Dunmurry Harvest 2025

Quoile Area WI Choir at Dunmurry
Click on the video above to see Dunmurry Harvest Thanksgiving Service as recorded live

We held a wonderful service of Harvest Thanksgiving at Dunmurry on Sunday, 19th October 2025. We were particularly pleased to welcome the Quoile Area WI Choir conducted by Judith Harper with their accompanist Kathleen Gill. They sang three pieces – This Day, All things bright and beautiful(a setting by Philip Stopford), River Song, plus the vesper Go Now in Peace (arranged by I.E. Keenan), while Allen Yarr, our organist, played for the hymns and Jack Steers played Trumpet Voluntary during the collection.

The service was led by members of the Sunday School and Youth Group with Harry opening the service with words of welcome, readings being given by Jenna, Lochlan, Erin, and Bryn, and Adele and Sue, leading us in prayer. The church was beautifully decorated throughout and the Youth Group made the frieze depicting scenes from the hymn We plough the fields and scatter (which we also sang) which adorned the rail above the pulpit.

Following the service we had refreshments and a time of fellowship in the Hall, with many people coming back for that.

On the following Monday members of the congregation distributed the all the produce which had been donated to  L’Arche Village, Belfast.

Dunmurry Harvest 2024

We had a wonderful Harvest Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, 20th October 2024. The service was conducted by Rev Dr David Steers, the organist was Allen Yarr and the readers were Lochlan Black and Erin Black. The Church was beautifully decorated throughout including the frieze depicting We Plough the Fields and Scatter made by the Sunday School and Youth Group. The service was live streamed and you can view it here on YouTube:

Here are some images from the day, beginning with We Plough the Fields and Scatter frieze created by the children and young people:

We were very pleased to welcome the Moderator, Rt Rev Alister Bell, who spoke warmly of the service and the work done by the children.

We also gathered a considerable amount of produce, both fresh vegteables and fruit, as well as tinned and dried foods, biscuits, pasta, sauces, tea, coffee etc. All of this has now been distributed to L’Arche Belfast.

What Is L’Arche?

“L’Arche (French for ‘The Ark’) is an international federation of 140 communities worldwide founded on faith and inspired by the gifts of people who have learning disabilities. By ‘community’ we mean a group of people of different ages, creeds, capacities and social and ethnic backgrounds connected to one another through a belief that everyone, irrespective of their circumstances, can have a positive impact on the lives of others. In our communities people with and without learning disabilities choose to live together in a spirit of friendship. We recognise the unique value of every person, the gifts we have to offer and our need for one another.” (From L’Arche website).

The newly created garden at the centre of the L’Arche community Belfast

You can find out more about L’Arche Belfast by clicking here.