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Abbey Presbyterian Church, Parnell Square North, Dublin 1, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE

Unlike many congregations (even congregations within our own denomination) we do not have a lot of organisations running their own programmes during the year. While this arrangement might suit some churches it does not lend itself well to the challenges and opportunities we face. For example, because we are a city centre church we tend to have a greater turnover of membership with the average stay of about three years. We also have a very diverse membership from over twenty-five countries, many of whom are spread throughout the city, whose time schedules are incompatible. We aim to turn these challenges into opportunities by limiting centralisation to the weekly Celebration and concentrating instead on taking our Cells out to where people are, at a time that best suits them.

Not everyone will be a member of a Cell and we certainly cannot and will not make Cell participation a prerequisite to church membership. So we must ensure that these people are also valued, cared for and equipped to be the full person that God intends them to be. To that end we maintain a model of pastoral care through the Elders and some appropriately gifted members. We make the source material of the Cell Foundation stage available to all, along with recommendations for further reading, study opportunities and events.