The twenty-eight young people confirmed at a Confirmation Service in St Malachy's Parish Church, Hillsborough last Sunday morning (13th January) are pictured with L to R: (centre) Revd Simon Richardson - Curate Assistant, Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore and Johnny Beare - Youth Minister. Also included are Elizabeth Bell - People's Churchwarden (left) and Angela Ballentine - Rector's Churchwarden (right).

Twenty-eight young people were confirmed by the Rt Revd Harold Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore, at a Confirmation Service in St Malachy's Parish Church, Hillsborough on Sunday 13th January. The Revd Simon Richardson, Curate Assistant, led the service. The candidates confirmed were: Neill Allen, Joshua Baird, Tom Beatty, Colin Boyd, Kirsty Campbell, Jonathan Houston, Hanna Kelso, Sophie Kelso, Victoria Kirkwood, Katherine McCurdy, Mark McCurdy, Nick McKelvey, Emma McMurray, Alex Mercer, Gareth Mercer, Jill Mercer, Kathryn Mercer, Andrew Mitchell, Ellen Morrison, Katie Reid, David Seeds, Callum Spence, Kathryn Warke, Robbie Warke, Ben Warwick, Henry Watt, Laura Williams and Luke Williams.
 

Candidates Mark and Katherine McCurdy are pictured with their parents Dermott and Angela at a Confirmation Service in St Malachy's Parish Church, Hillsborough on Sunday 13th January.	Candidate Tom Beatty is pictured with his parents David and Nicola at a Confirmation Service in St Malachy's Parish Church, Hillsborough on Sunday 13th January.

Tom Morwood presided on the organ and together with the Church Choir and Praise Band led the worship of hymns that included 'Purify my heart', 'How deep the Father's love' and 'Holy Spirit, come, confirm us'.

Callum Spence read the Old Testament lesson; Jill Mercer read the New Testament lesson; Katherine McCurdy and Tom Beatty gave their testimonies; and Matt and Elspeth Flenley led the closing prayers.

Speaking of ONE Church, TWO Births, THREE persons of the Trinity and FOUR corners of the earth, Bishop Harold Miller gave a challenging and thought provoking address to the candidates. He said, 'One thing I know about all 28 of you is that you have been baptised. God has made a claim on your lives and you are responding to that claim. Today you will make your baptismal promises your own as you promise to be Christ's forever. The 28 of you are to be the 'Matthew 28 people', going out with the Good News of Christ to the world and bringing others to be baptised and discipled as well. For many people baptism is a dangerous thing, it can lead to them being cut off from their family or being threatened ' or even to death'. The Bishop concluded, 'Always value your Baptism, which you are confirming today, and know that Christ will never leave or forsake you'.

Youth Minister Johnny Beare, who provided much of the Christian teaching for the young people, presented them for confirmation and spoke of the need for the church to get behind them and support them in the life changing vows they were to make that day. Confirming the candidates, the Bishop prayed that the Lord, with His heavenly grace, would continue to be with them and that they would daily increase in His Holy Spirit proclaiming by word and example the good news of God in Christ.
 

Candidates Mark and Katherine McCurdy are pictured with their parents Dermot and Angela at a Confirmation Service in St Malachy's Parish Church, Hillsborough on Sunday 13th January with their parents Dermott and Angela. Included in the picture are Johnny Beare - Youth Minister (left) and the Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore and Revd Simon Richardson - Curate Assistant (right).	Candidate Tom Beatty is pictured with his parents David and Nicola at a Confirmation Service in St Malachy's Parish Church, Hillsborough on Sunday 13th January. Included in the picture are Johnny Beare - Youth Minister (left) and the Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore and Revd Simon Richardson - Curate Assistant (right).

14/01/2008