Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

2 St. Paul's Road,
Articlave, Coleraine,
Co. Londonderry

Sunday Service:
11.30 am
July/Aug at 11.00 am
July/August epilogues at Benone on Sundays at 8.30pm

Minister: Rev. James A. McCaughan
Telephone: (028) 7084 8276

First Dunboe

Articlave is a growing village 5 miles West of Coleraine on the North Londonderry coastline. The area is becoming very popular, both as a retirement area and as a holiday resort, with an increasing number of people owning holiday homes in the district.

Downhill was the centre of worship dating back to the time of the independent Irish Christian Church, and it was on this site that Presbyterians first worshipped in this district at the start of the seventeenth century. The congregation of First Dunboe is one of the earliest in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland dating from the 1650s. The present church building is the fifth used by the church and was extensively renovated in 1994.

First Dunboe has 336 families (2001). Many of the families can trace their roots back several centuries while there is also an influx of new families. Some farm the land or work locally; others travel as far as Londonderry or Belfast to their work.

We worship together at 11.30am on Sunday mornings, and once a month at 7pm on Sunday evenings through the winter. In July and August our morning worship is at the earlier time of 11.00am and we join with Magilligan Presbyterian Church to run an outreach programme at Benone Visitors' Centre and hold an informal evening epilogue every Sunday evening in the Visitors' Centre at 8.30pm, when the praise is led by our worship group. We have a weekly meeting to pray together on Wednesday nights, and a Bible Study group meets on alternate Fridays.

Our suite of church halls function as a local meeting point; with two indoor bowling clubs, a badminton club, a Girls' Brigade company and Boys' Brigade, Sunday School, Presbyterian Women's Association, Crusaders, Tots & Co. and a Youth Fellowship.

Our purpose is set out in full on our website www.1st-dunboe.co.uk and is summed up in the letters of the word 'HOPE':

H - Honour the Lord
O - Obey His Word
P - Promote His Kingdom
E - Encourage His people