First Dunboe Presbyterian Church

Action Cancer is a charity which offers services to enable the early detection of
cancer, and thus the possibility of treatment at the earliest opportunity. You
may have seen the Action Cancer “Big Bus” on television, or have come across it
before. It brings these services to local communities, enabling people who live
far from Belfast to have important health checks and receive advice without having to take a
long journey.  The Big Bus provides:-

●  Breast cancer screening for all women who fall outside the NHS age range (i.e. those aged 40 – 49 and those over 65) together
with targeted screening for women aged 50 – 64 who do not attend the NHS
programme:

●  Health checks for men (aged 18+) e.g. blood pressure & pulse / cholesterol / body mass index / facial scan for any signs of skin cancer / & lung capacity (for smokers):

●  Counselling service which is open to anyone affected by cancer, including children and teenagers, who need support when cancer affects someone close to them. This gives vital emotional
and psychological support and is strictly confidential:

●  Health promotion and cancer prevention, by providing informative leaflets on a wide range of health issues:

●  Fully equipped complementary therapy treatment room

The Big Bus also has:-

►               Full disabled access:

►               Supervised children’s play area:

►               Coffee bar. 

                                                                                                                                       The local churches are covering the cost of bringing the Big Bus to our area. It
will be at the Promenade in Castlerock on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd
November.

                                                                                                                                                It may not be possible for the staff to see all those who would like to have
health checks or receive advice. In order to be sure of your place:- phone 028
9080 3344 or email bigbus@actioncancer.org to make an
appointment.

Dear Friends,
   I find it hard to believe that it was 25 years ago on Friday 10th September 1982 that I was installed as the 13th minister of First Dunboe. It certainly does not seem anything like 25 years – although it becomes clear that a great deal has happened when we start and think of all the different events which have taken place, the schemes that have been launched and brought to conclusion, the babies who have been born, the couples who have been married and the deaths of so many who were enthusiastic members of our church family.
There can be no doubt that having worked our way together through joy and sorrow, having faced opportunities and disappointments, Alison and I feel very much part of a family here in First Dunboe. For that we are very grateful to all of you, who are like brothers and sisters to us, and above all to our Heavenly Father who has so freely given us this family spirit.
As I write this letter we are approaching an evening to mark this Silver Anniversary. It is strange for Alison and for me to have an event like this taking place in First Dunboe and to be totally in the dark about it! Usually we are busy organising all sorts of details. We want to thank all those who have taken care of the arrangements for this night. It is good to look back to years gone by and give thanks . . . and it is essential to look forwards to the years ahead and rise to the challenges we face as a church family.  As someone once said,
Hats off to the past!
Coats off to the future!
              Yours in Christ,  
            Jim & Alison McCaughan

September            
Sun.    16th      11:30 a.m.    Presentation of Sunday School prizes.
Fri.    21st       7:30 p.m.    Silver Anniversary Event (See page 2)
Sun.    23rd     11:30 a.m.    Dedication of new window (See News)
                                                                                                        
 October            
        Celebration of the Lord's Supper    
 Fri.     5th        7:30 p.m.      Preparation for Communion  
Sun.      7th       11:30 a.m.      Celebration of Communion
                   7:00 p.m.     Thanksgiving for Communion

Mon.       8th       8:00 p.m.    P.W.A. (See PWA letter enclosed)    
Tues.       9th       2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club.
Fri.12th – Sun.14th     Youth Weekend at Ski Supreme.            
Sun.    21st     11:30 a.m.    Youth Sunday (Graeme Thompson)           
Sun.     28th      Harvest Thanksgiving    
        11:30 a.m.    Rev. Jim Frazer
          7:00 p.m.    Rev. David Hyndman
                                       (Spa & Magherahamlet Pres. Churches)            

November            
Fri.    2nd & Sat. 3rd    Action Cancer ‘Big Bus’ at The     
                 Promenade, Castlerock (See p.5)    
Mon.      5th         1:00 p.m.    Afternoon Club Harvest Lunch.
Fri.       9th        7:30 p.m.      Young Adults Ceilidh (See News p.6)  
Sun.    11th      11:30 a.m.    Remembrance Day: G.B. Enrolment
Mon.    12th    8:00 p.m.    P.W.A. Mini rally in First Dunboe.
Tues.    13th    2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club.
Sun.    18th    11:30 a.m.    United Service with Castlerock, Ringsend and Second Dunboe in First Dunboe church building.
Sun.    25th    11:30 a.m.    B.B. Enrolment
         7:00 p.m.    Service of Divine Healing
Fri.    30th     7:30 p.m.    P.W.A. Sale and Games Night

December            
Wed.      5th      7:00 p.m.    Switching on Christmas Tree lights.
Mon.     10th     8:00 p.m.    P.W.A. (See PWA letter enclosed)
Tues.    11th     2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club.
Wed.    12th         Hezlett P.S. Christmas carols in 1st Dunboe
Sun.    23rd       11:30 a.m.    Christmas Family service
Sun.    23rd         7:00 p.m.    Christmas Carol service
Tues.    25th    10:30-11:15a.m.        Christmas Day service

There is no Sunday School or Bible class on 23rd  or 30th Dec..            
N.B. The church books close on Tues.,1st January, 2008            

April            
Fri.     6th     8:00 p.m.     Preparation for Communion.
Sun.     8th         Easter Sunday
        11:30 a.m.    Celebration of Communion.
        7:00 p.m.    Easter Celebration at the cross
Tues.    17th    2:00 p.m..     Afternoon Club: Spring trip to the garden of Rae McIntyre, Blackhill.
            PWA Spring Rally in Macosquin Pres.Church
Thurs.    19th    7:30p.m.    Games Night for the Young Adults
Fri.    20th    7:30p.m.    Installation of the Rev. David Hyndman (See Church News).
Sun.    22th        United Appeal & Outreach
Sun.    29th    11:30 a.m.    Rev. Ronnie Hetherington.

May            
Thurs.    3rd        Annual General Meeting of PWA in Belfast.
Tues.    8th    2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club: Communion
Sat.    12th        Coffee Morning for the Latvia Team
Tues.    15th    7:30 p.m.    Child Protection Training – Please note!
Wed.    23th        “Fit for Life” begins

June            
Sun.    3rd    11:30 a.m.    Young People's Day
          7:00 p.m.    Young People's Day: Rev.David Allen
Mon. 4th – Fri. 8th            The General Assembly, Belfast.
Sun.    10th        No Sunday School or Bible Class after Young People's Day
Tues.    12th        Afternoon Club Outing – A cruise along the River Bann.
Mon.    18th        PWA Outing : A talk by the Irish Society followed by dinner at Aghadowey
Sun.    24th    7:30 p.m.    Praise Service

July            
9th – 20th             Castlerock CSSM
9th – 20th             Benone CSSM
21st – 28th             New Horizon

SUMMERTIME            
N.B. Morning worship is at 11:00am in July & Aug.           

- Holiday Bible Club : Mon.20th - Fri.24th August           
- Benone epilogue: 8:30 pm each Sunday in Benone visitors' centre.            

September            
Fri.    21st        25th Anniversary for Rev. &. Mrs. McCaughan

October           
Fri.    5th    8:00 p.m.    Pre-Communion service.
Sun.    7th    11:30 a.m.    Celebration of Communion.
        7:00 p.m.    Communion Thanksgiving.

Review of goals for 2006

1. Our first goal was that our 350th anniversary celebrations should be specifically planned to advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Our celebrations have achieved that goal.
2. Our second goal was to make plans to celebrate Easter ‘07 in a way which will communicate with the wider community.  Plans have been made and we hope to make an impact on everyone in our community.
3. Our third goal was for all of us to make a conscious effort to get to know some of the new families among us, and help them to feel part of our church family. Each of us has to answer that one for ourselves . . . and it’s never too late to start.

Three goals for 2007

1. Our first goal is to establish an after-school club for the children of the district. This is already under way, having been launched in mid-January, and has got off to a good start. It has been growing in numbers every week and we hope that it will continue to flourish.
2. Our second goal is to make the most of Easter in our local community and to focus people’s attention on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Kirk session have agreed to put up a large cross in front of the church over Easter weekend, and to have a special service around the cross on Easter Sunday evening. This will be similar to the service we hold round the Christmas tree when we switch on the lights. Please plan to come and bring your neighbours.
3. Our third goal is to strengthen our finances – especially our Outreach Account and our Building & Repair Account. We have several large repairs to see through & the No.3 A/c has just managed to stay in the black. However we have had to dip into our reserves to support our Outreach A/c, No.2. This is only a short-term solution. Let each of us review our contributions to the Outreach A/c.

Dear Friends,

When we share our worries and troubles with others nowadays, we expect to be met with the response –

    “Sorry to hear that . . . but it’s not my problem.”

How astonishing it is, then, to find someone actually urging us to bring all our problems to him. Yet that was exactly what Jesus did – and still does. He says,

    “Come to me all you who are weary & burdened and I will give you rest.”

Jesus urges us bring our problems to him.

More than that! He promises, not merely to listen sympathetically;   nor just to offer some helpful advice – He offers to deal with our problems Himself.

And yet how do we know that we can trust Him? How can we be sure that He is capable of doing all that He says?

What makes Jesus so special?

We only need to investigate the events of Easter to answer that question. Here we find that Jesus, out of love for men and women, carried all our weaknesses, our faults, our needs and our fears with him when He was crucified.

In the weeks leading up to His arrest and execution, Jesus had told the disciples over and over again what would happen to Him, the ‘Son of Man’. He said,

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!”  (Matthew 20 vss.18, 19)

The astounding thing is that it all happened just as He said. Not only was He arrested and brutally beaten, but He did rise from the dead, just as He had told them.

Jesus had kept all of His promises to the disciples, and that first Easter He kept the ultimate promise by appearing to them alive and well after He had died on the cross before their very eyes. Thus He showed Himself to be more powerful than death itself.

That is how we know that we can trust Him.

Just as He overcame the final enemy, so He has promised that we can be “more than conquerors” as we face all kinds of heartbreaks and disappointments in life.

With Jesus life can begin again.

That’s the message of Easter.

Let’s discover the truth of Easter for ourselves as we face the future, trusting in Him.

   Yours sincerely,

         Jim McCaughan

January
Mon.    8th    8:00 p.m.    P.W.A.
Tues.    9th    2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club.
Sat.    13th        Ladies’ Breakfast: Lodge Hotel (See News)
Fri.    19th        Young Adults : meal out at Crusoe’s.
Sun.    21st    11:30 a.m.    PWA Service: Amanda Cooper   (Deaconness, New Row Pres. Church)
Sun.    28th    11:30 a.m.    Youth Sunday

February
Mon.    12th    8:00 p.m.    P.W.A.
Tues.    13th    2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club.
Wed.    21st    8:15 p.m.    Church Membership Classes begin
Fri.    23rd    7:30 p.m.    Annual Congregational Social

March

Fri.    2nd    8:00 p.m.    Women’s World Day of Prayer service in First Dunboe.
Fri.    9th    7:30 p.m.    Boys’ Brigade Display
Tues.    13th    2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club.
Thrs.    15th        P.W.A. Visitors’ night on an Irish theme:
Sun.    18th        Pres. Youth Rally in 1st Coleraine.
Sun.    25th    7:00 p.m.    Service of Divine Healing.
Sat.    31st    7:30 p.m.    Girls’ Brigade Display

April
   Celebration of the Lord's Supper       

Good Fri.    6th    8:00 p.m.    Preparation for Communion
Easter Sun    8th    11:30 a.m.    Celebration of Communion
         7:00 p.m.    Easter Celebration
Tues.    17th    2:30 p.m.    Afternoon Club – Garden visit.
            PWA Spring Rally in Macosquin
Sun.    22nd        Spring Offering for the United Appeal & Outreach

Dear Friends,

People celebrate Christmas in many different ways. There are those who go to great trouble to ensure that the whole family are together at Christmas, no matter how far apart they live for the rest of the year; others plunge into serious debt as they spend money they can’t afford on all kinds of peculiar novelties that may only be used the day they are received; for many it is simply an excuse to overindulge.

Those of us who believe that God’s only Son was born at Christmas have the greatest possible reason for celebrating. Many sins we have committed and many more sins we may commit, but there is one sin of which we can never be guilty – that is to exaggerate our importance to God.

The fact that He sent His only Son to this world for us, shows just how much God thinks of us. It would be absolutely impossible to exaggerate just how important we are to Him. That is not the same as stressing our importance over and against Him.

King Herod thought that he was important just because of who he was in himself. He believed that he, as the true King, was the most important person of all and as a result he bitterly resented the arrival of the newborn King and resisted Him in every way possible. Time has shown who the true King was!

The truth is that we only discover our true importance as we become involved with the Lord Jesus Christ. More and more people are sending circular letters (like this one) at Christmas; sometimes you wonder how much the sender had to do with it.  Did he sign it – or address it – or seal the envelope – or post it . . . or has all that been done by someone else?  
Was your name simply on a list? Does the writer even know that a copy has been sent to you?

Of course, if the writer has added a little personal note to the letter, that makes all the difference. Then you know for sure that the sender has a special interest in you.
When Jesus came to earth that first Christmas, He came in person. When someone goes to the trouble of calling with you personally, that speaks volumes!

God came personally.

He came to bring us His gift of love.

This year let us make time to stop and think about Christmas – and let it sink in that . . .

Jesus came for ME

    When it does sink in, then the celebrations really begin!

Happy Christmas!

Jim, Alison, Jennifer, Christine and John McCaughan