Moneyreagh Community Church – a view from across the pond
In July 2018, a team of young people from St Aldates, Oxford, came across to help Moneyreagh Community Church run a week of mission in the village. It turned out to be a very fruitful partnership as the folk from St Aldates reported…
There is a great desire among the people of MCC to serve and connect with the village, but limited numbers of volunteers often puts strain on the projects. It was brilliant for our team to arrive and from the word go know that they were able to offer much–needed help and energy to this special week the church’s calendar.
On our first full day in the village it was all hands on deck to run a Family fun Day for those from the local area. Over a brilliant afternoon we had a few hundred people pass through and enjoy all that had been laid on for them.
It was brilliant for us to be able to spend a Sunday with the people of MCC. To see another community worship and fellowship together was an important experience for our young people.
The rest of the week was packed with all kinds of great initiatives and gatherings. On one afternoon we went around the whole village offering our services to folks, whether it was cutting grass or filling our trailer with stuff for the skip. Our team led two mornings for kids, with around fifty in attendance, as well as two evenings for the teenagers of the church. We also put on a community lunch which was warmly received by many in the village and beyond.
Over the course of the week it was lovely to watch the Oxford teenagers get to know the people of MCC and to see the mutual encouragement that was taking place. While it was great to see events well attended, our prayer over the week was that our impact would be something deeper and more profound than the events themselves. Sure enough, around the margins, as conversations took place and friendships developed, we found opportunities to pray for people, or to encourage them or to speak about the hope we had as Christians.
We are so grateful to the people of MCC and to Rory for receiving us so warmly and for allowing us to be partners with them in the Gospel. It was such a great time and we are excited about the prospect of extending this partnership and being back in the village again to help facilitate another excellent mission week!
What they said…
My experience of our trip to Northern Ireland was all–round encouraging. It taught me that a mission field can be closer to home than I originally thought. The people of Moneyreagh were one of a kind! In fact they showed us all as a team what it means to be family in Christ. Nay aged 18
My time in Northern Ireland was one I will never forget. It was both a challenging but also highly rewarding experience to go and try and integrate myself into a formed community. Despite my apprehension, with the help of God I was able to speak to people about my experience of faith in Christ and hopefully encourage some to attend the amazing Moneyreagh Community Church situated in the heart of the village. Nat aged 18
