Rosemary has been serving in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church in Newtownards, since September 2017.

Rosemary engages with three weekly groups and seeks to build friendships with women at these ministries: ‘Chat and Hobby Huddle’ on a Tuesday morning; ‘Mums and Tots’ on a Wednesday morning; and ‘Women’s Meeting’ on Thursday evenings.

Rosemary also goes along and encourages other women at the PW and ‘Fit For Life' meetings in Greenwell Street. She also befriends others at the Alpha, Christianity Explored courses and leads and encourages women and mums at morning Bible studies and other initiatives.

During the week Rosemary also is engaged in pastoral visitation and befriending women, families and the elderly, at homes or over a cup of coffee! She also leads a Grief Share course with a committed team of helpers.

Rosemary has opportunities to share from God’s Word at ‘Mums and Tots’ and ‘Chat and Hobby Huddle’, and also from time to time at the Sunday school and local school assembly.

Rosemary previously served as a deaconess in First Antrim Presbyterian Church. Before training to become a deaconess, Rosemary worked at various jobs - activity co-ordinator at Faith House, N I Electricity sales and River House Newcastle. Rosemary’s home congregation is Newcastle Presbyterian Church.

Prayer Points

• Pray for friendships and conversation with women from the church and community at various ministries.
• Pray for wisdom and guidance from God for Rosemary as she visits people.
• Pray for Rosemary’s preparations for morning Bible studies with women and mums.
• Pray for Rosemary as she seeks to befriend new people and families at church.
• Pray for Rosemary as she encourages others in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Latest Report – June 2023

Using words to witness

"When will you be king? Show them you're the boss in charge of everything!"

The coronation of King Charles III is fresh in the memory; however, the words above are from a children's book called Are We nearly There Yet? by Alison Brewis. This little book went into a pack with a chocolate Easter egg for the children of Newtownards Nursery School this year. Also at Easter, each family received a book called The Life of Jesus and a special knitted chick at out tots' group. These Easter and Christmas packs evolved during Covid-19. The packs contain a little book and chocolate and the children from Newtownards Nursery and P1 class of Victoria Primary School received them from Greenwell Street. 

Last Christmas, the nursery was able to return to our church halls for its first Christmas nativity play after the Covid-19 pandemic. The children used Makaton sign language to explain the Christmas story in word and song. Parents went home with our church magazine and a Christmas tract. One Sunday morning during a Scripture Union presentation to the church, a parent shared how delighted she was that her daughter had come home from nursery with a little book from Greenwell Street explaining the true meaning of Christmas.

During the late Queen's platinum celebrations, both First Ards and Greenwell Street gifted every child from Victoria Primary School the book called, Queen Elizabeth II: The Queen Who Chose to Serve. The principal of the school expressed her thanks, on a Facebook video clip, to the churches for the gorgeous book that explained about her faith and journey to the throne. 

Tracts and books have the amazing ability to deliver the message to many people that the distributor will never meet. One day, while seeking something to read, James Hudson Taylor turned over a basket of tracts in his father's library and selected one that was interesting. He fell down on his knees and accepted the Saviour; he then went on to found the China Inland Mission. What a marvellous harvest with one seed sown.

At Greenwell Street we have many opportunities to spread the seed of his Word to young and old, into the community of Newtownards, praying that lives would serve the King of Kings. 

Bulk purchases of books and tracts are available from publishers The Good Book Company and 10ofThose.

Please pray:

• Praise God for the opportunity to share about the Lord via books, our church magazine and tracts into the community of Newtownards.
• Give thanks for our 'Fit for Life' event and fun day - praise God for those from the community who came along to these events and heard about the Saviour.
• Pray for the holiday Bible club being held 24-28 July.

To download a printable PDF version of this report visit the Mission Reports listing at the top.