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We’re delighted that Charis Wilson, who was part of our GO Team last month, is staying on for the year as she finishes up her Open University course. She will also be helping out with a number of church activities. You can find out more about her in the following video:
Charis is the daughter of Dr Norris Wilson, Professor of Old Testament at the Reformed Theological College in Belfast. You can watch his public Opening Lecture to the current year of studies here.
Some of the writings of former Stranraer minister William Symington feature in a number of new and forthcoming 2021 publications. A number of quotations from Symington’s book On the Atonement and Intercession of Christ feature in Tim Chester’s book An Ocean of Grace.
Symington’s biographical sketch of the Puritan Stephen Charnock is also included in an updated and unabridged version of Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God, due out later this year.
Finally, Symington’s most famous book, Messiah the Prince, is referenced in Jonty Rhodes’ excellent book Man of Sorrows, King of Glory (p. 148).
The Irish/Scottish RP Ministers’ Conference took place at the end of September in Ballykelly. Stephen and Peter (our interim elder) both travelled across for it. The main talks were by Rev. Paul Levy (International Presbyterian Church, Ealing), whose subject was the Fear of God. The opening sermon was preached by Rev. Andrew Kerr, Rev. Geoff Allen gave a historical talk on William Martin, and RPCI Moderator Rev. Philip Moffett gave the closing address. In between there were plenty of opportunities for discussion, prayer and informal fellowship. This year we were particularly glad to be joined by Rev. Yusuke Hirata from the Japanese RP Church. After a year in which many conferences were cancelled, it was a particularly precious time of refreshment and fellowship.
I absolutely loved being with the RP Ministers - they were great fun, warm hearted. The best of Presbyterianism, really encouraging time https://t.co/7zC3xmk6pU
— Paul Levy (@ealinglevy) September 29, 2021
Some reports in the Free Press about the go team and their activities:
From 11th-18th September we hosted a 7-person GO Team who helped us with various outreach (and in-reach) activities, particularly advertising four talks on the subjects ‘Is there more to life than staying safe?’ and ‘A tale of two sons’.
On the Saturday evening we welcomed the team - with Ross, Eleanor and Heidi returning to Stranraer, and Charis, Jamie, Labhaoise and Hannah coming for the first time.
The team had the opportunity to spend time with the congregation on the Lord’s Day at a church lunch following morning worship. After the lunch we headed into the town centre to sing some psalms. After evening worship the whole team spent some time with the Frasers, who were hosting go team members for the first time.
We began the Monday by going through the chapter Stephen had preached on the previous day (Nehemiah 9), and tried to apply the sermon by drawing out things from the passage for praise and prayer. Monday and Tuesday were largely devoted to leaflet distribution advertising special meetings to be held on the Thursday and Friday evenings (as well as the two services the next Sunday). We were thankful to have the help of Ian Gillies for leaflet distribution at the beginning of the week.
On the Monday evening the team enjoyed fellowship with the Halls, while on Tuesday Ari treated them to an Indian.
Wednesday afternoon saw some team members go to the church to help with a drop in (offering free tea/coffee and a chat), while in a new venture, the rest of the team put on a One Day Bible Club for the church kids.
On Thursday we headed off in the minibus to visit some local Covenanter sites at Anwoth and Wigtown. With four of the team members the same age as Margaret Wilson (the younger of the Two Margarets), the story of their love for Christ in the face of death was particularly powerful.
After checking out some bookshops and the coffee shop of our friends at Beltie Books, it was time to head home for tea and the first of the special meetings.
On Friday morning the team helped out at Stair Park, home of Stranraer FC, where Stephen serves as chaplain - and managed to clean every seat in the stadium!
Sadly the weather meant that another time of open air psalm singing planned for the afternoon couldn’t take place, and the drop-in was largely rained off as well. However team and congregation enjoyed fellowship together following the second mission service, knowing that a special week together was quickly coming to an end.
The next morning there were tearful goodbyes as the team left after a memorable week of worshipping and serving together, and the rest of us looked ahead to another day of worship in Stranraer and welcoming visitors to the remaining special services that had been advertised.
A busy week but one that will live long in the memory!
Audio and video from the special services is available here.
