Christ Church Limerick United Presbyterian and Methodist Church – Rev Vicki Lynch: Give thanks for the faithfulness of members of Christ Church who give time each week to join in Bible study, prayer groups, music practices, stewardship and visiting. Pray for Seán, the congregation’s Youth, Children’s and Family Worker. Give thanks for the outreach in the community gallery and coffee dock; for all the wonderful meetings, conversations and relationships. Pray for the Peter McVerry Trust, the congregation’s new neighbours, as they begin their work in Limerick and the Public Participation Network as they move into the building. Pray with the congregation of Limerick, that they will have a deeper understanding of how God wants them to work together for His Kingdom in the City of Limerick. Pray for hearts to be opened and people to be Called. Overseas: Portugal: Laura Mulligan has completed her assignment in Portugal, where she was serving alongside James & Heather Cochrane in the new church plant in Senhora da Hora - Comunidade Pedras Vivas. In January, Laura will be heading to Spain to serve for several months with Grupos Bíblicos Unidos (GBU) in the north of Spain, alongside Derek & Jane French. Middle East: Colin & Marjorie Dickson report that students at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) are sitting end of term exams and finishing assignments at present. Over the Christmas break, many of the students will be involved in their ‘Field Ministry’, that is, practical ministry experience through serving in local churches in Jordan. Pray that these students will remain teachable, humble in heart and in turn, contribute to the building up of the church in Jordan and ultimately throughout the Middle East. Colin and Marjorie write, “The conflict in the neighbouring countries of Syria and Iraq continues. The devastation of cities and the atrocities committed against the inhabitants is almost unbelievable if it were not for the stories told to us by students who remain in contact with families and friends, and also news from a past student who has returned to Pastor a church in Syria. The recent bombing of the Coptic Church in Egypt brought a sombre reminder of the cost of being willing to be identified with the Christian minority in the Middle East.” Wycliffe Bible Translators: John Hamilton writes, “More people than ever before know Jesus' name in their language this Christmas because of Bible translation.” BUT, speakers of up to 1,800 languages are still waiting to have the name of Jesus translated for them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Apologies to any Scots in the Congregation today! In some Scottish restaurants they heat the knives so you can't use too much butter! (could be true?) You should be careful about stereotyping the Scots as mean. A recent letter to a newspaper from an Aberdonian read, "If you print any more jokes about mean Scotsmen I shall stop borrowing your paper." (Yes, ok…) Scotsmen hate to see waste, no matter where it is. So when Jock saw the Niagara Falls for the first time he said it was a waste of water - and a plumber in Dundee could fix them in half an hour! (mmmmm?) When a bus company was prevailed upon to increase the concessionary fare to frequent travellers so that they got six journeys instead of four for a pound, one elderly gentleman, renowned for his frugality, even in a community where frugal folk are common, was still unhappy. "It's all utter foolishness," he declared. "Now we've got to walk to town six times instead of four times to save a pound!" (Perhaps you need to think about that one!)

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! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHRISTMAS MORNING Lighting the final candle on the Advent Wreath :: As we light this Christmas 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, as we celebrate our Saviour’s birth, to let Him be born afresh in us today. In the name of Jesus, the Light of the World. (lit today by Max Millar) Holy Scripture: (antiphonal) Psalm 96:1-9 (page 602) Luke 2:1-20 (page 1027) WHAT YOU NOTICE TELLS MUCH ABOUT YOU Praise: IPH 321 Hark! The herald angels sing glory…(Mendelssohn-Bethlehem) IPH 334 See Him lying on a bed of straw (Calypso Carol) IPH 328 O come, all you faithful (Adeste Fideles) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week Today 10.30 am Revd Dr Isaac Thompson: All-Age Christmas Day Service—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.

Tuesday 10.15 am NO Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room this week—resumes on 10 January 2017 10.15 am Minibuses leave church car park for Christmas Hike in Clogher area. Return 4.00 pm

approx. 7.45 pm First Bowling Club—resumes on 10 January, 2017. 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

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 25 December 2016 CHRISTMAS DAY

10.30 am

Thursday 8.00 pm NO Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room this week—resumes on 12 January 2017 Next Sunday: NEW YEAR’S DAY 11.30 am All-Age Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four Herods mentioned in the New Testament: Herod the Great

● King of Judea (37–4 BC) ● Built the temple which Jesus and his disciples knew

● Interviewed the wise men and killed the babies of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1–12) ● His kingdom was divided after his death between his sons – Herod Antipas, Philip and Archelaus

● Referred to in Matthew 2:1–12; Luke 1:5 Herod Antipas

● Son of Herod the Great ● Tetrarch (ruler) of Galilee and Perea (4 BC – AD 39)

● Involved in building programmes that led to heavy taxation ● Killed John the Baptist (Mark 6:14–29)

● Married his brother Philip’s wife ● Referred to in Matthew 14:1–6; Mark 6:14–29; 8:15; Luke 3:1,19,20; 13:31; Acts 4:27

Herod Agrippa I ● Son of Aristobulus, a fourth son of Herod the Great

● Initially ruler of territory in the north east of Palestine (AD 38), with Galilee and Perea added in AD 39 and Judea and Samaria in AD 41, at which point he was given the title ‘king’

● Took action against the early church, killing James and imprisoning Peter (Acts 12:1–4) ● Died a painful death (Acts 12:19–23)

● Referred to in Acts 12:1–23 Herod Agrippa II

● Son of Herod Agrippa I ● Lived in the Emperor’s court until AD 49

● Puppet king of various territories in the north of Israel under Roman control (AD 49–93) ● Built up Caesarea Philippi as his capital ● Called Agrippa in the New Testament

● Referred to in Acts 25,26

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROTAS—read through them carefully!

READERS’ ROTA Today ................................... Lesley McGlaughlin Next Sunday .................................. Nigel Stratton

F.W.O. TEAM ROTA This Week ................................................ Austin Burnett, Hazel Johnston, May Faulkner, Noel Crooks Next Week ................................................................ Iris Black, George Black, Jean Short, Derek Short

CAR PARK ROTA Today ................................ Jim & Pat Rutherford Next Sunday .................................. Ian Allingham

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 ..................................Stephen Park Next Sunday ............................ Andrew Johnston

JUNIOR CHURCH ROTA Today ............................................................................................... Christmas Day—no Junior Church Next Sunday .................................................................................................................... All-age service

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 8 January ................................................................................. David McDowell, John Topping ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRAYER FOCUS THE BEREAVED: Harry McCullough and family; Paula Faulkner and family (sister and aunt, Mrs May Mullan) PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND PRAYERLINE: (edited) For full versions, visit: www.presbyterianireland.org Home: The International Meeting Point: a drop in centre for refugees and asylum seekers, continues to reach out and share the Good News with many on the Lisburn Road in Belfast. On Christmas Day they will be providing a Christmas dinner for up to 100 refugees and asylum seekers. Rev Alan Boal – Chaplain serving in Prisons in the Dublin Area: Alan writes, “Christmas is, of course, a poignant time for prisoners and their families. Memories of better times come flooding back as parents and children try to make the best of the season. It is particularly hard for the women serving time. Under normal circumstances they would have been heading up preparations and celebrations. Some prisoners will enjoy much anticipated ‘Temporary Release’ so they can re-join their families.” Pray for those in prison this Christmas, and those on temporary release. Pray that they will hear the message of Christ this Christmas and turn to Him.