Informal Praise
The final service on our Mission theme takes place this evening in the Parish Hall, Derrylin at 8 pm with Canon David McClay from Willowfield Parish in East Belfast speaking on the theme on How to do Mission in the Local Context. David is originally from Ballintra, Co Donegal so he understands the rural context having been raised in the country. His experience in Willowfield has been quite remarkable in many respects as crime rates have dropped through the work of the church and people who never had anything to do with church are now engaging more. David will be seeking to stimulate our thinking as to how we might move forward in this area. I do know that some people are just not comfortable with the thought of an Informal Service, but by not coming to hear how we might reach people with the love of Jesus more effectively are we saying that we just don’t care about those people enough?? Please do move out of your comfort zone and come along to hear what God might be saying to us about this crucial area of ministry.
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| New Birth |
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Congratulations to Rhonda and Robert Kells of Teemore on the birth on their first child, Rowena Elizabeth. Rowena weighed in at 8lbs 9oz and is doing well at home with her mum and dad. We wish them all every blessing as they each adjust to their new patterns of family life. |
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Swanlinbar Supper Dance
Thank you to everyone who supported the annual supper dance. As usual there was a great crowd, beautiful supper and good night’s entertainment for all. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the night in any way.. |
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Sale of Work - Newtowngore
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the recent sale of work in Newtowngore Parish Hall. There was a great atmosphere around the hall with all the usual stalls and supporters.. .
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Joan Patterson’s retirement
Mrs Joan Patterson retired from the position of Principal of Newtowngore School at the end of August 2008 after 31 years in the school as both teacher and Principal. We marked the occasion of her retirement with a special service of celebration and thanks on Sunday 19th October in the Parish Church, Newtowngore. The Church was packed to capacity for a happy occasion as we gave thanks for all that Joan had contributed to education and the school throughout her years of service. Thanks are due to everyone who helped out on the day, but especially to the parents of children currently at the school as they organised most of the events around the day. It was a real day to be remembered for children and adults alike!
More photographs may be found at:
www.swanlinbar-kildallon.kilmore.anglican.org/group-news/joan-patterson-retirement
© All these photographs were taken by Jennifer Van der Laan, Dragonfly Photography, Ballyconnell |
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Sunday School Outing
Thanks are due to Carol Graham for organising our Sunday School outing to Cool Kidz, the cinema and McDonald’s. 34 children took part in the day and the few I have spoken with all enjoyed it immensely. Thanks are also due to those who supervised on the day or offered their cars as transport.
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| Group Office Surgery Hours for remainder of November and early December |
| Day |
Date |
Time |
| Tuesday |
11th November |
12.00 - 2 pm |
| Friday |
21st November |
1 - 3 pm |
| Tuesday |
25th November |
10.30 am - 12.30 pm |
| Thursday |
4th December |
2 - 4 pm |
| Friday |
12th December |
11 am - 1 pm |
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Work to Swanlinbar Rectory
The work is now almost complete with just the re-decoration to take place and the new floor-covering in the sitting room to be laid. We hope that all will be well and truly finished for the beginning of Advent..
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Repair Work to Parish Churches
The planned roof work to Tomregan Parish Church has now begun and the replacement of the guttering on the Church is scheduled for next year. Applications have been submitted for grant aid for this next phase of work, so do pray that in the current financial climate, funding is still available for this important work. The current guttering on the Church is more suited to a domestic house and is considered to be inadequate for our inclement weather.
The photo shows some of the scaffolding on Tomregan Church.
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Senior’s Dinner
Our Senior’s dinner will take place this year between 5.30pm and 9.30pm on Friday 12th December in Ballyconnell Parish Hall. The feast will begin with soup and then a choice of roast beef or chicken along with three veg and all the trimmings, and topped off with a choice of three sweets and tea/coffee and more goodies (my mouth is even watering as I am writing these notes!!). We hope to have a return visit from Robert Wilson. This is not to be missed and we encourage all of our Senior Citizens, from the whole group, to come along. Transport will be provided for anyone who needs it and the whole evening will be absolutely free.
We would like to get as many folk as possible involved in our ministry to the more senior members of our community in the coming months. You can be involved in supporting this developing ministry in one of the following ways through our Senior’s Dinner;
You could perhaps provide some crackers to dress the table;
You could supply something like a box of chocolates or toiletries to be given as a gift on the day;
You could give a box of after dinner mints to be eaten with the tea/coffee;
You could offer your car on the day to bring folk to the dinner, home from the dinner, or even both!
You could maybe make a gift of a bottle of Shloer or some other soft drink.
There are so many things which you could do and we would love to enable you to be part of this developing work. Please contact the Rectory with any offers of help or materials in order that the whole thing can be co-ordinated and if you have any other ideas of things which would add to the evening do not hesitate to give me a ring with your thoughts.
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Cecil & Ruth Finlay Retirement
Congratulations to Cecil & Ruth Finlay on their retirement from key positions in Templeport Parish. Cecil acted as Parish Secretary and Ruth as Recording Secretary for around 25 years each. Our photo shows them with their gifts at a presentation in the Parish Church to mark the occasion of their retirement. We thank them both for their service and wish them well in retirement!
From left: Abraham Graham (Church warden) Cecil Finlay, Ruth Finlay, Robert Clarke (Church warden) and Rev Geoff Wilson
The photographs taken at the service may be found at: www.swanlinbar-kildallon.kilmore.anglican.org/group-news |
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Select
Vestry meetings
Would members of
the Select Vestry please make a note of the following meetings.
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| Date |
Time |
Vestry |
Location |
| 10th November |
8.30 pm |
Kildallon |
Sunday School Room |
| 25th November |
8.30 pm |
Swanlinbar |
Rectory |
| 8th December |
8.30 pm |
Corrawallen/Newtowngor |
Newtowngore Hall |
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Bawnboy Community Festival
This year raised the magnificent sum of €26, 000. They would like to give a big thank you to all the people who gave so generously and helped in any way, it was very much appreciated by all concerned.
The proceeds were be distributed to:
St Luke’s Hospital €16, 000
St Christopher’s Hospice €2, 000
Cavan Cancer Homecare €2, 000
St Peter’s Parish Church €2, 000
St Patrick’s & St Mogue’s €2, 000
Templeport Social Services €1, 000
Breffni Care Centre €1, 000
Photographs taken at the Bawnboy Festival may be found at: www.bawnboy.utvinternet.com/2008-festival
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Rev Geoff receiving the cheque on behalf of St Peter’s Church from Kevin Daly |
Youth Group
It was hoped that we would resume our Youth Group on the first Sunday in November, but due to so many other commitments with other initiatives the start date will have to be delayed to the new year. Further details will be published in next month’s Newsletter. |
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Mission Night at Ballyconnell
On 17th October the 3 young people from our Group of Parishes, Bethany Wilson who went to an orphanage in China, Dawn Cassidy who went to an orphanage in Romania and Mark Crawford who went to work in Romania leading Bible Clubs reported to a large gathering in Ballyconnell Minor hall about their experiences. They had the audience enraptured with their stories and the photographs they brought back, all were thoroughly educated and entertained about life in far away places. |
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Mothers’ Union News
The next meeting of MU will be on Tuesday 18th November at 8pm in Kinawley Minor Hall. Mrs Pauline Beadle will be giving a cookery demonstration and sharing something of her story of faith. You don’t have to be a member of MU to come along to this evening, everyone is most welcome. |
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Sale of Work - Swanlinbar
The annual sale of work in Swanlinbar Parish takes place on Saturday 6th December from 2pm onwards. Please note that this year there will be no second-hand clothing stall nor will there be a bric-a-brac stall.
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Bazaar
This annual event takes place once more in the community centre, Kildallon from 9.30pm on Friday 28th November. All the usual stalls will be in place and proceeds from the Bazaar go towards Parish Funds.
Mission Update
Just a short note to let everyone know that at our latest United Vestry meeting we decided unanimously to support the work of SAMS in our Group of Parishes. SAMS stands for South American Missionary Society and as their name suggests, their work is predominantly in South America. We will be having a further meeting with Dennis Johnston of SAMS in the early part of the New Year at which we will discuss some possibilities as to what our partnership might look like in practice. Thanks are due to everyone who has participated in this process of discernment as this marks a significant step forward for us as a Group in our engagement with Mission.
Photo: Dennis Johnston of SAMS
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Sustentation/ Free-will offerings
We really value the gifts of all our parishioners and friends of the various Parishes in our group – without your giving the work of the Church would not be possible. But we would like to gently encourage people to ensure that their offerings are with the various Parish Treasurers by the last Sunday of the year, ie 28th December. If we all comply with this request then the Treasurers will have opportunity to bank your gifts before the end of the financial year, ie 31st December, and they will then be in a position to produce a set of accounts based on the balance in the account at that date.
We are also very much appreciative of the work of our various money counters, recorders and the Parish Treasurers, and would ask you to get your gifts to them rather than them having to come to you, a task which is difficult, time consuming and embarrassing for all concerned. Unfortunately, if your gift has not been banked by the 31st December then it will not appear in the set of accounts for 2007. Thank you once again for your support in giving to the work of the Church.
I would like to point out that with the imminent introduction of new charities legislation, we will no longer legally be in a position to record your giving for a particular year unless it has been received and lodged in a Parish account by the 31st December of that year. This is something which we have been seeking to encourage people to do in recent years, but in the very near future it will be law! |
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Scribe Fees
Please note that the Scribe subscriptions are now due - €16.50/£11.75
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Have You Anything You Can Contribute to this Newsletter?
If you have a digital camera or a camera on your mobile phone please take photographs of your local parish activities. We would love to hear from you or, just send your photos to the new office.
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Time for a smile
Some Church Notices that didn’t quite get it right:
Mrs Jones, of this church, wishes to thank all those members who so kindly assisted in the death of her husband.
The regular Monday night choir practice will be held on Tuesday night instead of Friday night.
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Two American preachers were visiting Germany and attended Sunday services. Since they couldn’t speak any German, they decided to do as the man sitting in front of them did. A few minutes into the service, the preacher from the pulpit said something and the man in front of them stood, so they stood also. The congregation burst into laughter. They then sat down when the man did. At the end of the service, they met the pastor and found that he spoke good English. They asked him why everyone laughed so much when they stood up. The pastor explained that he had announced that they would be having a christening service that evening and would the father of the child please stand up.
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A pensioner went to the doctor with a pain in her left leg. “It’s awfully sore, doctor”, she said. “It keeps me off my sleep”.
The doctor examined her carefully, then shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry Maggie”, he said, “but there’s not much I can do. It’s just old age”.
“It can’t be that doctor”, said Maggie firmly, “the other leg’s just as old. But it’s not sore”!
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A mother told her young daughter that if she didn’t eat her carrots she wouldn’t be able to see in the dark. “That’s all right mum”, the six year old replied, “that’s what light bulbs are for”!
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Teacher: George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louis, do you know why his father didn’t punish him?
Louis: Because George still had the axe in his hand!
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The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, “My mummy looked back once, while she was driving,” he announced triumphantly, “and she turned into a telephone pole”! |
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