Gary Millar, minister of Tandragee, writes...

The congregation of Tandragee Methodist Church hosted an 8-strong team from the Lay Witness Movement over the weekend 27^th February – 1^st March 2009. 

TANDRAGEE TEAM 

David Blevins, Sam Davison, Douglas Rowe

Shirley Alexander, Joan Perry, Heather Trueman, Susanne Bryans, Cheryl Patterson 

Led by Shirley Alexander, the team mixed with us at a congregational meal on Friday evening followed by a profound time of sharing and testimony; shared with us at a men’s breakfast on Saturday morning from 9.00am, coffee mornings from 11.00am, home visits around the congregation in the afternoon and another congregational meal on Saturday evening followed by a time of ministry and sharing. 

On Sunday morning our church had a relaxed buzz within the sanctuary as we prepared for worship led by the whole team, and then we experienced together another session of moving personal testimony with praise and prayer ministry at the close.  Folks were reluctant to leave the church in the morning and either sat on, or stood outside sharing together and praying – many were moved to tears by the experience.

As we assembled for evening worship there was a real sense of loss that the team had moved on, but at the same time a freedom and expectation that our theme for the weekend “Forward Together” was going to continue to be a spiritual rallying call.  The congregation was twice what it would normally be on an evening.  We shared freely of our own impressions of the weekend, and our hopes for the future in Tandragee. 

As part of the worship, the congregation was given a piece of broken ceramic tile on which to write something they wished to confess to God, thank God for, or pledge to God.  During prayerful worship we placed these broken pieces representing our lives on to a simple wooden cross that will serve to remind us of the weekend, and God’s faithfulness to us in drawing near to bless, challenge, encourage and enable us to serve him in our community and in our church family.

Tandragee society certainly thanks God for the blessing of the team, and our heartfelt thanks go to each member who so honestly and openly shared their personal faith with us.

with the cross

Christa, Rev Gary, Margaret and Kerrie

Deborah Henry from Tandragee writes...

The whole event began ‘formally’ in the main hall of the church with a welcome meal followed by a wonderful Powerpoint presentation that ‘set the scene’ and focussed everyone on the theme for the weekend. There then followed a time of praise and worship and the first of the testimonies given by members of the Lay Witness Team. As with all of the testimonies that were to follow over the course of the weekend, each Team member was prayed over by one of their fellow Team members immediately before they spoke. And, as with each of the other testimonies that were shared over the course of the weekend, the stories that each had to share touched everyone present at so many levels. The testimonies were open and honest, emotional and uplifting, from the heart and God-led. After more praise and the second testimony the evening ended, though it didn’t appear that many wanted to go home – so many people seemed to want to stay around and talk but, eventually the Team members were led off to what were to be their homes for the weekend.

The next day began ‘formally’ with a Men’s Breakfast where a dozen or so gentlemen from the church met up with the male members of the Team for an informal breakfast at Area One at the Elim Church in Portadown. Conversations may have appeared light-hearted with humorous accounts of things heard from pulpits being shared but it was another chance to meet and share and hear another testimony.

Later that morning there were a series of coffee mornings held in a number of homes of members of the congregation to which church members as well as people on the periphery of church life had been invited. There was a chance to enjoy good conversation, lovely coffee and using materials prepared by the team, another chance to share and reflect on how God the Father loves us and cares for us and to reach out to those with questions, doubts or concerns and past hurts.

After a lunch with their host families the Team members went with church members to visit certain members of the church family who, for a number of reasons, could not come to the church based events. This was another chance for the Lay Witness members as well as church members to share with others and in the blessings that flowed as a consequence.

Saturday evening began with yet another wonderful meal followed, once again, by a time of praise and prayer and testimonies. Members of the church listened enraptured by the power and simplicity of the message being related, they sang with newly found vigour and joy at words which appeared to mean far more that they had ever done before. All too soon the evening ended and as on the previous night it appeared that folks wanted to stay on and talk, excited by what they had heard, re-awakened, uplifted and enthused.

The Lay Witness Team members met once again at the church on Sunday morning for prayer and then to join in with the Sunday School events immediately before the Sunday Morning service. There was a tremendous sense of anticipation, a ‘buzz’ rippling through the building as people sat and waited for the service to begin. The Team led the service as they, for the final time, brought their testimonies, led the prayers and worship and praise and the whole event culminated in a challenge to the congregation.

The evening service that night was a chance for church members to reflect and comment on what they had gained and saw as the next step for the church as a consequence of the Team’s visit.

People spoke of the “excitement that they felt”, the “effect that the visits had had on people on the Saturday afternoon ”, “the amazing praise time that there had been at each of the services” and of “the real feeling of God’s presence in the hall on that first night” .

Towards the end of the evening service Reverend Millar held up a large wooden cross that he had prepared and  the people present there that evening were asked to take a piece of broken tile each and write onto the back of the tile any hopes or fears, any past hurts or worries and then to come up to the cross and set it on to the grout, words facing inward and symbolically leave those things ‘at the foot of the cross and in God’s hands.

With God’s help we can move on and go forward together.  

Cheryl Patterson, first time team member, writes…

This was my first time as part of a lay witness team, and what an experience it was!  It was with some nerves and anxieties that I reached the church in Tandragee but as we approached the church a beautiful rainbow could be seen over the town and it was a silent reminder of God’s promises and faithfulness to us as a team and to His church in that place.  We were so warmly welcomed by the people of Tandragee and it was so encouraging to see so many young families who had a passion for serving in their church.  Their hospitality and kindness was second to none!

As a team we were incredibly blessed over the weekend seeing how God was evidently moving among the congregation as well as amongst the team.  The energy of the children, the passion of the adults and the commitment of the older members was a real testimony of God’s work to be done.  When I left the church on the Sunday afternoon, I left with a great sense of joy and excitement about what God has still yet to do within the church, and I shall be praying that the congregation follow God’s leading and continue to move ‘Forward Together’.