Health and Social Care Trust recently hosted an evening in Belfast City Hall at which he presented awards to staff who made significant contributions to healthcare. Give thanks that the chaplains received special recognition. During December, the Presbyterians lead the 10.00 am Sunday services in Musgrave. Pray that many will come to worship and that the good news of the coming of the Saviour will be celebrated and shared. Kilkenny Presbyterian Church – Rev Daniel Reyes Martin: Around 120 Jesus Storybook Bibles will be gifted to the toddlers who come to the congregation’s Parents and Toddler group. Pray that parents / grandparents will read it to their children and that the Lord will bring fruit in due time. Matt and Sandy from Mission to the World (MTW) have been ministering amongst couples. Daniel writes, “They have been leading our Cafe Church on Sunday evenings, a LifeGroup on Wednesdays and meetings with individual couples during the week”. Pray that families and marriages, as a result, will be strengthened and transformed. Pray for the elders of the church as they seek God's will in day-to-day church life, as well as starting the process for election of elders soon. Overseas: Yemen: The Moderator, Rt Rev Dr Frank Sellar, has called on Presbyterians and congregations to respond to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Yemen, through PCI’s relief and development partners, Christian Aid and Tearfund. Dr Sellar said, “The devastating war in Yemen has been waged for the past 21 months and has resulted in over 18 million people, which is over three quarters of the Yemeni population, being left without access to safe water, food, healthcare or sanitation. I understand that over 7 million people do not know where their next meal will come from. It is distressing to hear of so many people in such desperate need of food, clean water and medical assistance in Yemen. Please pray for the people of Yemen and if you can, please help those who are clinging to life by a thread.” The Moderator’s call follows the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal on Yemen. The DEC brings together 13 leading charities in times of crisis including Christian Aid and Tearfund. Pray for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen and for lasting peace. Pray that the Yemen Crisis Appeals of both Christian Aid and Tearfund will be well-supported. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We will remember them! “The Christmas Truce” refers to a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of World War I around Christmas 1914. In the week leading up to the holiday, French, German and British soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings and talk. In some areas, men from both sides ventured into no man's land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to mingle and exchange food and souvenirs. There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps, while several meetings ended in carol-singing. Men played games of football with one another, giving one of the most memorable images of the truce. Peaceful behaviour was not ubiquitous; fighting continued in some sectors, while in others the sides settled on little more than arrangements to recover bodies. The following year, a few units arranged ceasefires but the truces were not nearly as widespread as in 1914; this was, in part, due to strongly worded orders from the high commands of both sides prohibiting fraternisation. Soldiers were no longer amenable to truce by 1916. The war had become increasingly bitter after devastating human losses suffered during the battles of the Somme and Verdun, and the incorporation of poison gas.

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 105651)

Announcements for inclusion in the bulletin must be with: Paul Ferguson (paulferguson@firstcookstown.co.uk or 028 8644 8601)

no later than 12 noon on Friday of this week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before any Service, speak to God; During the Service, let God speak to you;

After the Service, speak to one another! MISSION is every believer’s responsibility! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORNING Advent Candle No 4 :: As we light this fourth Advent candle, may its flame be a symbol of hope; its warmth be a symbol of God’s love for each one of us; and may it inspire us to find joy in all our journeying and gathering this Christmas, and God’s presence in our midst. In the name of Jesus, the Light of the World. Amen (lit today by Faye Hunter) Announcement Highlights Welcome: Carl Gourley Prayer: Anna Millar Reading: Rachel Brown Congregational Praise: IPH 334 See Him lying on a bed of straw (Perry/Coates) Nativity “A Midwife Crisis” Narrators: Faye Hunter, Hannah McIlwaine Scene 1: “Meet the Midwives” Scene 2: “Let’s find where the Baby King is to be born” Praise: What a Commotion Wise men are we Star Song: Soloist: Ella Black Congregational Praise: Hope was born this night (David Frey) Scene 3: “Can the Shepherds and Angels Help?” Reading: Carl Gourley Praise: Baa Baa Bethlehem God’s Messengers Tonight We Celebrate PTO...

Welcome! Please take this

Bulletin

home with you. —————————— Strive for peace with

all your heart—

Christ Himself

is our peace

Psalm 34:14b; Ephesians 2:14

Remember: www.firstcookstown.co.uk You can access this Bulletin, listen to service recordings, and contribute news and updates, along with much more information.

First Presbyterian Church Cookstown (founded 1646)

of The

in the Presbytery of Tyrone

gathered to worship on

Sunday 18 December 2016 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT

11.30 am & 7.00 pm

Roll Call: Rachel Brown (listen carefully to the names and thank the Lord for our children)

Offering: Music by Emily Millar, Anna Millar, Rachel Brown and Ella Black Distribution of gifts to the adults by the children Congregational Praise: IPH 309 Away in a manger (Kirkpatrick/Willcocks) Christmas Blessing: Anna Millar Helpers this year are: Judith McGeown, Helen Black, Denise Gourley, Katie Wilson, Kathy

McIlwaine, Andrea Harkness, Naomi Ferguson, Rachel Johnston, Linda Ferguson

EVENING There will be a separate Bulletin for “Carols by Candlelight”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This week

Today 11.30 am Nativity Service prepared by the Sunday School and Youth Fellowship 7.00 pm 23rd Annual “Carols by Candlelight” - a Festival of Nine Lessons and Nine Carols,

followed by festive supper in the Main Hall Monday 6.00 pm NO meeting for Squirrel Scouts this week 7.00 pm NO meeting for Beaver Scouts this week Tuesday 10.15 am NO Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room this week—resumes on 10 January 2017 10.15 am Cookstown High School Carol Service in Molesworth PC—all welcome 7.45 pm First Bowling Club—come along an enjoy the last bowling evening of 2016. All

welcome! Wednesday 10.30 am Morning Midweek Bible Study in The Loft will resume on 11 January 2017 8.00 pm Evening Midweek Bible Study at 81 Sweep Road will resume on 11 January 2017 Thursday 8.00 pm NO Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room this week—resumes on 12 January 2017 Next Sunday: CHRISTMAS DAY 10.30 am All-Age Christmas Day Service at 10.30 am—the offering as usual will be for the

PCI’s Annual World Development Appeal: information leaflets and envelopes are available in the pews and on the entrance tables.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ January 2017 (some dates)

Sunday 8 The Sacrament of The Lord’s Supper at 11.30 am Monday 9 PW in The Morrison Room at 8.00 pm: Brad & Hilary Turkington, ‘Megavoice Talking

Bibles’ Wednesday 11 Morning Midweek Bible Study resumes in The Loft, 10.30 am—12 Noon. Christian

Beliefs, No 7: Romans 3:9-31, “Deliverance from sin”. All welcome Wednesday 11 Evening Midweek Bible Study resumes at 81 Sweep Road, Battles Christians face:

this week: “Pride”. Monday 16 Cookstown Christian Aid Committee meets in The Minister’s Room at 7.00 pm Thursday 19 Trefoil Guild meets in The Morrison Room, 10.30 am—12 Noon Sunday 29 World Leprosy Day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WFO Envelope No 12

Would the holder of WFO envelope no 12, please make contact with either Bob Agnew (8676 3513) or Paul Ferguson (8644 8601). Thanks in anticipation! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Operation Christmas Child. Many thanks to everyone who gave shoe boxes and donations to Operation Christmas Child. Around 140 boxes were collected from First Cookstown and the Scout Group. We took some 274 boxes to Kesh, which is our collection centre, and from there some 5000 boxes are on their way to Ukraine. Thank you to those who helped and transported boxes to Kesh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ROTAS—read through them carefully! READERS’ ROTA

Today ......................................... Nativity Service Next Sunday ........................ Lesley McGlaughlin F.W.O. TEAM ROTA

This Week ............................................ Keith Gilmour, Colin Rea, Brian McGlaughlin, David Johnston Next Week .............................................. Austin Burnett, Hazel Johnston, May Faulkner, Noel Crooks

CAR PARK ROTA Today .......................................... Jeffrey Deeney Next Sunday ...................... Jim & Pat Rutherford

FLOWER ROTA Today ................................................................................................................ Christmas Decorations Next Sunday ...................................................................................................... Christmas Decorations

CHURCH STEWARDING ROTA December .............................................................................................. Margaret Hamilton, Colin Rea January ..............................................................................................Ian McMullan, Margaret Wallace

COLLECTION ROTA Manse side (December) .......................................................................... George Black, Ian McMullan Gallery (December) ................................................................. Alan Badger, Trevor Crooks, Chris Kerr Town side (December) ................................................................................ Bob Agnew, John Topping Manse side (January) .................................................................. Stanley Faulkner, Christopher Leitch Gallery (January) .......................................................... Robert Leonard, Peter McIlwaine, John Purdy Town side (January) ............................................................................. Brian McGlaughlin, Sandra Rea

SOUND DESK ROTA This Morning ...................................... John Black Next Sunday .................................. Stephen Park

JUNIOR CHURCH ROTA Today ............................................................................................................ Christmas All-Age Service Next Sunday .................................................................................... Christmas Day—no Junior Church

CRÈCHE ROTA Today ........................................................................................... No Crèche until Sunday 8th January Next Sunday ................................................................................. No Crèche until Sunday 8th January

SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERVISION ROTA Next Sunday .............................................................................................................. No Sunday School Sunday 1 January ...................................................................................................... No Sunday School ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRAYER FOCUS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND PRAYERLINE: (edited) For full versions, visit: www.presbyterianireland.org Home: Rev Paul Erskine – Chaplain serving in Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast. The Chairman of the Belfast