Summer in Midleton
Something a little different this month as Michael Grant brings us news from Midleton Evangelical Church in Co. Cork.
Midleton Evangelical Church is known locally as the “Church in the Park” which leaves no-one in doubt as to our location. The local Council Offices are our neighbours as is the “pitch & putt” course. In fellowship with the Baptist Union of Ireland, we share a common doctrinal position yet each church is free to conduct its own 
affairs. At the beginning of 2009 we were having problems accommodating the number of people attending (80-90), a dozen people had to wait for the seats occupied by the Sunday School children. That problem has now been solved in that our numbers have decreased and for a very good reason!
A few years ago in conjunction with Baptist Missions it was decided to plant a church in Youghal, so in May this year a number of our folk stopped meeting with us and relocated to Youghal. They hope to constitute as a church in 2010 and already some 30-40 people are meeting together to worship the Lord. Although our own numbers are not so large we can praise God that a few new families have joined us and the building is once again fairly full.
Each group has been actively involved in evangelism over the summer months. I will concentrate on the week of the 8th - 15th August when the Midleton Church were visited by a BYE Team (Baptist Youth Evangelism). The team was made up of young people from Carrigaline Baptist Church and a number of churches from Northern Ireland, together with one young man from Midleton. It was good to see the young people working together and demonstrating their unity in Christ.
Mornings were devoted to Bible Study & prayer and distribution of the “4YOU” magazine - nearly 5,000 were delivered over the week in Midleton and surrounding towns and villages. After lunch the team broke up into three groups and conducted six Children’s Five Day Clubs. Four of these were held in the Midleton area, one in Cloyne and a further one on our own estate in Killeagh. We reckon that about 80 children participated over the week and good contact was made with parents. We can thank God that the weather was good and not a single club had to be cancelled!
Tuesday evening was devoted to reaching the youth that congregate in the Park and a number of them came back to the church building for a chat and refreshments. It was hoped to meet with them again on Thursday but in the event no-one turned up, a salutary lesson that the work of the Kingdom is never easy. Please pray for Midleton & Youghal.
