Irish news digest June 8

Derry parish Facebook Concerts raise over £7,000 for NHS

Photo above – The Rev Rhys Jones (curate) and the Rev Dacid McBeth from All Saints Clooney where country concerts have raised £7,790 for the Health Service.

The ‘Facebook Concerts’, in April and May, were organised by the Rector, the Rev David McBeth, and attracted hundreds of viewers. The events featured artists from throughout the North West – including David himself. Donations were made through the JustGiving platform.

The parish also held a Gospel Concert on Facebook last Friday Night for All Saints Church Clooney’s Extension Fund which has raised over £7.000 to date. All Saints – where Mr McBeth is assisted by curate the Rev Rhys Jones – is also supporting the Churches Trust’s Pantry Project, a foodbank which is currently supporting many local families affected by the Coronavirus crisis.

Mr McBeth says the church porch in Clooney Church will be open on Monday mornings, between 10am and 12 noon, for anyone who would like to drop off food donations.

Rector conquers Mount Kilimanjaro

He’s done it! Congratulations to the Rev Andy Heber, vicar of Carnmoney, who today completed Tearfund’s Mount Kilimanjaro Challenge, with a final run of 48 flights which took him over 6,000 metres – and to the peak of the world’s fourth highest mountain.

In the course of 26 days, and two days ahead of his initial target, Andy climbed a total of 2,130 flights of stairs – or 31,952 individual stairs!

When he began the challenge almost a month ago, Andy said: “These days of restrictions and lockdown are testing us all, however it’s important to remember that our lives are safer and easier compared with many people in our world. In less developed countries with fewer resources and a much more basic infrastructure even the ability to wash your hands regularly is a luxury, let alone the availability of sufficient hospital beds and ventilators.

“Over the coming months as the coronavirus hits many of the less developed countries in our world, the effects will be devastating.”

Tearfund launched its climbing challenge to raise funds to provide aid in these countries, promoting hygienic practices and seeking to build adequate hand washing stations to prevent the spread of the virus.

Andy admitted that scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, which stands at 5,895 metres tall, was one of his long–held ambitions.

After finishing on Thursday morning, he said it hadn’t been as tough as he had anticipated. ”Once I got into my rhythm I found it easier to keep going and do my daily target in one run rather than shorter batches, particularly as I needed a shower after each run,” he said. “Some days I was running 90 or 100 flights in one run, which enabled me to have three days off during the 26 days.”

He did confess that he walked rather than ran up one flight each day – the early morning one. “I brought my wife Lynne a cup of coffee in bed every day, didn’t want to spill the coffee!” he explained.

To date, Andy has raised £3,266 for Tearfund through his Just Giving page and monies donated by cheque, and the money is still coming in. “The money raised so far is six times what I was aiming to raise so I am absolutely thrilled,” Andy said.

“The stair carpet is now well worn and my knees are stiff, but I am looking forward to a couple of weeks rest now before I resume my outdoor runs again.”

President of Methodist Church writes

“This is my last Weekend/Sunday posting as President and an opportunity to say thank you. I’ve been using a story about Rudyard Kipling to do this in various places. This is a questionable but nevertheless fresh and useful version of it. Once, hoping for a story, a newspaper reporter asked, “Mr Kipling. I just read that somebody calculated that the money you made from your writings amounts to over £100 a word. Here’s a £100 note. Now give me one of your £100 words.” Kipling looked at the note for a moment, took it, folded it up, put it in his pocket and said, “Thanks.” I’m quite sure I’ll never be able to adequately express my gratitude to you as a Church for the blessing of serving in this office during this past year, and for the wonderful prayer support Linda and I have benefitted from. And I shall be endlessly thankful to God for the glorious adventure of knowing him and for the unique adventure of serving as President of the Methodist Church in Ireland. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless our Church to be a blessing, and that he will likewise bless my successor the Rev Dr Tom McKnight. Thank you Church and thank you Lord.
#GodisourAdventure. Every blessing.” President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

The President’s Diary:

The President has a meeting on Monday, the Conference Ministerial Session on Wednesday afternoon and concludes his year of office at the Service of Installation for his successor, the Rev Dr Tom McKnight, on Wednesday evening. His sharing on Facebook will conclude on Wednesday. Tomorrow (Sunday 7th June) you will find three recorded sermons on the ‘MCI website (‘Church at Home’ section), the Mountpottinger website (YouTube – Anniversary service), and the Glengormley website

On line

## Mothers Union on Monday

8th June 2020 marked 2 weeks since the tragic death of George Floyd, and MU encouraged members to use this date to reflect, pray and unite to help find a peaceful, compassionate and lasting solution to end racism, wherever it is found.
In respect of this, Midday Prayers today, Monday will be extended and led by Rev. Canon Dr. Rosemarie Mallett with a reflection from our Worldwide President Sheran Harper.
Please join the MU here on Facebook on Monday 12pm (BST) as they lift up their voices in prayer for an end to hatred and racism.
#blacklivesmatter

[ https://www.mothersunion.org/news/mothers-union-statement-on-black-lives-matter. ]

C of I Gazette

The Board of the Church of Ireland Gazette continues to make the publication free whilst the global health crisis continues.
The June 2020 issue is available as a free download here.
[[] https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=9e3b60fe-bfb4-42cd-8268-dc97bdb62e00 ]

Statement on individual prayer in churches
The Church of England
[[] https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/statement-individual-prayer-churches ]

Food for thought

Points for Prayer

Pray for:
The economy, as the delicate balance between safety, health and the financial fate of millions of families is weighed in the balance.

Schools as they gradually widen their intake in the coming weeks.

For the NHS as it grapples with the struggle to re-start non-Covid-related services, and for those people who depend on it.

God in Creation