Faughan GO Team

Being part of the Faughan GO Team was a like being a spectator. Throughout the week we worked but mainly we watched God work. Seeing God at work, that was the recurring theme of the week. It started with the session at Faughan deciding to have a GO Team and then praying for a team of 10. By the week before there were only six. Plans had been made for these six, but God had not forgotten the prayers. God, having already provided the six, then provided two more on the preceding Saturday, then one more on the Wednesday and the tenth member on the morning that the team departed for Faughan! Even at the start of the week we were aware that it was God who was in control of all the details.

We settled into our accommodation, the whole team staying at the Steele's open farm. The girls had the luxury of staying in the house, while the four lads had to rough it in two spacious caravans. A small barn, normally used for providing juice and biscuits to school children, became our command centre and dining area for the week. Well supplied with food, we made our own breakfast and lunch, while the ladies of the congregation provided more than ample evening meals.

Our work started on the Saturday with prayer and Bible study, preparing ourselves for the coming week and committing the work to God. Bible study and prayer were to be important features of the week:-

"The Bible studies and prayer times were the core of our week of evangelism. During these times the team was united as we recognised our purpose to reach out to the people of Londonderry."

"It greatly encouraged me to hear other members of the team fervently pray for each person's responsibilities that day. The Bible studies and times of prayer at Faughan gave me a vision for the Reformed Presbyterian work in the city of Londonderry."

Sabbath day saw us meeting up with the rest of the team - the congregation - for worship and lunch. It was a great opportunity to meet the people and to get to know everyone:-

"From the moment we arrived in Faughan it became clear that as a GO Team we did not stand alone, rather we became part of a bigger team. The congregation supported, encouraged and fed us throughout the week."

"One evening during our Bible study in the manse we were interrupted on a number of occasions by the ringing of the phone. It was members of the congregation who wanted to know how we had got on that day. It was a great blessing to know that we were being upheld in prayer everyday as we took part in every activity."

Sabbath afternoon saw the first foray into a Catholic housing estate where we were planning to hold a Holiday Bible Club outdoors for four days. On the Sabbath we were introducing ourselves to the people and distributing invitations to the four day Club.

Our regular pattern for the week was established on Monday

8:30 Breakfast
9:00 - 9:30 Worship and Prayer time
10:00 -12:00 Literature Distribution
12:30 -1:30 Lunch
2:00 - 4:00 Preparation time
4:00 - 5:00 4 Day Club
Tea
6:30 - 8:30 Questionnaire Work
8:45 - 9:30 Bible study & Prayer

 

The Literature distribution involved covering large areas of housing all around the church and into the Waterside. We gave out leaflets introducing the church and an invitation to a public meeting.

"Throughout the week at Faughan there were many challenges, but one of the hardest things to take in and possibly the most disappointing comes from distributing leaflets. Over 4000 leaflets were distributed to homes with only two responses. What happened to all the others? But it can be easy to look at the negatives and miss the encouragement."

"There are few things that compare to putting leaflets through letterboxes on a wet and windy day in a rough looking part of the Waterside. But it makes it all worthwhile when one of those leaflets causes a person to ring up and start asking questions about God and eternal life, or another to come out to church."

Lunch was a real feast, depending, of course, on your ability to fend for yourself. After tramping around the housing estates of the area a large and varied amount of food was consumed. These mealtimes were a time of developing fellowship and team spirit.

"It has to be said that it wasn't all hard slog, the lunch-times provided some light relief - that is, for those of us who weren't victimised by the banter!"

Perhaps the highlight of the week in terms of our activities was the 4 Day Club. Monday afternoon found us all really quite nervous; none of us knew what to expect.

"I was apprehensive. This was a new venture for the congregation as well as for me, so we just didn't know what to expect. It soon became clear that our fears were unfounded; what an encouragement to see so many children flocking to our secluded corner of the estate, joining in the games with excitement and singing the psalms with gusto!"

"What a tremendous opportunity to share with these children the gospel which most of them had never heard! On day two, the cluster of waving hands and grubby faced grins which met us reassured us that it wasn't going to be a one-off experience either....."

The hour flew in with the usual programme of games, singing and Bible story during which the 40 or 50 kids enthusiastically took part!

"During the 4 Day Club I felt that I began to understand how the disciples felt when they witnessed Jesus calming the storm. The little monsters, who jumped, shouted and ran around on Monday, sat quietly on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This we had prayed for, but it surprised us nonetheless."

"Some days, when we were leaving the farm [to go to the 4 Day Club], it was raining, but always in answer to our prayers the rain stayed off for the hour of the 4 Day Club. It was unbelievable. God answering prayers right in front of my eyes!"

It was a very exhausted, but exhilarated team that made its way back to the Steele's for tea each evening. After tea and a brief rest we headed out again for another new venture for most of us - door to door questionnaire work. The questionnaire was designed to provide the congregation with a profile of the people living around the church, and to allow us to present them with the gospel. It was set out in such a way as to make it easy to see inconsistencies in people's beliefs, and so to point these out to them, while showing that Christ is the only answer.

"I have to admit that at the onset of the door to door work I was very apprehensive, but I was very grateful for the company of another team member."

"I found the questionnaires the most demanding, but the most rewarding part of all the activities. It was very rewarding because we had been given clear opportunities to witness about our faith to people who may never have heard the gospel before. I found my own faith challenged many times because the work opened my eyes to just how privileged we really are to be chosen as children of God."

"I found the questionnaires the most tiring part, but it was a great eye opener. Some people have such mixed up opinions of how they can get to heaven, others just didn't want to take the time to change their lives. I came out of many a house discouraged. This work did lead to a number of contacts being made with people who wanted someone to call again, and this in itself was a great encouragement to keep going."

On the Thursday evening we had a meeting in the YMCA on creation and evolution to which people had been invited. Few people came, which was discouraging, but it did heighten the profile of the church in the community.

"The public meeting was disappointing in one sense, but even to see the few who were there was enough to justify the effort. One man had come from an area which we had been reluctant to go into! God really was in control."

The week finished up with a congregational BBQ during which we were able to report back to the congregation on the weeks work. I leave the last words to the rest of the team.

"To spend a week in the presence of like minded people was a great privilege."

"Thankfully Faughan GO Team was not a one man band and the talents and experiences of all the team members combined together to give an almost perfect team! The times spent in Bible study and prayer together were a source of spiritual blessing to me.

"It was a great blessing to me to be serving God and part of a team of young people witnessing for Him; to see God in control of every detail; to see His answers to prayer; to see people enthusiastic in serving their Saviour; and to spend time with other Christians, sharing in their knowledge and experience and watching them work."

"The whole week was an amazing week and one which I can't describe in words so you are just going to have to go and experience it for yourself."

Ruth Forgrave, Kerry Graham, Mark Loughridge, Peter Loughridge, Joanna McCausland, Elisabeth McCausland, Alison McCollum, Sarah McCollum, Philip Moffett and David Whitla