Diocesan News25 Sep 15

Prayers for Refugees at Donegal Schools’ Service

Refugees were to the fore in prayers requested by children at an unprecedented schools’ service held on Thursday in Ramelton Presbyterian Church. More than 550 pupils from 29 schools – all under Church of Ireland or Presbyterian patronage – took part in the service, at which the children were told that they would ‘change the world’.

The worship was led by the Moderator of Derry and Donegal Presbytery, Revd Mark Shaw and the preacher was the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Ken Good. The three readings were delivered by children, from Ayr Hill National School, Brownknowe N.S. and Cashelshanaghan N.S.

Clergy from throughout the Derry and Raphoe Diocese and the Derry and Donegal Presbytery also attended, including the Clerk of the Presbytery, Revd Dr Robert Buick and the Archdeacon of Raphoe, Ven. David Huss.

The service included hymns and readings, and children brought with them suggestions for prayers, including for their teachers, relatives and friends, the sick, the elderly and the homeless, as well as for refugees.

The theme of the service was ‘New Beginnings’ and the Revd Mark Shaw said all three readings represented ‘new beginnings’: for Noah, as he left the Ark (Genesis 8: 13–19); for Jesus’ new disciples when they were called to follow Him (Matthew 4: 18–22); and for the tax–collector, Zacchaeus, when he was converted to Christianity.

In his sermon, Bishop Good invited the children to applaud their teachers, for whom the new school term was a new beginning. He said all those in the congregation would learn new things this year and many would get new friends. Bishop Good said we could soon have refugees living in our community; that, too, would be a new beginning – for them and for us.

The Bishop said in the three readings, people were invited to come with the Lord as they made new beginnings. In doing so, they knew they weren’t alone. And they knew that their lives would be changed for the better. ‘In each of the three cases, they took a risk. They heard God inviting them and they accepted the invitation. And they went on to be changed as people and to change the world.

‘What these three groups of people did, as they accepted the invitation to make a new beginning, was: firstly, they learned to trust God; secondly, they learned that when you trust the Lord you then live not to please yourself but to please Him; and then you discover that when God is in your life, He uses you to make a difference in the world. This group here, you are going to have a big impact on the world. Many of you are going to stay in Ireland and you will change the world here. Others will go to other countries and will change the world there.’

Bishop Good told the children that following Jesus wasn’t an easy option but it was the right option. ‘So, in your new beginnings, I want you to remember that Jesus says “Come with me” in these new challenges and “I will be with you always”.’

The Schools’ Service was the first of its kind in the county and Des West, from the Diocesan Board of Education said the possibility of the service becoming an annual event was ‘under consideration’. The Minister of Ramelton Presbyterian Church, Revd Amanda Best, thanked the Diocesan Board for organising the service, and expressed her gratitude to members of her own congregation for helping with catering and stewarding. At the end of the service, each school took away a ‘goody–bag’.