News Items
GROUP NEWS
Christmas Holiday
Geoff will be on holidays
from Saturday 29th December to Saturday 5th January inclusive.Any
pastoral emergencies during this period should be referred to the
Rev Ivan Ruiters on 00 44 2866348235
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Office Administrative
Assistant
Progress on the Group Office
in Ballyconnell is good, with the renovations now complete. It just
remains for some electrical work, painting and the putting down
of a floor-covering to be done and we will be ready to move in!
We now need to engage someone for the role of Admin Assistant to
work in the office for a total of 15 hours per month. If you are
interested in the position, then please contact Geoff for details
of criteria and an application.
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SKY Fellowship
(Swanlinbar - Kildallon Youth Fellowship)
This resumes on Sunday 20th
January in the Parish Hall, Ballyconnell. Even at this very early
stage we are beginning to form good friendships and establish some
degree of trust with one another, an integral part of what we are
about in our group. All young people of secondary school age and
above are most welcome to come along each Sunday evening between
6.30pm and 8.30pm.
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Confirmation Classes
These resume after the Christmas
break on Monday 7th January at 7.30pm in the Rectory, Swanlinbar.
Each class lasts no more than one hour.
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Senior’s
Dinner
What a brilliant evening
we all had at the Senior’s Dinner in Ballyconnell Parish Hall.
We had an absolutely outstanding meal for over 50 seniors with all
of the trimmings that you would expect at any high-class hotel,
and all provided by the local church! The evening’s entertainment
was provided once more by Joe Healy and Robert Wilson who played
without ceasing for an hour and a half, more than enough for even
the most energetic!! And we were treated to John’ rendition
of the Horn Pipe once more this year, thank you John for your agility
and willingness to perform for us.
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Sincere and
hearty thanks are due to the Forward Steering Group who arranged
this significant function for our Seniors and served them on the
day also. And to anyone else who contributed in any way whatsoever,
thank very much for all your support.
I believe that people are
gradually beginning to see what our Forward Group is all about and
the real benefits of doing things together. Through things like
the Senior’s Dinner, friendships are made and relationships
are built and in this way our Church grows stronger.
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Swanlinbar Sale of Work
The annual sale of work took place on perhaps
the wettest day so far this winter! Takings were slightly down on
last year with a total of €1560.33 and £365.34 being
raised but sincere thanks are extended to everyone who took part
in the sale or supported it on the day.
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WWW. (Worship Word Witness) .
had a great year in 2007 and they are launching
their program for 2008 with Bishop Ken Clarke speaking and Mark
Ferguson leading worship in Cathedral Hall, Kilmore at 8pm on Saturday
5th Jan 2008. WWW. is open to all young adults aged 18 or over (married
couples are not excluded!).
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Welcoming of Capt Richard Beadle,
his wife Pauline and their two children
The Rectory is nearing completion, the
removal van is booked, the long awaited day is drawing near! Even
as I write these notes I am preparing the finishing touches on
the order of service for the commissioning of Richard to serve
as an Evangelist within our Parish Grouping. All the preparations
are coming to a conclusion and I’m sure I am not the only
one who is really looking forward to the arrival of the Beadle
family. I am very excited about the opportunities this presents
to us to develop new ministries as well as developing existing
good works. But if I am entirely honest, I am also a little anxious
as we all enter a new time of change in our Group. It will take
time for all of us to get to know one another. For you the reader
there will be a new leader with a new style to get used to. For
Richard there will be over 500 people to get to know as well as
the names of the various townlands, junctions and intricate lane-ways!!
For me, it will mean a fresh period of listening and reflecting
as well as directing and giving overall leadership within our
Group. This is rather daunting, but I do trust that the God who
has called us together in our Grouping will continue to journey
with us as we grow in our knowledge and love of one another. This
past six months have been massive for me, and I suspect for you
the reader. But I just know that the next six will have even more
challenges and blessings in store for each one of us.
We can start this New Year, this new season
on the “right foot” so to speak by gathering in Kildallon
Parish Church on Sunday 6th January 2008 at 3.30pm to say YOU
ARE WELCOME to the Beadle family. I would dearly love to see the
Church filled that day, not for my sake or because the Bishop
is coming. I would love to see people with thankful hearts, who
are glad that God has sent Richard to serve us, gather that day
to say welcome to a family who have responded to the call of God
on their lives as they leave city life to minister in our rural
Group. Please do make this service a priority in your diary and
lets all gather in the name of Jesus to welcome this lovely family
as they begin a new phase in their Christian service.
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To protect the
children their faces have been altered |
Catering for the Welcoming Service
Many of you may already
know that this service is to be followed by refreshments in the
Kildallon Community Centre. I have asked the ladies of the MU to
arrange the catering and it has been agreed that the ladies of the
Kildallon part of the Group are to provide tray bakes, whilst the
ladies from the Swanlinbar part of the Group are to provide sandwiches
and scones
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Informal Praise Service
This is a monthly service, usually on
the second Sunday of each month at 8pm. The venue for each service
changes due to this service being a work of collaboration between
our Group and the Parish of Holy Trinity & Kinawley (Derrylin).
Through this service we are actively seeking to do something a
little bit different and perhaps arguably more relevant, with
particular emphasis on our teenagers and young adults. Having
said this though, it is a service which we hope has appeal for
all ages and many retired folk regularly attend and are blessed
through it. The format is very relaxed and informal with a combination
of traditional and contemporary music and multi-media material.
Each month we have a visiting speaker and at the first service
of the New Year our speaker will be the Rev Steve Clark of Belturbet
Parish. Steve will be speaking on the theme of “Forgiven,
but forgiving?” I believe as I travel around and share with
folk in their homes, that one of the most significant stumbling
blocks to growth in our Church and in our lives is this whole
area of forgiveness. Many, many people in our Parishes understand
what it means to be forgiven. But an area of real poverty exists
in relation to us then standing in the shadow of that gracious
forgiveness God shows to us through the Cross and being able to
extend forgiveness towards those who have wronged or hurt us –
not being able to forgive others is a real obstacle to growth.
I would encourage many people to come along to this service, not
just because it is the informal service, but specifically because
this is such an important issue and if we want to see our Church
grow it should be a top priority. Our next Informal Service will
be held in Kildallon Parish Church on Sunday 13th Jan 2008 at
8pm.
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Forthcoming youth events
Mike Edwards has written to inform me
of some forthcoming events for our young people.
Dublin on Ice on Saturday 12th January 2008 – a day coach
trip to Dublin with January Sales, 10 Pin Bowling and Ice-skating.
The cost is €25 with a discount for families of 3 or more.
Contact Geoff for more details and booking forms.
Youth Weekend at Share Centre from Friday 22nd Feb to Sunday 24th
Feb – this was what we took our confirmation candidates
on two years ago and is open to all our young people. Contact
Geoff for more details if interested.
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Watchnight Service
Unfortunately we have had to cancel our
Watchnight Service but the Dean of Kilmore has written to let
me know that he will be holding a service in the Cathedral at
11.15pm on Mon 31st Jan – everyone is most welcome.
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Rev
George William Browne
This is an
abridged version of the address given by Archdeacon
George Davison at the funeral service of Rev George
Browne
in Oughteragh Parish Church, Ballinamore
on Monday 10th December 2007 |
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George Browne
was born just over 65 years ago on 11 October 1942. He was
the eldest child of Samuel and Susan Browne and a source
of great joy to them. Along with his sisters Annie and Margaret,
George grew up on the family farm at Corgar, where indeed
he lived his whole life.
George spent the whole of his education locally here at
Oughteragh National School. He was an able boy, who loved
to read and he obtained a scholarship that would have enabled
him to attend Cavan Royal School. However there was plenty
of work needing done on the farm and Sam felt that his son
would be better employed working alongside him and so George’s
lifetime career in farming began at the age of 14.
In boyhood days George was fascinated by the trains that
ran along the old narrow gauge railway that passed not so
far from the back of the farm.
George took a great interest in the farm, and particularly
in his cattle. He was a quiet, gentle sort of a man and
he had a great love for the animals that were in his care.
He was a good neighbour and a well thought-of member of
the community. As in all farming communities, neighbours
mean a great deal to one another, and George appreciated
the friendship and support of his neighbours and was glad
to be able to give a hand in return or to enjoy a chat with
them when there was a moment or two to spare.
When he was just 18 years old, George joined the little
Orange Lodge that met at Corgar – this was to be the
beginning of a lifelong association with the Loyal Orders.
George’s lifetime of service meant that he rose to
prominence. He was Co. Grand Master of the Grand Orange
Lodge of Leitrim, a position that he had occupied for the
last 25 years. In addition, He was also Deputy Grand Master
of the Royal Black Institution in Co. Cavan and a Past President
of the Apprentice Boys Club in Cavan.
But though he took great pride in these positions, what
meant most to him was the opportunities for friendship that
he found in the various organisations. He loved to meet
with others and he would travel the length of the country
to attend a meeting or a service or a parade.
George first met Pearl through a family friendship with
the McAdam family. Following Stephen McAdam’s tragic
death, George’s friendship with Pearl took a new direction
and in due course they were married on 4th June 1985. It
was the beginning of a very happy and fulfilling twenty-two
years of married life.
George had from his earliest days been a faithful member
of this parish. He had been involved in all aspects of it’s
life from Sunday School to Select Vestry and the faith that
was nurtured here played such an important part in his life.
Like Isaiah in our Old Testament reading today, George felt
the call of God on his life, not only to be a faithful follower,
but also to be one who was a preacher of Good News. It is
over 30 years ago that he was first licensed as a lay reader
by Bishop Edward Moore and in the years that followed, what
service he gave to the parishes of this diocese!
It will not surprise you to know that George reckoned that
he had led worship in every parish the length and breadth
of the diocese.
It was my privilege as Director of Ordinands to assist George
through the process that led to selection, training and
ordination as a member of the clergy.
It was with a sense of great fulfilment that George was
ordained deacon in Kilmore Cathedral in June 2002. George
loved his work as an ordained minister. He gave himself
tirelessly in the service of people and in the service of
the God who had called him. Like so many of our Non-Stipendiary
Clergy, he worked long hours, and gave more of himself than
would have been asked or expected.
I think if I was asked to sum George up in one word it would
be ‘faithful’. He was so dependable –
if he said he would be somewhere or do something, you could
be sure that it would happen. And that was what endeared
him to so many.
George worked continuously, and he even kept going when
his health was not as good as it ought to have been.
His sudden passing on Saturday morning, whilst working on
the farm, has sent a shock through us all. What will we
do, how will we cope, how do we face the future? Many answers
will have to be worked out. George Browne may have been
a small man in stature, but he leaves a big gap in so many
places.
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Time
for a smile !
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Politically
correct St. Nicholas
‘Twas the night
before Christmas and Santa’s a wreck…
How to live in a world that’s politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to “Elves,”
“Vertically Challenged” they were calling themselves.
And labour conditions
at the North Pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
and equal employment
had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with four pigs, and you know that looked stupid!
The runners had been
removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.
And to show you the
strangeness of life’s ebbs and flows,
Rudolf was suing over unauthorized use of his nose
And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer
were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she’d enough of this life,
Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts,
why, he’d ne’er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.
Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be
construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.
Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed
to be gender specific.
Nothing that’s warlike or non-pacific.
No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while
not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.
For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football...someone
could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.
Dolls were said to be
sexist, and should be passé;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood
there, dishevelled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.
He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you’ve got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty,
limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.
Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy,
with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;
Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift,
it’s price beyond worth…
“May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth.”
Harvey Ehrlich,
1992
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Christmas
Quiz
What did Adam
say on the day before Christmas ?
It's Christmas, Eve !
How do you make an idiot laugh on boxing day ?
Tell him a joke on Christmas Eve !
What do you have in December that you don't have in
any other month ?
The letter "D" !
What does Father Christmas suffer from if he gets
stuck in a chimney ?
Santa Claustrophobia !
What do you call a letter sent up the chimney on Christmas
Eve ?
Black mail !
Who delivers cat's Christmas presents ?
Santa Paws !
Why does Father Christmas go down the chimney ?
Because it soots him !
Who delivers elephant's Christmas presents?
Elephanta Claus !
How many chimneys does Father Christmas go down ?
Stacks !
Why is Santa like a bear on Christmas Eve ?
Because he's Sooty
What did the guest sing at the Eskimo's Christmas
party ?
Freeze a jolly fellow !
What party game did Jekyll like best ?
Hyde and Seek !
Did you hear about the man who went to the fancy dress
party as a bone ?
A dog ate him in the hall !
What would you do if you saw Dracula, Frankenstein
& The Swamp Thing ?
Hope they were going as a fancy dress party !
Why couldn't the butterfly go to the Christmas ball
?
It was a moth ball !
How did the chickens dance at the Christmas party
?
Chick to chick !
Did you hear about Dracula's Christmas party ?
It was a scream !
Did you hear about the party with lots of fireworks,
balloons & crackers ?
It went with a bang !
What did Dracula say at the Christmas party ?
Fancy a bite ?
Why couldn't the skeleton go to the Christmas Party
?
He had no body to go with !
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A
Rare Book
A collector of rare books
ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an
old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention
that Guten-somebody-or-other had printed it.
"Not Gutenberg?"
Gasped the collector.
"Yes, that was it!"
"You idiot! You've thrown away one of the first books ever
printed. A copy recently sold at an auction for an absolute fortune!"
"Oh, I don't think this
book would have been worth anything close to that much," replied
the man. "It was scribbled all over in the margins by some
guy named Martin Luther!"
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Points to Ponder
Imagine the
moment...
The wonder of Jesus
coming into our world is that He knew all it would mean and yet
still He chose to come. His birth meant becoming a man not only
for 33 years but forever. We are told in the book of Hebrews 10:5-7
that a body was prepared for Him. Here we come face to face with
a mystery so deep that wonder and worship can be our only response.
Imagine the moment in heaven when the Son of God departs. God becoming
a foetus. God as a new born baby. God as a child . . . . . .
Never the same
again
We live in a universe
of parallel worlds. One consists of lakes and mountains and temples
and inns with shepherds watching their flocks by night. The other
of angels and supernatural forces and places called heaven and hell.
One night in the cold, dark and starlit sky those two worlds came
together.
Little wonder a choir of angels broke out in spontaneous song, disturbing
not only a few shepherds but the entire universe. The world would
never be the same again.
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Service Schedule for the remainder of November
& December
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Day |
Date |
Time |
Church |
Service |
Leader |
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Christmas Eve |
December
24th |
2
pm |
Breffni Residential Centre |
HC 1  |
Geoff |
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Monday |
24th |
9
pm |
Templeport
|
HC 2 |
Reggie
Twadell |
| |
24th |
9.45
pm |
Kildallon |
HC1 |
Geoff |
|
|
24th |
11.15 |
Ballyconnell |
HC 2 |
Geoff
|
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Christmas Day |
25th |
10
am |
Swanlinbar |
HC 2 |
Geoff |
|
Tuesday |
9th |
11.30 |
Newtowngore
|
HC 1 |
Geoff |
| Sunday
|
30th |
11.30 |
Ballyconnell
|
Group
United |
Hazel Hicks |
| Sunday |
6th |
3.30
pm |
Kildallon
Welcome Service for Captain Richard Beadle |
Group
United |
Bishop Ken & Geoff |
| Sunday
|
13th |
10
am |
Kinawley |
MP 2 |
George
Taylor |
| |
13th |
11
am |
Corrawallen |
United |
Geoff & Richard |
| |
13th |
11.30 |
Templeport
|
MP
2 |
George
& Robert Clarke |
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13th |
8
pm |
Kildallon |
Informal
Praise |
Geoff
& Steve Clarke |
|
Sunday |
20th |
8 pm |
Newtowngore |
MP
1 |
Hazel
& Joe |
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20th
|
11 am |
Kinawley |
United |
Geoff
& Richard |
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20th |
12.00 |
Kildallon |
MP 1 |
Hazel &
Essie Magee |
Tuesday |
22nd |
2
pm |
Breffni
Residential Centre |
HC
1 |
Geoff
& Richard |
| Sunday |
27th |
10
am |
Swanlinbar
|
MP
1 |
George |
| |
27th |
10.30 |
Corrawallen |
HC
2 |
Geoff
& Richard |
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27th |
11.30 |
Ballyconnell |
MP
1 |
George & Mervyn Foster |
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27th |
12.00
|
Kildallon |
HC
2 |
Geoff
& Richard |
| 1
after Service type indicates Traditional Service 2
after Service type indicates Contemporary Service
After the United Services there will be a cup of tea in the Church
or local hall  |
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