November is traditionally the month in which the Methodist Church in Ireland focuses attention on the work of its Home Mission Department. The pattern of this work has been changing in recent years as the department has increasingly been giving support to initiatives taken by members of local churches, and as witness to faith takes on more and more of an ecumenical dimension.
In three different towns, Killarney, Co Kerry; Kilkee, Co Clare and Drumshanbo in Co Leitrim, churches where for a greater or lesser number of years services have been infrequent, worship is now held every Sunday, and the congregations are increasing. Special events from time to time have received support from the local community.
It is quite a number of years since the department, in co-operation with the Youth Department, invited young people to a venture in mission, a small team being recruited each year. This year there is a further development of this project, and four teams have been recruited.
Three are based for the whole year in one or other of three locations - Methodist College, Belfast; Clontarf, Dublin and Blackrock in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown. The fourth continues the original pattern of short visits of between one and three weeks to a number of churches throughout the country. The youth focus is also notable in Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh, where Altarnate, a drop-in centre for young people, has been working very effectively.
If there has been a considerable measure of publicity for sectarian troubles in Larne, Co Antrim, this town has also seen growing co-operation between the churches of several denominations, Catholic and Protestant, in Alpha Courses, with attendances running to three figures.
At the other end of the country, in Skibbereen, there are plans to sell a large and unwieldy church building and move into smaller, more adaptable premises.
With examples such as these, members of all churches will be asked to give special thought this month to their own engagement with the community where they are living
The Dublin Central Mission has long enjoyed a considerable measure of encouragement not only from the people of Dublin city, but from neighbouring areas as well. Their annual flag days take place in November. DCM flag days in Bray are November 1st to 3rd. In two areas of north Dublin they are on November 16th and 17th, or on November 30th to December 1st. In most places they are from November 22nd to November 24th. Full details may be had from the Mission office 01-2605766.
The Church's Container Ministry to the Third World now has a collection point in Churchtown, Dublin and information may be had from 01-2960023.
Morning Worship tomorrow on RTE Radio 1, medium wave, will be broadcast from the Methodist Church in Birr, Co Offaly. It will be led by the minister, the Rev Ivor Owens.
The President of the Church, the Rev Harold Good, is in America for the bi-annual Conference of the Ulster Project. Tomorrow he will preach in Broadway United Methodist Church at Kingsport, Tennessee. On Sunday, November 4th, he will be back in Ireland, preaching at the Belfast Central Mission, Grosvenor House.