Welcome to the 'Let's Put Antrim First' page. The following are snippets of news from our 'Let's Put Antrim First' project. Please keep checking back for Updates.

Also, check out the side-bar for information about supporting the family, teenagers & the lonely.

"Let's Put Antrim First" was established as a means of outreach ministry in our town. It aims to provide practical help to families in need.

Over the last 2 years we have provided food hampers to Women's Aid who request them when families in need require them.

Food hampers are made up from the food that people from our fellowship, on a weekly basis, put in the clear boxes in the vestibules.

The hampers include tinned and dried food, cereal, tea, coffee, biscuits, pasta and rice as well as fresh groceries such as bread and milk.

If children are in the home, nappies, wipes and clothes are also provided,if appropriate.

A Christian CD or child's book is included in the hamper, along with details of the address and phone number of the church.

At Christmas, hampers were provided to Women's Aid.

We were also able to provide Home Start and Age Concern with food.

Let's Put Antrim First - Castle Mall Carol Service

Castle Mall have agreed again this year to allow our Church to hold a Carol Service in the corner shop unit. 

This year the service is going to take place on Saturday 10th December at 3.15pm.  

Please remember this event in your prayers. 

Help would be appreciated in the following areas:

serving tea / coffee at the event

providing transport to and from the Mall for furniture etc

forming part of a welcome / hosting team

Let's Put Antrim First - Christmas Hampers 2011

We are very grateful to all who have contributed so far to this year's Hamper appeal.  We have been asked to provide hampers to 20 families including over 40 children in difficult situations in our local area.  Over recent weeks there have been a higher number of emergency hampers distributed and as a result our supplies are quite low.  If you wish to contribute to the Christmas hampers, as well as the standard items we would welcome donations of Christmas treats such as:

luxury biscuits / shortbread

sweets and selection boxes

chocolates

crisps / pringles etc.

peanuts

shloer / fizzy drinks

Christmas crackers

Mince pies

Many who heard Women's Aid's presentation to PW will be aware of the need of gifts for mothers such as bath products etc.  This year a large proportion of the children on the list are teenagers and gifts suitable for that age group would be very welcome.  As before you can also contribute by putting a financial donation in an envelope marked Christmas Hampers in the offering plate. 

We have committed to delivering the hampers during week beginning Monday 12 December. It would be appreciated if your donations could be delivered to the Church by Sunday 11.

Let's Put Antrim First - January 2011 Update

Both Homestart and Women's Aid have contacted the Church to express their appreciation for the Congregation's donations through the Let's Put Antrim First Christmas Hamper appeal.

Thank you again to all who contributed so generously. Please continue to pray that God's love becomes clear to these families in darkness..

Let's Put Antrim First - December 2010 Update

Christmas Hampers and FOG Club Presents

Many thanks to all who have contributed so generously to this appeal. This week 20 enormous hampers were delivered to Women's Aid along with presents for families in difficulty in our town. This coming week we hope to give out a further 12 parcels. The extraordinary kindness and love that this Congregation has demonstrated through this appeal is overwhelming. It is a true demonstration of what Christmas really means to Christians.

These situations of need continue throughout the year in our town and our regular Emergency Packs ministry continues each Sunday. Please keep this ministry in mind while you do your weekly shopping. Donations are collected each Sunday morning in the 4 vestibules.

Castle Mall Carol Service

Thank you to the many who braved the bad weather on the 3rd December to attend the Castle Mall Service. This was a great encouragement. Thank you to all who helped organise this event and made it such a success. Please pray for those who maybe heard the true Christmas message for the first time or who were reminded of what Christ's birth really means. Pray that the seeds that were sown at the service may grow into a life changing faith.

Let’s Put Antrim First – November 2010 Update

Food Parcels Update.  

We are continually amazed at how God's love is demonstrated each week through the generosity of this Congregation.  Each week large amounts of food and clothing are received in the food parcel boxes located in each vestibule. So far over 35 parcels have been delivered to situations of need in our town.  Thank you to all who have been so dedicated in their regular contributions. If you wish to contribute you will find a list ofsuggested donations in the boxes in each vestibule.

For Christmas it is our intention to distribute food hampers to 20 broken families through Women's Aid. In addition to the normal items that weinclude in our parcels we also plan to include new small toys, luxury foods and food vouchers. Donations of new toys, chocolates or sweets, crisps and biscuits would be appreciated. If you wish you could contribute financially towards food vouchers by placing a donation in the offering basket in an envelope marked “Christmas Hampers.” 

Please continue to pray for all who have received parcels to date that they might know God's presence and come to know Him as Lord.  

Carol Service in the Castle Mall.

The management of the Castle Mall have given First Antrim permission to hold a carol service in the mall on Friday 3rd December at 7pm. This will provide our Congregation with a unique opportunity to bring the true meaning of Christmas into the centre of our community.  The service will include carol singing, Bible readings and a message from our pastor. To make this event possible the following help will be required.

1.  Help to transport chairs and set up the shop unit.

2.  Help to provide Christmas drinks and serve mince pies and shortbread

3. Volunteers to welcome our guests and serve refreshments.

4. Volunteers to come alongside shoppers to invite them to join us.

If you can be of assistance with any of the above please contact Mark Finlay.   Please ensure that this event is positioned high on your prayer agenda. 

Divorce care  

It is anticipated that this new ministry will commence at the end of January 2011. Please pray for Maud and her helpers as they prepare and pray that many who are struggling through the pain of divorce will experience God's healing through this ministry.  

Inspire Homework Club

As Inspire's first term came to an end, the team were very encouraged by the number attending. An average week saw 32 children of school age, accompanied by a parent/granny or carer. The catchment ranged across Antrim, and the majority were non-church attenders. The cost is currently less than 30p per child and this funds their healthy snack, coffee and traybake for parent and the art and craft material. A further fundraising movie night is planned for November and an invitation has been extended to

Inspire mums, providing another opportunity for outreach. A Christmas party is planned for December where the Mayor is attending.

Lough Shore Pick Up.

Earlier this year a clean up was organised in Rea's wood by Stephen Thompson. This was supported solely by members of this congregation.

In October Stephen Thompson and Lesley Kirkpatrick attended a special reception at Stormont where Stephen received a tidy Northern Ireland Coca Cola award for organising the event. This award includes £100 towards equipment to be used by the congregation at similar events in future.

1 April 2010

So far we have been able to make three deliveries of children's clothes and toiletries to Women's Aid and two deliveries of emergency packs to families in situations of genuine crisis in our town.

Thank you to all in the Congregation who are bringing such generous gifts to the boxes in our vestibules each Sunday to help sustain this ministry.

Please pray for these two families and for opportunities to support more families in need.

11 March 2010

Thank you to everyone who contributed so generously to the Emergency Packs Project last Sunday.

We look forward to this ministry growing God willing as the Congregation continues to contribute week by week.

Women's Aid have already received a large package of items for use in their refuge.

Let’s Put Antrim First – Emergency Packs - February 2010

First Antrim has formed a partnership with two agencies active in supporting those in poverty and those escaping from domestic violence. 

Homestartwork with local families struggling under financial pressures.  They are currently working with 65-70 families with children under 5 years old in real need in our town.

Women’s Aid is the lead organisation addressing domestic violence in our society.  Between April and December 2009 157 women experiencing abuse in Antrim contacted Women’s Aid for the first time.  This represents more new cases in our area than in Ballymena.

The first step in this partnership is for us to provide Emergency Packs to situations of critical need within our town.  Homestart and Women’s Aid have agreed to contact First Antrim when emergency situations arise.  It is hoped that we will be able to deliver packs to each situation within 24hours.

Packs will contain basic imperishable groceries, toiletries and at times clothing.  Each pack will be designed to suit the particular needs of the situation

Emergency situations may arise where Homestart families may have not have enough money left to get through to the next benefit payment.  Through Women’s Aid packs might be sent to women and their children who may have had to leave their home in the middle of the night with only the clothes that they are wearing. 

This is a ministry for our entire Congregation. We would encourage you each week to bring one item listed below for inclusion in our store cupboard.  Collection boxes will be located in each vestibule from Sunday 7th March.

Emergency Pack Shopping List

(Please only donate imperishable items)

For further information or if you would be interested in helping further contact Mark Finlay or use the Contact Us page on the website.