Stories of faith, hope and growth at Pioneer Open Evening
On Tuesday 6 October 2026, Revd Ross Munro welcomed us to The Gathering for our annual Pioneer Open Evening - the first time the event has been hosted by one of our church plants.
The evening gave us a valuable opportunity to hear how God is at work in new ministries and worshipping communities across Down and Dromore. As in previous years, we came away encouraged, challenged, and with a deeper understanding of both the joys and the challenges facing our pioneers.
With Keith Gardiner guiding the evening, we heard first from three of our pioneers.
Tim Burns brought us up to date on the work of The Suitcase Project and spoke warmly about the importance of building relationships with other agencies. He told us about Amy, who arrived with her husband and two children as an economic migrant. For a year she barely left the house, until SureStart connected her with The Suitcase Project. Reflecting on what she has found there, Amy said, “In coming to this project I’ve found friends, I’ve found family and I’ve found community.” Her words capture so much of what The Suitcase Project is about. Amy comes from a Hindu background but now attends the Wednesday Bible study and has become one of the most supportive and welcoming people involved.
Another place where we are seeing God changing lives is The Grove, Newry. Its leader, Natalie Trainor, shared several stories of people who, despite significant personal challenges, have found faith or returned to faith. As they have gone on to serve in The Grove, Natalie said, their places of brokenness have become places of compassion from which they now minister to others.
Paul Hawkins leads The Glen and West Winds Community Churches, both based in working-class loyalist areas of Newtownards. The churches seek to be in the heart and at the heart of their communities, building relationships with the people who live there and sharing the love of Jesus in practical ways. Building trust takes time, but Paul shared a recent encouragement: a group of young people who had come through Kids Club and then Youth Club began asking questions about church and faith. From there, they started coming to church, asked for Bibles, and then asked for their own Bible study. “It’s a reminder,” said Paul, “of what God can do with something that seems very ordinary.”
Last year, Bishop David updated us on plans for the resource church at St Patrick’s Ballymacarrett. Since then, Revd Mike Darbandi has been instituted as rector, and that vision is beginning to take shape with the launch of Six:Eight - a new worshipping community centred on encounter, transformation and being sent.
Archdeacon Jim interviewed Mike, who shared something of his testimony and the exciting, unfolding story of Six:Eight. Mike also explained the vision of a resource church: one that exists to plant other churches, which in turn plant churches, while also serving as a resource through leadership training, conferences and other support.
Archdeacon Jim also chaired a short panel discussion with Arthurage Abureni from Stormont Community Church, Trevor and Lorraine Brimage from The Well, Castlewellan, and Keith Porter from Braniel Community Church.
Bishop David drew the evening to a close by reminding us that God is still building his Church, and by challenging us all to play our part: to pray, to go and to give.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST EDITION OF PIONEER NEWS HERE.
What you can do
Please pray for the work of our church planters and outreach leaders, and for the resources needed for evangelism, discipleship and Christian community to flourish. You can find out more, and support this work, through the links below. Thank you.
