The members of Trinity Methodist Church near Lisburn, Co Antrim, have found a new angle on St Valentine's Day. This year they have chosen that romantic date to celebrate "The Greatest Love". They have engaged the Waterfront Hall in Belfast for the evening, and Noel Tredinnick is bringing members of the Orchestra of All Souls, Langham Place, from London to lead a Festival of Praise. The orchestra will be augmented by local musicians, and artistes from Northern Ireland will share in the programme.
Trinity Methodist Church is very young, having been formed only a few years ago, but it shows a lively imagination and a wide vision in organising this event, which will attract people from all of the churches, and from elsewhere. Tickets may be obtained from the Waterfront Hall.
Tearfund (The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund) has opened a new office in Dublin, at Overseas House, 3 Belgrave Road, Rathmines. The work of this international organisation has been developing through the years, and the Irish manager, Dr Alan McElhinney, felt the need for an office in the Republic of Ireland.
The new office was dedicated by the President of the Methodist Church, the Rev Kenneth Todd. Dr McElhinney spent 11 years working in Nepal with the Methodist Missionary Society.
The Methodist Missionary Society (Ireland) will hold a conference with the title "Beyond the Boundaries" on Saturday, February 17th. The venue is Dungannon Leisure Centre, and the conference will last from noon to about 9 p.m.
The keynote speakers will be the Rev Dr Joe Riverson of Ghana, President of World Vision, and the Rev Dr Isaac Lim, President of the Methodist Church in Singapore. Seminars will deal with aspects of conservation, evangelism, pluralism, culture and mission.
To enable families to attend, special programmes have been arranged for children and there will be a creche during the afternoon. Full details are available from the Mission Office in Belfast, Tel. 028-9032 0078.
Global Encounter, the annual youth event, will take place at the same venue over Friday evening and Saturday. It will be directed by the Rev Lawrence Graham. The contact number for this is 043-466080, or from Northern Ireland; 00 353 43466080.
The Seventh World Methodist Evangelism Institute met recently at Cliff College in Derbyshire. Over 200 delegates attended from more than 50 countries. The director of evangelism in the World Methodist Council, the Rev Dr Eddie Fox, said: "It is very significant that the first gathering of world Methodists in the new millennium focuses on evangelism." Important contributions were made by churches where numbers are small but enthusiastic, as in Malaysia and Poland.
Tomorrow morning the President of the Church, the Rev Kenneth Todd, will be visiting the church at Mountpottinger in Belfast, and in the afternoon will share in the RUC service at Bangor. In the evening, he will preach at Holywood. On Sunday, February 11th, he will address the morning service in the church at Carrickfergus and the evening service in Enniskillen.
Also on Sunday, February 11th, the television broadcast on RTE 1 at 11.15 a.m. will be led by the Rev Rosemary Lindsay, and members of the church in Lucan. The Christian Resource exhibition at King's Hall, Balmoral, which is open on Thursday and Friday, February 15th and 16th, claims to be the largest ever held in Ireland, with just under 150 exhibitors. It is open from noon to 9 p.m. on the Thursday and from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 a.m. on the Friday.