Community

At Christ's Command - People from outside the church may ask why we seek to ‘Follow Christ and serve the community'. Probably the best answer is that we do so at Christ's command. Some of His last words to His disciples were:

"Go and make disciples of all peoples, teaching them to obey all the commands that I have given you.
I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28 v 19, 20)

It is in His strength that we reach out into our community together. Please read on to find out more...

 

Night Reach

Every Saturday Night at ‘The Point' Bar & Grill Pub in Lisburn, Whatever The Weather!

Every Saturday night, whatever the weather, a team of dedicated volunteers would gather from 12.30am to 2am outside ‘The Point' Bar & Grill Pub in Lisburn.  People are amazed that anyone would want to stand out in all weathers just to hand out a cup of tea or coffee in the name of Christ and some have engaged in very meaningful conversations with members of the team. Our leaders for Night Reach are Victor Hutchinson, Jeremy Bowden and Craig Adair.

 

CD Ministry

Every Sunday, our services are recorded on CD and distributed by a team of volunteers to the homes of those who are physically unable to be present at our church service. Extra copies of the previous Sunday's worship CD can also be collected from the church vestible.

 

Serving The Community

6th, 13th, 20th & 27th September 2009

Railway Street Presbyterian church set up four coffee mornings in conjunction with Harmony Hill Primary School for the wives of army personnel serving in Afghanistan. At a time of extreme anxiety among army families, the attempt to show support was very much appreciated. The four weeks of coffee mornings culminated in a ‘refresh’ pamper day run in partnership with Lisburn Tech’s beauty school. We ran a crêche in our facility in number 31 Railway Street while the mums could go for facials, massage and manicures. The afternoon was topped off by one of the wives commenting that, “this was the first time she has really felt welcome in Lisburn.” It is hoped that other projects will follow this initiative as we seek to serve the community of Lisburn.

 

Louise Clarke & Laura Bittle with YWAM

Two of our young adults are spending five months doing a ‘Discipleship Training School' run by YWAM (Youth with a Mission). This will involve three months of study and reflection and weekly outreaches to the locals, followed by two months of outreach at a different location. 

Louise Clarke left Northern Ireland from 22nd September 2009. She will be in South African and Tanzania working with disadvantaged children.

Laura Bittle left for Perth, Australia in July 2009. She has finished her training and is now in outreach in South Africa. She writes “Parow is a very dark area with a great deal of hopelessness and poverty. The people struggle to find employment and many have turned to alcohol, drugs and other addictions. There is a lot of violence and shootings among the youth over drugs. It has been amazing so far though, people are incredibly friendly and open once you invest time and get to know them.  So far we have been going  into an area of flats called Leonsdale and holding meetings in homes and doing childrens ministry. We pray for people and if they are interested, we go back and hold what they call "cottage meetings" in their houses.  The need is unbelievable.  Behind every door there is such despair and eye-opening tales of what is actually going on in their lives.  It doesn't seem real to me.  Last week I prayed for a girl whose older brother had killed her younger brother over a bowl of porridge.  I'm just after coming from the park after praying for a lady who is dieing from HIV and struggling with an alcohol addiction.  She told us how she had such pain in her body.  We spent some time praying for her and after, she told us the pain had gone from her body, she was so happy. It really is unbleiveable.  Every person  I talk to is so open and once they begin to open up, the things that are going on in their lives are so difficult.”

 

Taughmonagh Project

A team of people, youth and adults, from our church spent a week in the summer (Monday 17th - Sunday 23rd August 2009) doing street reach at Taughmonagh Estate, Belfast. They engaged with the local youth residence and had a great week. After the amazing summer week, we have continued to develope our partnership with Taughmonagh Presbyterian church by having a group of young people from Taughmonagh join us one Sunday evening a month. We are so excited about this project and the opportunities it will bring to share the love of Jesus with people in need.

 

‘Lauren Mulholland's Week of Mission' in Kosova

Lauren Mulholland, who is part of our church's music group, has been on a week of mission with the first GB holiday bible club in Kosova. For more information, please click:

http://www.lisburn.com/churches/church-news-2009/lauren-mulholland.html

 

Megan's Summer Outreach Work in Southern Ireland

Megan Gillespie, a member of our church, spent two weeks doing outreach work this summer (25th July to 8th August) in Southern Ireland. She was one of a team from Exodus who worked with both Family Scripture Union in Avoca and Dublin Christian Mission based in Dublin city centre.

http://www.lisburn.com/churches/church-news-2009/megans-summer-outreach.html

 

Summer Camp @ Ganaway Activity Centre

Saturday 18th - Friday 24th July 2009

Young people, of secondary school age, from Railway Street Presbyterian Church and outside of our church gathered for one week this summer at Ganaway's Adventure Youth Camp to have fun!

 

 

'Inter-Church Picnic in the Park and Prayer 2009'

Railway Street Presbyterian Church's Participation in ‘Inter-Church Picnic in the Park and Prayer' event on Pentecost Sunday, 31st May at Castle Gardens.

http://www.lisburn.com/churches/church-news-2009/inter-church-picnic.html

 

Good Friday ‘Carrying of The Cross March of Witness' 2009

Railway Street Presbyterian church was one of the seven city centre churches (including Seymour Street Methodist, First Lisburn, St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Lisburn Cathedral, Christ Church Parish and Lisburn Christian Fellowship) that took part in the annual Good Friday ‘Carrying of the Cross march of witness' held in Lisburn on Friday afternoon 10th April. The procession gathered at the lower end of Bow Street at 12.30pm then made its way along Bow Street to Market Square for a short act of worship at 12.45pm .

http://www.lisburn.com/churches/church-news-2009/carrying-of-the-cross.html

 

‘Joint Dawn Service' in Castle Gardens on Easter Sunday 2009

Rev. Brian Gibson, our church minister, was one of the inter-city church ministers who joined to celebrate Christ's resurrection at a ‘Joint Dawn Service' in Castle Gardens on Easter Sunday morning at 7.00am. The service was followed by breakfast in Lisburn Cathedral Church Hall.

 

Women's World Day of Prayer - 6th March 2009

Lisburn area churches held their 'Women's World Day of Prayer' main service in Railway Street Presbyterian Church on Friday, 6th March 2009. The service, was led by Mrs Jean Gibson, Northern Ireland Manager of Care for the Family who is also a member of Railway Street. Click on:

 http://www.lisburn.com/churches/church-news-2009/womens-world-day-of-prayer1.html

 

4th Lisburn Guides Raise Money For Children With Leukaemia

4th Lisburn Rainbow and Brownie Guides took part in a ‘Paper Plane Challenge' on Monday 23rd February in a fundraising event in aid of the charity ‘Children with leukaemia':

http://www.lisburn.com/churches/church-news-2009/children-with-leukaemia.html