[Taken from the current issue of N:Vision, the Diocese of Derry & Raphoe’s magazine.]
To be the local Church living as Jesus intended…
The driving force of the Maghera Parish Caring Association is faith, faith to step out and take risks for God in our community. In the past three years as an organisation we have worked with young people sharing our faith and God’s love. We have built bridges towards peace; we have addressed social issues tackling drug and alcohol awareness, parenting skills, self-harm and suicide.
This year we are looking at the difficult issue of sexual health. The MPCA has shown how a faith biased organisation can work in partnership with secular organisations to do God’s work; IFI, local health, education boards, and the PSNI to name a few. We have shown faith can have a voice. Faith is about learning to listen to God and not the odds. Faith is about vision. Our vision is to share the gospel of Christ working together for all people i the community to build a better today.
Our children’s and family work has continued to go from strength to strength since coming under the umbrella of the MPCA. From the staple church diet of sunday school and youth club, through schools work to Parent & Toddler and after-school groups, our weekly remit has brought us into contact with hundreds of kids and their families.
The summer term has been a great example of this already. We have started two new after-school projects: Explorers, a group with a weekly Holiday Club-style programme, and Kwik Cricket coaching at Ampertaine Primary in Upperlands, where our church plant has been growing over the past three years.
We are incredibly blessed in Maghera, Swatragh and Upperlands to be backed by a church family that - literally - puts its money where its mouth is and seeks to keep bringing Christ into our communities. We keep remembering that our children are not the church of tomorrow - but a vital part of our church right now.
As some of our young people prepare for confirmation we teamed up with our neighbouring parish of Kilcronaghan for two youth events. The first was a Youth Service in Kilcronaghan Parish Church, where worship was led by Mr. JAG and the speaker was our own Rev. Mark Lennox. For the second, we took over the Church of Ireland Theological Institute for a youth weekend and a fun time was had by all. On Friday evening and on Saturday morning the sessions were led by Rebekah McLean who encouraged everyone to explore their faith and put it into action.
On Saturday afternoon the group found themselves in Dublin city centre completing a photo challenge, which concluded with a session on St. Stephen’s Green where Rev. Mark encouraged everyone to try and experience and listen to God in different ways. He outlined the importance of being able to hear God, even in the busiest place in the country. Saturday evening Peter Jones encouraged the group to rock the boat and think seriously about a personal relationship with God, particularly in regard to prayer life. The weekend concluded on Sunday morning, with Rev. Mark challenging everyone to do like Peter in Matthew 14 - get out of the boat and walk in faith towards Jesus.
Finally, a note from our JUMP worker Billy Fyffe, who recently concluded a year out scheme with us. ‘One of my favourite Bible verses is Colossians 2 verse 7: “…rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
‘In Maghera, the Parish and the staff team have taught me to be rooted in my faith and to be built up solely on the Lord in all I do. Taking a year out to a new place can be hard but I was reminded to be strengthened in my faith as I was taught and to always, no matter what, be overflowing with thankfulness.’
This week saw the conclusion of the Introduction to Cricket programme, run by the MPCA in Ampertaine Primary School, Upperlands.
Beginning back in April, every Tuesday a group of P5-P7 pupils took part in the scheme, which aimed to introduce newcomers to Kwik Cricket. This accessible programme saw the students learn all the basic skills, including batting technique and even overarm bowling.
To bring things to a close, the last session saw an exhibition game, between the aptly named Ampertaine All-Stars and the Unbeatables, come down to the very last over and a 75-73 victory for the All-Stars, with Garth Bolton hitting the winning runs. 
The All-Stars top scorer was Daniel Ballentine who hit 30, and the best bowler Jordan Hassan, who got 2 wickets for 19 runs, and also a run out. The Unbeatables top run scorer was Ben Goddard with 22, with Chelsea Evans taking 2 wickets for only 9 runs, and Bethany Scott pulling off one of her now trademark catches to add to her own bowled wicket.
The MPCA would like to thank Ampertaine Primary for the opportunity to work with the school so closely on this project, and in particular all the young people who took part for their enthusiasm and fantastic attitude - and we hope to see you all again very soon!
Preparations are well underway for the annual Big Breakfast & Fun Day, which takes place this Saturday at St Lurach’s Hall, Maghera.
The famous Breakfast will be available from 8am, with fun and games for young and old outside starting at 10am. With face painting, races and big games, fun events like the lucky dip, and of course the giant bouncy slide the whole family are guaranteed a great morning’s fun.
If you would like to find out more, contact us at the office (where we’ll all be concentrating hard on counting the number of sweets in a jar…)
As the English Premier League season came down to the wire this year in a feast of football, things were also stressful in the MPCA office - as it also meant the climax of this season’s inaugural MPCA Fantasy Football league.
Quietly launched last year, the league was open to anyone involved with the church or MPCA youth activities. The winner, announced in church yesterday, was Martin Nelson, whose team “Manmullaghmore” won in the end by
nearly 100 points (beating the staff team in to 2nd and 3rd, by the way!) For his troubles, Marty walked away with a voucher for Sportsworld, Magherafelt.
If you would be interested in taking part next season, keep an eye out as we’ll be launching the 2010/11 Fantasy Football game in the summer!
Next week sees the start of two brand new MPCA afterschools programmes in Maghera and Upperlands, aimed at the Primary school age bracket.
Explorers starts on Wednesday 21st April in St Lurach’s Parish Hall, Maghera, from 3pm to 4.15pm. Following on from the success of the Easter scheme run in conjunction with Maghera Primary last month, we hope to extend this style of program on a weekly basis - a great mixture of sport and games, make and do activities, action songs, competitions, and bible discovery.
Explorers is open to anyone, from any Primary school. We hope to run the opening on a drop-in basis, so that children coming from other schools can make it in before the organised activities really kick in at about 3.20.
Please consider bringing your child along - and if you’re really proactive, we’re also looking for a few parents to help out with supervision on an irregular basis.
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Also this term, we are working together with Ampertaine Primary school to bring Kwik Cricket to Upperlands! Every Tuesday after school (starting on April 20th), we will be running Kwik Cricket coaching for everyone in P5-P7 from Ampertaine Primary.
Cricket offers something different for most children’s sporting experience, but in turn is not also one of the few sports that exercises the entire body, but also is excellent for concentration and coordination. We’re very excited to get to play it for the term with the pupils in Ampertaine.
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For more information on either of the above schemes, please contact Peter at the MPCA office.
Maghera Parish Caring Association, linked to the Parishes of Maghera and Killelagh in the diocese of Derry and Raphoe have been awarded substantial funding by the International Fund for Ireland. The grant will enable the employment of three full time staff, delivery of community programmes, and a substantial refurbishment of the parish centre. The development of new initiatives will benefit everything from peacebuilding, youth work, and senior citizens work, to the provision of shared public spaces in Maghera.
The Strategic Plan and funding application were prepared during the time of Rev Robert Miller as Rector. Robert left Maghera to take up a new post as Rector in Londonderry in January 2010. He attributed the success in achieving funding to a team effort in the parish. He also added, “We are grateful to cross-community political support given to the work of Maghera Caring Association”.
Rev Mark Lennox is currently Community Outreach Officer for the Maghera Parish Caring Association. He commented, “The initiatives enabled by this grant funding come in line with the diocesan commitment to Transforming Community Radiating Christ. We feel a sense of excitement at what God is going to do through these new initiatives”.
Commenting on the award to Maghera Bishop Good said, “The parish of Maghera has a proven track record of engagement with the wider community. I warmly welcome the decision of the International Fund for Ireland and am confident that the community will be enriched by the work that will flow from this project”.
Adapted from the Derry & Raphoe Diocesan Website.
This Sunday past saw the formal announce
ment of a new rector for the Parishes of Maghera, Killelagh and Upperlands.
The Rev. Isaac Hanna has been serving in the Parishes of Dungiven and Bovevagh since 2004. Originally appointed to the Parish as a Church Army Officer under the Rev. Irene Lyttle, Isaac was himself ordained in 2008. The Parishes have continued to grow and prosper under his stewardship, and so we are incredibly pleased that he would now consider moving to lead and nurture the work here in our Parishes. It is currently expected that he will be instituted in Maghera in the summertime.
Please consider praying for our churches, for the Parishes of Dungiven and Bovevagh, and for Rev. Isaac and his family.
You can find out more about the development work of Maghera Parish Caring Association in the section on our website.
On Tuesday 16th March at 11 am, Rev. Mark will be hosting an informal Bible Study at Mullagh Court in Maghera. All are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact the MPCA office. For directions to Mullagh Court, click here.
Saturday 6th March saw the MPCA cross-community intergenerational outing to the Somme Heritage Centre, Newtownards.
Following on the previous success of our World War II night last year (run in conjunction with Mullagh Court) our group had an enjoyable afternoon travelling back in time to wartime 1916. Starting in Moneymore at the outbreak of war, the group were led through recruitment, training, and finally shipped off to the recreated trenches of the Somme.
If you would like to find out more about future MPCA events and outings, you can e-mail info@magheraparish.co.uk or contact the MPCA office - contact details here. You can also read more about the work of Maghera Parish Caring Association in the MPCA section of our website.
