**ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2023** **A Welcoming, Christ-centred and Spirit-filled Church, Worshipping and . Serving God in the Community** **Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 105263)** www.trinitygreyabbey.org _This report is for information of Trinity members / associated members only._ ## **OFFICE BEARERS (at December 2023)** ## **MINISTER** ## **Rev Neil Stewart** ## **ASSISTANT MINISTER** ## **Paul Bradley** ## **OUTREACH WORKER Michelle Stewart** ## **KIRK SESSION** |George Angus (Clerk of Session)|Norman Hamilton| |---|---| |Noel Angus (Secretary)|Richard McCracken| |Walker Bowden (Elder Emeritus)|Colin Muldoon (Property Co-Ordinator)| |Leonard Brown (Mission Co-Ordinator)|Philip Robinson (Elder Emeritus)| |Herbert Carson (Elder Emeritus)|Alan Ryder| |Harold Campbell|David Thompson| |John Cranston|Ronald Walker| |Mark Gracey|| ## **CONGREGATIONAL COMMITTEE** |The Minister & Kirk Session plus:-|David Hamilton| |---|---| |Michael Allen|Terry Lindsay| |Alan Angus|John McCullough| |Andrew Beattie|Helen Megarry (Treasurer)| |Joan Brown|Sam Megarry| |Tony Craig|Fiona Nelson (Committee Secretary)| |David Cully|Richard Smith| |William Dorrian|Ruth Stewart| |James Finlay|| 2 ## **SUB-COMMITTEES** ||| |---|---| |**Communications**|| |Tony Craig (Convenor)|William Dorrian| ||| |---|---| |**Finance**|| |Andrew Beattie (Convenor)|John McCullough| |Joan Brown|Helen Megarry (Treasurer)| |Terry Lindsay|Ruth Stewart| ||| |---|---| |**Property (inc H&S)**|| |Michael Allen|David Hamilton| |Alan Angus (Convenor GR)|Sam Megarry (H&S)| |David Cully|Richard Smith (Convenor CL)| |James Finlay|| 3 ## **FROM THE MANSE** As Christmas approached this year, I heard a statement being mentioned over and over again, it went something like this “ _I can’t believe this year is nearly over, it has just flown in_ ”. I too feel that 2023 has flown in. Some people say time seems to go faster the older you get. My only comfort in trying to deny the increasing years is that many people younger than me were feeling the same about 2023. In one sense, time is a reality over which we have no control, i.e. we cannot slow it down, speed it up, or make it stop, and we cannot extend how much time we have been given. In another sense, we have control over how we spend the time we have been given, i.e. how we prioritise our given time to the various elements of our lives. Time management is a major subject in the workplace and in our personal lives. An internet search will reveal that there are many experts on the subject who have sold many copies of the many books they have written. Yet it seems time continues to be moving at a pace that most of us feel is faster than we would like to make the best of it or get the most out of it. If we cast our minds back to 2020/21 and the times of lockdown due to the pandemic, many of us enjoyed the slower pace of life and there was a hope that we would learn from this “slow down” when the pandemic was over. We are now firmly living in a post-pandemic world, but the anticipated slower pace of life has not materialised. It seems our culture has sped up to be perhaps even busier than before. From a church / faith perspective, many ministers across different denominations are observing a pattern in their congregations that this busier pace might be contributing to. There is great concern that regular attendance at Sunday worship, Bible study, and prayer is not at the same level as it was before the pandemic. The general feeling is that some people on the fringes of the church have found alternative activities for their time and even more concerning is that some people who were core members have moved to the fringes or indeed in some cases they have fallen away from fellowship entirely. It is true that some congregations are in a very difficult season right now. While we at Trinity may not be in a “difficult season”, we are not unaffected by the issue facing other congregations. It is for this reason that I feel the Lord has led me to focus on our personal time management as we reflect on 2023 and look into 2024. Everyone goes through seasons of life. God used Solomon to teach us about this in Ecclesiastes ch3 “ _A Time for Everything_ ”. Solomon lists fourteen activities with opposite actions relating to life, e.g. planting & uprooting, weeping & laughing, keeping & throwing away, etc. We know from this that our lives are not going to be one straight, flat journey. There will be twists, turns, ups and downs. Our post-pandemic culture, and our personal lives are in a different season. However, a changing season does not remove our responsibility to prioritise our time. God makes it clear in the Bible that He should be number one in our lives, that we should include Him in every aspect of our lives, and that we should prioritise meeting with other Christians to worship, study God’s word and pray together. Acts 2:42 uses a word with a very strong meaning to describe the attitude Christians should have in relation to following Jesus together. This word is “ _devoted_ ”. I used this word last year in reflecting our congregations’ initial response to the postpandemic season. I am using it again this year but as a reminder in response to how things have changed just one year on. 4 When the word “ _devotion_ ” is used in other passages in the Bible it means, _to persist at, be loyal to, attach oneself to, serve personally, stand ready, occupy oneself diligently, pay persistent attention to, hold fast to, cling to, and persevere in continually_ . In our current cultural season, it seems that devotion to God is decreasing as distraction and individualism increases. As a congregation of Christ’s Church, we want to make sure our individual devotion to God is our priority, that we manage our personal time to ensure our fellowship with other believers at worship, Bible study, and prayer is at the top of our list. It could be debated that other activities like work commitments and family time should be top of the list. The reason God wants devotion to Him and fellowship with each other to be number one is that these activities reveal, equip, and empower us to be better in all other aspects of our lives. Devotion to God and each other helps us through the challenges of life because we are assured that we are not alone. Devotion also sets a very important example for the generations that come after us, to our children and our children’s children. There are any number of scripture passages that could be used to help us focus our time management. The following three from Hebrews have come to my mind as I have been writing this report 1. Heb 12:1b-2a let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. 2. Heb 3:12-13 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 3. Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. As we reflect on 2023 and look to 2024, let us not only hold on to our mission statement but be devoted to managing our time to make it an increasing reality in our lives and congregation in the hope that God would be pleased to use us for His glory in Greyabbey, Cloughey and surrounding areas. _“A Welcoming, Christ-centred and Spirit-filled Church, Worshipping and Serving God in the Community”_ Blessings ## Neil ## **January 2024** 5 ## **KIRK SESSION REPORT** _“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” Proverbs 3:5-6_ When I look back over 2023 it has been a busy and challenging year within the Kirk Session but as always God has been faithful. 2023 will be remembered for Mission work within both churches. It was great that a team from Greyabbey was able to travel to Abura to officially open the Early Learning Centre in partnership through Fields of Life and we look forward to a team from Cloughey travelling to Eswatini in 2024 to continue building relationships and supporting people through Challenge Ministries. Of course, it is important that Mission continues at home through supporting various charities, running Holiday Bible Clubs, continuing to develop connections with our local schools, football club, Greyabbey L.O.L. and Community Associations. We were delighted to form a Fellowship Sub-Committee to work at bringing people together through fun days, walks and ten pin bowling. A good part of Session’s time has been allocated to Revitalisation of God’s work in the East Coast of our Peninsula; with a document being forwarded to Presbytery for their consideration. Discussions have been ongoing in 2023 with regard to a Chaplaincy in Glastry High School and it was good to see the fruits of labour coming together with Mr Stevie Garrett starting this position as chaplain in October. Towards the end of 2023 it was decided to focus a Sermon series on everyday issues from Abortion to Addiction being biblically addressed. Discipleship groups followed these series and on a number of occasions they came together to hear specialized speakers on the topics. 2023 saw our minister Neil as Moderator of Ards Presbytery and it was a privilege to welcome the Presbytery to Greyabbey in September for a Communion Service. Prayer is vital within our congregations with T@P continuing to meet on alternate Wednesday evenings with special times of focused prayer throughout the year. _“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”. Galatians 6:9_ It is a blessing to see Cloughey’s congregation continue to grow and we appreciate all the volunteers within the church family who help with this ministry. With Presbytery’s approval and the dedication and foresight of Cloughey’s congregation, we were able to commence the elections for Elders from Cloughey and we look forward to welcoming them onto Session in 2024. Again, we thank and appreciate the unfailing commitment of all leaders and committees who help within all our Ministries and Organisations in Greyabbey. It is noted at the end of the year that attendance numbers at Greyabbey church have declined. This is something that Session will be addressing and giving priority to in 2024. We would encourage everyone to prioritise worshipping God collectively on a Sunday. 6 The Kirk session thanks Neil for his energy and passion in delivering God’s word and may God continue to richly bless him in his ministry along with Ruth, Jack and Archie. Finally, I personally want to thank my fellow Elders for their dedication, grace and unfailing commitment in witnessing and encouraging people to grow in their faith. _“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”._ _1 Peter 4:10_ **George Angus Clerk of Session January 2024** 7 ## **CONGREGATIONAL COMMITTEE REPORT** As we look back at another year of what God has done through His people within our congregation, I would like to give thanks to all those involved with the efficient running of Trinity Presbyterian Church, both in Greyabbey and in Cloughey. This includes, not only the Committee, but also the numerous willing volunteers who assist with their gifts when extra help is required, the sacrifice of your time and skills is vital to the advancement of God’s Kingdom on the Peninsula. The Committee had regular meetings during 2023 in January, March, June, September, and November, as well as numerous different sub-committee meetings as required throughout the year. A brief synopsis of some of the work carried out by the Committee during 2023 is as follows, ## _**COMMUNICATION**_ This is an area of ministry at Trinity which has a dedicated team working away throughout the year to keep us all connected, a lot of the time their work goes largely unnoticed. Thank you to those who continue to develop and serve with this part of the Ministry in Trinity. Some of the areas progressed in 2023 are included below; Communications: - Church Room / Hall bookings for GR & CL managed. - Services live streamed to YouTube from both Cloughey and Greyabbey - Replaced the sound desk in Cloughey to match with Greyabbey - Managed licences and contracts with OfCom, BT, CCLI, Sharefaith and TV Licensing - Maintained the CCTV system in Greyabbey and installed a system in Cloughey; - Managed Trinity email addresses. - Installed a new Canon printer / photocopier in Cloughey - Produced weekly CDs and DVDs of church services. - Purchased various hardware and software as necessary. - Produced various User Guides Website ‘www.trinitygreyabbey.org’ - Maintained and updated - with over 8,996 visitors and 26,899 visits. - Top 10 countries: US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Ireland, Australia, Israel, Germany, South Africa, China - Published the Church Notices and T@P updates. Trinity Greyabbey YouTube Channel - Maintained the Trinity YouTube channel with 360 (^43) subscribers and 12,775 viewings of the Sunday services. - Livestream Church Services: 122 published videos in 2023 8 ## Facebook Followers - Trinity Greyabbey - 1,291 followers (increase of 69), - Trinity Cloughey - 719 followers, (increase of 100); Email Campaigns - 92 subscribers. - 89 receive the weekly Announcements and 62 receive the Monthly T@P updates. Thanks are expressed to Fiona Nelson, our Church Administrator, a role that includes the production of the weekly Church Announcements, coordination of the Chronicle notes and the collation of this Annual Report; also, to Karen Ryder who manages room bookings and the events calendar across both sites. Thanks are also extended to all members of the Audio Visual team in GR and CL, in what has been a busy year. (Information supplied by Tony Craig, Communications Team Lead) ## _**FINANCE**_ The various accounts are included elsewhere in the Annual Report, this is only a brief synopsis of the accounts. Once again, we are grateful to Johnston Graham Ltd Chartered Accountants who undertook an independent examination of our 2023 Church Accounts, thanks also to Jackie Little and Roberta Beattie who reviewed our organisational accounts. Once again, it is a blessing to report that our income has been consistent throughout the last year, 2023 figures have remained consistent with those from 2022, with all our financial obligations being met. Gift Aid remains a vital part of our income, with 2023 figures again consistent with 2022. There are approximately 60 members making their FWO contributions directly to the church bank account. This not only reduces the workload on the Finance Team, but it also allows them to better plan the year ahead. If this is something you might be interested in, please contact a member of the Finance Team for more details. ## _**PROPERTY**_ The maintenance of the property continues to be an endless task, much of which goes unnoticed. As you all know, our main Church building and the manse are of an age which requires constant maintenance. This work is ongoing, as is the regular maintenance of the buildings as a whole to keep them safe and usable for our many organisations. The never-ending to-do list is regularly updated throughout the year. The diligent work of those on the Property subcommittee keeps our buildings safe for us all to use and enjoy. This includes the day-to-day cleaning of the buildings on both sites, thanks to Norman Hamilton and Terry Lindsay for carrying out this vital role. 9 Thanks also to those who help in any way with the ongoing maintenance which is involved with keeping our building safe for the whole community to enjoy. ## _**WITH THANKS**_ We also would like to thank all those who provide flowers at our weekly services, decorated our Churches for Harvest, Christmas, and any other special services throughout the year. Most of all our thanks must be to God for His faithfulness and His reassurance throughout this last year, it is amazing to see God work through His people in our community. Thanks be to God for His many blessings to us, as His people in His service. Please do remember to keep the Committee in your prayers. ## **Noel Angus Congregational Secretary January 2024** 10 ## **MINISTRY REPORTS** ## **Discipleship Groups** Our Discipleship Groups are for all adults (young, old and in-between!) and we meet at various times on alternate weeks. We have approximately 100 people attending 11 different groups and we have groups who meet in members’ homes and some groups meet on the church premises. The main focus is Bible study and we include some prayer time. We also like to include time for a catch up with each other over a cuppa. During 2023 we started our studies using material entitled “Faith on the Front Line”. These studies encouraged and challenged us to share our faith with those people we naturally and regularly come into contact with. The studies were accompanied by a short video featuring ordinary people in their different life roles going out into their mission field (workplace, home, gym, social settings) to share with others what God has done in their lives. Each week our Sunday Sermon was based on the study topic and we each received a little item to take away as a reminder of what we had learned. Some of you may still be using the coaster with the red dots or have the little red pebble in one of your coat pockets. In the second half of the year, we began a new study in the book on 1 John looking at “Life from Creation to Resurrection”. These studies tackled big topics such as the sanctity of life and addictions and on several weeks all groups came together in church for special meetings with specialist guest speakers from different organisations to look closer at the implications of our world not following Gods’ Word. If anyone is interested in joining a group or would like further information, please speak to Neil, Paul or Kathy who will be happy to answer any queries or find you a suitable group. ## **Mission Team (Local & Global)** 2023 was a busy year in the missional Life of Trinity. God gave us many wonderful opportunities to serve Locally and Globally. Hebrews 13 tells us _‘…to not forget to do good & to share with others’._ The following gives a flavour of how we served and shared with others in 2023. In all things we give God the glory, praise and thanks. ## **- Local Mission Partnerships Greyabbey (GR) & Cloughey (CL)** ## ❖ _**Hosford**_ Hosford is a homeless project of East Belfast Mission. Thay run a 26-bed homeless hostel & homeless preventative service and related projects to tackle issues such as mental health, social isolation and poverty. In support of Hosford we held a fundraising Brunch in CL and Lunch in GR on Sunday 26th 11 Nov. These were well supported and £2,000 was donated, (includes a Praise Team donation from Bangor World-Wide Missionary Convention). Representatives from Hosford gave a brief overview at both services. ## ❖ _**Storehouse (North Down) - Foodbank Donations**_ Storehouse provides emergency food hampers to needy families and individuals by referral. Our practical support of money, food and other essential items can be placed in the shopping trollies in CL & GR Welcome areas. These are taken to Storehouse on a regular basis by the Mission Team. Produce from our Harvest Services, and Grey Abbey Primary School Harvest were donated to Storehouse. We also generously supported their Christmas Gift appeal. Some families in our local communities have received help from this Charity. ## ❖ _**Belfast City Mission (BCM) - Annual Christmas Tree Gifts Appeal**_ The BCM Christmas Appeal helps hundreds of needy families and individuals across Belfast; bringing them a little bit of festive cheer. At our all-age Services on Sunday 10th December, donations including gifts, money & vouchers were placed around the Christmas Trees; all delivered to the BCM. ## **Global Mission Partnerships** ## ❖ _**Tearfund**_ Tearfund works in over 50 of the world’s poorest countries tackling poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We donated £3,875 from various sources including our week day Cafés. At a Church Service in April ’23, a Tearfund speaker gave an overview of the work they do and our Cafes held a follow up focus week. As a congregation we supported the Moderator’s Appeal for Turkey / Syria earthquake (via Tearfund). Tearfund ran a Christmas Appeal during Nov / Dec when donations were fund matched; our contribution helped to raise an additional £1,525. ## ❖ _**Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) – 2023 United Appeal**_ United Appeal supports many projects, programmes, congregations, staff and individuals; helping to build God’s Kingdom at home & overseas. A Church service in Feb. focused on the work of the United Appeal. 5 special collections were held in the months of Feb, April, July, Sept and Dec; and with some help from our general funds £15,975 was donated; our target set by PCI. ## ❖ _**Challenge Ministries (CM) - Mission Partner of Trinity Cloughey (CL)**_ CM aims to create sustainable change of rural communities affected by extreme poverty in Eswatini. Trinity CL is partnered with one of these rural communities, ICBC Ngwenya. In early 2023 we funded the drilling of a Solar Water Borehole at Ngwenya. ## _Photos of the new borehole and tap._ To help raise funds for the project we organised: 12 - (i) _‘Just a Drop - to change a life’_ fundraiser - launched in March that ran to the year end. - (ii) _‘Water Walk - to change a life’_ fundraiser on - Sat 26th Aug. The walk symbolised the distance people of Eswatini frequently walk daily for often unclean water. Participants on our fundraising walk also carried water - in a plastic milk container to symbolise this aspect. Almost £3,400 was raised. On the Friday prior to the walk, some Mission Team members visited Kirkistown Primary School, where they explained the purpose and led the children on a walk around the school as they carried water. All helping to raise awareness. - (iii) Donations from the CL Harvest Service (8th Oct) contributed to funding this water project. - Two members from Trinity, Teddy Cully & David Heron travelled with a CM summer team to Eswatini, and this included spending some time at Ngwenya. David stayed for a further 2 weeks to help with the Bulembu Clinic pharmacy. - On Sunday evening 22nd Oct an inspirational Eswatini Hope & Glory Ladies Choir provided a time of praise and testimonies in CL. A special offering to support the Choir’s project raised £905. - Two 40-foot CM Containers were sent to Eswatini in April & Dec. We helped to collect and retain items in the CM store in GR along with packing of the containers. - A Team from Trinity CL is planning a Mission Trip in early March ’24 to Ngwenya; to help further develop relationships with this community. ## ❖ _**Fields of Life (FoL) - Mission Partner of Trinity Greyabbey (GR) - Abura P.S.**_ FoL vision for East Africa is to see educated and skilled young people, inspired by faith, hope and love, transform their communities. Our commitment incorporated: - A framed assortment of construction pictures of Abura Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre was collated and is located in the Solid Ground Café. - The Solar Panels we funded were installed at Abura School in April; giving a sustainable source of power for the school. - The local GR Lodge held a sponsored walk in July, in support of the Abura ‘I am Fed’ project. - GR Harvest (15th Oct) donations funded Year 2 of the _**‘I am Fed’**_ initiative at Abura School, with surplus funds added to our General Mission account. A printed update of the project was made available. - We funded a FoL _**‘I am Educated’**_ initiative, helping to raise awareness on some important gender based, child protection, hygiene issues along with leadership roles & responsibilities. - Excitingly Emily, Alex, Jackie, Pauline, Joan, Paul & Leonard, known as ‘Team Abura’, had the opportunity and privilege of participating in a Mission Trip to Uganda in early Nov. ’23; in conjunction with FoL. Prior to travelling the team organised a Fundraising Big Breakfast, raising over £4,300. This enabled us to equip a new School ICT Suite with 5 PCs, tables, chairs and provision of some training. 13 ## ▪ **Team Abura mission trip itinerary included** : - ✓ Worshiping with the local Community at St. James - Church, located at Abura P.S. - The school is overseen by the Church of Uganda. -  Being part of the official opening of the ECD Centre, including the ‘cutting of the ribbon’ and unveiling of a plaque. -  Running of a Holiday Bible Club at Abura School, reaching over 350 Abura children with the gospel. Every child received a Bracelet reflecting the gospel story & a Bookmark coloured by the folks of Trinity. Each child up to P6, helped to complete a Thumbprint picture of the ECD Centre. - ✓ Handover of the Trinity Church outline with our Thumbprint to the Abura Headteacher along with various gifts, some of which had been kindly donated. - ✓ One of our most humbling moments was meeting the 5 children sponsored by members of Trinity (L to R): Darious, Racheal, Mercy Faith, Sofie & Thomas. - ✓ We had the opportunity to visit the FoL Vocational Training Institute at Gulu (Northern Uganda), and a FoL Drilling team in a small rural village community Kole District near Lira. - The Team gave a report, to our sending congregation, on Sunday 14th January morning Services when each member reflected a little on what they saw, did and experienced; with loads of photos and videos included. The Team handed over a framed outline of the Abura ECD centre with 350 Abura children’s thumbprints. This is now in Solid Ground. 14 Abura teachers, parents, children and community were so thankful for what Trinity has shared with them. The levels of poverty are extreme and Team Abura had the privilege to see how our support is helping to transform lives, unlock potential thus beginning to positively change the Abura Community. ## **Other Missional Activities** - Monthly financial support by Trinity for Christian Guidelines. - Mission prayer Baubles were made available over the advent season in both CL & GR. - Some members of the congregation volunteered to help on Summer Mission Teams. - A few Organisations, Groups and Individuals support other missional projects/activities/children. - Used Stamps received for the congregation were donated to RNIB. - From the knitting & selling of dishcloths; the money raised was donated to Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda. - Designated missional areas of information were maintained in GR & CL Churches. - Old glasses given by the congregation were donated to ‘Friends of VisPa’, a local Christian organisation working in Kenya, supporting orphans & vulnerable children. Thank you to everyone who supported our missional activities - prayerfully and in numerous practical ways during 2023. Thanks to the members of our Mission Team, for their dedication, commitment and passion for serving God through this ministry. As we look forward to 2024, please continue to pray for the Local & Global Missional ministry of Trinity. ## **January 2024** ## **Praise Groups (Greyabbey & Cloughey)** As another year has passed, we give thanks to everyone who serves in this ministry and gives their time every week to worship and bring praise and glory to God. We have a very loyal team who turn up on Sundays to serve God with the talents they have been given. We also practice on a Thursday evening and this requires commitment and passion for this ministry, as we all have very busy lives but want to honour God with the musical gift He has given us. Our music is a mix of traditional and contemporary to enable us to meet the needs of the varying age groups within our church. It's impossible to please everyone at all times but we do our best. The praise pieces are also chosen around the theme of the sermon so they are not picked randomly. Much time and effort goes into preparing every Sunday's worship, starting at the beginning of the week reading the Bible passage, then picking songs that would fit, sourcing music, writing chord sheets, preparing new PowerPoints if necessary, then practicing. We do this with diligence on a weekly basis. It's hard work but the blessings we receive on Thursday practices and a Sunday service, brings joy to our hearts. We pray together as a team and have developed a close rapport, helping to build one another up and encouraging each other. This is what God requires us to do - being there for our brothers and sisters in Christ. 15 Hopefully, as we continue into 2024, we will continue to be blessed and be a blessing to others through our music. ## **Prayer Ministry** ## Mark 11:24 – ‘ _Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’._ We continue to realise that Prayer is the foundation of everything we do, and it is much better to go on God’s strength than on our own. Over the year we have had Prayer times on the run up to Easter and we also had our first prayer café. We continue to meet fortnightly in the Upper Room in Greyabbey and the Minor Hall in Cloughey where we would have up to twenty people meeting to pray. _‘Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving’._ Colossians 4:2 We also meet every Sunday morning both in Cloughey and Greyabbey for prayer before the church services, everyone is welcome to come along to these times of prayer. We continue to have prayer services throughout the year where many people have been prayed with and have been strengthened by the power of our mighty God. The prayer ministry team are aways available if anyone would like prayer. The prayer Text line is always a place where 60 people can be praying for specific needs within our lives and community, please do continue to use this source as it is all done with confidentiality at the forefront and we have seen many answered prayers, God promises us in His Word that He hears every word we pray. Like a good parent, He is waiting, ready, and willing to listen to our worries, concerns, and needs. Whether we are seeking forgiveness, strength, or healing, prayer provides the channel to communicate with God and receive supernatural strength and power! 16 ## **ORGANISATION REPORTS** ## **1st Greyabbey Boys' Brigade** ## **Anchor Boys** We started the year continuing with our theme of ‘The Fruits of the Spirit’. The boys learnt how each of these can be applied to their everyday lives no matter how young or old they may be. As March approached, we started practicing for the Display where the boys recited the Fruits of the Spirit verses from Galatians Ch 5 vs 22-23, we played the parachute game and competed for the O’Grady Trophy. In September we welcomed 5 new boys in P1 and registered 17 boys in total who attend regularly. We had our enrolment on Sun 1st October and we attended the Ards Battalion Parade and church service in First Ards Presbyterian on Sun 8th October. The boys definitely enjoyed their parade around Ards with all eyes on them! Our theme for the 2023/24 year is Bible Heroes. From September to December, we looked at Daniel, Peter and Jonah. Every week we accompany our story with a craft, colouring or a related bake….enjoyed by both boys and leaders alike! In between our Bible Heroes weeks, we had a football night, Harvest and Remembrance themed nights and leading up to Christmas, looked at the Christmas story. We finished before Christmas with our Christmas party and a visit from Santa! We will continue our theme of Bible Heroes from Jan-Mar 2024, and look forward to our next display night and prize giving. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and carers who bring the boys along each week. We pray that the boys, whilst having fun, will learn about God, who He is and how much He loves them. Roberta Beattie, Leader in Charge - Anchor Boys. ## **Junior Section** Junior Section enjoyed another fun year with 8 boys regularly attending from January through to our display night on 31st March 2023, when the boys performed their play about the importance of prayer. We certainly have some budding actors in our midst. In September we commenced our 2023/2024 session and Junior Section welcomed 2 Anchor Boys to the Section. Junior Section has 10 enrolled boys who all attend regularly and we have enjoyed games, learning about the Bible, figure marching and badgework, although I think the highlight of each night is the biscuits and juice. 17 In October the Junior Section, along with Anchor Boys and Company Section, attended the Ards Battalion parade. This year the weather was kind and the company enjoyed parading through Newtownards to Second Presbyterian Church for a service, where we heard from special guest, Bethany Firth, Paralympic Swimmer, who talked about her swimming and her faith. It is fair to say some of the company were a little star struck! Our local community PSNI Officers regularly call in to say hello and we had a special visit when our Community Officers came to chat about cyber security and we really appreciate the interest the Officers take in the boys. We ended the year by visiting Adventure Crazy Golf, where the boys showed off their golfing skills. It was a great night of fun, despite the mizzle but we quickly warmed up when we called in to McDonalds on the way home. The Junior officers would like to thank all parents/guardians for sending your boys to BB every week and for entrusting us to provide some fun and good teachings in a safe and friendly environment. We are now looking forward to our Display in March 2024 and of course the prize giving. The boys have been working hard all year to gain their awards and we look forward to a great night of fun when we celebrate the boys’ achievements. Helen Megarry, Leader in Charge - Junior Section. ## **Company Section** Our year started on 13th September 2023 with ten boys on the roll, we are currently averaging six boys per night. Parade nights start with prayer, marking the role, planned activities and finish with some form of PE. To date this year, we have enjoyed ten pin bowling and a visit from PSNI chatting through cyber safety and of course our annual Christmas meal, a Chinese takeaway! The Company Union Flag was replaced this year. The old flag was given by the late Mrs Robinson from the Girls Light Brigade to the BB and is estimated to be at least 70 years old. Another flag tradition resurrected this year was the raising and lowering of our hall flag at the beginning and end of parade nights. Regarding leadership, Michael Murray has completed his officer training which assists myself although with only two leaders we are heavily dependent on our Captain David helping from time to time. Matthew Walker has taken a step back but hopefully this is short term. I must take this opportunity to thank Norman Hamilton (BB Elder) for his help and support in leading the boys for Bible Study, the Parents/Guardians for faithfully sending boys every week, and the support and prayers from everyone as we seek to “advance Christs Kingdom amongst boys“. Barry Davidson, Leader in Charge - Company Section. ## **Trinity Bowling Fellowship, Cloughey** The Bowling Fellowship meets on Monday evenings 7.00pm to 9.30pm after which we relax over some light refreshments and a bit of craic. Once again, we had the pleasure of welcoming some new members from the local community to the fellowship. It is very encouraging to see so much light-hearted humour and friendship within the group. This year we had the pleasure of donating to three charities: Alzheimer ’ s, Hosford House and ‘ A 18 Drop of Water ’ , also responding to the ongoing costs of heating and lighting of the building. We extend a very warm welcome to anyone wishing to improve their dexterity and skill. Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. (J Q Adams). ## **Trinity Bowling Club, Greyabbey** We are pleased to be able to report that the bowling club at Greyabbey had another full season of very enjoyable bowls, stopping only for the normal summer recess. Although our numbers have reduced in recent years, we continue to have sufficient regular bowlers to ensure that we can enjoy a very pleasant morning spent in a friendly competitive spirit with lots of good chat and banter. We were particularly saddened during the year by the quite sudden passing of our long-time member, Eileen Young, and she will always remain in our thoughts. We were again very grateful to have Heather and Audrey to look after the catering arrangements and they provided us with a very enjoyable light Christmas lunch to leave us all looking forward to the start of the 2024 season. We would encourage anyone who is free on a Thursday morning to come along and join in our fellowship. We meet from 10.00am to 12.00 noon. ## **Cloughey Presbyterian Women (CPW)** In September 2023 CPW began their year with a Praise Evening. This was to have been led by Suzanne Hanna but unfortunately at the last minute she had to cancel due to Covid. We were very fortunate that Alison Torrans very kindly helped us out by playing the keyboard and Michelle Stewart spoke on our theme for the year "Being Transformed." We had as usual a great turn out of over 30 ladies from various local churches and all felt blessed to listen to Michelle's message and take part in the praise. In October we had a very big turn-out for Jacqui Brachi who teaches Calligraphy. She supplied us all with pens, ink and paper and with a little help everyone went home with their own personal bookmark. At the end of October, we had our first lunch meeting when Jenny Clegg, a retired Deaconess, came to share her thoughts with us. As Presbyterian Women we support the role of a Deaconess as they provide a much-needed service to the church and community. In November Michelle Anderson came along to demonstrate her Angel Craft. Again, we had about 30 women in attendance and all went home with an angel to add to their Christmas decorations. We finished the year with a joint evening dinner with WinGS at Harrisons. We are truly blessed to see our organisations thrive and grow. Our aim for 2024 would be to enable more women to come along and feel welcome and uplifted by our shared love of Jesus. ## **Trinity Crafters** Trinity Crafters meet twice a month, on the first and third Tuesday of the month. The first Tuesday 12.30pm - 2.30pm and the third 7.00pm - 8.30pm in Solid Ground. This year we have been crafting 19 for the local community and helping out the district nurses and some local nursing homes with blankets, hats, mittens and shawls for the people in their care. The annual Shoe Box Appeal also received hats, scarves and mittens as well as The Barn Animal Rescue in Carrowdore, who are always grateful for the blankets for their furry residents. Many thanks go to the ladies for their continued support and fellowship. ## **C.R.E.W** CREW, our youth fellowship in Cloughey, was set-up in September 2021 and is currently thriving, with young people from all over the Peninsula actively engaging in all our planned activities on a fortnightly basis. The atmosphere within the ministry is vibrant and conducive to the growth and development for our young people. From regular meetings to special events, the youth are enthusiastic participants, demonstrating their enjoyment and investment in the activities provided. Moreover, the leaders of CREW demonstrate their love for Christ in their roles, consistently providing guidance, support, and friendship for our youth. Their commitment to fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment is evident in the positive atmosphere that can be seen throughout our youth fellowship. If you are the parent or family member of a young person year 8 and above, they are more than welcome to join us every Sunday fortnight at 7.00pm in Trinity Cloughey. ## **Girls Brigade, Cloughey** The 317th Company of the Girls Brigade meets every Thursday night for girls aged from 3. The motto of the Girls Brigade is for girls to Seek Serve and Follow Christ and by following the GB Scripture Course Praise songs and other activities we endeavour for our girls to follow the motto. In the last session of Girls Brigade at the display where the girls gave their all in their performances GB bid a sad farewell to Debbie Crossman and her family. Debbie has given 18 years of service to GB, and we wish the whole family God’s blessing as they move on. Our enrolment Service was held in November where all the girls were enrolled as members of Girls Brigade NI and all sections took part in the service. It was at the enrolment that Rev Neil Stewart our Chaplain announced that Nicola Clint had made the hard decision to step Down from the role of Captain but has continued on serving as an officer and that Michelle Stewart has taken on the mantle of Captain. At GB we encourage the Girls to not just look out for themselves but to consider others and 2 of our older girls from Senior and Brigader sections joined the British Legion Poppy appeal and manned the table in Ballyhalbert to raise money for this worthy cause. Our neighbours in Glastry Presbyterian church held a Christmas tree Festival to raise money for the Seamans Mission and the GB sponsored a tree which was decorated with ornaments that all sections of the GB made. The decorations depicted the parts of the GB badge: - In the centre a cross; the symbol of Christ and His Church. - Below the cross a lamp, that our light may shine out upon the world. - Above the cross is a crown; that we may own Christ as our King. 20 • Behind all a torch; the flame of Christ's living Spirit and our devotion to Him. Last year the girls did a great job in decorating the Bailie Hall and it was decided that that would be continued throughout this GB session. It was slightly different this year as each section has taken a board and decide on a Biblical theme to decorate each board. - Tinies and under-fives – Creation - Explorers -The Garden of Eden - Juniors – The Fruit of the Spirit - Seniors/Brigaders – Let your light Shine. The boards are progressing well, and the girls are so pleased when they see their work on display. Our aim with the boards is not just for decoration but to bring glory to God and magnify Him and all He has done. Our Brigader section entered the District Badminton Competition and were awarded a Distinction, and we are all very proud of our them - well done to the Brigaders. The officers of the company would like to thank the church for their ongoing support of Girls Brigade and to the parents who continually and faithfully send their girls each week allowing us the great privilege to care for them. Without them we wouldn’t exist. We are all eagerly waiting to see how the 317th Girls Brigade continues in the future trusting God for His guidance as we do go on urging Girls to Seek Serve and Follow Christ. ## **Greyabbey Holiday Bible Club** Looking back on 2023 and the work of Holiday Bible Club we have so much to be thankful for. Our annual Holiday Bible Club was held on 31st July - 4th August and had the theme of Jungle Adventure. This year we were excited to develop a ‘teen’ section of HBC, “Explored” for those leaving P7 – leaving Year 10, to disciple them and develop their relationships with God and with each other; with the focus being ‘Be transformed not conformed’. Explored enjoyed fun games, photo challenges and a visit from Made for More. 19 young people were registered for Explored and we had an enthusiastic team of 5 leaders. In Adventure, for those of Primary age, we looked at the promises that Jesus calls us to be His disciples, Jesus guides us, Jesus cares for us, Jesus provides for us and that Jesus wants to be our friend. We had 80 children registered in Adventure and couldn’t have done it without the team of over 20 leaders and helpers who led groups and helped with registration, snacks, and the Café for parents/guardians. We finished a wonderful week with a full main hall for our Family BBQ on Friday night and HBC Service on the Sunday. We, as a team, believe that amid the organised chaos that God was truly working with several children giving their lives to God. As a team, we felt that it would be beneficial to hold several 1-Day Holiday Bible Clubs throughout the year to keep contact and build relationships with the children who attend HBC. Our first one was a Light Party, in October, which is a Christian alternative to Halloween. 55 children attended and heard the news that in a world full of darkness Jesus is our light, each child went home with a book titled ‘Jesus is the Light’ as well as a craft and glow stick encouraging them to “shine for Jesus”. The Light Party was a great success, children and leaders alike enjoyed donning some glow sticks and shining for Jesus in our songs. Our last HBC event for 2023 was our Christmas Party at the start of December. 70 children were registered for our “Birthday Party for Jesus” where we decorated star shortbread, sang Happy 21 Birthday to Jesus with some cake and enjoyed some party games. Each child went home with “Love Came Down” story and activity book as well as a Christmas card addressed to each child – we were so encouraged to hear of children going straight home to put up their Christmas card and start their activity book. The team appreciate the continued prayers and support of all the congregation, that all the children and young people would come to know Jesus in a real and meaningful way. ## **K4C - Cloughey** 2023 was another great year for K4C as we started the year with the continuation of lessons based on the Go Teach Series. Go teach provide Bible based lessons with workbooks for the children to complete in innovative and fun ways. In June we had our annual Prize giving and Children’s Day. The theme for the Service was patience and waiting based on the Coronation of King Charles III who had to wait a long time to become King. The children took part in the Service and read lead prayers and did a little drama based on kings of the Bible climaxing in a verse that brought and tribute and all the glory to the King of the Kings our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Throughout the summer K4C takes a break but the children were given worksheets to do during the sermon. This is to maintain and continue teaching for our younger members each week. Over the summer break Elizabeth Heron was approached to join us as a K4C leader and it was a great privilege to welcome her as part of the team and look forward to all that Elizabeth can bring to K4C. However also during the summer Nicola Clint decided not to return as a leader in K4C. Nicola will be missed, and we thank her for the service that she has given to K4C and wish her God’s blessing for the future. When we returned to K4C after the summer break (after a discussion with Neil) we decided that we would teach the Children The Lord’s Prayer as it is no longer taught in many of our schools and as we say it in church on a regular basis it was to help our younger members to connect with the service. So, we broke down the prayer into sections and discussing with them what it all meant. The children also completed a relevant craft for the section we were learning to make it memorable. The next lessons were the Parables of Jesus and the leaders taught some of the lesser-known parables and it has been a great pleasure to see the children engaging with both of these sets of lessons and participating fully in K4C. There is a very willing and dedicated team of leaders who serve faithfully in K4C and without their service time and talents K4C would not run as it does. Also, a huge thank you to the Session for all their support with K4C who set out tables, chairs and make the all-important juice, helping us when required. A huge thank you also to the parents who encourage their children to attend K4C without them there would be no need for the leaders. We give all thanks and Glory to God for what has happened in K4C this year and trust him for what is to come in 2024. ## **K4C - Greyabbey** Another year has been and gone and it has been busy as always! 22 Due to last year having a Coronation, we got a little book and focused on the royals within the Bible. That helped us to decide to look at King Jesus for our Children’s Day. It was a truly brilliant day where we saw the vast talents and skills of our youngest church members. They really are a true blessing to all in the church family. As we moved into the new church year, after the summer holidays, we went back to the duringchurch format and Neil even promised not to talk too long in his sermons so we would have the same amount of time every week! He has tried hard!! This year we have worked hard to learn The Lord’s Prayer, The Fruit of the Spirit and The “I Am” statements that Jesus made. We were all hugely blessed by the wonderful Nativity that each child and young person took part in just before Christmas. What wonderful actors we have and the future of the Trinity Players is in safe hands. It has been wonderful to see some of our previous helpers coming on board as leaders this year and we hope they realise how important they are as part of the team. So, we move towards the end of the year once more. We’ve had fun, learned lots, eaten plenty of sweets and grown in our relationship with God. So now, we are preparing for another Children’s Day and praying that God sustains us and blesses us as we seek His presence and guidance. ## **Men’s Fellowship (Previously Ministry)** The first Men’s Fellowship meeting of 2023 took place in February in our Church youth room. Over the months, there was a good attendance at each meeting, which was a blessing. We all enjoyed the banter and catching up with the news from the daily morning papers before moving into the main church hall for our breakfast fry. After a delicious breakfast, we returned to the youth room for a chat and to play some board games. It was good to have the fellowship, just to take time out and relax with others. Over the year we aim to have a varied programme of events. In 2023 one of our outings took us to Newtownards Airport, where we enjoyed a breakfast fry in their café/restaurant, Cloud Nine, before taking a guided tour of the airport. We were taken into the hangers to view the various types of air transport and were also educated in the Airport’s emergency and fire safety procedures. It was a most enjoyable day and we gained a real insight into the workings and running of the airport. We held a night with Mr David Graham, who was invited to speak in our Church Hall, with an open invitation to all men of the Church and village. Before coming to Linfield Football Club and taking up the post of General Manager, David was the Director of Communications for Rangers Football Club. We all enjoyed a meal together before listening to David speak of his life and his walk with God. Another outing took us to The Mad Hatter Café in Eglinton Avenue, Belfast for breakfast followed by a visit to the Ulster Museum at Botanic Gardens. We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 9.30am. For more details, please read the Church announcements, which can also be provided via email if required. The fellowship committee would like to take the opportunity to extend a sincere thank you to all the ladies who give up their time to provide a delicious breakfast at each meeting, which is always first class! ## **‘There’s Power in Prayer’ - Why Pray?** 23 You will never know how many people have been strengthened because you asked God to encourage them. _‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father._ _**[13 ]** And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son._ _**[14 ]** You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.’_ John 14 vs 12-14. ## **POLO** On a Thursday morning in Cloughey, we open the doors and welcome in the mums and their little ones for a morning of fun, food, singing and chaos. POLO continues to serve the mums in Cloughey and the surrounding villages and it is a constant source of encouragement for the leaders that many regulars turn out week on week despite the weather conditions and each week we welcome new faces. The mothers support each other, and it is lovely see blossoming friendships and the chances to have meaningful conversations with mums and build strong relationships. We do regular craft mornings especially for special events such as Mother’s Day, Easter, Autumn and Christmas. The buzz in the hall is incredible when the creative juices flow from toddlers and the mess increases. Thursday mornings are busy, but it is such an encouragement to hear the buzz, laughter and chatter as we create, eat and sing all our favourite songs. 2023 saw the Coronation of King Charles III and all the children were presented with a little commemorative Teddy Bear when we had our Coronation party. In June we had what is becoming our annual end of year event, our Teddy Bears Picnic. We are grateful to God that so far, each year we have been blessed with great weather and the children have been outdoors and enjoying playing football, tennis and blowing bubbles even though the children always beat the leaders. What a blessing and privilege to spend time with these children and their family. Our return in September saw many new faces come to join us and we now have 15-20 children in attendance each week. In December we had a very special visitor to POLO who decided all our children were on the nice list but needed a bit of convincing that the leaders were too. A fun-filled morning was had by all but more importantly we pray that the books they were given about the nativity would impact and would be read in homes and many would come to faith through the hard work of the leaders each Thursday. As we start another year, we give thanks and praise to God for all he has accomplished through POLO and trust Him for what he is yet to do. ## **RE:GEN (Greyabbey)** RE:GEN is our Youth ministry. We meet every Sunday morning prior to church for a time of fellowship, fun, discipleship and food! Using God's word as our guide to Christian living and the day-to-day challenges we face, we completed Bible studies on David and Esther! We pray that each of us will learn from these amazing Bible heroes and their stories of faithfulness, grace, humility, bravery and obedience. 24 Towards the end of 2023 we also had two joint fellowship evenings with our friends in CREW Cloughey. We are grateful to Made for More, a Christian Youth Charity, for leading workshops each evening on how we are God's masterpiece! Throughout the year we have had a number of fellowship events, where our youth can reach out and invite their friends to come. These have included games nights, photo challenges around Greyabbey, an evening of laser tag and takeaway at Ganaway, and our annual Christmas party (with Christmas toasties). A constant at each night is a lot of laughs....along with sardines (the game, not the food for a change). A highlight at the start of 2023 was our RE:GEN Church service. It was a blessing for all leaders to witness our young people plan, shape and lead this service......with the Bible sofa drama video being equally funny, moving and thought provoking. Praise God that Jesus is the friend of sinners! We look forward to the 2024 RE:GEN service at the start of May and the message that God has for us. We are excited to understand and develop our relationships with God further throughout 2024. Please pray for our youth and the continued deepening of friendships with each other and Jesus. ## **Solid Ground Café (Greyabbey)** Solid Ground continued to open in 2023 on Tuesdays from 9.00am to 1.00pm, under the leadership of Michael Allen. Our prayer is that everyone who comes through the door feels welcome and that we can provide a safe space. Although we are indebted to the faithful team, we also recognise the value of the attendees who include and support each other. We feel an added blessing when folks in the community or visitors passing through the village call in. At the beginning of the year, we had several ‘Music in the Café’ mornings, and appreciate the help of Ivan Black, Andy Brown and friends, and Robert Rea and friends. Other notable mornings included a Pancake Special on Shrove Tuesday, a Coronation Celebration, a Holiday Bible Club Special, a Square Sausage Morning and a Christmas Special, when we were delighted to share in the 65th wedding anniversary of our regulars Donald and Heather MacArthur. From the early days of the café 50% of profit from donations went to funding equipment in the café and church, and 50% went to the work of Tearfund. In October, Lois Bailie and a colleague from Tearfund joined us as we announced that from that point 100% of the profit would go to Tearfund, and we are indebted to a generous benefactor who stepped in to cover the cost of food for six months. We were delighted to donate £1,525.95 to the Tearfund Christmas Appeal, which through the generosity of the Henderson Group would be doubled (£268.89 had been forwarded earlier in the year). As we look forward to celebrating the 10th anniversary of the café in October 2024, we would encourage members of the congregation to call into the café and bring a friend. _‘He picked me up, put me on_ _**solid ground** , and kept my feet from slipping.’ Psalm 40 v 2 ERV_ ## **Solid Rock Café (Cloughey)** On a Wednesday morning in the Kitchen of Cloughey Church the kettles are boiled, the coffee filters are prepared and the grill is on for Bacon rolls as we open our doors and welcome the community to Solid Rock Café. 25 Each Wednesday morning the world and issues of the day are discussed, debated and ‘sorted’ as scones, Bacon rolls, sausage rolls and traybakes are consumed over gallons of tea and it is great to hear the buzz and laughter that fills the Bailie Hall. We have many regulars who faithfully support us each week and contribute to the life of our café we are grateful to them all. Amongst our regulars we are happy to include our wonderful ladies from the community who make up Knit and Natter. On the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month they come and join us and there is always a laugh and a story to share. We are grateful to Knit and Natter who once again contributed to the work of Hosford House by donating hats and mittens. A huge thank you to them for their generosity and hard work. Throughout the year, Solid Rock held a few special charity Coffee Mornings and all the money raised went to a nominated charity and mission. We had a morning for Tearfund when we had a representative come and inform us of all the work they do and once again a huge thank you to Knit and Natter for giving a collected donation for their work. Another great morning was a fundraiser for Kidney Research when our very own Jeanie Martin came and gave us a very informative presentation on the work of this extremely important but often forgotten charity. The church made the decision that any profit made on Wednesday mornings would all go to Tearfund and we thank the Session for this decision and look forward to once again supporting this very worthy cause. Solid Rock is a hub for the community on a Wednesday morning, a great place for renewing fellowship and friendship. All are welcome and if you have not had a visit and are in the need for a meaningful chat, lively discussion and a laugh accompanied with a Bacon roll and a cuppa please come and join us on a Wednesday between 9.00am and 1.00pm. All thanks, praise and glory to God alone. ## **Trinity Tots (Greyabbey)** From January 2023 our dedicated team of leaders and kitchen helpers have thoroughly enjoyed the year, meeting each Monday morning and welcoming new mums to join us for a warm cuppa and chat, while the little ones enjoy play doh, colouring in, riding bikes and playing with the toys. The children have enjoyed making craft for Mother's Day and Easter, and decorating the window for Harvest Sunday. We ended the year with Christmas party and a visit from Santa, which the children really enjoyed. We would like to thank all the volunteers and Tots team members, who make it possible to open the doors of the church to the local community week after week, we had Pamela join our team and she has been a great help to us all. We continue to pray for a blessed 2024, that members and their little ones grow in number and continue to support us as we serve God in the community. God Bless all involved in making Tots possible. ## **WinGS (Women in God’s Sight)** 26 WinGS was able to enjoy a more varied and planned programme in 2023 with all the covid restrictions eased. From January to June, we continued with our PW theme of “Going Deeper” Romans 12 v 10, “ _Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above ourselves_ .” WinGS’ programme was able to include monthly lunch meetings and evening meetings and we continued to see good attendance. Meetings included a pamper night, movie night, Bible journalling, local police advising on internet safety and Alan joined us to answer all the gardening questions and woes. The WinGS service in March was very special as we had Louise Davidson return as the Speaker and the prayers and Bible readings all done by multi-generational groups of ladies from our congregation. The WinGS outing to complete the year was to St Moluas, Belfast Flower and Quilt festival. We had a very special, well attended afternoon tea to celebrate The Coronation, this was funded by the Community Association with the WinGS committee organising and serving the afternoon tea. Afterwards we received lovely thanks from the Community Association and the WinGS Committee enjoyed this opportunity to show God’s love in action. Voting by WinGS members took place as Alison, Charon, Jeanette and Karen had served God for 5 years on the WinGS committee, an extra year due to Covid. Many thanks for their commitment, devotion and hard work to WinGS and pray God will bless them as they continue to serve in other areas of church life. WinGS has been blessed to welcome Heather, Linda and Hazel onto the Committee and we thank them for accepting God’s call to serve with Julie, Barbara, Helen, Irene and Sandra. David Thompson our Elder has supported WinGS through the vote counting and chairing the new Committee meeting. Some of the WinGS Committee was able to attend a PW Training event in Church House in September which gave insight into the PW projects, REACH and Biblical Counselling Ireland and SAT7 and theme for 2023-24, “Being Transformed” Romans 12 v 2, “ _Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will_ .” The new WinGS Committee met over the summer to pray, seek Gods guidance and organise the new programme for 2023-24. The WinGS programme includes 3 Coffee Mornings held on the 1st Saturday of November, February and May at 11.00am and evenings meeting held the 3rd Monday night of the month running from Sept-May at 7.30pm. WinGS enjoyed our first coffee morning in November which was well attended, and we were challenged by the message shared by our guest speaker Rev Ruth Patterson from Restoration Ministry. The evening meetings started in September, we had a welcome night in October and Jenny Clegg from Samaritans Purse joined us. We filled 42 shoe boxes with items the ladies had brought along, and items supplied by the Trinity Craft ladies, we also sent further stock and a donation for postage. In November, Mandy came along and showed us her woodwork skills making window box planters. For our Christmas event, we joined with Cloughey PW and enjoyed a Christmas meal and Carols at Harrisons. The prayer of the WinGS committee is that all the ladies in our church family and community will feel welcome at WinGS and as sisters in Christ we will continue to Be Transformed by Christ to serve him and show Gods Love. 27 - 2 Thessalonians 3 v 5 “ _May the Lord take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance._ ” 28