Muckamore Presbyterian Church held their five-day Christmas Tree Festival in December, providing an innovative platform for outreach and evangelism to the local community.
Situated close to Antrim town and Aldergrove base, the festival demonstrated the wide array of activities within the church to the local community, showcasing the number of charities and organisations Muckamore support and the local businesses they are associated with.
Forty-five trees of various imaginative designs were installed in the church sanctuary and foyer, representing different groups that each person involved had a passion for. One of these was a tree representing SASRA. In the midst of the decorations, pictures, stories and Armed Forces artifacts reflected the work of the Scripture Readers. Alastair McCord, the SASRA Advocate at the church, shared:
Opening our doors to the local community presented opportunities to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with friends and the local community over the five-day Christmas Tree Festival. Each night the church was very busy with many from neighbouring churches and the local community coming to see the Christmas tree display and chat over some festive refreshments in the church hall.
Alastair McCord
SASRA Advocate Alastair McCord with Scripture Reader Paul Somerville.
The Ballyduff Brass Band, Loanends Primary School Choir, Riverside School Choir and Antrim Choral Society provided some excellent entertainment. The festival concluded with Rev Stephen McNie, Muckamore Presbyterian Church’s minister, leading an evening praise service.