Dear Friends

A recently released worship song contains the following challenging lines, which I admit to sometimes having to pause over before singing:

 “You give and take away

Still my heart will choose to say

‘Blessed be Your Name’ “

 Isn’t it so much easier to respond in praise when God moves in the ways we want Him to, and in ways that are in line with our natural inclinations? Yet how many times have we listened to testimonies of spiritual growth and strengthening of relationships from Lay Witnesses who have obeyed when a leap of faith is asked of them?

In this newsletter, the Steering Group are reporting on a number of “Faith Leaps” within the life of our Movement. In order to bring you a full update, you will also hopefully realise why we are slightly later than usual in sending this out too.

First of all – the ‘taking aways’……

After a long and faithful service to the Steering Group of Lay Witness in Ireland, ERROL JOHNSTON has decided it is time to step down from the main leadership team. Errol’s and Elsie’s unwavering passion to share Christ with others has taken them from Newry to Papua New Guinea, from Warrenpoint to Killarney and home again. While all of us will miss him, as one of the original Steering Group who has pioneered Lay Witness in Ireland, we are sure that everyone will join in sending our blessing and love to Errol as he looks forward to yet another chapter and adventure in his faith journey.

A second ‘subtraction’ this year was the Annual Lay Witness Conference. While they continued to be a blessing for those who attended, the Steering Group have been keen to listen to all our members, and especially to keep in step with the new thing God is doing. To this end we are looking at different ways of keeping Lay Witness folk in contact with each other without being too demanding on time. The first of these events is at Edgehill College, Belfast on 17^th May. Book in now whether you are a seasoned witness or someone interested in having a weekend at your church!

However, when good things are given to us we certainly find it easier to rejoice, and to that end the Steering Group are delighted to welcome not one but two new people to fill the very large gap left by Errol!! Most of you will already know both SHIRLEY ALEXANDER and DAVID BLEVINS, but for those who don’t, a little pen picture of them both can be found further in the newsletter.

Lastly, our whole purpose in existing as a Movement centres around those congregations who invite us to share our stories of Jesus with them. Testimonies from Lay Witness weekends in Florencecourt, Newtownabbey Mission and Movilla Abbey churches over the last year will no doubt continue to excite, inspire and challenge us all as we read.

We do finally ask that you will regularly and faithfully set aside time to pray for all that the Spirit of God achieves through our Lay Witness Movement. Many new missions are being planned and prayed about as we write. Keep up to date with all that is happening between newsletters by checking our website too!

“Blessed be the Name of the Lord!”

Allen                          David

Heather                      Norma

Shirley                       Tom

 

Introducing….

Shirley Alexander

"It has been a great privilege to have been involved in Lay Witness teams for the past fifteen years or so. Visiting churches in different parts of the country, how wonderful it has been to see God use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. I'm delighted to be asked to serve Lay Witness Ireland in this new way, and pray that God will continue to bless many through this movement.

As the daughter of a Methodist minister and now married to one, I have been on the move all my life!  At present Greg and I are serving in Sydenham Methodist in Belfast." 

and....

David Blevins

“It's a long story.  Here's the short version.  I became a Christian when I was seven years old but never really understood that commitment until I was 18.  For the next 18 years, journalism was my day job, youth and music ministries were my passion.

In 2002, God took me to Kenya and there I learned the meaning of "surrender".  Africa made such an impact on me; I've been back eight times in five years!  During one of these visits, God renewed a call He had placed on my life some years earlier.

Since September 2007, I have been a student of Applied Theology at the Irish Bible Institute in Dublin and part-time Pastoral Assistant in Richhill Methodist Church.  I'm married to Ruth and we have three children: Sarah, James and Joshua."

 

Website

The Lay Witness Movement website keeps our members and supporters up to date with details of coming events, and reports and photographs of missions and past events. It also spreads news of what is happening in Lay Witness to a wider readership and provides an easy means of contacting the Movement for those who are computer literate. 

            You’ll find it at:            www.laywitnessireland.org

We would like to have your email address for ease of contact and sending this annual Newsletter.  Please email us with your details at : contact.us AT laywitnessireland.org

We are very grateful to webmaster Alan Hutchinson, Glengormley who has set up the site for us.  Contact him at:     webmaster AT laywitnessireland.org

Our Records

We keep a note of your name, address, email address and telephone number together with the mission teams you have been on, if any.  Please notify us if you wish to have any details updated or deleted.  If there are others you think would like to receive this Newsletter, please ask them to contact us c/o:

contact.us AT laywitnessireland.org