connect



Your guide to what’s going on
on in Waringstown

May 2020
Edition 15

an initiative of
 Welcome to Connect magazine



- Lockdown Edition!  

With the ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions in

place, it was decided to opt for an e-zine this
time, but all being well we will be back to a
printed version next time. 

In these strangest of days perhaps you have heard someone say ‘we are all in the
same boat’. We might nod our head at that sentiment, after all we are facing this
pandemic together. No-one is escaping without it impacting their life. However
as I read recently, the impact for some is much greater than others so perhaps it is
more accurate to say that ‘we are all in the same storm, but our boats are very
different’.

This special edition seeks to highlight a range of different perspectives on the crisis
from within our community beginning with our minister. Rev Stuart Hawthorne
shares the heartache and challenge of having to teach and pastor from a
distance. Dorothy Parks, a nurse, gives an insight into the world of frontline
healthcare during the pandemic, and Margaret Sanderson shares the everyday
blessings (and frustrations) of lockdown as a more senior member of the village.

The Morrow family share what they have been up to as they navigate a different
rhythm to home-life in these days, and Owen Vennard provides a very mature
perspective as an A-level student who’s final weeks
at school have been cut short not to mention the
uncertainty around academic results.

Finally Colin Neill helps us to consider what life will

be like when this is all over by highlighting five
changes he would like to see continue post-
lockdown.

I hope you find community and encouragement in

this edition. Please share this e-zine link with others
who might not see it online.

Blessings & Stay Safe Neil Harrison

God is our refuge  and strength, an ever-

present  help  in trouble. Therefore we will not
fear, though the earth give way and the mountains
fall into the heart of the sea.  Psalm 65:11

2 Welcome
A Practical Response
Responding to this crisis has been challenging on many fronts. We are very blessed to
have an army of people in the church community ready to offer their support. However,
in light of government restrictions, we had to coordinate our response carefully.

Everyone was encouraged to pick up the

telephone. We knew how vital a simple
conversation would be for people’s wellbeing
and we prayed that these conversations would
enable us to meet 3 more aims:
- Identifying those who needed practical
support with shopping & collection of
medication
- Sharing the details of food delivery services
offered by local businesses
- Sharing information about a food drop-off
initiative

The latter of these initiatives allowed us to safely & responsibly package food parcels,
which are being distributed to the most vulnerable in our community, and also to our
key workers. Through utilising social media, we have received many individual requests,
mostly from distant family members whose older relatives live in the village.

If you can do so safely & responsibly, please consider

supporting our food drop-off initiative, from 3-5pm
every Saturday. Why not utilise your daily exercise and
walk down to our drop-off point at church?

Most importantly, please continue to pick up the

phone. Not only does this provide a vital conversation
with someone in isolation, but it allows us to continue
to identify those in our community most in need of
help.

If you are aware of anyone who might be particularly

vulnerable at this time, please  contact Brian
(07746320880) or Conor (07581833622).
  
Article by Conor Patton
Youth and Community Ministry Coordinator for Waringstown Presbyterian

3
 The


Rev-view
‘Unprecedented times…uncharted waters’ - phrases we’ve heard a lot over these
past weeks. There have, of course, been many other key moments in recent history
but we are certainly living through a significant historical moment, right now.
COVID-19 continues to affect multitudes of people across our globe.

How has your life been affected by

this? Your family life, work life, even
your health? You’ve maybe never felt
more restricted, confined and even
isolated as in recent days. I know for BACK
me, the shape of life has changed
TO
dramatically.
NORMAL
I was once a teacher and along with
my wife (who admittedly carries the
greater part of the load) have been
thrust into the choppy waters of
homeschooling! (Hands up all parents
who have been stretched in every way
possible by this challenge alone…)

As a Minister, things have changed dramatically too. I haven't been allowed

contact with people within our church family. That’s been tough; I love being with
people. We’ve been ‘live-streaming’ our Sunday services and youth/children’s
programmes. I’m really thankful for the technology that allows this but preaching to
an empty building isn’t easy! Not having the faces (and noises) of the young, old
and all in-between in front of me is difficult. I even miss the faces of those who seem
to sleep through my sermons!

It’s even harder when I can’t physically be with those who are ill and struggling.
Funeral services have been moments when this has been heightened. The
restrictions in place deny the bereaved the opportunity to grieve, surrounded by
those they love and value. That’s really hard.

There’s no doubt - these are difficult times. Strange times. Challenging times. But
also times of great learning. I believe that God is teaching all of us through this…if
only our minds and our hearts are open to listen.

Have you found yourself longing to ‘go back to normal’? I think many people have.
However, I wonder how many people who have had that thought are the same
people who complained about the pace of life, the nature of their work, the rush

4 Church Life
that inevitably began as soon as they opened their eyes in the morning? What even is
‘normal’? What is ‘normal’ supposed to look like? How healthy is the ‘normal’ that we
refer to? Perhaps we shouldn’t long to ‘get back to normal’ and instead think about
the possibility of what a ‘new normal’ could and perhaps should look like.

Surely there are things that many of us have been pushed into that ought to become
part of life from here on in? A little less rush, a daily walk with your family, more time to
reflect on what matters in life, a greater awareness of the limitations of ‘banking on’
material things. More time spent seeking the face of the God who made you and loves
you. The God who desires your attention right now.

In a magazine article I read the author writes this of our response to this historical
moment:
“The real syntax of what’s ahead remains unrecorded. The future—thanks be to God
—looms closer than we think today. But if we cannot or will not see the writing on the
wall right here, right now, our blindness will never end. Shame on those of us who
hold the power of possibility, who possess enough social capital to make change…
and return to our lesser loves…Oh Lord, grant us enough trust to lay down the cross of
busyness and take up Sabbath rhythms, the patience to read more poetry and sing
more hymns, the will to scatter blessings around our neighbourhoods…” 

I believe we are being challenged not to be like the people of Israel who, when they
were eventually led out of slavery and into freedom, said fearfully: “Was it because
there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? … It would have
been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Exodus 14:10-12) This
sounds like the fearful impulse to go back to what was familiar, and yet a new life
beckoned.

Similarly, Jesus’ disciples in John 21

are found (after Jesus’ death and
resurrection) having returned to their
fishing nets, back to ‘normal.’ Jesus’
arrival on the scene powerfully
reminds them that their lives have
forever changed - their new role as
‘fishers of people’ will have His
authority behind them.

Life has changed for us all. What will

a ‘new normal’ be for each of us?
More importantly, has God got your
attention?
Article by Stuart Hawthorne
Minister WPC

5
Perspective from the NHS
Dorothy Parks is a Waringstown native and works
as a Specialist Practice Nurse in Craigavon
Hospital. In 2019 she took early retirement, but
was asked to continue in the same role 16 hours
per week, and more recently, has increased her
workload due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

We talked to Dorothy to ask her how she was

coping professionally, personally and spiritually.

As a Nurse…
Previously, I worked full time nights covering the
whole hospital assessing deteriorating and ill
patients, treating them and ensuring
appropriate investigations / tests were carried
out. Running in parallel I educated and supported junior staff.

In March 2020 Covid-19 hit and the NHS had to increase its infection control
procedures. This changed my role as I was allocated to a Ward as Senior Nurse at
Night to assist staff caring for Covid-19 patients.

My role remains the same as before, except now I wear additional PPE, which
protects patients and staff from contracting and spreading the virus. The process of
putting on and taking off PPE takes five to ten minutes before entering or leaving a
ward. I’m only allowed to leave the ward every four hours for a break. The PPE must
be changed and replaced each time I leave the ward. Wearing PPE for a 12-hour
shift I felt like “A Boil in the Bag Chicken” with sweat rolling from places it never rolled
before!!!

Apart from this inconvenience and discomfort, the camaraderie between staff is as
good as usual. As a rule nurses have a good sense of humour, which keeps us going.
Some staff were concerned and frightened about the situation, mainly about
themselves or family members contracting the virus, so lots of reassurance was
needed during each shift. It was discouraging at times, because I was mentally
drained due to the strain on staff working long hours and trying to keep up morale.
Patients deteriorate very quickly with Covid-19 and this could be scary for some.

Patients are generally grateful for all you do for them. The most difficult situations were
when they were dying and had no family. In my role as a nurse, I’m accustomed to
facing death, but this was especially sad, when patients only have a nurse to hold
their hand and comfort them. I thought, if this were my relative, what would I want
someone to do for them?

6 Church Life
As a Mother, Wife and Friend…
Family life remained much the same although my daughter was in University and not
allowed to travel home, so we continued to communicate via social media. My
husband worked from home until he was furloughed. My main concern was my elderly
mother who I was unable to visit. I’m her main carer and due to the situation I had to
leave shopping, washing etc at her door and wave in, not even able to give her a
hug.

Mental Health…
I tried not to pay attention to social media because when you’re working within this
situation and continually being updated with emails and WhatsApp about new
protocols, it is quite draining. I didn’t want to hear more when I was off duty.

The NHS…
Where nursing goes in the future is anybody’s guess. I think the NHS will never be the
same again, hopefully for the better. I have just one comment to make. The country
was out regularly on Thursday nights praising NHS staff for their dedication, but nursing
has not changed. They have always been dedicated people who care for patients to
the utmost of their ability. I hope when this is over that society will appreciate the NHS
and people will stop abusing it.

Christian Faith…
During my shifts I had many opportunities to speak to colleagues about God. This was
amazing because they wanted to hear what God was doing and why they were
being punished. I explained that God doesn’t punish, but uses circumstances for His
glory. Normally they wouldn’t take the time to listen but most staff were interested. It
meant I could pray individually for people that God would touch their hearts.

I generally don’t mind going to work, but there were nights when I wondered what I’d
face. On such occasions I trusted God, as I know He always walks beside me. I have
been through many trials in my life and He has carried me through. One Bible verse
that kept me strong is Psalm 17:8: “Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” Even in
the darkest valley of life God shelters us under His wings and His promises never fail.

God has been in this situation all along.

Sometimes we fail to listen to Him. Many
times throughout this lockdown, God has
spoken words of comfort to me through
bible readings or messages from our
minister. Although these are strange days
we should always remember God is on the
Throne and in control of everything.

Interview by Chris McCourt

7
 Young

 At Heart
It was the 16th March, we marked the
date in our calendar, the start of
lockdown in our household. My initial
reaction was one of frustration that I
could no longer meet up with friends
for coffee or go to the shops at
Sprucefield, Rushmere or Belfast. It was
frustrating that I had to cancel the Art
Club and History Group meetings and
couldn’t complete a Life Long learning
course I was doing at Stranmillis
College. At the start of lockdown I had
my daughter and her new baby
staying with me and that was a great
delight but when her husband returned
from his work in Scotland she and the
baby went home to Killinchy. I terribly
miss not being able to see and hold my
new granddaughter.

Initially there was a great burst of activity. I washed the sofa covers, the bedclothes,
bath towels and anything else that I could get my hands on and the house was
sparkling from top to bottom. My husband, who admits that his strength is not DIY,
set about painting the garden fence, the shed and the front door without getting
too much paint on himself or the ground.

Life has now taken on a different pace and routine. Breakfast is followed by an
unhurried reading of the Bible and prayer with my husband when we remember
family and friends. We have become personally acquainted with Joe Wicks and
spend about 30 minutes exercising with him each morning. I never thought I would
see the day when I would spend half an hour doing exercises every morning! The
daily walk in the brilliant weather has been most enjoyable. I’ve noticed houses and
gardens that at other times I’ve just walked past. Even the weeds seem beautiful!
With less traffic on the roads, the birds seem to be singing louder and generally
others walkers have been friendly and careful to keep their distance. It’s always a
highlight when you meet someone you know when walking and can linger at the
required distance to catch up on the news.

During lockdown, at the insistence of family I have been dragged into 21st century
technology and had to buy a new smart phone, which still holds many mysteries for
me and I have discovered there is a thing called Zoom! It’s opened the door to
family gatherings with children and grandchildren in England and Scotland and it’s

8 Church Life
been a great way of meeting up with members of the Life Group from Church.

I’ve really missed going to church and joining in worship and praise with my brothers
and sisters in Christ. Worshipping online has been really good but it can’t replace the fun
and laughter, nor the hugs and touch with friends over coffee when the service has
finished. Yet the church has been really active during lockdown. I appreciated the food
parcel that was delivered, the telephone calls from church members and individuals
who have been attentive in making sure that we have all we need from the shops.

I’ve appreciated the way that local businesses have offered their services: the Mace
delivering groceries, Dessie the butcher supplying meat and Wilderness delivering plants
for the garden. This has made life so much easier. I must confess however that the longer
lockdown goes on, the more I’m tempted to risk a visit to one of the larger supermarkets
to purchase items that I can’t get locally but don’t tell anyone in case my family hears
and tightens the house arrest I feel they have put me under!

As I have watched the daily briefing from

Downing Street and listened to news, I
am greatly saddened by the terrible loss
of life but full of admiration for all those in
the NHS and essential services. One of
the spin offs of going to the door to clap
on Thursday nights is to see and chat to
neighbours who before were more like
strangers and that has been really good.

I’ve stopped speculating when the

lockdown might end. It seems it might go
on for much longer than we first
anticipated. Recently we pinned to the
door of our fridge the words of Psalm
118:24 “This is the day the Lord has
made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Each day is God’s good gift and I want
to enjoy it and be thankful for all His
mercies. Lockdown means a different
way of life but thankfully the blessing of
God our Father remains the same.

Article by Margaret Sanderson

Margaret lives with her husband Bill in Waringstown. They are involved in organising a
number of community initiatives in the village including the Art Club and the Historical
Society and are members of Waringstown Presbyterian.

9
Family Life in Lockdown
What have you learnt about yourselves? 

As a family we have learnt how easily amused

we are, and that we don’t need to be on the
go all the time to entertain ourselves. We have
always loved the outdoors, especially the
beach.  However, during lockdown we have
learnt that we are just as happy at home,
making use of the roads and the space around
us, and have a new-found appreciation for our
own garden!  
As parents we have learnt how much our
children just need us to be present, and
listening.  We have also discovered how much
our kids see Mum for certain things, and Dad for others.  We have assumed these roles
and went along with it.  It’s been an interesting challenge to change and adapt these
roles now we are in lockdown!
We have also learnt to improvise a lot more, and become a lot less fussy, especially
when it comes to food!  We have saved so much time by only doing one shop a week,
and learnt to make things using what we have, instead of running to the shop every 5
minutes!  
Beth says she has learnt to put up with her brother more, and has become more patient
with him!  Matthew says he has learnt that if he has patience, he can draw and paint
better than he thought he could! 

How has your faith impacted your experience of this? 

Our faith has definitely helped us through lockdown!  Life is uncertain and scary at the
moment, it’s only natural that we feel anxious and out-of-control, out of our comfort
zones.  Despite that, we know God is with us, we are not alone.  He has a plan, and that
gives us hope.   
Our faith as a family has impacted our experience of lockdown, but lockdown has also
impacted our faith.  I don’t think we truly appreciated how much we value our church
family, and for that we are very thankful.  Online church has been a great experience
for us.  The kids are more involved, we find we discuss more, & are more open with each
other.

10 Community News
As parents we are so encouraged by the simple faith our kids have, and we learn a
lot from them! We probably were a bit shy and lacking in confidence when it came
to talking about Jesus, even between ourselves.  That has definitely changed over
the last few months, & we are so much confident in our faith, which is amazing.    We
can’t wait to be back with our church family, but until then, we continue to be truly
grateful to Stuart and all the team who are leading us through these online times! 

What have you learnt about what matters? 

We have definitely learnt how important hugs are, and how tactile we actually are! 
We really miss family and friends, and while Zoom is great, we need real life hugs!  Life
isn’t about achievements and goals, it is about health, happiness, people, and being
content.  Looking after each other, our neighbours, friends and family is more fulfilling
than any certificate, race, or goal.   
We have also learnt how incredibly generous our community is! Matthew was
planning to sell hot chocolate to raise money for a homeless charity before
lockdown. We decided to move his venture online to raise money for them now,
when they need it most. So far he’s raised over £1,600 and is delighted… massive
thank you to everyone! You can still give if you like - see back page for details…

What has changed about your daily life? 

Since lockdown, we have all been at home together.  Gareth has been furloughed,
and being self-employed I have had to close my business.  Financially that has
obviously had a big impact on us, but we feel very blessed that we are at home safe
together.  The kids have taken on lots of jobs at home, and things generally get done
a lot quicker!  Everything feels like a team effort, and while we still have those ‘JUST
PICK UP YOUR STUFF’ moments, things seem to run a lot smoother, as we have more
time to do all those daily tasks.  The dog is loving lockdown life, and has never had it
so good!  Walks, football, cuddles - she is going to be devastated when this is all over!

If you could go back in time 6 months, what advice would you give yourself? 

Buy shares in Zoom!  And also get our campervan out of winter storage so we could
have had her in the driveway for sleepovers! 

by Gareth, Lynn, Beth and Matthew Morrow

The Morrow family are members of Waringstown presbyterian and live in Maraghalin

11
Perspective of an A-Level Student
What have you learnt about yourself? 

Throughout all of this I think I’ve learnt that I

was someone who was too comfortable, and
by this I mean in places such as school, where
I am surrounded by friends and people who I
care about/care about me and now that it
has been taken away I realise that I have
taken it all for granted. School, youth, football,
church and any other weekly activities were
all things I knew I enjoyed but now that they
have been taken away I realise that I
should’ve enjoyed them a bit more. 

How has your faith impacted your experience

of this? 

My faith has definitely been an anchor

through all of this and all of the things that the
church provides throughout the week are big
daily encouragements. Knowing God is
working through all of this and knowing that it is part of his plan is definitely
something I have taken comfort in, and because of my faith I am obviously led to
Thursday Night Bible Study and also Small Groups on Friday and I think just being
able to discuss everything and hear other peoples’ thoughts and to hear
encouraging words and Scripture has all helped massively.

What have you learnt about what matters? 

One thing that I have realised matters throughout all of this is relationships, and not
only with God but with family, friends and just anyone that you’re in contact with
throughout normal life. The reason ‘relationships’ has stood out to me is that now
that I am not seeing people like I usually do I am seeing that the relationships with
each individual person in school all matters to me more than I realised.
Relationships with family members are also something that matters, especially now
that we are with them 24/7, I am feeling blessed to have a good relationship with
my family. Finally, my relationship with God is also what matters and as I mentioned
before, it is what is helping me through the current situation. So, relationships
matter. 

12 Community News
What has changed about your daily life? 

It is safe to say that everything has changed about my daily life, I no longer have
school filling my day from the 7.30 wake up to the 4 o’clock arrival at home, and no
work to do at all. Through the course of the day, I would find myself being more
productive in the house but that’s just because I have nothing better to do and I
would find myself bored a lot more than before.  

If you could go back in time six months, what advice would you give yourself? 

As I talked about in the first question, I would tell myself to not take anything for
granted. We were told on Wednesday that our last day ever of school would be on
Friday so I would definitely say to just enjoy the times I had in school more.   

How has it been navigating the past two months in terms of your educational
journey? 

It has been difficult navigating through it all. Everything was left pretty up in the air
and really uncertain. It’s slightly frustrating, because there are constant changes to
what we thought would happen, and considering that these A-Level results
depend on what I do for university, it is very difficult to keep calm through it all. It
has also been a few months of worrying and that will probably continue. I think that
worry is for good reason though. With the exams being cancelled, it means we
don’t even get a chance to try. Our future is in the hands of the teachers now, so
it’s definitely scary. The
way that I have
navigated through it all,
is just keeping in contact
with the teachers
because they are just as
panicked as we are and
it’s nice to hear their
thoughts throughout all
the chaos. It’s not easy
for anybody.

By Owen Vennard

13
When it’s all over…
So what will life be like, and what will we be like when all this is over? The phrase
‘business as usual’ is quickly dismissed. ‘I think life is going to be different’ people say.
‘I don’t think people will go back to being the way they were.’ We might be
surprised.  

I imagine we’ve all been re-evaluating in recent weeks, but real change needs to
happen inside us first, if our behaviours, lifestyles and relationships are to shift. And it
comes from without rather than within – from our Creator who is also our reckless
forgiver, and a friend closer than a brother. It also happens slowly: no switch can be
flicked to make our better post-coronavirus-selves. We change, the Bible tells us, at a
pace of seasons, our characters transformed at the speed that fruit grows.  

We a l l h a v e o u r b l e s s i n g s a n d
disappointments from this time. I know
I’ve been impacted little. I wasn’t
furloughed and didn’t have to deal
with economic hardship or the distress
that healthcare workers confronted. I
wasn’t on the frontline like shop workers
and delivery drivers. The disease struck
no close friend or family member. For all
this, I am humbled and thankful. 

Our experiences are also shaped by our characters. I am, by nature, introverted and
self-disciplined, so generally adapted well to working at home, but I regret that I
couldn’t cut myself some slack and enjoy more freedom in days that offered
different rhythms. I get the benefits of modern technology but at times felt that Skype
and Zoom overload were threatening to melt my head.  

Reflecting from the vantage point of late-April, here are five things I’ve noticed that I
hope will result in lasting change.  

1. Learning to live day-by-day. Plans have gone out the window. Finishing a
course I’m doing: no discernible end point. Holiday in France: what’s the chance?
New Horizon: cancelled. Our calendars empty and we live more in the moment. But
that may be more in keeping with the values of Jesus: Jesus who said ‘give us today
our daily bread’ and taught us each day has enough worries of its own. Looking at
Jesus’ life it strikes me that although he had an overarching plan that would always
end at Calvary, much of his ministry was itinerant, going from place to place,
encounter to encounter, healing to healing, and parable to parable. I want to
imitate that more.  

14 Community News
2. More time spent on my knees. Like everyone I have my anxieties and I’ve never
prayed on my knees as much in my life. Prayer feels more urgent. Some concerns
and worries can only be adequately expressed in a different physical posture. I want
to retain that.  

3. Living more simply. Life is inevitably less consumerist. There are no fancy coffees,
no eating out, shopping is reduced to essentials. No clothes, no books, no phone
upgrades, the new sofa put on the long finger. The car that was filled with fuel once
a week is filled about once in two months. I can’t think of anything I really miss: I want
that to be more permanent.  

4. Waringstown is where it’s happening. In 18 years living in Waringstown I’ve

never spent so much time in Waringstown. Like many in our village I usually leave
early and return around teatime. But coronavirus took away my commute and
removed me from Belfast city centre. And here’s the thing: Waringstown doesn’t feel
claustrophobic. The blessing of belonging to a vibrant church means I never leave
the house without seeing familiar faces to wave or shout ‘hello’ to or talk at a
distance. My sense of belonging in Waringstown has grown. I want to build on that.  

5. I miss the meetinghouse. God’s presence pervades everything but I miss the
place and people set apart for him. I want to worship with others, pray with others,
hear Scripture read aloud and unpacked, and share life with others over tea and
coffee. Because it’s made up of human beings church can be difficult and messy,
but right now I want to hold it close and be part of it. I pray that impulse remains.  

Those are my observations. Own them for yourself if they’re helpful but reflect also on
the lens through which you see things, which may be very different to mine, and as
you do so, let God who is our source of lasting change guide you to how life should
be different when all this is over.  

Article by Colin Neil

15
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Church Office
Waringstown Presbyterian
028 3888 2654
[email protected]

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www.waringstownpresbyterian.com

16 Community