Street Pastors

"Four missionaries currently are involved with Cornerstone City Church. The Inmans focus primarily on children’s ministries and organize the Kids Week segment of the church’s annual citywide outreach called “iHeart Derry.” The Suarezes created and lead the Master’s Commission ministry and are involved in Street Pastors, an evangelistic outreach to teens. Raquel and the Inmans also participate in Extreme Team, a ministry that goes into elementary schools to share the gospel in fun, exciting ways.

Engaging a culture where historical religious division runs deep requires exemplifying personal salvation in Jesus and authentic Christian love. For Cornerstone, sharing that love means loving the whole community.

“Derry has lots of old memories that conjure up pain,” says Robert Suarez.  “It’s very important that what we do here is visible because that will create new memories. As a result, what they think back on will be positive, healthy and life-giving rather than negative.”

As the Master’s Commission and Street Pastors teams go out in ministry across the city, their impact can be felt in a variety of ways.

“When we’re out among the people, it calms the atmosphere. Young people come over to us and want to talk. After an hour or so, they go home without getting involved in trouble. We’ve actually seen a decrease in violence,” says Robert.

Local leaders, media and the police department have acknowledged what Cornerstone is doing for the community as both Catholics and Protestants are touched by believers’ acts of compassion. This year, as part of the “iHeart Derry” outreach, Cornerstone partnered with Convoy of Hope Europe to build a playground in a Protestant neighborhood. Their effort drew the attention of the deputy mayor, who made an appearance at the site. When the project was completed, grateful parents watched their children play at the new facility until late in the evening. The church also hosted a prayer event, inviting people from the community to form a line across Peace Bridge, hold hands and pray together."


This is an excerpt from an article on Worldag.org, if you would like to read more follow this link: http://world.ag.org/article/bridging-divisions-derry

While in Ireland we will have a chance to participate in the Street Pastor program.  Last year we were invited to join the street pastors and stand outside a night club from 12-2am. We handed out soup, coffee, and simply shared Christ's love.  As it mentions in the article, there is much more peace in the areas where the street pastors are and they have developed a relationship with the police in Derry. This has in turn opened more opportunities for Christ's love to be shared. 

The Americans are playing football?!

"The Americans are playing football?!" This was passed excitedly from person, to person during the football (soccer) tournament held on Thursday evening.  Part of iHeart Derry is a football tournament between local teams of young boys.  They are extremely good at the sport and everyone was very surprised when the Americans decided to put together their own team to play against the local boys.

People started laughing and gathering around the field where the Americans were playing.  "Who are you rooting for?" I asked Jill, one of the local girls who was working with iHeart. "Well I'll root for the Americans, but we all the know our boys will win!" She answered smiling.  This wasn't the end of the surprises, as an American girl went out on the field to play everyone was even more surprised and started talking about the GIRL who was playing football! "Don't girls play football?" I asked. "No, not really," Jill replied. The boys on the team they were playing looked at her, not trying in the least to hide their amusement that a girl would try to play and were surprised when she stole the ball from them quite a few times!  The Americans did end up loosing to the local boys, but maybe, sometime there will be a team of Americans, girls included, that will be able to take them on and win!

There are still five places to fill for the trip! Though the deposit deadline was the 5th, I would be happy to have you join our team! If you are interested, look at the page "Come to Ireland with us!". 

: : A view of the soccer field where the tournament is held : : 

Day 3

Monday was our day to get ready for Kids Week to start.  We went to Donemana, a little town way out in the country. This is the school where we would be holding our VBS for the next few days. We spent the day praying for the students that were going to join us on Tuesday and getting registration set up, gathering supplies for crafts, and figuring out the details.

 : : Donemana Primary School : :

: :  In the town of Donemana : :

iHeart Derry 2015

Serve the Lord on a mission trip to Derry Ireland!

July 2^nd-14^th 2015

iHeart Derry is an annual event held in Derry Ireland. Up to 100 American youth and adults come together and do various physical, social, and spiritual projects in the city.  It lasts just over a week. In 2015, there will be five Kids’ Week locations, playgrounds being built, community outreach projects, street prayer, mobile medics, an extended football tournament, and more!  The event is put on by Cornerstone Church, led by Pastor Brian Somerville.  To find out more about this church, visit: www.cornerstonecity.eu

A little history behind Derry:

Derry, sometimes called Londonderry, is located in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and claims the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland.  On October 5^th, 1968, a civil rights march took place; this was the beginning of conflict that would last for 30 years, ending on April 10, 1998, with the Good Friday Agreement. Unionists, primarily a Protestant body of people and by far the majority, wished to remain part of the United Kingdom. The goal of the nationalists, an almost solely Catholic party, was to be free from British Reign.  During this period of trouble, over 3,000 people died as a result of the violence.  Years later, there is still evidence of tension between the political parties. 

iHeart is bringing people of the community together to help dissolve tension and show Christ’s love as the answer instead of violence.    

In 2014, a team from Mount Hope Church was taken to Derry to be part of iHeart.  I was blessed to be a part of that trip.  When I heard there would not be a group going from Mount Hope again, my dad and I decided to organize a team. This is a chance for parents to go and serve the Lord with their children, young people to experience Ireland, and an opportunity to work for the Lord in a beautiful country with their parents!

I’d be happy to talk with you about my experience there and share how the Lord worked!

Lydia Fedewa