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How is it that a group of our musicians ended up tying in with a local Drug Information service?  One Sunday morning, two years ago, we invited the coordinator of Greater Blanchardstown Response to Drugs (GBRD) to speak to the church on the issues facing our area.  He stayed for the service and really enjoyed our music!

GBRD hold an annual service of commemoration to recognise the lives of individuals and families affected by the use and misuse of drugs. They discovered that they were short of people to play at the service in 2006.  We were there; the right time, the right people, the right skill-set and the right motivation.  It was an honour to participate in it and be exposed to a whole section of our community that, if we were honest, we traditionally would have wanted to distance ourselves from. Yet we now appreciate a little more that they are closer to the heart of God than some of the more "respectable" sections of the community.  We were there to serve and bless those families. Simple!

What happened next?  Well, we were invited back the following year.  Then we were asked to play at the National Service of Remembrance.   This year, an artist in our church designed their logo for the event.  One member of our congregation is now the Chair of the Board of GBRD.  Recently, GBRD have started to look into using resources from a national Christian organisation that are aimed at parents, equipping them to steer their children away from the harmful use of drugs and alcohol. Guess what?  This organisation is headed up by somebody in our church! Pray for us as we seek to make ourselves available to God in this huge issue right on our doorstep!

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