Today’s update is all about The Dock’s Shrexpansion, and Sunday Night On Nomadic (Not On Nomadic).  What does it all MEAN?

What is Shrexpansion?
We love our next door neighbours in the Mace and Green Deli – they cook our soup, make our Saturday-morning Ulster Fry-ups, lodge our loose change from the Honesty Box, and are just generally great neighbours and great mates! However the time has come in their business life to expand their storage capacity – which means that The Dock Cafe will have to shrink just a leeeetle bit smaller.

However all is not lost – while the cafe space is getting smaller, The Dock Market is getting bigger, better and more popular all the time – so we’ve hit on the bright idea of using the tables and chairs of The Dock Market as an overflow area for big groups or busy lunchtimes. So, we’re shrinking, but in a way we’re expanding. Shrexpansion!

And so The Dock Cafe will be closed from Mon 8th – Thur 11th September to allow the Shrexpansion to happen. If you’d like to be part of the team moving, painting, fixing, changing, hammering, cleaning, re-arranging and generally just shrexpanding Dock Cafe – giving it a bit of a mid-year spruce-up as well as developing our new layout – just let James or Joachim know when you’re free, and wear some old clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty!

And then get ready for the Grand Opening of The Dock Cafe version 4.0 (is it?! – I’m losing count!) next Friday!

What is Sunday Night On Nomadic (Not On Nomadic)?
Due to a double-booking on board SS Nomadic, we’ll be holding our next Sunday service on 7th September at 6pm in The Dock Cafe rather than on board ship – hence the snappy title.

And since that’s the last thing to happen in the cafe before we close for shrexpansion, that actually gives us the perfect chance to say farewell to our beloved shabby-chic no.1-rated big cafe/living room/home-away-from-home in its current incarnation before the transformation starts, Peter Capaldi-stylee, into its new shape on Monday morning. Tears may be shed!

Mairtin O’Muilleoir (aka the selfie-tweeting ex-Mayor with pink hair) will be our special guest at the service, telling the story of the creation of the Prayer For Belfast, and sharing some tales of his time at the frontline of the life of Belfast City during a very dramatic year. See you there!

The Dock couldn’t escape the ice bucket challenge forever!

(Yes, it has already been pointed out to me that I CAN’T STOP TALKING even while mid ice-dunk – what will it take?!)

Rumour has it that the members of the Dock Prayer Team have now been nominated… pics and videos to follow!

UPDATE:  And so it came to pass… on a nice sunny afternoon outside Dock Cafe, Wes, Judith and Colin took one for the team…  James, Joachim and Jordan – over to you!

Don’t forget that Dock Cafe is hosting its first-ever wedding tomorrow – I got a little sneak peek at the preparations today and it looks SPECTACULAR!  (promised I wouldn’t spoil the surprise though)

So we’re now a venue for wedding receptions, birthday parties, mission fundraisers, launch events, book groups, music video shoots, baking collectives, drama rehearsals, leaving parties, breast-feeding mum gatherings,  pop-up choirs, knitting circles… any more?!

And congratulations to Scott (who was a Dock Volunteer way back in the early days) and Tammy!

Last week we had the great pleasure of the company of the Lord Mayor of Belfast for a cuppa and a chat in The Dock Cafe (and an impromptu tour of our lovely neighbours on SS Nomadic!):

It was fantastic to hear about her vision of a shared city of Belfast, a welcoming multicultural melting pot of people united by the joy of living through days of hope in our beautiful city.

So I was very honoured a few days ago to be asked to join the Mayor’s team of Chaplains – another example of the kind of shared, connected city that’s being modelled from City Hall and a great chance for people of faith to play their part.

This is the whole gang of us – the many minions of the Mayor – gathered for breakfast at 174 Trust:

So we’ve now welcomed no less than four Lord Mayors of Belfast through the doors of The Dock… Some stood and chatted, some chilled on the sofas and chatted, some kissed babies and some prayed with us in the Prayer Garden… such a variety of personalities and parties, but all determined to work for a shared city and a better future.

And I think they all kinda liked The Dock…