour is yellow & I likeelephants. I love learning memory versesin CE & when my group leads the meetingmy favourite job is to lead in prayer. Myfavourite verses are Matthew 5:39-41 & 1Corinthians 13:4-8.

Hello I am Catherine & I am 11 years old. Ilove pink & my favourite animals are cats.I have been coming to CE for 3 years now& I enjoy getting into our small groups todiscuss what we have learnt. When mygroup is leading the meeting I enjoy beingin charge of registration. My favouriteverse is Psalm 145:8 "The Lord is gracious& compassionate, slow to anger & rich inlove." Jesus is always there for me.

Our prayer for our young people is thatthe Lord would bring to remembrance allthat they learn when they are with us sothat they can fully glorify & enjoy him intoday's world.

A l l a b o u t T r i n i t y B a n g o r

R o s e m a r y M c D a n i e l v i s i t s 1 s tA r d s P r e s b y t e r i a n J u n i o r s

BELFASTR E G I O N A L N E W S


U n i o n C a r o l S e r v i c e

On Monday 7th December the BelfastUnion held their annual Carol Servicein Immanuel Presbyterian. ImmanuelJuniors & YPs, Joanmount MethodistYPs, Carryduff Presbyterian Juniors,Shore Road City Mission Juniors & St.Michael’s Church of Ireland Seniorsattending & every Society took part insome way. Our Local Union President,Mr Wesley McCready opened in prayer& we enjoyed singing modern carols &hearing the Christmas story again. EachCE was represented during our prayertime. Mr Jim Crothers, Belfast Union’sMissionary Convenor, spoke to us aboutthis year’s project, ‘Spud BearMinistries’.

Our speaker for the evening was AngieMcKee from Child EvangelismFellowship; she brought gifts she hadpreviously received. Teddy bears &Liverpool Football items were giftspeople had given her because she likedthem. Other gifts like soap sets or t-shirts - these were not glamorous butnecessary. Then there was a gift like across-stitch picture that a friend hadmade her - it had different itemsembroidered on it that representeddifferent interests in her life. This was avery thoughtful and planned gift from abest friend. Angie explained that Jesusgave us all these gifts. He came because

He knew what we are like and that wedo wrong things. We should bepunished for our sins but Jesus hadcome & taken the blame for us bydying on the Cross, & all this becausehe loved us and this was all God’s plan.We need to ask Jesus into our lives andthen Christmas will have so much moremeaning for us.

The evening concluded with a beautifulsupper provided by the parents of theImmanuel Juniors. The offering, whichamounted to £54, will go towards thework of Spud Bear Ministries. Weextend our grateful thanks to all whotook part thus making this such aspecial evening.

DOWNR E G I O N A L N E W S

T h e 1 s t C h r i s t m a s r e -e n a c t e d i n G a r v a g h y

So what was it like, over 2000 years agofor Mary & Joseph, the shepherds & thewise men? How would they have felt,what can we learn from their reactions,their experience? Could this be a potential CE Christmas night? Aftersome discussion, the answer comes upas a resounding YES!

Once again a farm proves to be useful!We would have a Bible reading,thought, & a drama in 3 different places- a stable for Mary & Joseph; around afire in a field for the Shepherds; & in

For a conclusion to the evening, we werechallenged by what we had heard & seenduring the evening. For Christians,Christmas is a time for celebration, butare we following Jesus with the samededication that the wise men had whenthey travelled from afar in search of thenewborn King? For others, hesitant &fearful, like the shepherds were at first,of asking Jesus to be their Saviour, Jesussays to them,

"Do not be afraid, I am the goodShepherd, I have a plan & purpose foryour life, & I want to prepare a place inheaven for you. Come on, make roomin your heart for Me.”


an old barn for the wise men. Mary &Joseph would be voicing their feelingsabout being new parents to God`s Son,the shepherds would be "hyper" after theangels visit & seeing Jesus, & the wisemen tired but very happy as theytravelled home - a different route fromthe one they came. Yes, definitely a plan!- & let’s make it a Christmas familynight & invite the parents along.

For a couple of weeks at CE the dramasketches were prepared and practicedby older members. Younger memberspracticed the readings & "thoughts". Amarried couple agreed to play Mary &Joseph - I`m sure Mary & Joseph wouldhug & kiss! Being affectionate to oneanother would be funny! A kindneighbour allowed the use of an outhousefor the wise men & it was a perfectreason to "spring clean" a "stable" on thefarm. Just hope the weather will be ok forthe shepherds around thefire outside................

And it was! Tuesday 22nd December - acool, dry night. At 7pm landrovers set offon their journey - packed with CEchildren & parents. Young members readso well, older ones knew their lines &acted well. So proud of them all! Apartfrom one family who were sick, all themembers were there & most parents - sopleased! Of course there had to be somefood involved - in the garage wheremuddy boots wouldn't be an issue! Soprayers were answered - for good ideas &then for everyone and everything tocome together for a special CE night.

DUBLINR E G I O N A L N E W S


D u n d r u m M e t h o d i s t

We were very sorry to lose one of ourleaders, Judy Taylor. She has been arock & a marvellous leader with ourgroup & is sorely missed. We are verygrateful for her leadership & supportfor many years. Our Juniors will paytribute to Judy in the coming weeks.

This year we have a full programmeplanned. Wendy Whelan is helping usthis year & we are grateful for hersupport. Wendy has lots of experiencewith Sunday school, she brings greatideas too. Our theme this year is aboutgetting creative. To that end we arebusy filling & covering shoe boxes forour local Methodist Home for elderlyladies. It will be a real treat to deliverthese boxes, one for each resident in theweeks coming up to Christmas and putthem under the tree for Christmasmorning. Many of the elderly ladieshave lost friends & families & willappreciate the connection with our CEJuniors.

We have started the new term with avisit by our new minister, the RevdStephen Taylor.

In the coming weeks we will be gettingcreative with art & hope to display someof our work on the last day of term forour Christmas play.

ENNISKILLENR E G I O N A L N E W S

C o n v e n t i o n i n E n n i s k i l e n

Below is an extract from, “TheImpartial Reporter” 50 years agoon September 17th 1965 & quoted onSeptember 17th 2015. How very apt thiswas - to appear just the day before YPswere heading to Carrickfergus to beddown in preparation for the 101stConvention.

“CE CONVENTION - Delegates from allover Ireland will be arriving Enniskillenthis weekend for the 51st Irish NationalChristian Endeavour Convention”.

Reprinted with the kind permission ofthe Editor, “The Impartial Reporter”.

THE 101STCONVENTION

We are thankful to Almighty God for HisHand upon the 101st Irish NationalConvention held on Saturday 19thSeptember in Carrickfergus Methodist.

Once again, we were blessed with beautifulweather throughout the weekend. The RevdMark Russell, speaking on the theme, “OneMore Step”, based his main address onGenesis 12:1-9. We, like Abraham, must gowhere God is leading us, trusting Him everystep of the way.

Avril Graham, Missionary Convenor,presented more than £4,000 to arepresentative of “Love for Life” - last year’smissionary project - which aims to helpchildren & young people make healthychoices in life. The new project, “SpudBears’ ministry” was introduced. Spud Bearsare solar powered, talking teddy bearssharing the Gospel of God’s love & givinghealth education such as malaria preventionto children, in hospitals & orphanages, whoare not able to read & have no one to readto them.

Seniors/Comrades packed a room, inCarrickfergus Methodist Church, to listen toan address by the Revd Dr Paul Bailie ofMission Africa while over in FirstCarrickfergus Presbyterian halls a goodlynumber of Juniors were enjoying a FunDay organised by Convention Chairperson


Speaker Revd Mark Russell,wife Libby & Jean McGall

Pearl Warnock, JuneJones & Gary Bissett

David Patterson, YvonneGrills, Rebecca Strutting

& Grace Patterson

Hannah Patterson &Megan Rooney

Carole Dillon, AvrilGraham & Gillian

Thompson

Gillian & Ashley Wasson

Margaret & the RevdDavid Houston

Robin & Isobel Beedham

Mrs Gwen Carson, & MrAlan Blair (President

Designate)

Lynda Anderson & concluding with a shorttalk by Mrs Libby Russell & the presentationof awards by retiring President, Mrs JeanMcGall. Meanwhile the YPs, some of whomhad come on Friday night, stayingovernight in St Nicholas’ Parish halls &enjoying activities there, were out & aboutin Carrickfergus enjoying a treasure hunt.Earlier in the day they had been captivatedas they engaged in a Bible art workshop.

Mrs Rosemary McDaniel was installed asIrish Union President. Her Presidentialtheme is, “Give us a vision”.

Some of the others sharing in the serviceincluded the Revd Dr David Clements & MrRobin Beedham who led in prayer; MrsGillian Wasson, Scripture reader; Mr RobertTinney; Mr Donald Blair, organist;Carnmoney YP musical group and Mr ChrisWallace who not only operated thePowerPoint but also gave so generously ofhis time & talents throughout the day. Weare infinitely grateful to all those others whoalso contributed to the success of this event.

No Convention is complete without thesumptuous food and Manns’ Cateringproved themselves first class.


Rev Dr Paul Bailie (centre)Seniors/Comrades

Speaker with Mrs Gwen &Rev Stephen Carson

Carole Dillon, AvrilGraham & Christopher

Emo

Mr Chris Wallace withThe Revd David Houston

Caroline Edgar &Rosemary Carson

Mrs Jean McGall with hersuccessor, Mrs Rosemary

McDaniel

The installation of newCE Ireland President

Mr Robert Tinney, IrishCE Union's General

Secretary

Donald Blair, organist atthe main rally

1 0 2 n d C o n v e n t i o n N e w s !

The next Irish CE Convention will be hostedby the Belfast Union.

Dates: 16th & 17th September 2016Location: Ballygomartin Presbyterian Church Speaker: Bishop Ken Clarke


It was good to see & hear FirstCarrickfergus Presbyterian halls filledwith happy Juniors from 5 Societies &2 Unions.

Organised by Mrs Lynda Anderson,Convention Chairperson & leader ofFirst Carrick, the event was a greatsuccess & enjoyed by all present. Atleast one leader returned to his ownSociety inspired to try out some of theexcellent ideas used on the day.

As well as games & a tuck shop therewere welcome refreshments includinga fabulous cream sponge! Mrs PearlWarnock faithfully brought along allthe needful for the ever popular CErequisites’ stall - the torches arebrilliant & can be recommended!

Mrs Libby Russell, wife of the RevdMark Russell, Convention Speaker,conducted a short epilogue & BronzeCertificate winners in the Irish CENational Award Scheme, together withConvention Competition winners,were presented with their awards byoutgoing President, Mrs Jean McGall.

Thanks are due to the JuniorConvenor, Rosemary Carson &Assistant Convenor, Caroline Edgarfor all that they do.

1 0 1 s t C o n v e n t i o nJ u n i o r s R a l l y

Sarah & Pippa Ben & Logan Grace & Katie

Mrs Lynda Anderson Amanda with Juniors Connor & Leah

Snakes & Ladders! Before prize giving

Bronze certificatewinners

Competition entries

Thomas, Jayel & Lucy Amanda & Juniors


The Convention started off with a bit ofconfusion as to where the YP's would bestaying the night - but just as long as it wasnot the Castle, we were more thanhappy. Once all was sorted, it wasunderway. As more people arrived, werecognised faces from CE Camp in thesummer, so it was more of a reunion. Witha quick pop down to the local chippie wegot settled down to watch, “Gods NotDead”, the movie which, while interesting,caused a few to fall asleep within the firstfifteen minutes or so. We settled for thenight on sofa pillows or air mattresses forthe privileged of us.

That morning we were awoken by thescent of bacon & sausages which were veryquickly devoured. A quick game of Uno,that wasn’t so quick, started off our day.We started with a relaxing painting sessionwhere we got to paint our favourite versesin whatever way we wished to representthe verse. This led to some showing theirinner talent and some…lets move on.

After that we had our lunch, & after a bit ofrelaxing in the youth room, we set off onour second adventure! A hunt aroundCarrickfergus caused a few to not see thePower Station for about 10 minutes thendecide to write down the obviously visiblePortstewart as their answer. After adelicious dinner, & a final service, it wasthe end. We waved our goodbyes as weheaded home. All in all, the Convention is agreat way to reunite with friends fromCamp & even make new ones & I’d highlyrecommend it.

1 0 1 s t C o n v e n t i o nY P ' s - b y A n d r e w M a t t h e w s


1 0 1 s t C o n v e n t i o nS e n i o r s / C o m r a d e s

"There is nothing more important than theGospel - woe to us if we preach not theGospel" was the Revd Dr Paul Bailie'smessage to Seniors/Comrades at theConvention Rally.

Carrickfergus’ beautiful new MethodistChurch’s Minor Hall was jam-packed forthe 101st Irish National Convention’sSeniors’/Comrades’ event on Saturday19th September.

Organised by the Revd Stephen & MrsGwen Carson, joint Seniors’/Comrades’Convenors, the guest speaker was theRevd Dr Paul Bailie, Chief Executive ofMission Africa.

Mr Carson extended a warm welcome toall present & introduced the openinghymn, “All people that on earth dodwell”. The other congregational hymnsincluded, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, “Lordspeak to me” and the closing hymn, “OBreath of Life come”. The musical group,“Called of God” also enhanced theworship at several points in the Rally.

Mrs Hazel Williamson, from theArmagh & South Tyrone Union read,Psalm 119:97-112 & Mrs Gwen Carson, 1Corinthians 15:1-11. Prayer was anintegral part of the proceedings.

The Revd Dr Paul Bailie extendedgreetings & thanks for former dealingswith CE. He rejoiced in CE’scommitment to teaching Scripturaltruth to young people.

Turning to 1 Cor 15: 1-4 - problems withdoctrinal truths, & other problemsbesides, which Paul enumeratedelsewhere, Dr Bailie made the followingobservations:

The Corinthians had a fundamental gospelmisunderstanding, so Paul had to spell it allout again. Christ has died for our sins & risenagain; it looked like some in Corinth doubtedthe Resurrection. Paul emphasised that, inaccordance with what was foretold by the OldTestament, Christ was victor over sin, andthis is confirmed by the Resurrection; and ifthis is not true, our faith is futile and invain. It is this gospel truth which allows us tomake our stand - our justification before Godgives us confidence to stand up before theworld & proclaim the Cross of Christ.It is the gospel of salvation that is the basis ofour sanctification.

Dr Bailie continued by saying Paul boldlystated that the Gospel was presented tothe Corinthians as the thing of FirstImportance or The Chief Thing &continued as he made the followingobservations:

There is nothing more important than theGospel. There is a real danger that we mightfall into the sin of downplaying the Gospel infavour of emphases that are more acceptable tothe contemporary world. Secondary issues -no matter how important they may be, such asacts of mercy & charity - cannot be allowed todisplace the work of proclaiming the Gospel. Itseems to be increasingly the case that theChurch in the UK is losing its confidence inmission proclamation. Some missiologists putthis down to the current politically correct

already a buzz of excitement &expectancy in the air!

Unfortunately it was impossible to be in2 places at once, so after introducingMark to those attending the MorningSeminar, I dropped in with Rachel whowas sharing her testimony and heramazing illustrated Bible Art work withthe YPs. The workshop was thoroughlyenjoyed by everyone and it was hard tocoax the young people to go & havelunch! Next on the Agenda was the FunDay from 2-4pm. To be honest I wasn’texpecting huge numbers as the eventwas taking place much earlier in the yearbut was so pleased when the grand totalbecame fifty five Juniors from fivedifferent Societies. Everyone thoroughlyenjoyed the Games competitionfollowed by the Prize Distribution & talkby Mrs Libby Russell.

After a beautiful home-cooked dinner itwas time to relax & enjoy the EveningCelebration. It was really interesting tohear of our new Missionary Project SpudBear Ministries & to learn that Love forLife had received a very substantialcheque for their work. The Revd MarkRussell challenged us with his theme,“One More Step” encouraging us tothink of the future of CE & how we muststrive to make a difference in the lives ofour young people through challengingthem to follow God’s way & not theirown. God’s presence was very real as weworshipped & listened to His word. Ithad been a great day & we all came awayinspired to continue the work of CE intoour second century!


environment in the UK, the fear of persecutionif we speak Biblical truth in public & a desireto be more acceptable to the secular world.

In conclusion, he emphasised that as CEtakes One More Step forward into asecond century, we must keep the Gospelthe Main Thing.

“By all means, as you step out into your secondcentury, do all kind of good works of charity &mercy; but use these as a springboard forproclaiming Christ. And as you step out, besure to step away from your comfort zones &be fearless in making Christ known. Woe to usif we preach not the Gospel”.

C h a i r p e r s o n L y n d aA n d e r s o n l o o k s b a c k a tt h e 1 0 1 s t C o n v e n t i o n

Finally the day had arrived after monthsof preparation & organisation! The weekbefore had been extremely hectic with e-mails & phone calls but why did I worry?God had everything under control.

On Friday night the YPs arrived from asfar away as Fermanagh & Donegal readyfor a night of fun, fellowship & probablyvery little sleep! They settled comfortablyinto St Nicholas Halls for the nightbeginning with the movie “God’s notdead“ with snacks of course! Saturdaymorning came early, & so as not to missthe lovely home-baked scones atRegistration, I quickly set up for theJuniors’ Fun Day at First CarrickfergusPresbyterian, then headed over to theMethodist Church to welcome our guestspeaker, the Revd Mark Russell & his wifeLibby. When I arrived there was

MISSIONARYPROJECT

2 0 1 5 / 2 0 1 6


S p r u d B e a r M i n i s t r i e s

For our Missionary Project this year, weare supporting Spud Bear Ministries.They are based in Northern Ireland, butwork in countries around the worldincluding China, Uganda, Tanzania,Ghana & Ecuador. As their namesuggests, teddy bears play a big part inthe work of Spud Bear!

Spud Bears supply hospitals &orphanages in the developing worldwith teddy bears. Every child in thehospitals & orphanages they supportreceives a teddy bear, donated to SpudBears, for them to keep. These bearshelp to bring comfort & God’s love tochildren when they are most afraid.

Spud Bears also provide talking teddiesto hospitals & orphanages. These talkingteddies are solar powered & come with alittle backpack with a computer unit, sothey can speak up to 33 differentlanguages. Each talking teddy shares theGospel of God’s love by reading Biblestories, along with health education suchas malaria prevention, with childrenwho are not able to read, or have no oneto read to them.

Please do make use of your MissionaryPack about Spud Bear Ministries to help

your society support our project – itincludes information about what SpudBear does, Bible study activities, games,puzzles, posters & even a recipe tomake fairy ‘bear’ cakes!

Spud Bears also collects new & 'pre-loved' teddy bears to give to childrenaround the world – maybe you can helpensure all children in the hospitals &orphanages get a very special cuddlyfriend of their own! If you have anybears you would like to donate, pleasecontact Spud Bear (details below).Finally, please pray that as Spud Bearssend these teddy bears & children'sBible packs into hospitals & orphanages,God would use them to share his lovewith the children & their families.

Spud Bears Ministry, 4 Primrose Close,Portrush, BT56 8TE

(028) [email protected]/spudbear

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F a c e b o o k

The views expressed in this magazineare not necessarily those of the Editoror the Irish CE Executive Board.

Magazine Editor - Matt BishopInformation Officer - Margaret Houston

All articles for the next magazine needto be send to Margaret Houston for 31stJuly 2016.

Email articles to:[email protected] call Margaret on 028 93353191

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the irish endeavourer (february 2016)

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