Around 500 pupils from more than 30 schools crowded into Ramelton Presbyterian Church on Tuesday 24th September for the annual County Donegal Schools’ Service. The organisers of this year’s event – for schools under Church of Ireland or Presbyterian Church patronage – chose the exhortation ‘Make a Difference’ as its theme.
The huge congregation, comprising children, teachers and clergy, were welcomed by Rev Stephen Richmond of Donegal Presbyterian Church. The Moderator of the Derry and Donegal Presbytery, Rev Susan Moore, led the ‘Call to Worship’ and the three-part address was given by the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster. The Moderator and the Bishop are the Protestant schools’ respective Presbyterian and Church of Ireland patrons.
The Bishop had some words of reassurance in his address for the schoolchildren. “The Kingdom of God tells us we are loved by God, that we are forgiven by God, that God wants to be with us every single of day of our lives.”
Bishop Andrew’s address was based on the Parable of the Sower, which describes how different people reacted to God’s word. As he addressed the children, the bishop blew up a balloon to help convey the reading’s message about growth.
Bishop Andrew asked the congregation how they reacted to hearing God’s news. “Do you listen, but forget? Do you not listen at all? Or do we listen to what God says and say ‘Yes’ to it, and invite Jesus into our lives? The wonderful thing is – what the parable tells us – is that whenever the seed falls on good ground, it grows and grows and grows, and wonderful things happen.”
The Bishop had some words of reassurance for the schoolchildren. “The Kingdom of God tells us we are loved by God, that we are forgiven by God, that God wants to be with us every single of day of our lives.”
The annual service is something of a logistical triumph as buses ferrying pupils from all four corners of the county arrive at the church within minutes of one another, delivering their young charges in time for the beginning of worship at 11 a.m.
