CORE Newslink

Next Sunday at CORE

AM Service: “Christmas Nativity Play and Singing” brought to you by CORE Kids!
PM Service: No service

CORE Kids Christmas Play THIS SUNDAY

Please join us this sunday to celebrate the Christmas Story with the children at CORE. It’s a wonderful opportunity to invite families that you know and also to come and encourage all the children who have been working hard practicing their lines and songs.

FAMILIES – We need to have a really good rehearsal before the service, so just a reminder that we need you to arrive at 9.30am (aaahhhh I hear you cry – but it’s only once a year!!).
If you need any more details, contact Kathryn or Tricia,

See you then!

Kathryn

Last Sunday

On Sunday and Monday this week we had John Truscott, a church consultant, with us here in CORE to meet with the congregation, staff, the Nehemiah group and trustees. Feedback from everyone so far has been that it was a really positive experience and a great opportunity to look forward as a church. We are excited to see what he comes up with from his time with us and how it will help guide us as we journey through this period of change here in CORE.

Open Letter from the Kissell's to all our friends

Dear Friends,

Many of you will know that I have decided to step down as the leader of CORE church. As you can imagine this has been a very difficult decision for Kathryn and I as we feel incredibly privileged to have been leading CORE church and living in this wonderful country of Ireland.

Over the last few months Kathryn and I have been through the hardest time in our lives both as a couple and individually as we have had to transition again through a time of great change in CORE. During this time we have accessed support from different people to encourage and help us through this challenging time. I have spoken to fellow church leaders, trusted friends both in Ireland and the UK and I have spent time on a retreat to prayerfully consider our future.

Kathryn and I finally came to the decision to leave CORE a few weeks ago. We will be leaving CORE at the end of January and moving back to the UK. We will then take four months off to get our energy back as we are both exhausted. We are currently exploring what future plans the Lord has for us and these will become clearer over the next few weeks and months.

Kathryn and I want to say from the bottom of our hearts a big thank you to all those we have come to know and love in Ireland. We feel honored that we could join you on your journey with the Lord and look forward to seeing the church being blessed with a new leader who has fresh vision and energy and who can lead this wonderful church into it’s future.

With all our love and our blessing,

Jonathan, Kathryn, Zach and Sofia

Response to Jon’s Announcement

It is with great regret that we learnt of the resignation of Jon Kissell as pastor of the CORE congregation. I know that you will share the shock felt by those who attended our Sunday morning service (Nov 28th) and will join in prayer for Jon, his wife Kathryn and their two children Sofia and Zach.
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Jon has been pastor for 6 years and Kathryn was responsible for the organisation and major success of the many children’s ministry for most of this time. Their inspiration and vision will be missed by all who attended services and became involved in the many ministries which they developed and nurtured in that time. Jon’s prophetic vision of “those on the outside becoming those in the inside reaching out” has brought many new faces in CORE and seen the opening up of our church and vision to the inner-city community of Dublin 8 and beyond.

CORE will start a process on February 1st guided by the Archbishop to seek a new pastor for our church. We propose to hold a general meeting early January where all members can voice their opinions on how we can grow from here. Some of you have already asked if this was the end of CORE. This question comes from the financial insecurity we are currently experiencing coupled with Jon’s decision. Let us be clear that CORE will not only continue but will grow to new strengths as we all pull together at this time.

Many of you will recall the last time we had a vacancy in CORE (seven years ago) and how we all worked together to maintain and develop the spirit, mission, fabric, ministries, services and finances of the church. There is no reason why it should not be even better this time. Already new transition leadership arrangements are being put in place and we will keep you informed of progress through this newsletter in the coming weeks.

Naturally we will have a special evening for all church family and friends to mark the occasion and to bless the Kissell family as they seek God’s blessing for the future (date to be announced).
Jon is available to discuss any questions you may have at this stage and he has appointed me to be the transitional chairperson of our management committee (Nehemiah) which will be coordinating activity until a new pastor is appointed. Nehemiah will need to be strengthened by the co-opting of new members who will serve until the April AGM.

So let’s all pull together for the Kingdom

Philip.

THIS WEEK: Smallgroups decorating the church for Christmas

This Wednesday, 8th December, we have invited smallgroups to come along and help with decorating the church for Christmas! This will be lead by our wonderful decorations team who will guide us through the process! We’ll stick on some Christmas music and there might even be some goodies, so come along if you’re free at 7pm and join in the festive fun!

THIS WEEK: Music Session at the Clock Pub

Our monthly trad/folk music session in Clock pub is being held this coming Friday, 10th December, from 8 ‘til late! It will be a mixture of Irish trad music, bluegrass, folk, and any singer/songwriter songs anyone wants to sing. There will be an Open Mic!! All welcome.

Venue: The Clock Pub, 110-111 Thomas Street, Dublin 8 (opposite the Meath Street junction, beside National College of Art & Design)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=53.342909,-6.279236&daddr=&geocode=&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=19&sll=53.342866,-6.279277&sspn=0.001395,0.003259&ie=UTF8&ll=53.344659,-6.273987&spn=0.011158,0.034246&z=15

Fundraising Opportunity for CORE

We have been given a golden opportunity as a church to raise some much needed funds and we need YOUR help! Lifeline Recovery have given us an opportunity to bag pack on Christmas week and fundraise for CORE through them. Basically we would organise teams to bagpack and collect the money for Lifeline and they will then make a donation to us. Sounds complicated I know but if we can mobilise lots of people to bag pack on Christmas week then we could possibly raise up to €10,000 for CORE!!!

We are asking people to commit to a half day during Christmas week and to ask all there friends to consider helping out as well. The dates are from Monday 20th December through to the 24th December. Each day would have two shifts. From 10am till 1.30pm and then 1.30 till 6pm. The shopping centre is Dunnes at the “Mill” in Clondalkin village. Below is a link to an online spreadsheet and we are asking people to fill in sections as they find friends who are available.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgeIXWPSMrIMdFNaN0oteUV1SXdzbDBXakpFbTlJSGc&hl=en&authkey=CJzEonk#gid=0

God Bless you all,

Paddy

Mainly Music – Can you help out?

On Thursday mornings from “” to 12 noon, we run Mainly Music for Mums and their
pre-school children from the community. This involves half an hour of songs and rhymes followed by tea/coffee for the Mums and play for the children. It is a fantastic group. We currently have about “” families on our books as well as a waiting list. There are usually 25-30 families coming along on any given Thursday. We are finally getting to know some of the Mums better and they all love coming.

However, Kathryn has been leading the music with Tricia’s support and we have already been working on a skeleton team. So we’re not sure whether we can continue come January. If we are to continue, we would need 4 or 5 new volunteers for welcome, admin, coffee, sound or music. Please let me know if you would like to help on a Thurs morning and please pray that God would make His will clear for us.

Thanks, Helena
(helenagoss@eircom.net)

Clowns For Haiti Carol Singing and Container Appeal

Clowns for Haiti are doing a Clown Christmas Carol singing, obviously with a difference, on a stage in the Christmas Market in the IFSC on sat 18th Dec. at 8.30pm. We need singers for a fun filled half hour, especially actors! We will then be collecting from the 1000 s we entertain!

The Clowns for Haiti Container appeal is flying along. We will be sending a container to Haiti for the 1st anniversary of the Earthquake. For further enquires or suggestions please contact Peter @ 0872577639. If you have any of the following bring them on Sunday:

WANTED:
1) Musical Instruments,
2) Sewing machines,
3) D.I.Y equipment etc.,
4) Carpentry tools.
5) Children’s shoes,
6) School books,

Prayer Requests and Thanksgivings

• Pray for our country at this time of turmoil, for wisdom for our leaders and unity among the political parties as big decisions are being made.
• Give thanks that John Truscott’s visit went ahead, despite the weather, and for the encouragement it was and pray for CORE as we journey through this time of transition.
• Pray for Jon and Kathryn as they prepare to leave CORE and Dublin in the coming months, pray for rest and for wisdom as they plan their next steps.
• Pray for the preparations that need to be made as we enter into the Christmas season and pray for those you are bringing along to the Carol Service on the 19th.
• Please for the Kidz Klub Christmas party that is happening this Saturday, that fun will be had by all and it will run smoothly!
• Please pray for Tom Burke who is in hospital at the moment and pray for all the Burke family at this time.
• Please pray for Paul and Zoe at this difficult time as Olivia passed away last week, they are much in our thoughts and prayers at this time.
• Continue to pray for Patricia and Mickey and their ongoing health issues.
• Pray for Jenny as she recovers in St. James hospital.
• Pray for the prisoners we visit that they would know God’s peace and comfort over the Christmas period.
• Continue to pray for Ruaírí and Kate.

Dates for your Diaries

Wednesday 8th December Smallgroups decorating the church for Christmas @7pm
Friday 10th December Music Session at the Clock Pub from 8 til’ late!
Saturday 11th December Kids Klub Christmas Party
Sunday 12th December CORE Kids Christmas Play 11am

Saturday 18th December Arbour Hill Christmas Carol Service

Saturday 18th December Clowns for Haiti Carol Singing @ 8.30pm

Sunday 19th December CORE Christmas Carol Service 7pm