Slideshows:
Below are a selection of slideshows showcasing some of our many events and activities. Please click on any of the images to see the slideshow in a larger format.
Church Departments
Catering Department
Over the last 12 months we have provided for 2 Men’s Breakfasts (approx 70 persons) and 2 Sunday Soup Dinners (approx 70 persons). We also operated a Hot Dog Stand at 2 Car Boot Sales and a Soup Kitchen at one. We provided for some funerals, baby dedications as well as numerous Special Services, Family Services and Children’s Parties. The Catering Team does not consist of 4 or 5 people who are visible workers, but we are indebted to a number of ladies who we can depend upon to supply us with sandwiches, cakes, pastries as requested at short notice, and those men who readily answer the call to act as waiters and cleaners. My grateful thanks to each and everyone for their trust and support.
Most of our church activities are based around the church but the Foreign Missions Department requires its members to get out of their comfort zone and step out into the unknown. We have not, as yet, walked on water but we have experienced the Lord working with us in miracles of healing, conversions and remarkable answers to some very worrying situations.
It was our intention to send a mission team to Kenya in January 2008 but when we were due to travel there was some inter-tribal strife between the Luo and the Kikuyu tribes. This resulted in many deaths and over 300,000 displaced. In Eldoret in the Rift Valley region an Assembly of God church was burned down with 200 burned alive inside. Our Kikuyu friends were able to take 2 lorry loads of food and clothing to one of the refugee camps.
The mission team eventually got the all clear and arrived in Nairobi at 5.15 am on June 20, 2008. No-one should be under the misapprehension that an overseas mission is any way a holiday even though our visas to enter Kenya say that is why we are there. Every waking hour of every day is pre-planned and each member is given many opportunities to exercise their ministry and to stir up the gift that lies within them. We held a 5-day open air Evangelistic Crusade and a 5 day series of Revival Meetings in Umoja Pentecostal Church together with Youth, Children’s and Women’s meetings. We also held lunch hour meetings each week day in the centre of Nairobi for office workers. Many souls were led to the Lord, bodies healed and gifts of the Spirit received. We also saw the fine church extension we had previously financed on the ground we had paid for. I can tell you that Living Hope Belfast holds a special place in the heart of the congregation that worships there.
Finally, but by no means least important, we paid two visits to the new school and care centre for the orphans and exceedingly poor children of the Sinai slum suburb of Nairobi. The school is about 3 miles from where the children live and they walk there and back each day. We gave them food, clothing and toys. If anyone would like to help support these children, many orphaned by AIDS, I have some leaflets which describe the work being done. There are 9 Christian teachers and a head teacher, all of whom receive a small wage compared with what they would receive in a state school in which each has the qualifications to teach.
The Group meet generally on the third Tuesday of each month. The venue is at the home of Pastor Roy and his wife Daphne, which owes much to the success of the event.
The format for the evening is that as leader I try to open with a short humourous story, or a simple game with the help of one of the group. We would then sing some of our favourite choruses with Daphne playing the piano and Eddie Corr playing guitar.
We then have ministry from the Bible for 20 minutes by a visiting speaker. The last item is a time of prayer for special requests. After the prayer time the dining table is erected and laden with appetising sandwiches, home baked buns and cakes donated by some of our ladies - during which time we have fellowship with each other.
The attendance is normally upwards of thirty and the time of fellowship is enjoyed by all.
Bobby Shaw
House Group for 25-55 Age Group
Haven’t been to the 25-55’s House-group yet? Here’s what you missed in 2007/2008: September 2007 - inspirational ministry from Derek Bingham, International Bible Teacher and Author. October 2007 – Pastor Sam Moreland brought an encouraging message from God’s Word and delighted us with his musical ministry. Musically, Jim Weir sharing the Word through the messages in song, Iris Evans (singing and testifying) and James Strange whose fingers flew over the piano keyboard! We also had many varied contributions form House-group members, both musical and sharing the Word. June 2008 saw the seasons’ final gathering, held at Living Hope Complex, with a variety of events and ending with a thought provoking video message which was followed by an epilogue from Pastor Roy Leith. As we always say ……… it won’t be the same without YOU!
Dougie and Linda Masterson
Ladies Group
Throughout the past twelve months, we in the Ladies have brought the message (God’s Word) through many different avenues. We have used both old and new methods. We’ve brought along special speakers and singers. We’ve also had a ceramics night, but the highlight of the year for me, as head of this department was the night we “Stepped back in time”, looking at fashions and lifestyles throughout the different decades (50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s).
Part of our vision for the Ladies department is to build relationships, in other words (get to know each other). On this particular night, I was thrilled to see not only did we meet our aim but we exceeded it. The programme that night was such that each lady was put into a group, each group consisted of both our own members and ladies from the local community. Each group was given a different decade and their task was to design, make and model their outfit from that decade.
I watched with delight, as each group worked together as a team, with one goal – to win. That’s my aim as head of this department – to win not a competition but a community for Christ. It was a night filled with food, fun and laughter and was brought to a close with a thought from God’s Word.
The Men’s Ministry started back again on September 3rd after the summer break. Our core principles of the Men’s Ministry is to build relationships, develop ministries and to reach men in our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Men’s Ministry nights have been action packed. From Noel and his team cooking a Chinese meal for 90 people and our friend ‘Boneyard’ giving his testimony. Our Annual Draughts Competition drew many competitors but by the end of the night Jackie McCausland lifted the cup and was crowned ‘Living Hope Draughts Champion 2008’. We had a special ‘Night at the Movies’ where we all had something to eat from the chippy before the movie started.
Throughout the year we had a number of Bible studies which all the men participated in and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We had a men’s weekend away in June to the Giant’s Causeway where we stayed in Ballylinney Cottages. Over the weekend we ten pin bowled, golfed and had a boat trip around the Skerries. Each evening we had a football match where everyone thought they were young again, but the next morning told a different story. Come and experience the men’s ministry for yourself.
Over the last year we have continued to produce a weekly DVD newscast which is shown at the Sunday Services - this lets everyone know visually what events are taking place each week. We have videoed and photographed special events that have taken place in Living Hope which have included Musical & Drama events and several Baby Dedication Services. The parents of the babies dedicated have been presented with a DVD of the service as a reminder and keep-sake of this very special event. The DVDs of musical and drama events have been used to raise money for the Building Fund and the new Mini-bus Fund.
We are also responsible for desk-top publishing and updating Living Hope’s website. This includes producing a monthly information leaflet which lets people read ‘At a Glance’ what events are on and a quarterly “Community News” information newsletter which has been distributed into every home in the lower Shankill area. We have also produced promotional leaflets and invitations for special events.
Currently we are rehearsing for a new Musical & Drama “Home on the Range” which will take place in Living Hope in November.
I am a Church Representative for Open Doors, bringing to the church their prayer requestsfor persecuted Christians. They suffer much for their faith and need our prayers very much. The prayer meeting is where the latest requests are made known for those in great need. They appreciate our prayers as they can often feel they are forgotten. I thank you for your prayers and hope you will continue to pray for them in the days ahead.
“Don’t forget those who are suffering” Hebrews 13 v3 (CEV)
Margaret Johnston
Church Representative for Open Doors
Open Doors has been providing Bibles, Christian literature, training and practical support to the Persecuted Church worldwide since 1955.
The past year has been an active one for the prayer team. We are central to every part of church life, praying constantly for individual and corporate needs. We give thanks to God for many answered prayers, the most important of which has been seeing people, young and old coming to know Jesus as Saviour in our church and in our families. In the next few months we are keen to develop this part of our prayer life further with new ideas to make us even more effective.
We give thanks too, for the opening of our new multi purpose building in November 2007, the result of many prayers to overcome obstacles which stood in the way of this exciting project. Praying for those who are sick or struggling with personal life problems continue to be a vital part of our ministry. Also support to each and every department of the Living Hope work. We pray too for missions overseas and the Suffering Church in lands overseas where it is not possible to be a Christian without fear of persecution. We all continue to learn more about prayer as individuals and as a team. Our ministry never ends.
The Visitation Team consists of Jim Garvin, Pauline Carson, Carole Coughlin, Gordon Potts and myself (David Hill). Our aim and goal is to bring comfort and to be a listening ear for the church members and congregation. It is my belief that that is being fulfilled and we leave people’s homes just as blessed and encouraged as the people we are visiting.
Visiting people in the hospital, the sick and elderly is our priority as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians we can ‘edify one another’. As the church advances and progresses we pray that the Lord will build His church and that He will add to our church such as should be saved.
We endeavour to see that everyone in the church is visited at least once a year by our team. On a lighter note we have some great cooks in our wee church as our stomachs can testify to that.
“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another” 1 Thess ch 5 v 11.
Here I am again a year later giving an update on our Worship Department in our church. As Worship Leader in our church it’s lovely to be able to say God’s blessing never ends. He just gives us more and more and more…….
I have a great team around me of different talents. This year we are playing and taking part in our church musical. I can’t boast of being anything special as a musician but I can of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also God has blessed us with a lovely young praise band starting to mature in God. David in the Psalm 115 says “It’s not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give glory”. May all of our lives be blessed in praise and worship to Jesus. Thank you.
