Recent Extreme Weather
It is not only the weather that can cause the havoc we saw with flooding then the snow and extreme cold as it did a few weeks ago. Sometimes other events beyond our control can make us postpone or even cancel previously scheduled events or church services.
We will always try to advise you of late alterations to Church Service or meeting times in the Sunday Newssheet or on the web site latest Newssheet page which you can find at:
www.swanlinbar-kildallon.kilmore.anglican.org/news-sheet-weekly |
Confirmation
Our Confirmation group starts on Sunday 28th February, meeting from 5 to 6.30 pm in Tomregan Parish hall. This year we have nine young people exploring confirmation. Please do pray for this group of young people. In many churches confirmation has been likened to a passing out parade! We really do want to see the confirmation preparation as a way to go on with God. We want our young people to discover more fully the huge difference Jesus can bring in our lives and the incredible privilege of being a part of Christ's body, the Church.
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Coffee Morning and Cake Sale
A cake sale and coffee morning is to be held in Tomregan hall on Saturday 13th March from 10am - 1pm. Proceeds will go towards Forward funds which help run some of the events which celebrate our church as a family of all ages. These include the Vision Day, the Sunday School BBQ in June and the Christmas Senior citizens Dinner and dance. |
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Forward
There will be a meeting for the Forward Group on Thursday 25th February at 7 pm in Ballyconnell Parish Hall. |
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| Lent Services
 Following a traditional penitential service led by Canon Reggie Twaddell on Ash Wednesday, our following Lent services will be on the theme "The impossible dream".
This series is based on the prophet Micah and his challenging words to us today.
He has shown you O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
There is a small booklet of very helpful Bible notes that will be used from our 2nd Wednesday that build on the themes of the services in your own time in your homes.
If you would like to order your own copy please contact Beatrice Crawford or Molly Richardson Cost €4 or £3.50.
As is our usual group practice these services will move around all the churches in the group with our Holy week services in Ballyconnell and Kildallon.
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This new monthly service is under way. The next service is on Friday 26th at 8.45 pm in Derrylane Parish Church in our neighbouring Killeshandra Group. This service will be in a more modern style suitable to all ages. While it is not simply a youth service we hope it is a service that our young people can find of value.
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A Big Thank You
May I take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped complete forms for our parish update. As I have explained in the previous newsletter updating the details that we hold will help our group in all sorts of ways, not least in helping a new Rector find his way around. May I also publicly say a big thank you to those vestry members collecting the information on behalf of the vestries and to Phyll in the Church Office for helping get it all up to date. Thank you.
If you have forgotten to fill in the form please may I remind you to do so and return it to the vestry member who gave it to you. |
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Haiti
At our United Services last month we looked at the Church as the Body of Christ using the story of young goalkeeper Billy and his body parts swapping roles! It was a reminder that each of us have special roles to play in the church. We were also reminded of the way that different parts of the body of the church help in times of suffering as we learnt more about the church in Haiti and the Christian Charity Compassion.
In the service I sought to point out there are many ways to take a real interest that do not have to involve giving financially.
Let us remember the priority and value of prayer. Pray for the work of the local church in Haiti as they try and rebuild projects that help many thousands of young people and families in their daily living.
We can also practically petition governments. Christian Aid write, "For 200 years, Haiti has made huge payments on servicing its foreign debt. However, more than $890m remains, owed mostly to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-America Development Bank. We think this is unacceptable. And while the World Bank’s announcement on Friday that it will waive repayments for five years marks welcome progress on this issue, what Haiti needs from the Bank and the IMF is concrete commitment that all its debts will be cancelled in full."
A more recent announcement that the world’s seven most industrialised countries (G7) have vowed to cancel their remaining bilateral debt with Haiti is also a step in the right direction. However, this does not in any way reduce Haiti’s international debt which remains at about $890 million.
Christian Aid are leading a petition calling on the UK to lead the world in giving Haiti a fighting chance for the future by cancelling its $890m of international debt in full and for all emergency and development funds to be given not loaned. If you use a computer you can find information at www.christianaid.org.uk where you can sign the petition online.
Haiti Emergency Relief Fund Collection
Our United Services in Corrawallen and Ballyconnell raised €552 which has been forwarded to the Earthquake appeal through the Christian Charity Compassion. |
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Women's World Day of Prayer 
This year the Women's World Day of Prayer will be held in Florencecourt Methodist Church on Friday 5th March 2010 at 8pm. Speaker: Rev. June Parke from Brookeborough. All ladies welcome.
The Women's World Day of Prayer is divided into areas and for this area it rotates between Kildallon Church of Ireland; Kildallan Roman Catholic Church; Killeshandra C of I; Killeshandra R.C. Church and Corlespratten Methodist Church. This year it is the turn of Corlespratten Methodist Church, the service is at 8.30 pm.
Readers are chosen from each of the churches listed to be involved in the service.
Swanlinbar Parish Quiz 
This is a fundraising quiz in aid of funds for the heating system to be installed in the hall in Swanlinbar. Alice Gould is the quizmaster and sheets can be obtained from her for £1 or €1.50 per sheet. They need to be returned by 24th April for checking. A little challenge to get the grey cells working. |
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. The name Shrove comes from the old middle English word 'Shriven' meaning to go to confession to say sorry for the wrong things you've done. Lent always starts on a Wednesday, so people went to confessions on the day before. This became known as Shriven Tuesday and then Shrove Tuesday.
The other name for this day, Pancake Day, comes from the old English custom of using up all the fattening ingredients in the house before Lent, so that people were ready to fast during Lent. The fattening ingredients that most people had in their houses in those days were eggs and milk. A very simple recipe to use up these ingredients was to combine them with some flour and make pancakes!
The custom of making pancakes still continues today, and in many U.K. towns and villages pancake races (where people race with a frying pan while tossing a pancake in it!) and pancake tossing competitions are held on Shrove Tuesday.
In other countries Shrove Tuesday is known as 'Mardi Gras'. This means 'Fat Tuesday' in French and also comes from the idea of using up food before Lent.
Many countries round the world have Mardi Gras celebrations and carnivals. Some of the most famous are in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, New Orleans in the U.S.A., Venice in Italy and Sydney in Australia.
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Please Could You Contribute to future Newsletters?
 If you have a digital camera or a camera on your mobile phone please take photographs of your local parish activities. We would love to hear from you or, just send your photos to the group office.
If you have any submissions for the Monthly Newsletter or the weekly Newssheet please contact the church office. Telephone. 049 9527705. It will be manned on Friday from 11.30am - 2pm
Email: 
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Sponsored Walk for Haiti 
On Sunday last, 7th February sixteen members of the GFS did a sponsored walk in aid of Haiti earthquake relief fund. The walk left Newtowngore National School at 3pm to the village then returned to the school for refreshments.
Well done to Matilda, the G.F.S. girls and all the parents who participated on the day. A special Thank You to every one who helped and also to all those who sponsored the children. We are pleased to tell you that €964.64 was raised for the Haiti Relief Fund. |
How about a smile?
Family Life
Father: “I am just conceited enough to think that our son gets his intelligence from me.”
Mother: “Of course he does, dear, I’ve still got mine.
The Father watching his daughter select a very expensive wedding gown “I don’t mind giving you away but must I gift wrap you too?”
“Would you love me as much if my father lost all his money?”
“Has he?”
“Why, No.”
“Of course I would darling.”
A Father returned from work one day to find his small daughter sitting on the front steps looking very unhappy.
“What’s wrong” he asked.
“Just between me and you, Daddy” the little girl replied “I can’t get along with your wife.”
Uncle: “You boys today want too much money. Do you know what I was getting when I married your aunt?”
Nephew: “Nope, I bet you didn’t either!”
Thanks to Karen Whitelaw
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Another Smile for You
Sorry, Wrong Address!
It's wise to remember how easily this wonderful e-mail technology can be misused, sometimes unintentionally, with serious consequences.
Consider the case of the Cork man who left the snow-filled streets of Middleton for a holiday in Spain. His wife was delayed due to an unbreakable appointment and was planning to fly out and meet him there the next day. When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find the scrap of paper on which he had written her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory. Unfortunately, he missed one letter, and his note was directed instead to an elderly rector's wife, whose husband had passed away only a couple of days previously.
When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint. At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
My Dearest Wife,
Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.
PS. Sure is hot down here. |
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Some More Smiles for You
Signs on Church Property
"In the dark? Follow the Son."
"Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world."
"If you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns."
"If you don't like the way you were born, try being born again."
"Looking at the way some people live, they ought to obtain eternal fire insurance soon."
"This is a ch_ _ ch. What is missing?" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (U R)
"Forbidden fruit creates many jams."
"If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd."
"No God -- No Peace. Know God -- Know Peace."
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 Prayer Points for the remainder of January and Early February
Let us continue to listen
to God in prayer and develop a daily routine of praying for
the following on the day of the week indicated;
| Sunday: |
Pray for our group of churches - for our Sunday life of worship to be a time when we can truly say we have been enriched in the presence of God; |
| Monday: |
Pray for those who are presently struggling with illness or personal tragedy. May the peace of Christ be real in the middle of the storm; |
| Tuesday: |
For nurse Beryl Baker in the Chaco region of Paraguay. Help her to rely on Jesus in her daily life and ministry. We also pray for generous giving this Lent to help sustain and encourage her ministry with the poor; |
| Wednesday: |
Pray for our Lent services. Through them may we discover more of God's heart. May the way we live our daily lives be increasingly shaped by His hopes and desires for us and our world; |
| Thursday: |
For a new Rector, the person of God's choosing in God's time - for patience as we wait, that we may grow through our waiting. For Richard as he seeks to encourage the group in this time of vacancy; |
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For all those who continue to be effected by the economic decline - we ask that hearts and minds would not know despair but instead the hope and provision of Christ; |
| Saturday: |
For the people of Haiti who have suffered huge loss and devastation - especially pray for the Church in Haiti and Christian charities like Compassion, Christian Aid and Tearfund seeking to bring hope where there is only pain and loss and discouragement.
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Service Schedule for the rest of February & most of March |
Day and date |
Time |
Location |
Service |
Leader |
February |
Wednesday 17th |
8.00 pm |
Kildallon |
Ash Wednesday |
Canon Reggie Twaddell |
Sunday 21st |
10.00 |
Swanlilnbar |
MP2 |
George Taylor |
10.30 |
Newtowngore |
MP2 |
Richard |
11.30 |
Templeport |
MP2 |
George Taylor |
12.00 |
Kildallon |
MP2 |
Richard |
Wednesday 24th |
8.00 pm |
Swanlinbar |
Lent |
Richard |
Friday 26th |
8.45 |
Derrylane, Killeshandra |
Contemporary |
Rev Andrew Quill? |
Sunday 28th |
10.00 |
Kinawley |
MP1 |
Richard |
10.30 |
Corrawallen |
HC |
Bishop Ken Clarke |
11.30 |
Ballyconnell |
MP1 |
Richard |
12.00 |
Kildallon |
HC |
Bishop Ken Clarke |
March |
Wednesday 3rd |
8.00 |
Newtowngore |
Lent |
Richard |
Sunday 7th |
10.00 |
Swanlinbar |
HC |
To be advised |
10.30 |
Newtowngore |
MP1 |
Richard |
11.30 |
Templeport |
HC |
To be advised |
12.00 |
Kildallon |
MP1 |
Richard |
Wednesday 10th |
8.00 |
Kinawley |
Lent |
Richard |
Sunday 14th |
10.00 |
Kinawley |
MP2 |
George Taylor |
11.00 |
Corrawallen |
GFS |
Richard |
11.30 |
Ballyconnell |
MP2 |
George Taylor |
Wednesday 17th |
8.00 |
Corrawallen |
Lent |
Richard |
Sunday 21st |
3pm |
Swanlinbar |
United |
Dennis Johnston SAMS |
Wednesday 24th |
8.00 |
Templeport |
Lent |
Richard |
Friday 26th? |
8.45 |
Ballyconnell? |
Contemporary |
To be advised |
Sunday 28th |
10.00 |
Kinawley |
HC |
To be advised |
10.30 |
Corrawallen |
MP2 |
Richard |
11.30 |
Ballyconnell |
HC |
To be advised |
12.00 |
Kildallon |
MP2 |
Richard |
Monday 29th |
8.00 |
Ballyconnell |
Holy Week |
To be advised |
| Tuesday 30th |
8.00 |
Kildallon |
Holy week |
To be advised |
| Wednesday 31st |
8.00 |
Ballyconnell |
Holy Week |
To be advised |
| April |
| Thursday 1st |
8.00 |
Kildallon |
Holy Week |
To be advised |
| Friday 2nd |
8.00 |
Ballyconnell |
Good Friday |
To be advised |
| Easter Sunday 4th |
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Sunrise Service |
To be advised |
| Please check back here regularly. We will advise times, locations and speakers of the 'TBA' services as soon as the information is available. |
1 after Service type indicates Traditional 2 after Service type indicates Contemporary
After the United Services there will be a cup of tea in the Church or local hall |
e & oe
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I have a sad tale. It’s a tale that in truth I’m a little ashamed about because I know I was at fault. I know I was the one to blame. I was the one not prepared. I was the one whose guard was let down, who hadn’t checked correctly that everything was secure. I was the one who hadn’t looked after them properly.
‘Not yet’ or ‘later’ may be ok with a holiday when I know the deadline and can meet the deadline. ‘Not yet’ is not how we can answer our Lord, whose day comes like a thief in the night. 
Lent is a wonderful time focusing on the life of Jesus in the teaching of the church that helps us get ready. It’s a great time to start new habits. The Jars of Grace and the Bible reading with our Lent services are two obvious examples that help feed our souls, but you may have your own. These are ways of doing things that help us experience more of God’s Love and help us see and care for the world around us.
ct in all the offerings and give thanks to God in this grace giving.
In addition to the jars of grace we have a really important United Service on Sunday 21st March. We will be celebrating our mission links in a special service. Dennis Johnston from SAMS will be visiting and we will be hearing more news about our link with Beryl Baker and our Sunday school link with young Edoh in Togo. Please come along if you possibly can. The service will be at the later time of 3pm in Swanlinbar.