BALLINDERRY Presbyterian Church ## Ballinderry Presbyterian Church We are located just off the main Airport Road between Nutts Corner and Moira. We are a homely congregation of approximately 90 families set in the heart of the community which it serves. The purpose of Ballinderry Presbyterian is our worship of the Triune God; therefore one of the central parts of the church’s week is our meeting together for worship each Sunday morning. We acknowledge that the Christian life is more than just a Sunday morning service and during the week we have other opportunities to meet for Bible study, fellowship, bowls and other activities. ## Kirk Session There were two Kirk Session meetings in 2022. The first of our meetings was on how best to implement the revised Covid guidelines and the second meeting was to discuss and answer the consultation questions. ## Committee The church committee meets to discuss issues involving the smooth running of the church. It is made up of the Elders and elected members of the church. The committee normally meets twice a year, but a meeting can be called at any time should the need arise. At the Feb 2022 meeting the treasurer gave an overview of the church finances for 2021. The accounts were discussed in detail by the committee and as the accounts have been audited by our auditor, the committee approved the accounts. Most other business conducted by the committee is in relation to the fabric of the church, church hall, manse and graveyard property. ## Sunday School Sunday School met every week during the year from 10:1511:05am in the church hall and catered for children and young people within the church family from the ages of 0 to 17. There were 45 children registered last year, with the majority of members attending regularly. Our aim is to help the children find a faith that is real for them through the teaching of the Bible. Using our own teaching plan and prepared lesson resources, we delivered a year of ministry focussed on goals such as strengthening friendships after a period of Covid restrictions had created vast physical and social barriers. With the reduction and subsequent removal of Covid restrictions, our delivery of a successful programme was much more dynamic this year, than last. We enjoyed (very) active worship, team games, group and individual crafts, outings, events and visits to reaffirm the message of Christ that we shared throughout the year. The children enjoyed social get-togethers, getting to know and enjoy one another in a relaxed setting such as seasonal parties. This weighed heavily in their confidence to explore and discuss their relationships with God. We focussed particularly on our CHILL group and those in P7, forging strong relationships and familiarising ourselves with the group as leaders in order to prepare for the year ahead effectively. We facilitated some activities and outings that encouraged the group to build relationships so that the transition from one organisation to another would be smooth. We were very excited as a group to deliver our Nativity Play in-person, in full costume. The children thrived on the experience and really enjoyed hearing the wonderful praise from the congregation at sharing the joyful story of Jesus’ birth. We also organised a gift service for the work of Belfast Central Mission. Children all brought gifts to be distributed to the local children in need; they also encouraged the congregation to participate by bringing in gifts as guided by the needs of the charity. ## Choir Ballinderry Pres. Church Choir is made up of various talented soprano, alto, tenor and bass singers who lead praise in church every Sunday morning and at poignant services throughout the year. Led by George on the organ, a very popular choir leader, they aim to embrace traditional and modern praise to encourage the entire congregation to sing out. Not every choir member reads music, so if you’re keen to join us, don’t let that stop you. We’re a committed bunch that enjoy a laugh at rehearsals and thrive on serving through praise. ## Bowling Club The bowling club meets every Tuesday evening during the winter months in the Church Hall from 7.30-10.00 pm. It is open to any member of the church and also to local people who wish to join. We currently have about 20 members from all age groups and we enjoy evenings of fun and fellowship as we play bowls. There is also time for a cup of tea and a chat during the evening. The club is part of a local league and we play matches against other clubs in the area. ## Tots Group We meet every Wednesday morning at 9.15 to 11.15am. All parents, grandparents and guardians are welcome. It is for ages from birth to 4 years old. The leaders set up the toys, craft and story area. All the children are encouraged to play with a wide range of toys and showing how to share. At 10.15am the children sit at the table and wash their hands and say grace. The children get pancakes, grapes, cheese and water. There is also refreshments for the adults. Then we normally finish up the session with more playing and singing. We plan to have visitors at special times this year. ## Mid-Week Group Ballinderry Presbyterian Church Mid-week Prayer and Study Group meet on Wednesday evenings, on a fortnightly basis, from 8 to 9pm from September through to May. The group is open to anyone affiliated with Ballinderry PC who wishes to attend and is led, each evening, by a nominated leader. Whilst the study material can vary, the format of each meeting is the same. A time of study and discussion is followed by a short time of prayer concentrating on subjects such as the persecuted church and local issues pertinent to the congregation. The primary aim of the group is to enable attendees to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ so that they are better able to meet the demands of living for Christ in an increasingly secular culture. A secondary aim is for the members to grow in fellowship with each other. The group is attended by on average by ten people. ## Youth Club Youth club meets on a Friday night from 6:30pm to 8:00pm every other week from September until Easter. It is for children from P1 to P 7, split into key stage 1 and key stage 2. There are 10 leaders and 3 teenager helpers. We aim to provide a fun program which finishes each evening with a 10 minute talk about the Christian faith. We try to build relationships with the children through the games so that there is a comfortable environment where we can answer any questions that they may have about the Christian faith. There are between 35 to 40 children who attend each evening and the majority of them are not members of our Church but children from the local community. ## C.H.I.L.L. (Christ’s Help In Living Life) Chill meets on a Sunday Morning from 10:15-11:00 during school term time. It is for children of secondary school age with 7 leaders who take turns to teach in blocks of 2-6 weeks. In addition to Sunday mornings, we also arrange 3-4 outings per year. The aim of the group is to build the Christian faith of the teenagers of the congregation, while developing the personal relationships between each other. This is achieved in a safe, comfortable and enjoyable environment and that children look forward to attending. There are up to 20 children attending at some point throughout the year, with an average of 7 coming each week. Almost all the children are members of our church, but friends and extended family are occasionally welcomed as guests. Outings are arranged to ice hockey, bowling, caving, etc., depending on the wishes of the group. ## P.W. (Presbyterian Woman) PW is a women’s fellowship for all ladies in the congregation over the age of 18 years. It is held on the 2[nd] Wednesday evening of the month (Sept-April) at 8pm in the Church Hall. Meetings last for about 1 hour followed by a cuppa and chat! The programme is varied and includes a mixture of activities for example craft activities to mission nights. The local programme is co-ordinated by a committee of 7 ladies. The organisation is under the banner of the wider Presbyterian Women’s organisation and there is opportunity to attend a number of link meetings throughout the year and meet with ladies from other congregations. There are approximately 25 members.