Limavady 7-9th May 2004
The leaders o fLimavady Methodist Church invited a Lay Witness team to conduct a weekend mission in May2004.
David and Carole Lambe led the team.
David and Carole Lambe led the team.
Weekend Reports and Photos
Stephen Orr, First time team member writes....
It seemed like the nine-strong team sent to Limavady Methodist Church had known each other forever! We began preparing as a team for this weekend in March (under the leadership of David and Carole Lambe) and before we knew it the Lay Witness Weekend had arrived. We arrived at the church on Friday, focused and prepared to be used by the Lord in whatever way He wanted to use us. We were very conscious of the fact that unless God did the work, the work would not get done! We had to be available, open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and marvel at His handiwork! A packed weekend's programme had been arranged beginning with Friday night's meeting. On Saturday there was a men's breakfast, coffee mornings, visiting in the afternoon and an evening meeting. On Sunday the Sunday School met, then the morning service followed culminating with lunch for all. Limavady Methodist is a small church with around 25 people regularly attending worship on a Sunday morning. We found that the church had done their homework in preparation for this weekend and all the opportunities to meet were very well supported. We were greeted by some of the friendliest people we could have hoped to meet. From the moment we entered the church on Friday evening the warmth of their welcome and the ease with which we were assimilated into their church family was astounding. The team were extremely united and it became obvious that the Lord had handpicked them for this church. As each member shared their testimony a deep sense of God's presence was evident and it quickly became clear that there was a two-fold purpose to this weekend: to build-up, strengthen and encourage the Leaders; and to meet personal needs within the congregation. As the weekend progressed the Holy Spirit revealed things to the team that they could pray into on behalf of this church and an important work was done through Spiritual Warfare for this church. We had the privilege of speaking privately and praying with many people about issues that were important to them and we knew that God was at His work. The time spent in fellowship was very important during this weekend as it enabled relationships to be established between the team and congregation, which made sharing about our faith so much more meaningful to those we spoke to. One very important privilege we had was to speak to the Leaders and pray with them before we left. Although there had not been a huge rush to the communion rail at the end of the Sunday morning service we knew without doubt that the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully in His own gentle but appropriate way. We left the church excitedly anticipating wonderful news about their Sunday evening service. Carole and David received a telephone call from Chris Frazer (the minister) and his wife Nan late on Sunday night with some wonderful news. As they do not usually have an evening service they had been unsure how things would go. There were at least twenty people at the evening service - nearly all their congregation- and the meeting did not finish until 8.45pm as people were queuing up to share what the weekend had meant to them. One lady also became a Christian at this service. This was my first experience of being a team member on such a weekend and I have had a wonderful time. It was a very special weekend where friendships cemented very quickly as we all relied on God to use us and empower us to do His work. It made me more aware that we were just ordinary people speaking about how an extra-ordinary God helped us in our everyday experiences and I was once again amazed at the impact that those testimonies had. While there is something very special and exciting about going to another church as part of a team it made me think about the impact there would be in every church if its members were to do just this more often as a regular part of their worship service, being used as vessels for the Holy Spirit to bring blessing, challenge and commitment to those on their own doorstep. |
Valerie Cartwright, Senior Society Steward, writes...
It all started last September when Chris Wilson suggested at our Leaders Meeting that we host a Lay Witness Weekend. We had discussed this on previous occasions but now the time seemed right to proceed. At that time I was not really convinced that this was the right time but I became more enthusiastic after we had a meeting with two members of the Steering Committee. I was so encouraged by the way that they shared their experiences that I began to get a sense of the Holy Spirit speaking to me through their words. We started making the arrangements to have the weekend in early May 2004 and the Steering Committee began praying for a team for Limavady to be brought together. Little by little the weekend took shape. Team Leaders were appointed and then the rest of the team. We had our part to play as Prayer Partners were arranged between the team and our church members. We also met each Wednesday for some weeks leading up to the weekend for prayer. We prayed about encouraging church members on the ‘fringes’ to take part but I also felt that the Lord was leading me to pray for our own Leaders as I sensed that we all needed a special blessing in this venture. So there was to be a lot of prayer before the weekend actually took place, even extending to selecting host families for the visiting team and homes in which to arrange coffee mornings. I was amazed at how the Lord took care of everything. I felt that he had just hand-picked that team with Carole and David Lambe as Team Leaders and matched them to their hosts and sent the right mix of leaders to each of the coffee mornings. That feeling became stronger and stronger as the weekend progressed. The Team arrived on Friday evening 7 May and within a very few moments we felt that we had known them all for ages. The Friday and Saturday nights were really special as the church members and some friends and family and the team became much closer through their sharing of personal, often very moving, testimonies and the wonderfully uplifting praise. I felt this particularly on the Saturday evening when at one point Nigel Woods, who was leading the worship, stopped in the middle of a chorus and prayed for the Holy Spirit to come among us and touch us. I personally felt a special touch from the Lord at that point and I know that others felt the same. What a wonderful feeling; what a wonderful night for us all. On Sunday morning the team continued to testify and invite us to renew or make a commitment to God. We said our goodbyes after the team had prayed with individual church members, and with a laying-on of hands with the leaders and our minister, Chris Fraser, and his wife Nan. On Sunday evening we continued as people shared their personal experience of what the Lord had done for them over the weekend. There was a great openness and willingness to share, so much so that we did not want to leave the church and go home. People recommitted their lives and we were overjoyed when one of our members received Christ into her life as her personal Saviour. Praise God. We wait prayerfully in anticipation of how the Lord wants us to move forward with a new sense of excitement for the tasks that lie ahead. |
David Lambe, Co-Team Leader, writes...
For Carole and I, this was our first time in leading a team together, and what a privilege it was. Although at first it was somewhat daunting, it was also very exciting finding out whom God would choose. Isn't it wonderful though, when you read various responses from other lay witness week-ends, that everyone can say the same thing "the team was God chosen".
So it is no surprise that this is exactly how we felt, with:- Nigel Woods, Eveline Sheerin, Helen Sweeney, Kenneth Porter, Jacqui Galbraith, Daphne Hamilton and Stephen Orr. Each very special in their own way and each very much Spirit filled. Stephen in his letter has covered virtually all the events of the week-end. However a little further news received from Rev. Chris Frazer on Wednesday night 12th May. That a lady who had hosted one of the coffee mornings, rededicated her life to the Lord on the Monday evening, and then led another person to the Lord on the Tuesday. The Lord's Holy Spirit is surely moving in a powerful way.
We look forward in anticipation to hearing what He has in store for those wonderful people (His people) in Limavady.
For Carole and I, this was our first time in leading a team together, and what a privilege it was. Although at first it was somewhat daunting, it was also very exciting finding out whom God would choose. Isn't it wonderful though, when you read various responses from other lay witness week-ends, that everyone can say the same thing "the team was God chosen".
So it is no surprise that this is exactly how we felt, with:- Nigel Woods, Eveline Sheerin, Helen Sweeney, Kenneth Porter, Jacqui Galbraith, Daphne Hamilton and Stephen Orr. Each very special in their own way and each very much Spirit filled. Stephen in his letter has covered virtually all the events of the week-end. However a little further news received from Rev. Chris Frazer on Wednesday night 12th May. That a lady who had hosted one of the coffee mornings, rededicated her life to the Lord on the Monday evening, and then led another person to the Lord on the Tuesday. The Lord's Holy Spirit is surely moving in a powerful way.
We look forward in anticipation to hearing what He has in store for those wonderful people (His people) in Limavady.