Dear Friends

The new year is always a time for both remembering and forgetting.  As believers we can look back and see how God has journeyed with us through the year that is past and how even the bad times were touched with his mercy and his grace.  We draw strength from such reflection to face the challenges of tomorrow.  The start of a new year is also a time, in the words of Paul, for “forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead”.  As 2006 begins we embrace it as God’s gift to us and we determine to so live it that we bring him pleasure.

Once again in Lay Witness we have reason to give thanks for another year of God’s blessing and faithfulness.  We want to thank everyone one of you who has supported and encouraged us, taken part in missions and participated in centrally organised events.  A special thanks to those who have led or assisted in leadership in missions in the past  year in Portadown, Carrickfergus, Greencastle and Woodvale.   Well done, good and faithful servants!

We hope you enjoy catching up with our news.  Please do remember the work of Lay Witness in your prayers as we work on arrangements for future missions in 2006 and anticipate our conference in Glenada, Newcastle in March.  What about a special effort to join us at that conference?  We’d love to see you there.

This year we have rearranged the conference programme to make it more feasible for visitors to join us on the Saturday.  We plan to transfer the evening session to an early afternoon slot and then hold a special “fun activity” in the evening!!  We would love you to encourage young people to come – even if only for the day and we are offering a special rate of £57 for under 25 year olds.   One of the most remarkable and precious things about Lay Witness is the way in which young and old can work and share together on teams.  If the Movement is to go forward it is essential to bring the next generation of believers with us.  Your help in identifying and drawing in suitable young people would be greatly appreciated.  Please make it a matter of prayer.

Wishing you God’s richest blessings in 2006,

 Allen                          Errol              

Heather                         Norma

Tom

Website

The Lay Witness Movement website keeps our members and supporters up to date; 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@laywitnessireland.org

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