A team from Christ Church Lisburn to be commissioned to travel to school in Uganda

The team, which includes the Rector, Rev Paul Dundas, as well as parishioners Beth Harris, Beverley Ringland, Roberta Thompson, Anita Evans, Jane Marks, Emma Jane Marks, Audrey Knowles, Jayne Logan, Johnston Boyle, Raymond Geddis, Patrick Logan, Colin Mitchell and Gary Knowles, will visit St. Apollo School, Kasizi, Luwero, which the church has been supporting in 2009.

The school began in 2007 but only had the use of one small building as well as having classes under trees. Currently some 300 pupils attend the school.

In 2009 the Parish of Christ Church Lisburn began a journey to explore the possibility of developing a partnership with a community in Africa building on strong support for mission partnership over many years in the Church.

The Parish spoke to a number of Mission Agencies and linked up with Fields of Life whose heart is for education in Central Africa and who at present have built over 100 schools in that area. As a consequence of this partnership, two new blocks of classrooms were built in early 2012 through the generosity of the parishioners of Christ Church Parish Lisburn in raising £75,000.

A team from the Parish, together with some friends from Lisburn Rotary, went to the school in February 2012 to complete work on those buildings, work with the children and support the local community and Church. The support for the school continued through provision of books and desks for the children, a rain water project, purchasing land for growing crops and through child sponsorship by parishioners of Christ Church.

In 2014 Lisburn Rotary provided funding for the construction of a cook house.

The present project for 2015 was to raise funds for the staff residence which would create a more settled environment for teachers and create greater stability for the school.

“We thank the Lord for his faithfulness and the generosity of parishioners and friends that the target of £24,000 has been exceeded,” said Rev Dundas.

The team will be commissioned on Sunday February 15 at 11.30am, with a soup lunch to follow. The Mayor of Lisburn, Councillor Andrew Ewing, will attend the commissioning service.