Harvest Thanksgiving services were recently held at Yeolmbridge Methodist Church.

The Sunday service was led by Mr David Ley, a farmer from Langtree, who conducted a wonderfully traditional harvest service highlighting the number of people and organisations involved in the production of a bottle of milk from the cow to supermarket shelves, demonstrating that we all need to work together to achieve God’s will.

His wife, Catherine, played the organ for the hymns.

There was an interesting reversal of roles when David played the organ accompanying his wife who sang a delightful solo.

On Monday a tea at 6.30pm was followed by a short harvest service led by Rev Cathy Arscott with Mrs Doris Emmet playing the organ.  Peter McAughey spoke of his work with Future Pillars (Zambia) a charity of which he is a trustee.

Future Pillars has a school in a poor part of Zambia where about 100 children attend.

The charity aims to educate, feed and support the children whilst at school and into the future.  It was the chosen charity for the Church’s sale of produce and Peter emphasised that 100% of all monies raised would go to the school.

With joviality and dispensing cooking tips auctioneer Graham Smale with auctioneer’s helper Frank Arscott, sold the many and varied harvest gifts eliciting keen bidding from the good number of persons present.  Peter Sobey distributed the items when sold and acting as clerk for the sale was Sandra Smale with the help of her grandchildren.

The final total of monies raised amounted to £314.40 which has been given to Peter for the work of Future Pillars.