Holiday Bible Club Team 2015

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

The Rev. Moore was certainly not lonely in the manse from the 15th-23rd August.  27 young folk from Dervock, Bellaghy, Carryduff, Drumbo, Saintfield, Crossgar, Ballygowan, Ahoghill, Belfast and Romania packed the manse for our Holiday Bible Club week.  The team served not only in our own congregation, but also did work in the congregations of Bellaghy and Knockoughrim.  If you passed the manse in the wee hours and still saw lots of cars parked and lights on, this was why.

We began the week by meeting together as 3 congregations, around one table, to worship one Lord, for one plan of salvation.  Thank you to those of you who came to the joint communion service in Knockloughrim Presbyterian.  It was a lovely time to focus on the Lord before such a busy week of Mission.

Here’s a breakdown of our day, with a few comments about each part…

07:30-08.30 Showers-Dervock Manse                                                                                         

08.30-09.00 Breakfast (Compulsory)- This could be called Rise and Shine, rising is compulsory, shining is optional! 

09.00-10.30 Quiet Time – During the week we read together ‘God’s Big Design’ by Vaughan Roberts.  We picked a different picturesque site along the North Coast to have our quiet time, to sit and read and observe the goodness of God’s creation. 

10.30-11.45 Team Bible study- After we read we would head to a local coffee shop.  This was either in Ballymoney or the Mill Tea Room in Dervock.  We would have a cup of tea together and a wee bun and a discussion on the book we had just read.  It was great to just walk around as a collective group.  People asked us what we were doing.  We were able to say, we are part of a team working with Dervock Presbyterian Church.  Our Church was known in the wider community, which is a great thing. 

12:00-12:30 Lunch- Dervock Manse- Many thanks to the many ladies who made us our lunch.  We enjoyed it all!

12.30-13:30 Prep for club- This was time to tidy up the hall, cut out the craft, prepare the drama; the story tellers could look over their story one last time and pray before the children arrived. 

14.:00-16:30 Dervock Holiday Bible Club- We had 80 Children on the roll for our Holiday Bible Club.

• 14:15- Welcome, songs, Opening Prayer
• 14:25- Jumping Jonnies Exercises
• 14:30- Story – Our theme for the week was Joseph in the land of Egypt.
• 14:45- Memory Verse/Craft/Film and Juice and Crisps
• 16:00- 2 Minute Testimony
• 16:05- Drama
• 16:15- Hungarian Slot
• 16:30- Closing Prayer

16:30-17:30 Tidy up and leave for Mid-Ulster- We had to leave Dervock sharply to be in time for dinner.

17:30-18:10 Dinner in Bellaghy Halls

18:10-18:30 Prep for club (Games start once children begin to arrive)

18:30-20:30 Bellaghy and Knockloughrim Holiday Bible Club- round 30 children attended every night.  We repeated the same Holiday Bible Club that was done in Dervock in the afternoon.

• 18:40- Welcome, songs, Jumping Jonny time
• 18:50- Story
• 19:00- Memory Verse/Craft/Film and Juice and Crisps
• 20:00- 2 Minute Testimony
• 20:05- Drama
• 20:15- Hungarian Slot
• 20:30- Closing Prayer

20:30-20:40 Set up for teens- We did a teenage coffee bar in Bellaghy Presbyterian every night.  We had around 45 teenagers at this.  As you can see, the time between dinner, the Holiday Bible Club and the teenage work was tight, but we’re thankful to God for giving us the time to do this.

20:40-22:00 Teen event

• 20:40- Coffee Bar – This is a time of chill out before the activities of the night.
• 21:00- Hot Seat- This is where one of the team is interviewed and asked about their faith in Jesus Christ.
• 21:15-21:45- Activity- During the week this included- A hero and villain fancy dress night, a pudding party, water games night, social games and more.
• 21:45- Epilogue-Every night we looked at a different section of the Wordless book. Green- Creation, Black- Fall, Red- Blood, White- Forgiveness, Gold-Heaven.  This is the gospel in 5 easy teaching points.  We hope the teenagers grasped it for themselves.

22:00-22:30 Tidy up

22:30-23:00 Travel back to base- We thank God for giving us journeying mercies every day and night as we travelled. 

23:00-23:30 Supper

23:30-00:15 Prayer, Praise and debrief- Every night we had a time of praise and prayer as we reflected on the day of outreach.  Rev. Philip Dunwoody, Minister of Dervock Reformed Presbyterian Church and Mr Ross Cooper, Youth and Family Worker in Ballyrashane Presbyterian led devotions on some of the nights.  We’re thankful to them for their encouragement and partnership in local gospel work.

00:15-00:45 Any night time shower takers

00:45-1:00 Bed- Yea Right!!!!!!!

As you look above, we must have been the only Holiday Bible Club in Northern Ireland to have a Hungarian slot.  Every day, the children were able to learn part of John’s Gospel as taught by Peter, our Romanian helper. 

This is just a snapshot of the week we had.  If you want to know more about the great week we had serving God, why not ask Mark McConaghie, Thomas McConaghie, Sam Lynn, Emma McCaw or Andrew McCaw who served on the team.  We hope that not only the boys and girls will see their need for forgiveness through the Lord Jesus,  but we also hope that our young people, especially those just mentioned, will have a thirst to serve the Lord, both on future teams here, but also in other spheres of service.

The Holiday Bible Club was great!  However, the question is, what are we doing now during the year for the 80 children who came through our church doors?

Thank you to everyone who made the week happen; juice makers, bus drivers, towel washers, cooks, parents, cleaners… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  1st Corinthians 12:27.