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Meeting in a variety of locations the church slowly consolidated and grew to a point where the Ballyearl Arts and Leisure Centre became its home. A clear vision to be a church with an 'open door' became central to the ethos of the church. With its emphasis on relevant teaching of God's Word and the creative use of music and the arts in praise and worship, the church experienced rapid growth. The distinctive desire to be sensitive to the needs of those with little or no church background attracted many to Glenabbey. For some it was a temporary oasis, for others it became their spiritual home. Staff were appointed, leadership and ministry teams were developed, and the theatre was filled to overflowing. The need for room to breathe and grow led to the next move: the 1995 purchase of the current site in Cedar Hill, off the Ballycraigy Road in Glengormley, where a warehouse was adapted for use as a main auditorium. The great advantage of the warehouse was that once again it looked nothing like a traditional church building and has proved its worth as a "neutral venue" for people from all sides of the community. Although the location has proved a little difficult for visitors to find, the church continued to grow so that a move to two identical services on a Sunday morning became inevitable. Outreach to children and young people, together with many other activities mentioned on this Web Site, grew to the point where in 2005 we were regularly serving around 600 people. As the church grew larger, it also grew smaller through its strong emphasis on small groups. These "Home Groups" as they are called have proved invaluable in many ways: providing a safe place where people can build strong and lasting friendships in the context of a focus on Bible-centred discussion, prayer, and, of course, relating around food! These groups also are ideal places for the welcome and nurture of new believers and they provide a challenging and stretching environment for the development of leaders in the church. Looking ahead, the vision of Glenabbey is to reach more and more people with the Good News message of Jesus Christ and to see them experience vibrant spiritual fellowship and nurture in the context of the local church. This will not only involve the multiplication of Home Groups and opportunities for people to attend larger gatherings to hear God's Word, but also the multiplication of the church itself as other local churches are formed. In April 2006 the 'house' was opened as the latest addition to the Glenabbey site, providing better facilities for the various ministries, especially the counselling, creche and childrens ministries. At Easter 2007 the changes to the warehouse were completed - these included lengthening the building to allow more people to attend and the addition of a foyer.  |
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Glenabbey Church had its official beginning in September 1988 when a small fellowship of Christians who had been meeting together since Easter of that year responded to the New Testament challenge to be a local church.
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