A new Points for Prayer Handbook for 2002 has been published. Already 15,000 may be on their way or already with congregations. The Handbook encourages each church member to pray for the Church and her varied work at home and abroad.
It contains information about the range of activities the Church is engaged in. Details on personnel serving in home-based ministries stand alongside those on those serving in over 21 countries.
The ministry of prayer is paramount in the Church. Seeking to develop this ministry, a phone service, Prayerline, has been developed. It is useful in helping church members to have the latest information on the Church's missionary activity, which might then become the focus of prayer. A more recent addition to the Prayerline Service has been the e-mailing of Prayer News.
Commending the book, the Moderator, Dr Alastair Dunlop, said "It encourages intercessory prayer: it affords relevant detail about the church of which members may be unaware."
Responding to a recent statement by Mr Gerry Adams, Co-Convenors of the Government Committee agree that there is an opportunity to move forward to a better future, and they welcome Mr Adams's objective to replace conflict and strife with genuine partnership and equality.
The Co-Conveners, however, state their belief that IRA violence and the threat of it have been the single greatest impediment to peace on this island. The necessity of creating a settled but diverse society in which people from different parts of the community can participate and feel at home must not be lost sight of. Decommissioning of loyalist and republican weapons is a crucial step in helping to bring about this sort of society, and preventing a slide back into anarchy. It will bring about a necessary confidence in the political process.
In an Ecumenical Report, Rev Denis Campbell states that "By far the most important ecumenical development of year 2001 has been acceptance by the Church of Ireland and Methodist Churches of a covenant for unity. Six statements entail what the churches have in common, including mutual recognition of ministry and sacraments. Ten steps intimate how they intend to share a common life and mission and work towards visible unity." Ironically, Mr Campbell comments, withdrawal of the Presbyterian Church from talks with the other churches left the road open for this step towards unity.
Anyone wishing to see ecumenism in action, Mr Campbell reports, need look no further than universities and colleges in Dublin, where the several denominations' chaplains work as ecumenical teams each regarding the other as colleague and equal in pursuit of common Christian causes.
"Celebrating our Oneness in Christ" described an evening of fellowship and worship which took place on St Andrew's evening at 6 p.m. in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. An ecumenical group inclusive of members of immigrant communities arranged the celebration. Many members of immigrant communities and members of Christian churches of all denominations in Dublin and its environs responded to the invitation. Immigrants of other than the Christian faith also attended.
The Briefing is a magazine produced twice a year to inform Presbyterians about recipients of United Appeal funds needed for support of the various agencies of the Church. The forthcoming issue will relate how the Church gets its message across through the media and to young people. A copy will be provided for every family in the coming weeks.