“fugit”. This was 35-40 years ago when we were a lot younger. Bryan retired as organist at First Presbyterian Church some months ago after 53 years’ service, a record not likely to be equalled. Education began for this son of Mid-Ulster in “Burn Road School”, at a time when schools were ruled, if not with a rod of iron, certainly with a cane of bamboo, and an occasional twist of an ear lobe! At the age of 11 Bryan moved to Rainey Endowed, the Headmaster was then T.S Fazackerley. While at the Rainey, acting in school plays, and a position as hooker on the 2nd XV rugby team were his additions to study. Football was first love however (he later played at Queen’s University, and for Enfield Town when working in London). School work wasn’t bad either! Bryan gained a State Exhibition (a top scholarship to University in those days) and difficult to get. An honours degree in Electrical Engineering at QUB was followed by work in London, with Siemens Edison followed by HIVAC (in the Plessey Group). In 1962 Bryan’s mother died. He returned to Moneymore to help his father in ‘The Manor House’ and a little later began his teaching career in Magherafelt Technical College. After six years, it was time for a move to Dungannon Technical College to teach physics, applied maths and strength of materials. In 1992 teaching retirement beckoned, after 23 years in Dungannon as a Senior Lecturer. Ability as a science teacher was one aspect of his talents, but Bryan was fortunate in possessing an exceptional musical ability (which seems to run in the Dunlop family). Throughout his teaching career and also during retirement, this talent was used to the full. So where and when did the music begin? The Dunlop brothers had their considerable musical ability nurtured from an early age and Bryan’s first lessons in music began at the age of eight. He passed five Trinity college exams with Nan McGuigan as teacher, before tuition with Sister Veronica of Magherafelt Convent. Sister Veronica was an excellent teacher and used her skill with a crochet needle to encourage pupils! She helped Bryan through Advanced Senior music. While at university piano tuition was largely completed with Douglas Brown. His liking for organ music developed during lessons by George Sutton of Rainey Endowed and Canon R.C.C. O’Connor of St John’s, Moneymore, himself a gifted organist. Appointed organist in Maghera Parish Church in 1953, at the age of 14, Bryan followed with three years in Molesworth Presbyterian Church under the watchful eye of Gretta Alexander. While studying engineering in London, he helped at two churches as organist/choirmaster. On his return home, First Presbyterian Church Cookstown approached him and he began as organist and choirmaster there in October 1963. A short time after moving to First, Bryan met Lorna Hamilton. Lorna was equally musical and they were married in 1966. As all the family were involved in the actual wedding, no one was free to play the organ for the ceremony. So Canon O’Connor came to the rescue and played! Bryan retired as organist for First Cookstown in August 2016, after well over 50 years of service in that church. In the same year he was deservedly awarded a British Empire Medal. I wonder did he try to tell the Queen a joke? Mind you, I wouldn’t put it past him. It is staggering to think that Bryan, daughter Gillian and his late wife Lorna between them have almost 140 years of service to church music. Bryan has contributed 67 of these years. It seemed obvious to ask Bryan about his favourite music and it was from the Baroque Period: Handel & Bach Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor. Handel’s Organ Concertos. Prelude & fugue in C-Major

Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC 105651)

Announcements for inclusion in the bulletin must be with: Paul Ferguson (paulferguson@firstcookstown.co.uk or 028 8644 8601)

no later than 12 noon on Friday of this week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Before any Service, speak to God; During the Service, let God speak to you;

After the Service, speak to one another! MISSION is every believer’s responsibility! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORNING Scripture: (antiphonal) Isaiah 63:7-9 (page 749); Hebrews 2:10-18 (page 1202); Matthew 2:13-23 (page 966) LEAVING BETHLEHEM, OR DO WE? Praise: CH4 295 Who would think that what was needed (Austrian Hymn, IPH 143) IPH 311 Bethlehem, most noble city (Stuttgart) CH4 336 Christ is our light (Highland Cathedral) IPH 307 As with gladness men of old (Dix) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week Today 11.30 am Revd Dr Isaac Thompson Tuesday 10.15 am NO Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room this week—resumes on 10 January 2017 7.45 pm First Bowling Club—resumes on 10 January, 2017. All welcome! Wednesday 10.30 am Morning Midweek Bible Study in The Loft will resume on 11 January 2017 8.00 pm Evening Midweek Bible Study at 81 Sweep Road will resume on 11 January 2017 Thursday 8.00 pm NO Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room this week—resumes on 12 January 2017 Next Sunday 10.00 am (!!) Brief meeting of all Sunday School teachers in the main kitchen 10.15 am Sunday School and Bible Class resume 11.00am Meeting of the Kirk Session in The Morrison Room 11.30 am The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper 7.00 pm Revd Dr Isaac Thompson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome! Please take this

Bulletin

home with you. ——————————

...the Spirit God gave us

does not make us timid,

but gives us power, love

and self-discipline.

II Timothy 1:7

Remember: www.firstcookstown.co.uk You can access this Bulletin, listen to service recordings, and contribute news and updates, along with much more information.

First Presbyterian Church Cookstown (founded 1646)

of The

in the Presbytery of Tyrone

gathered to worship on

Sunday 1 January 2017 NEW YEAR’S DAY

11.30 am

January 2017 (some dates) Monday 9 PW in The Morrison Room at 8.00 pm: Brad & Hilary Turkington, ‘Megavoice

Talking Bibles’ Wednesday 11 Morning Midweek Bible Study resumes in The Loft, 10.30 am—12 Noon. Christian

Beliefs, No 7: Romans 3:9-31, “Deliverance from sin”. All welcome Wednesday 11 Evening Midweek Bible Study resumes at 81 Sweep Road, Battles Christians face:

this week: “Pride”. Wednesday 11 Do you know anyone who has alcohol problems? Then bring them along to

Gortalowry House at 7.30 pm for an Information Evening organised by the local AL-ANON group who will welcome you warmly and signpost help.

Saturday 14 First Walking Group: to Cabin Wood and Tullyhogue Fort. Meet at church car park at 10.00 am. Everyone is most welcome to join in this our first walk of 2017. More info from Anne Rea, 8676 5845.

Monday 16 Cookstown Christian Aid Committee meets in The Minister’s Room at 7.00 pm Thursday 19 Trefoil Guild meets in The Morrison Room, 10.30 am—12 Noon Sunday 29 World Leprosy Day Tuesday 31 Congregational Committee in The Morrison Room at 8.00 pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WFO Envelope No 12 Would the holder of WFO envelope no 12, please make contact with either Bob Agnew (8676 3513) or Paul Ferguson (8644 8601). Thanks in anticipation! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ROTAS—read through them carefully! READERS’ ROTA

Today........................................... Nigel Stratton Next Sunday ................................... Noel Crooks F.W.O. TEAM ROTA

This Week .............................................................. Iris Black, George Black, Jean Short, Derek Short Next Week .......................................................... Bob Agnew, Noel Forde, John Faulkner, June Reid

CAR PARK ROTA Today............................................ Ian Allingham Next Sunday ................................. Kenny Rollins

FLOWER ROTA Today................................................................................................................ Christmas Decorations Next Sunday ...................................................................................................................... Anonymous

CHURCH STEWARDING ROTA January ............................................................................................ Ian McMullan, Margaret Wallace February ........................................................................................ Robert Hamilton, David McDowell

COLLECTION ROTA Manse side (January) ................................................................ Stanley Faulkner, Christopher Leitch Gallery (January) ........................................................ Robert Leonard, Peter McIlwaine, John Purdy Town side (January) ........................................................................... Brian McGlaughlin, Sandra Rea Manse side (February)........................................................................ Stephen Cross, Keith Hamilton Gallery (February) .................................................... Ivor Faulkner, Sidney Faulkner, Harold Leonard Town side (February) ........................................................................... Albert Bownes, Keith Gilmour

SOUND DESK ROTA This Morning ......................... Andrew Johnston Next Sunday ...................................... John Black

JUNIOR CHURCH ROTA Today............................................................................................................................. All-age service Next Sunday ................................................................ Joan Park, Anne Thompson, Janet Thompson

CRÈCHE ROTA Today .......................................................................................... No Crèche until Sunday 8th January Next Sunday ............................................................................... No Crèche until Sunday 8th January

SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERVISION ROTA Next Sunday ....................................................................................... David McDowell, John Topping Sunday 15 January ................................................................................ Moira Shaw, Norman Wilson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRAYER FOCUS will resume next Sunday THE BEREAVED: George Crooks & family; Noel Crooks & family (brother and uncle, Andy Crooks) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The man who held dozens of prayer sessions with George Michael A friend and colleague of the late singer George Michael has told Premier News he's held dozens of prayer sessions with him. Michael Brown began working with George Michael as a guitarist in the mid-noughties, including on his sell-out 'Live 25 Tour'. The pair ended up doing 110 concerts together across the world over four years. When Michael Brown introduced himself as a Christian, George Michael began regularly asking the guitarist to pray for him before concerts. He says the singer also often asked questions about God and Christianity. There has been speculation about the amount of interest the late singer had in Christianity, given his songs 'Jesus to a Child' and 'Faith', as well as being depicted wearing a cross-shaped earring on several occasions. Speaking on Premier's Gospel Breakfast, Michael Brown said, "I used to hold his hand [as we prayed]. For the first ten shows he used to always come and stand with me. I prayed with him in his studios as well. When the album Faith came out, who would get a download of faith if you weren't spiritually in tune with God? To have that kind of download to say: 'you've got to have faith, faith faith' - that is a download from the Lord…at least I can say that he definitely knew who Jesus was." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UK Chief Scout This week, Bear (Edward) Grylls tweeted the following: I did this and completed a goal of reading the Bible in a year! What did I learn: I am a great sinner, Christ is a great Redeemer. Bear was born in Donaghadee, Co Down in 1974 and is an adventurer, television presenter and writer, as well as being UK Chief Scout. He married Shara in 2000, and they have three children: Jesse Grylls, Marmaduke Mickey Percy Grylls and Huckleberry Edward Jocelyne Grylls. At a reception in Buckingham Palace in 2011, Bear wore patriotic Union flag patterned loafers which were a Christmas present from his wife. He said, “If you can’t wear Union Jack shoes in Buckingham Palace, where can you wear them?” http://www.beargrylls.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bryan Dunlop, our Organist Emeritus in an interview by Ronnie Irvine. The full version is found on our church website. Thanks to Ronnie who keeps our site going, but it

is only as updated as people from First give him the information! Bryan Dunlop taught for many years in Dungannon Technical College. At one time I taught for a few periods a week there (but can’t quite remember why) in his physics lab and well remember the motto on the wall behind his teaching bench: “Tempus fugit” in large letters, and beneath this; “ Time passes. Will you?’’. Bryan’s humour has been obvious for a long time. For both of us “tempus” certainly has