Sundays

Sundays

Current guidelines on Corona Virus

You may already be aware of the guidelines that the Church of Ireland have issued in line with UK Government directives. These new guidelines mean we will not be gathering together as a church until further notice. This impacts, and applies to all groups, gatherings, events, programs and ministries. 

Although we are not gathering in our usual way, we still want to be creative in this season and explore new ways of serving, loving and reaching out in hope and faith.

We will be recording a short Sunday morning gathering at 11am which in line with the guidelines will be recorded from people’s homes. In addition, each weekday at 8.30pm Revd Jonny will be leading a Late Evening Office online. This will be uploaded to social media platforms and website via this page each week. These will include intercessions, worship and preaching.

What to expect on a typical Sunday

In both our churches, you will immediately notice the warm welcome.
We worship in Christ Church, Ballynure from 10am, and in St John’s, Ballyclare from 11.30am.

In Christ Church, Isobel keeps the supply of sweets replenished. In St John’s there’s light refreshments available. We also provide a crèche in St John’s which is available in our Church Halls.

Initially everyone stays together for opening worship, and therefore we take time so that our children feel very much included with kids’ songs and maybe some teaching for them. Then our young people go out to a number of Sunday programmes.

We aim to provide dynamic Worship in the morning, to enable people of every age to engage with God and His Word.

We enjoy and celebrate the diveristy that we offer in our styles of worship between the two churches. In Christ Church we generally worship using liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer or using liturgies across the Anglican Communion. Music will be led by the choir.

The style of worship in St John’s would provide a blend of the old and the new, with the music led by a band and worship leader.

Young People in Christ Church

Sunday School – this is available to children aged under 12 years and takes place in the church hall during the church service. We learn about God and life using a mixture of teaching, songs, games, memory verses and crafts.

Young People in St John’s

Crèche (under 4) – We care for our little ones alot, so a dedicated team of leaders provide a safe place where they can play. We offer parents a cuppa while they join us, but we are also happy if parents wish to go back up to church.

JAM (Year 1-6) – An exciting programme is available for primary school children. We learn about God and life using a mixture of teaching, songs, games, memory verses and crafts. It also involves snacks each week and occasional trips and parties. JAM meets in the Church Halls.

Lighthouse (Year 7-10) – We recognise that as kids begin the transition from Primary School to Secondary, the teaching that they receive needs to adapt to their interests. Therefore our programme will use media and other resources that are relevant to their age. Lighthouse meets in the Church Halls.

Teenage Bible Study (Year 11+) – We want to offer a programme of teaching and conversation that provides a bridge between our young people’s programmes and Sunday morning worship in the Church. Therefore our teens worship with everyone and then leave after the initial worship, going across to the Youth For Christ drop-in centre at 1 Granges Street. Here we provide a place to relax, have some hot chocolate, chat about the week ahead, and enjoy a bible study together, before returning back to St John’s by around 12.45pm.