A vision realised in LAMP
In January of this year, the Lecale Area Mission Partnership (LAMP) launched a new contemporary worship service. Based in Down Parish Church on the first Sunday of the month, people from across LAMP as well as other neighbouring parishes and churches in Downpatrick gather for a time of praise, bible teaching and reflection.
The vision to have a regular contemporary service in LAMP came through the Revd Scott McDonald (then a Vicar in LAMP) at a team retreat in August 2019. After some months of planning and praying, during the team’s January 2020 retreat a date was set: the first contemporary service was to happen on Easter Day 2020 – but the global pandemic put paid to this plan!
The vision remained but through the uncertainty of the immediate post–pandemic period, and against the backdrop of significant ministry team changes in LAMP, plans were made and re–made until the current LAMP Ministry Team came together. Very soon, a new space for regular contemporary worship was created.
The service is led by Billy Fyffe (LAMP’s Youth and Community Pastor); Adrian Dorrian (Vicar of LAMP) and John McGrath (a friend of the Diocese and Downpatrick Resident).
Speaking about the new service, Adrian said:
“We’ve just had our third of these new services and we’ve already been really blessed in the feedback we’ve received from those who’ve been coming. It’s affirmed for us something about which we were already sure – that Revd Scott McDonald’s vision for this service was truly prompted by the Holy Spirit.
We’re excited to see how the service will develop and we hope that people from right across this part of County Down will feel able to join us on the first Sunday of each month.
The next contemporary service in LAMP will be at 7.00pm on Palm Sunday, 2nd April in Down Parish Church.
