Bluestone 17-19th February 2012
The leaders of Bluestone Methodist Church invited a Lay Witness team to conduct a weekend mission in February 2012.
Tom Wilson led the team.
Tom Wilson led the team.
Weekend Reports and Photos
Grace McGurk, first time team member, writes...
I was excited, nervous, eager, anxious, emotional, thrilled and expectant. These are just some of the many words that I could use to describe how I felt in the run up to and during the Lay Witness weekend in Bluestone.
I really didn’t know what to expect, this was my first time on a Lay Witness team. My only other experience of Lay Witness had been some years previously; we had had a weekend in my own church. At that time I had played host for a team member over the weekend, and had also hosted a coffee morning in my home.
This was a whole new experience, I had been thrilled at being asked to be a part of the team, knowing that I had a story to tell, my story, God’s story of how He had changed my life, how he had strengthened me and renewed me as my sovereign Lord. It was also the realisation that God could use me, and my story, to speak to others.
As the weekend drew nearer I was apprehensive, thinking about how God would use the team in Bluestone, but also expectant of what we would be witness to. Any apprehension, any nerves were swept away as His presence was so evident from our very first meeting on arriving in Bluestone.
The whole weekend was filled with His love, His presence. Every testimony that was shared spoke to someone, whether in a meeting, prayer time, coffee morning, as we fellowshipped over a meal, or as we spent time with our gracious host families. His Spirit filled those places and the people of Bluestone responded to Him, with burdens lightened, hearts smiling and eyes glistening. It was truly a God inspired experience that will stay with me as an amazing God encounter.
The team were a joyous, amazing group of ordinary people who prayed, shared, laughed, sang and cried together. God put the team together to bring the love of our wonderful Lord through our stories and the splendour of His Spirit to stir the hearts of His people.
I was excited, nervous, eager, anxious, emotional, thrilled and expectant. These are just some of the many words that I could use to describe how I felt in the run up to and during the Lay Witness weekend in Bluestone.
I really didn’t know what to expect, this was my first time on a Lay Witness team. My only other experience of Lay Witness had been some years previously; we had had a weekend in my own church. At that time I had played host for a team member over the weekend, and had also hosted a coffee morning in my home.
This was a whole new experience, I had been thrilled at being asked to be a part of the team, knowing that I had a story to tell, my story, God’s story of how He had changed my life, how he had strengthened me and renewed me as my sovereign Lord. It was also the realisation that God could use me, and my story, to speak to others.
As the weekend drew nearer I was apprehensive, thinking about how God would use the team in Bluestone, but also expectant of what we would be witness to. Any apprehension, any nerves were swept away as His presence was so evident from our very first meeting on arriving in Bluestone.
The whole weekend was filled with His love, His presence. Every testimony that was shared spoke to someone, whether in a meeting, prayer time, coffee morning, as we fellowshipped over a meal, or as we spent time with our gracious host families. His Spirit filled those places and the people of Bluestone responded to Him, with burdens lightened, hearts smiling and eyes glistening. It was truly a God inspired experience that will stay with me as an amazing God encounter.
The team were a joyous, amazing group of ordinary people who prayed, shared, laughed, sang and cried together. God put the team together to bring the love of our wonderful Lord through our stories and the splendour of His Spirit to stir the hearts of His people.
George McMurray, from Bluestone, writes…
After many months of prayer, planning and preparation our much-anticipated weekend began on the Friday evening with a most enjoyable congregational meal. This was followed by a service in our church, where team members, Davy Smyth and Grace McGurk (Newtownabbey Mission), along with Lindsay Gibson (Coleraine) gave moving testimonies at different times during the evening.
At 8.30am on the Saturday, a special men’s breakfast was well attended with Willie Stephens (Newtownabbey Mission) giving us all a personal insight into daily living for Christ. Thus, after a hearty meal and great fellowship, it was onto the 11am coffee mornings, kindly hosted in the homes of Mrs Myra Stanley, David & Jennifer McCartney and Trevor & Alison Smith. Again, much was gained by all from these Holy Spirit inspired meetings, where the theme was “ Lay It Down”.
During Saturday evening a special sit down meal was served. We wish to thank Mrs Yvonne Aston and her catering team from Ballinacor Methodist for excellent meals, lovingly provided and served throughout the weekend. Great rapport was enjoyed with the team, which flowed into an inspired service in the church. This time, worship leader Andy Gibson (Coleraine) and team coordinator Tom Wilson (Whiteabbey) gave us touching accounts of how Jesus has worked (and continues to do so) in their lives. At the end of the service an altar call saw people moved to respond.
Onto the Sunday morning service, where Melanie McCloskey (Carnalea) & Louise Wilson (Whiteabbey) shared very moving, personal and emotional testimonies of their life experiences and daily walk with the Lord along the way. Nikki Hanna (Finaghy) & Katy Broadhurst (Glengormley) provided an amusing and yet important message through their drama sketch ,which really highlighted the 3 core issues/ themes from the weekend. These were burdens, masks and complete unconditional trust/handover of all parts of ourselves to God, with the key weekend verse being, “ No not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord God Almighty” Zechariah 4:6.
After lunch, it was a final farewell meal and goodbyes to the team. And that was that…or so we thought!
Little did we know that God was already preparing our hearts and minds for a very extraordinary review service that evening! Our minister, Rev Leslie Spence shared his thoughts of the weekend and invited those touched by the Spirit to do likewise. Many participated, to the point that Leslie felt called to offer another altar call, which saw the WHOLE congregation move forward. All were personally anointed and prayed for, with several making a first time commitment in a most moving and Spirit-filled finale to a two and half hour service and a truly unique and remarkable God-centred weekend at Bluestone!
The challenge for us now, is to be totally open and committed to all that the Master wants us to do both in our own lives and in the work, outreach and spiritual progression of this little church, situated on the edge of Craigavon, close to rural Portadown and on the Lurgan Methodist Circuit!
After many months of prayer, planning and preparation our much-anticipated weekend began on the Friday evening with a most enjoyable congregational meal. This was followed by a service in our church, where team members, Davy Smyth and Grace McGurk (Newtownabbey Mission), along with Lindsay Gibson (Coleraine) gave moving testimonies at different times during the evening.
At 8.30am on the Saturday, a special men’s breakfast was well attended with Willie Stephens (Newtownabbey Mission) giving us all a personal insight into daily living for Christ. Thus, after a hearty meal and great fellowship, it was onto the 11am coffee mornings, kindly hosted in the homes of Mrs Myra Stanley, David & Jennifer McCartney and Trevor & Alison Smith. Again, much was gained by all from these Holy Spirit inspired meetings, where the theme was “ Lay It Down”.
During Saturday evening a special sit down meal was served. We wish to thank Mrs Yvonne Aston and her catering team from Ballinacor Methodist for excellent meals, lovingly provided and served throughout the weekend. Great rapport was enjoyed with the team, which flowed into an inspired service in the church. This time, worship leader Andy Gibson (Coleraine) and team coordinator Tom Wilson (Whiteabbey) gave us touching accounts of how Jesus has worked (and continues to do so) in their lives. At the end of the service an altar call saw people moved to respond.
Onto the Sunday morning service, where Melanie McCloskey (Carnalea) & Louise Wilson (Whiteabbey) shared very moving, personal and emotional testimonies of their life experiences and daily walk with the Lord along the way. Nikki Hanna (Finaghy) & Katy Broadhurst (Glengormley) provided an amusing and yet important message through their drama sketch ,which really highlighted the 3 core issues/ themes from the weekend. These were burdens, masks and complete unconditional trust/handover of all parts of ourselves to God, with the key weekend verse being, “ No not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord God Almighty” Zechariah 4:6.
After lunch, it was a final farewell meal and goodbyes to the team. And that was that…or so we thought!
Little did we know that God was already preparing our hearts and minds for a very extraordinary review service that evening! Our minister, Rev Leslie Spence shared his thoughts of the weekend and invited those touched by the Spirit to do likewise. Many participated, to the point that Leslie felt called to offer another altar call, which saw the WHOLE congregation move forward. All were personally anointed and prayed for, with several making a first time commitment in a most moving and Spirit-filled finale to a two and half hour service and a truly unique and remarkable God-centred weekend at Bluestone!
The challenge for us now, is to be totally open and committed to all that the Master wants us to do both in our own lives and in the work, outreach and spiritual progression of this little church, situated on the edge of Craigavon, close to rural Portadown and on the Lurgan Methodist Circuit!