PEW NEWS

 WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CHURCH COMMUNITY

(Older Computers - due to page width it is necessary to navigate sideways to see all photos in the older artcicles - you don't want to miss any!!)

	SUMMER FUNDING SEASON Last week, during the Twelfth celebrations, Jean and Robert kicked off the summer fundraising effforts with the annual Book Fair. Once again (and we feared it might not happen this year!) Jean gave up the chance to join everyone else and have a holiday, opening the Book Fair every day from 10am until 10pm. This year the part of Sharon was played by Robert! Hot on the heels of that came the Summer Fete. A wet start did not dter the faithful and God rewarded their efforts by causing the sun to shine. There was ice cream, BBQ, baked goods, smellies (the good kind!), plants, books, the ever popular bric-a-brac, a fancy dress for the kids, 2 separate raffles with lots of great and generous prizes from businesses and individuals not just in the congregation but the wider community and, of course, the tea room. While many usual volunteers were away on their summer break, there were plenty to fill in. Thanks are due to all, especially those behind the scenes. Next up is Kay and the weekend clothes sale every Saturday.  Watch this space for the total raised.
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	STUART'S CLIMB FOR KIDS Last Saturday Sammy and Sadie Kane held a coffee morning to raise funds for their grandson Stuart to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Childreach International. Due to the generosity of those attending, along with donations from the Parish Ministry Fund and the Men's Society, over £2000 was raised! Stuart wanted to take the opportunity to express his gratitude and tell us a little more about the project:  "I would like to thank everyone who donated so generously - it was a massive success - and everyone who helped out, especially my Nanny and Papa who have helped with all my fundraising. I head off at the end of August to Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. East Africa. It is the world's highest free standing mountain at 5895 metres and takes 4 days to climb and 2 days to descend. The climb is set up by Childreach International to help children in developing worlds. Before the climb, I get to meet some of the children who will benefit from the funds raised and see the difference Childreach International is having on their lives - they work with the families to provide sustainable solutions such as adequate water supply, sanitation to schools, improved infrastructure to schoolsto encourage more children to attend. All projects aim towards self sufficiency of the community - of utmost importance in this is helping each child to unlock their full potential in the developing world." Alongside a raffle/guess the number of sweets in the jar, Sammy and Sadie and their helpers provided tea/coffee and the usual goodies - judging by Sharon's determination to get back in, they must have been good! For those who missed the coffee morning and would still like to donate, you can do so online at Stuart's designated account :- http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StuartCurrie  We hope to hear more on Stuart's return.
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	IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY.... ...there was probably nobody there because they were all at the Teddy Bears' Picnic! To mark the end of the year, the Mothers and Toddlers group had a teddy bear themed morning in the sunshine on the church green. Teddy Bear friends were also invited! There was lots of fun and games, including teddy bear songs and teddy bear sandwiches and teddy bear crisps and teddy bear buns and a parachute where all had fun tossing ........a ball (Hah - got you there!)

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	JACK'S ORDINATION   As we have mentioned, on 20 June our student reader, Jack Kinkead, was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Down & Dromore. During the 2 years he was part of the ministry team in HTP, his personality endeared him to many of the parishioners and seventy of them made the long journey to Down Cathedral to support Jack as he took this first step into ordained ministry.  He will now serve in the parish of Cregagh in Belfast for the next three years as curate-assistant. We wish Jack every blessing in his new role, and he carries with him our love and prayers.

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	ANOTHER YEAR OVER Last Sunday was of double importance. As well as marking Jack's last Sunday with us, it also saw the Sunday School Year draw to a close.  The children listened as Jack talked about how each of us has a talent, watched as he demonstrated his for golf (no, that's not a typo!) and then received their books. The Souls Sisters organised a Sausage Sizzle at the beach in the afternoon to round off the day, with a BBQ and lots of fun, including surfing lessons for the young kids and a tug-of-war for the big (some might say 'bigger') kids.

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	HAPPY BIRTHDAY.....    ...to us!  Last Sunday was Pentecost and in support of the day, and the Sunday School who performed beautifully for us, the congregation was invited to wear something red. This was to reflect the red of the flame which designated the Holy Spirit's visitation upon the disciples. As the rector reminded us, this is seen as the birth of the Church, and birthday candles on a cake were lit to celebrate and to remind us of the purpose of the occasion. This was later shared around the children, the adults making a great sacrifice in admitting there wasn't quite enough for the whole congregation (it was chocolate!!!). The rector exhorted us to carry the flame of faith with us wherever we go - not so much a literal red flame but in our actions  - the Holy Spirit is referred to as the 'Helper' and this should guide us, to be like Him.

THE HIGHER THEY CLIMB......... ....the further they fall - 13000 feet to be precise! Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, says that if we say we call ourselves Christians, then we must live as Christians and not simply worship in church 1 hour a week. Those of you at church last Sunday will have heard the rector, in his address, describe the hallmark of authentic Christianity as loving and caring for one another. You could say that greater love hath no ordinary man for his fellow humans than to jump out of an aeroplane in order to raise money to help people he has never met. Such was the choice of parishioner Simon Finlay over Easter when he partook in a parachute jump - for the first time ever but word has it not the last.  With the help of friends and parishioners, he raised money - £1100 in total - for the benefit of those who need the services of the Northern Ireland Hospice. So very not wanting to put myself in his shoes, I will let him describe it - "The dispatch door was opened and the first few solo jumpers waved bye bye and left. Then it was the turn of the tandems. I was the last one to leave the plane. The sensation of falling only lasts for a few short seconds after which there are no visual reference points to measure against, so all that is experienced is a strange kind of weightlessness and the loud rush of wind. The freefall only lasts for about 45 - 50 seconds during which we descended about 7500ft, before the chute is deployed. Thereafter it's a pleasant, and silent, glide back to terra ferma."  Pleasant?......definitely have to take his word for that!  Simon hopes to do another jump later in the year to raise funds for another as yet unnamed charity. Another parishioner going above and beyond (get it!!) the call of duty is Stuart Currie. Stuart is at present at uni in Edinburgh but is training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in August. He needs to raise £2300, at least 60% of which goes to Childreach International. To sponsor him, see Sadie or Sammy Kane or visit his fundraising page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StuartCurrie Hopefully we will have some feedback from Stuart after the event.

CREED VISIT CREED stands for Communities Regenerated Enabled Enriched and Developed. Its driving force is Cyril McElhinney and it is Church based. The main aim is to "help churches to grow and be more effective in living out and promoting faith in Christ, by enabling them to implement a vision for their ministry and outreach to the local community."   They exist to help churches like ours to define their vision and then achieve it.  They have an excellent record in helping Churches both plan, run and fund projects.  They provide advice, practical help, legal know-how, and expert consultancy at  minimal cost to the parish.   We have entered into an agreement with them to help us with our project, and have had two very encouraging meetings with them.

CGB MARCHES ONWARD TO VICTORY!   Yet again our CGB Company has marched to success in the Northern Ireland Maze Marching Finals. Well done to the girls and their leaders for their excellent results at the finals held in Magherafelt. The girls from the Y-section of the Company were placed first in their age group, and the members of JCT/SC were placed second in theirs. Also, congratulations to Holly Haslam (pictured centre right) who won the Best Leader award. Well done to all the girls and their leaders!

	THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT, THE FUTURE IS............ .... you know the rest. And the orange, for such a small fruit, played a large, symbolic part in the double celebration that was the annual Christingle service and the first Sunday in Advent. The preparations started the day before when members of the congregation gathered together to prepare the Christingle packages - enough for everyone who attended the service to receive one each - no small feat. Despite this now being an annual event, no-one was quite prepared for this year's sermon on the meaning of Christingle. Not content with the extra large demonstration model, the clergy decided on a more animated production! It certainly was a more memorable one, making it easier to recall the blood shed for us, the goods and luxuries we enjoy as part of God's creation and the Jesus, the Light of the World.

	HAPPY HALLOWE'EN After lots of pictures of adults enjoying BBQs, dinners, shows, it's the turn of the youngest members of the Parish and their friends to show how they can party - and as you can see from all the photos here and below, they can! The Mother and Toddlers group had their Hallowe'en fun early this year (as usual, along with all other M&T groups in the area, school half-term means a morning off for the toddlers as well). Most dressed up for the occassion and had fun playing, showing off their costumes, making pumpkin cards, listening to Hallowe'en stories, eating ghostly buns (chocolate of course!)  and dancing and singing. To round it all off, everyone got a Trick or Treat party bag - who says grown-ups have all the fun!!

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR This weekend saw Kay's 9th year co-ordinating the clothes sale in the Parochial Rooms. Beginning after the fete and lasting until the first weekend in September, each year sees Kay and her band of volunteers giving up their Saturdays (and Bank Holidays and some Fridays!) to sell clothes and the odd knic-knack donated by parish members and non-parishioners. As usual with these fund-raising efforts, a lot of the work goes on before and after, with the collection, storage, packing and unpacking - it starts after Christmas (if not before!) as people clear out and think - "Kay could use this" - and invariably she does, but that means storing it until the summer. Then, when it is all over, Kay packs all the remnants up and delivers them to local charities to benefit from. This year the total raised is £(TBC but around £3000). Unbelievably, Kay says she misses her weekends in the Parochial Rooms once it ends - it is popular with all members of the Portrush community and vary rarely is there not someone in amongst the rails and tables browsing and chatting.
SOUL SISTERS' BBQ So popular was last year's BBQ that it was decided to hold another one this year and open it to all ladies in the parish, irrespective of age. The Soul Sisters' Committee acted as hosts and provided a wonderful array of food (and drink!). The night was dry (a big change on recent conditions) if a little cold - but that didn't hamper the chat and laughs. There was a full moon to illuminate the event so all were able to enjoy the outdoors - perhaps causing the Committee to have to hold their meeting in an outbuilding - maybe they were hiding from the rest of us, maybe it was the proximity of the fridge and it's contents - whatever the reason, a few of the more stalwart members of the parish found them!!
ANNUAL BOOK FAIR While the rest of us have been enjoying the July holiday week, spare a thought for Sharon and her mum Jean who, for the last five years, have voluntarily foregone their time-off to spend each day in the Parochial Rooms up until 10 pm each night for 6 days, all in aid of Church funds. Yet again this year they have unloaded the piles of books donated by parishioners and non-parishioners alike, to sell them at rock bottom prices but raise mountain-high sums for Holy Trinity. It bears mentioning that when the book fair is over for us each year, it is not over for them, as they have to pack up and store the leftovers, along with ongoing, incoming donations, until the next year - the words 'fire hazard' and 'where's my bed gone' have been heard in Jean's house especially. This year, they raised an amazing----------- £3 176 !!!! ---------- their biggest amount to date.
PRESENTING…………. A little bit of parish history was made at 11.15pm on Friday 19 June 2009, with the birth of Joshua Kerr McDowell to the rector, Peter, and his wife Claire - a timely arrival for Father's Day!. Baby Josh is their first child and the first baby to be born into the rectory in living memory. Weighing in at 7lbs 6oz, Josh was anxious to make a start on life – being born a mere forty-five minutes after Mum Claire arrived at Altnagelvin hospital! Both Josh and Claire are doing well, and Josh is looking forward to meeting his new HTP family.
ROBERT'S SHINYANGA MISSION In the early months of 2009, Holy Trinity Church raised funds to help Robert, the curate,on his mission to  the diocese of Shinyanga in N W Tanzania, at the invitation of Bishop Charles Ngusa, to teach the local clergy under the auspices of SOMA. Shinyanga is one of the poorest parts of Africa, where the clergy and diocese are too poor to fund this training themselves. Therefore SOMA have undertook to cover the cost of transport, food and accommodation for the African clergy.  In total Robert and Ian received £3064 from Holy Trinity. The total raised by the Parish raised more than enough to cover all travel expenses and to pay for the travel and living expenses of the 28 clergy throughout their 2 week mission, during which there was the consecration of a new church - St Patrick's in Meata.  On Thursday 12 March, the Rev. Ian Ballentine (national director SOMA Ireland) and Robert set out for Shinyanga Diocese, Tanzania, to spend their two weeks working with the Diocesan Clergy.   The journey was long and tiring, taking some 37 hours and involving 5 flights!  [The return journey also included five trains as they sought to cross London from the City Airport to Heathrow – an awkward journey as Robert was carrying a large giraffe (hopefully not a live one!) as well as two suitcases!] Arriving at Mawdui in the evening, they stayed at the Williamson Diamond Mine, setting off at dawn next morning for Meatu, where Ian opened the new church of St. Patrick, while Robert preached.  The journey took 6h.30mins, by dirt road - exhausting!  The return journey, by a different route took 3h.30mins.  The bishop, who had already made the journey once to meet Robert and Ian at the airport, went the long way round to make sure they got there, as during the rainy season the “bridges” tend to get flooded and some of the rivers too deep to cross. On Monday two weeks of teaching began with the Diocesan Clergy at St. John’s Bible School, a 4h.30min return trip each day over dirt “roads” – about 80 miles in all!  The bible school has one accommodation block and one classroom.   The water supply is simply a large “butt” which collects the rain water.  They have no electrical supply.  This was the first time since the inauguration of the diocese (three years ago) that all the clergy had been together.  The two week course was only possible because of the generosity of HTP, where the congregation paid not only Robert and Ian's fares but the full cost of the conference! This is one of the poorest parts of Africa, in the bottom 10% of the world’s economies, where the people and clergy live by subsistence farming.  Nobody is starving, but nobody has money.  One priest, Canon William Zephaniah, has been building a church for 10 years, and has built the walls and put on a roof, at a cost of $10,000.  He still has to put in a floor, windows and doors, and furnish the building.   It will be done over the next few years as they struggle to raise the money needed.   For Ian and Robert, it was a privilege to work with Bishop Charles and his clergy, to see such vibrant faith in the midst of great poverty and challenges, which we at home can scarcely imagine - it is humbling merely to look at the photos of St Patrick's and the local people and realise the pride and effort it took to raise what is a simple, unadorned building but one which allows the local community to worship.	Bishop Charles and Canon Ezra meet Robert at the airport Robert hands over the money raised by Holy Trinity parishioners
Ian at St Patrick's Church               Mothers' Union in unfinished building                 Dedication of Church                                  Diocesan Clergy	Robert preaching at opening of church
Robert teaching under the tree                    Discussion group                                     Orphans at the cathedral                                    The cathedral	A gift for St Patrick's churchwarden
PARISH FAMILY FUN DAY On a hot summer’s Sunday afternoon in June, 150 parishioners came together for an afternoon of fun, food and competitions on a packed East Strand. Blessed by the best day of the year so far, many (mainly parents) opted for a lazy afternoon lying back and soaking up the rays. For those with energy, there was a packed afternoon of activities, from walking to various races, to a sandcastle competition (which brought out the emulous nature of some parishioners!). Competition was high, with fifteen entries (including one that had made the effort to go to the beach the previous day to practice), but was eventually won by Jade’s team, awarded for her imaginative use of sand to create not just a castle, but an entire village-scape around it. The afternoon was brought to a close by a sausage sizzle, courtesy of our resident chefs Colin and Stuart, where 340 sausages just managed to sate the appetites built up by all the activities. Our thanks to the Soul Sisters for organising a great day out.
INTERNATIONAL MISSION TO SEAFARERS CONFERENCE This is the 21st century and we do live in an enlightened age of equal opportunity but it still causes you to do a double take when you see the rector and the curate with dishcloths in their hand, being used, and Sammy with his hands in the sink! It must have been an important occasion. The meeting in question was of the Consultative Forum of the Mission to Seafarers, which met in Northern Ireland from May 12th - 14th. This was the first time the body has visited the province.  Forty seven representatives from the ten regional areas of the mission world-wide gathered to plan their strategy for the next five years including the agenda of the Mission’s next World Conference. Area representatives came from India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Africa and Europe and  included a bishop or archbishop from each region. The Consultative Forum which was established in 1999 has previously met in Toronto, Durban and England. During their stay they made a visit to the North Coast and had lunch in the Kelly Memorial Hall.  The lunch, greatly enjoyed by all, was organised by hardworking Sadie Kane and served by members of the Mothers Union.
PARISH DINNER 2009 It seems like no time since the last one but once again the parish held it’s annual dinner in late April, when nearly 120 parishioners came together for a meal at 55º North. As ever, it was a great night’s craic, enjoyed over good food and wine. The evening raised in excess of £1700, and we were deeply pleased that the raffle of Laz-y-boy recliner, very kindly donated by Right Price Carpets & Furniture Ltd, raised £800 and was won by Mavis Lamont. During the course of the evening the rector made a presentation to our student reader Jack Kinkead to mark his second year placement in the parish, and the Events Committee highlighted future events such as a 60’s and 70’s retro night, an Autumn Ball, and a spring Fashion Show.
CGB DISPLAY The Church Girls Annual Display took place on Friday and was pleasantly well attended not just by the girls families but by the parish as a whole. We were treated to singing, dancing, maze marching, poems and sketches - notably a Strictly Come Dancing sketch won by a dalek! It was a pleasure to see all the members perform before the prize-giving. The leaders are to be commended for their patience and tenacity in guiding and instructing the girls but it is equally important to remember the girls themselves. The youngest members are only 4 years old yet they performed in a room of almost total strangers - not an easy task at that age, yet they did it with style and enthusiasm, as did the older members.
TAPAS EVENING On Monday 9th March members of the congregation, along with other guests, enjoyed a Tapas Evening in 55 North. The evening was organised by Wilma Fletcher of 55 North and the chef  Darren Purnell. They organised and provided the food and a raffle so that 100% of money paid by those who enjoyed the evening went towards the fund to help Robert, the curate,on his mission to Africa. Robert is going in March to the diocese of Shinyanga in N W Tanzania, at the invitation of bishop Charles Ngusa to teach the local clergy under the auspices of SOMA. Shinyanga is one of the poorest parts of Africa, where the clergy and diocese are too poor to fund this training themselves. Therefore SOMA have undertaken to cover the cost of transport, food and accommodation for the African clergy. The preacher at our Lenten lunch was the Rev Ian Ballentine, National Director of  SOMA, who accepted a cheque from Wilma on the Tapas Evening for an amazing £1050! The efforts and generosity of Wilma and the restaurant staff on this occasion and others are appreciated by Holy Trinity as a whole. In total Robert and Ian received £3064 - this also included proceeds from the Lenten Lunch, organised by the Mothers Union with help from the Spinnaker restaurant, which donated the soup. The total raised by the Parish during Lent has raised more than enough to cover all travel expenses and to pay for the travel and living expenses of the 28 clergy throughout their 2 week mission, during which Robert will speak at the consecration of a new church - St Luke's in Meata.
SURF'S UP!!!! This year's SURF membership, our Sunday night club for 11-yrs-old-plus, are an energetic bunch, in keeping with the theme for this season - "Me, Unique and I". This focuses not just on health and beauty but also what it means to be a healthy Christian. So far there have been quizzes, using Nintendo brain teasers, keep-fit with Strictly Come Dancing dance routines and now a Valentine's ball, which the members were keen to have, although allowances for family committments at half-term meant it was held a week early. Hearts and chocolates were the theme for the evening and that Strictly Dance DVD paid off !! There was a 'night off' earlier in the term to see the film Bedtime Stories but normal service is now resumed and an ultimate silly and proper makeover for both boys and girls is planned to end the year before the summer break. Mother's Day also sees the group invite their mothers for tea and cupcakes that evening - waited on, fattening buns to eat and no dishes to wash (kids take note!!) - what more could a mother ask for. The leaders themselves have attended 'Energise' - a youth leadership traing course - and are to be commended for the hard work they put in, like all the members of the parish who act as leaders in the various groups and organisations.
SOUL SISTERS WINE AND CHEESE The daunting struggle which faced the 300 Spartans when confronted by the might of the Persian army paled in comparison to David Martin's task on Friday night when attempting to give a talk on wine to 50 women with plenty to say - to each other! At times the odds seemed overwhelming, but David persevered and delivered a very informing and - as usual with him - amusing evening's entertainment which everyone enjoyed, especially the tasting part! Fortunately there was no exam at the end but there was lots of cheese, fruit and, thanks to David again, chocolate - a subtle way to get us all to listen. The proceeds of the evening were donated to the Lenten Lunch  fund which is going towards Robert's SOMA trip to Tanzania - more of that on his return.
ANNUAL DINNERS Both the the Men's Society and the Mothers Union had their Annual Dinners in January and both were held in the Spinnaker Restaurant. Word has it that the men had a merry old time but the restaurant was back in ship-shape fashion for the ladies the following evening. As usual, the food and craic were good. Despite their separate evenings, more than the choice of venue was in common, with both parties enjoying a quiz and a raffle. While the ladies were the winners in the fashion and good looks stakes, the men made up for it in their gemerosity by raising £200 in their raffle towards Robert's forthcoming mission trip to Tanzania.
A YOUTHFUL CHRISTMAS With the onset of Advent, the Church began its Christmas programme with the Christingle Service, where the children of the Sunday School gave each of the congregation a Christingle orange. Each Advent Sunday, during morning service, a parent and child lit another of the Advent candles. At a later service, and also part of Advent preparation, the Sunday School introduced the congregation to the Jesse Tree – you can just see it behind the children in the photo. This was a very visual way to look at how God was preparing the way for the coming of his Son, through the faithfulness of men and women in the Old Testament. The title ‘The Jesse Tree’ originates in Isaiah 11:1, in which the prophet writes, ‘A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots.’ The Sunday School told the story of God’s faithful people through readings and song, with a symbol for each character being hung on the Jesse Tree, which can be seen during the Christmas season in our side chapel. At Family Service, on the last Sunday before Christmas, the Youth Praise Group took part in the blessing of the crib.
THE FASHION SHOW Congratulations to all who participated in any way in the Fashion Show - organising, modelling, buying tickets - which was an unheralded success. The evening was both enjoyable and profitable. There were over 350 in attendance and, along with the raffle, over £1700 was raised for Church funds. Of the models pictured here, only one was professional - the rest were all members of the congregation who, along with other people from the local community, braved the catwalk to help with the event. Well done everyone.
CONFIRMATION SERVICE October 19 was an important day in the life of the parish, and for twenty-two parishioners in particular. We were visited by our bishop, Alan Abernethy, who confirmed twelve young people and ten adults in the Christian faith. In a lovely service, using the image of the coin used in the story of paying taxes to Caesar, Bishop Alan encouraged everyone to give to God what is God’s, and to make him a priority in our lives. This was Bishop Alan’s first visit to the parish, and his warmth and relaxed nature shone through. The worship was led jointly by the organist and choir and the praise group. During refreshments afterwards bibles were presented by the parish to all those who were confirmed. Brian Smyth and Poppy Haslam presented Bishop Alan with a small gift.
ROBERT AND HEATHER  RETURN FROM SOUTH AFRICA SOMA - the Sharing of Ministries Abroad - is an Anglican mission agency established in 1978. It prepares and sends teams of adults or young people from one culture to another for short periods to equip the local church - by working with the leaders, the whole church is reached. Our curate Robert and his wife Heather flew to Johannesburg where they took part in a large international conference - "Growing the Church" - teams attended from Canada, Australia, Kenya, Singapore, Latin America to name but a few. At the end of the conference, the Eucharist was celebrated in 13 languages! They were then commissioned by the Archbishop of Johannesburg to be part of a teams visiting the 18 local dioceses. The Irish team was sent to serve in the Diocese of Saldanha Bay (almost as large as Ireland!). Robert and Heather found it to be a humbling experience. The diocese has 48000 immigrants annually, hundreds of thousands are living in poverty, their homes are wooden shacks with open power lines, 80 children aged between 11 and 12 are pregnant. But the local churches are growing in size and have to expand to cope - the newly built church runs a soup kitchen to help feed its hungry parishioners. Robert was impressed and humbled by what he saw - "...those who come to the church are full of joy and praise, exhibiting a lively faith in the midst of adversity.....We were very aware that we had more to learn from them that they from us...Exhausted, enthused, challenged and humbled, we returned to Ireland thanking God for the privilege of walking alongside the Church of Southern Africa as they launched "Growing the Church". We left behind a Church strong in faith, focused on growth, determined under the guidance and power of the holy spirit to advance the Kingdom of God."
WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENT READER We will shortly be welcoming our new student reader, Jack Kinkead. Here, he introduces himself:- "I was born and raised in Lisburn, and was an active member of our local church (Legacurry Presbyterian) from an early age. At the age of 15, I discovered the Church of Ireland and started singing in the choir of St. Peter’s parish, in north Belfast. After finishing school, I moved to Dublin in 2002, to read a degree in History at Trinity College, graduating in 2006. Following a year of full-time work (during which time I went through the selection process for ministry in the Church of Ireland) I entered the Theological College in September 2007. As I start my second year (of three) I am very much looking forward to my placement in Holy Trinity. My family have had a long association with Portrush; we always spent school holidays and weekends here, and finally moved up permanently last summer.I will be on placement over the next few months, and I am sure I will learn a lot from the clergy, and parishioners (which include my parents!) of Holy Trinity. In between times, I will most likely be found on the fairways (or in the rough) of Royal Portrush Golf Club." We look forward to seeing him from the 10th October and wish him well in his stay with us.
SUMMER FUNDRAISING EFFORTS Our annual parish fete was held on Saturday 2nd August on the Parish Green and, unlike most of our summer, the weather was gloriously sunny. A large crowd enjoyed browsing through the stalls which included crafts, cakes,, bric-a-brac, books, toys, smellies and plants, sustained by tea and coffee, a bar-b-que or, for the more healthy, strawberries and cream. One of the highlights of the day was the children's fancy dress competition, run for the first time, as well as a raffle and painting competition. Over £4500 was raised for church funds - well done all who took part. Added to this was over £1100 profit from the annual concert in the Magherabouy Hotel organised by the Youth Club. This is the 4th year of the concert and featured George Jones for the second time. It was as popular as ever and everyone who attended had an excellent evening's entertainment of songs and laughter, along with a raffle. Congratulations to all involved in organising both events for their  hard work. Our annual Book fair, organised by Sharon Finlay in July, raised £2026 - anyone who visited it will realise the sterling effort put in by Sharon and her family in categorising the thousands of books and manning the fair throughout the Twelfth week. Added to this is £2567 raised by Kay and her team through the annual 'Nearly New' clothes sale, held every Friday and Saturday August until early September - again, the organisation and clearing up afterwards  involves a tremendous amount of work and dedication, not to mention giving up weekends off .
HOLLY RETURNS FROM THE USA - AGAIN! (a profile of one of our younger parishioners) People's conception of those who attend and are active in church often tends towards the older generation. While their contribution is perhaps the mainstay of any congregation, the younger parishioners play their part, especially in Holy Trinity. Pictured on the right of the photo is Holly Haslam, one of the younger members of Holy Trinity Parish. Holly is active in the Youth Praise Group and the Youth Club, along with her sisters, and is a Junior Leader in the Church Girls' Brigade. Along with Colin McKeown, Holly participated in an International Leadership Project for 10 days at a summer camp in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This was part of a training experience for young people in Northern Ireland aged 16+ and Holly and Colin were 2 of a group of 12 teenagers from youth clubs around the Province. This followed attendance at a series of training days and 2 residential weekends organised by the NEELB for trainee leaders. Participation in the USA summer camps led to them both being awarded their OCN certificate in Youth Leadership. Both young people had to raise funds in order to take part and they were helped by the Church and the Youth Club - it is hoped Colin and Holly willl be able to put their training to use in the Youth Club this coming year. This was Holly's second trip to the USA. Last year she was selected by Ulster Project Delaware 2007 to be part of a cross-community group of 9 Protestant and 9 Roman Catholic teenagers from various schools in Northern Ireland. Those who participated had to come from practising Christian families. These 18 young people stayed for 1 month with the families of 18 young people in Delaware and all 36 were together everyday for various activities and outings. They also had  Discovery days, where they got to know more about each other, and also particpated in alternate church services. Pictured with Holly is Kallie McCormick - Holly stayed with the McCormick family in Delaware and this year the favour was returned with Kallie, along with others in the Delaware Project, visiting their former guests.
GOODBYE TO CARMEN AS SHE MOVES TO NEW MINISTRY Student reader Carmen Hayes finished her placement with Holy Trinity on Sunday 27th April. Her ministry was been greatly appreciated by the parish and we wish her well for her ministry in St Mark's, Portadown. A small gift was presented to Carmen at the annual church dinner (pictured). We will be remembering Carmen and her husband Alwyn in our prayers.
NEW CURATE   We are delighted that the Rev'd Robert Simpson has been appointed curate of the parish.  His first Sunday was 8th June and we welcome him and his wife Heather (pictured) to our parish family. Born and raised in Coleraine, Robert attended St Patrick's and was also active in the Boy's Brigade, serving with it for 21 years. After gaining a degree in Greek and English at NUU and a PGCE in Lancaster, Robert taught for 26 years in the Royal School in Armagh and then CAI, Coleraine. This allowed him to once again worship at St Patrick's and he served as church warden, a member of the Select Vestry  and trained as a Diocesan Reader. In 2003 he became ordained for the NSM curacy of Ballymoney, Finvoy and Rasharkin. While he shares an appreciation of wine with the Rector, he prefers swimmimg to football, coaching it for over 20 years. Most importantly, Robert claims never to preach for longer than 15 minutes!  He prefers to be called Robert or, for those who prefer a more formal address, Rev. Robert.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALAN Congratulations to Alan Devers who has successfully completed training for the role of  'parish reader' and was commissioned in the Rector's former parish of Upper Malone, Belfast on Pentecost Sunday evening (11th May). A small congratulatory gift was presented to Alan at the parish dinner (pictured). We wish Alan well in this new role.
PARISH DINNER 2008 Our parish dinner took place in 55 North on Thursday 17th April when about 100 parishioners and their friends enjoyed an evening of good food and great craic. During the course of the evening presentations were made on behalf of the parish to our student reader Carmen Hayes, prior to finshing in the parish and preparing for her ordination and futuure curacy, and to Alan Devers upon completion of his training as parish reader. Thanks are due to the Events Committee for organizing the evening, which included a raffle, to the Fletcher family for the use of 55 North and to all who attended the evening or supported it in anyway.
SAMMY KANE ATTENDS MAUNDAY SERVICE Congratulations are also due to Sammy Kane - Sammy was one of those fortunate to be chosen as a recipient of Maunday Money from the Queen. At the 2008 Maunday Service in Armagh Catherdral he was presented with a special set of coins to the value of the Queen's age by Her Majesty. This included a specially minted £5 coin.