## LISBURN PREPARATIVE MEETING ## _ANNUAL REPORT 2023_ _Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together ---- but encouraging one another. Hebrews 10. 24- 25_ Every Sunday morning a small number of members and attenders gather for Meeting for Worship both in the Meeting House and virtually by means of Webex. Grateful thanks go to those who send out the Webex link and those who make the necessary internet connection each Sunday. Sadly illness and frailty have prevented some of our Members from being able to join with us in either way. For others the pandemic led to changes in their lives which have meant that they no longer attend Lisburn Meeting. Sunday School, takes place on the first Sunday of each month. Adjourned Preparative Meeting took place on Friday 20[th] January. Due to our small numbers, the annual January party and the summer outing were not held. However, a regular get-together at Dobbies Garden Centre on the first Saturday of the month has been running since February. This has proved popular and has been well attended. Once a month, thanks to the Sunday School, coffee/ tea and freshly made buns are served after Meeting for Worship and we have a chance to chat. We were very sorry to hear of the death on 20th February of Dennis Thompson. Dennis was an Elder of Lisburn Preparative Meeting. He had faithfully attended our Meeting up until March 2020 and had often taken part in the Ministry. In April we learned of the death of Maureen F. Fleck (nee Scott), sister of Barbara E. Baxter and our former treasurer, W. Rodney Scott. In August the death took place of J. Trevor Green, a former member of Lisburn Meeting whose family have had a long association with the Meeting. Both Trevor and his wife Jean contributed greatly to the life of our Preparative Meeting while Trevor was principal of Friends’ School, Lisburn from 1989 to 2001. Rodney Scott suffered a further bereavement on the death of his wife Pamela in June. Ian G Raphael, died on 8th May and a Meeting for Worship to celebrate his life was held in Friends’ School Assembly Hall on 13[th] May. Ian’s parents were members of Lurgan Meeting. While a boarder at Friends’ School, Ian attended Lisburn Meeting and was involved in Moyallon Camp. We maintain our connection with Friends’ School by organising the annual Bible Sunday in May when school leavers are presented with Bibles embossed with the school crest. The speaker this year was Janette McKnight, former director of Quaker Service. We also purchased booklets from Scripture Union which were given to Year 7 pupils in the Preparatory School on the completion of the It’s Your Move lessons taken by the Antrim and Lisburn SU Schools’ worker, Rebekah Armstrong. Our annual carol service was held after Meeting for Worship on Sunday 17[th] December. The theme was based on the Via Maris, the road which Mary and Joseph had taken on their flight to Egypt with the infant Jesus. Also on that day a children’s Bible was presented to Alex Withers, son of Andrew and Louise Withers and grandson of Latifa and Alec McCullagh. A Meeting for Worship was held on Christmas Day morning. The Meeting continues to give financial support to Quaker Service, Christian Aid, and Storehouse Belfast and other charities. _There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone_ _it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6_ _With regard to the duties in the Book of Organisation and Christian Discipline, Chapter 5, Paragraph 4, the Monthly Meeting clerk has been informed that we have attended to the following duties;_ - ●Weekly Meetings for Worship have been held - ●Pastoral care of individual members and regular attenders - ●Monthly Meeting has been informed of births, deaths and transfers - ●General Christian Counsel and advices and a selection of queries have been read in meetings for worship during the year - ●Sunday School has been held monthly from January to June and September to December where there are children in meeting - ●The Finance Committee looks after the Meeting Hose and other property and the finances of the meeting. - ●Support has been offered to young Friends to attend Yearly Meeting and gatherings of young friends. - ●The Meeting has made a separate Child Safeguarding report, showing it adheres to the Ireland Yearly Meeting Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.