Ymateb i gais am wybodaeth parted datblygiadau o ran Ardal Cenhadaeth Cedewain / Request for information re the Mission Area development(s)

Wel, weid bod yma llai na mis… mae ambell un yn colli amynedd dwi yn credu ac yn eiddgar i wybod be di be ran digwyddiadau a datblygiadau o ran Ardal Cenhadaeth Cedewain… gan mai dyma oedd cais yr Eglwys yng nghymru o ran holi fi i baratoi blogg… i roi diweddariad ran hanas datblygu yr ardal Cenhadaeth!!!

Well, just a few days less than a month into my ministry here in the group of parishes of Llanllwchaiarn and Newtown with Aberhafesp, I have been approached regarding developments in respect of the Mission Area of Cedewain and what developments! I think that there may be some impatience… especially as i was asked by the church of Wales to write a blogg to record the developments of the Mission Area of Cedewain!

Before I proceed a huge apology re the photos that never appeared on the last blogg… just as well perhaps… they may well have caused the bishop reason to sack me!

Well, may I truly and honestly share… and without embarrassment or apology, that most, if not all, of my energy and attention for the last 25 days has been focused on the group of parishes that I am now responsible for… be it in dealing with churchyards and fallen trees, arranging services… and getting my head round the rota of work for three churches and numerous weekly engagements within the community.

However, I can report on some progress regarding The Cedewain Mission Area.

During the discussions regarding my potential appointment to the Newtown group of Parishes and as Mission Area Leader, I was informed that I would be joining a Deanery that was already on the way to being a Mission Area.

Upon arriving I came to the conclusion that we are indeed on the journey to becoming a Mission Area. The Mission Area / Deanery of Cedewain… pay the Fair Share collectively as a group… but although they pay as a collective group… they are all expected to pay their allocated fair share cost… and there is no arrangement as yet for the parishes who can afford to help those who cannot afford.

There are service sheets and booklets prepared with the heading - Deanery of Cedewain… rather than booklets carrying their own individual names as Churches or group of Churches. Baptism booklets have a Deanery heading… and so we are working in unison in these areas of ministry.

There is a monthly newsletter called - Cedewain… this is an information newsletter with details of services and rotas for the forthcoming month… and it also has snippets of news from the various parishes within the Mission Area.

There are Mission Area stalwarts among me here in Newtown… people who have already shared with me that they know that as Reader, Worship Leader, Pastoral Assistant… etc… they realise that there may/will be a need for them to work outside of their immediate Church and Parish… this is good news indeed!

I may have mentioned the change of times to our regular Sunday services here in my group of parishes… to enable me to have time to lead worship and share in community and fellowship with all the congregations I will encounter on Sunday mornings. The fifth Sunday… I am praying about as regards the future… a God given opportunity for me, as Mission Area Leader, to visit some of the Mission Area Churches within the Cedewain group… this will help me in my effort to gt to know the various parishes, churches etc…

I will have much more to share soon I hope… and plea… those of you who are prodding me… please continue to prod… or there may be no further news!!!

Diolch / Thanks,

More to come after certain prodding's have taken place…!!!!

Nia

O'r diwedd… dwi yn anfon gair… ne lot o eiriau!!! / At last I am sending word… or may I correct myself and say… I am sending lots of words!!!

Dwn i ddim heb edrach ar y bloggyn dwytha pryd oedd y negas ola hefo gwasg y blogg!! Ond mae yn teimlo fel oes yn ol!!! Felly, dyma fi nol wrth y bloggyn ac yn anfon rhagor o newyddion… lle i gychwyn ydi'r cwestiwm mawr!

Without checking with the last blogg message I cannot recall when i sent my last blogg news… all I know ids that it feels like ages ago!!! And so, i am back, with news… the dilemma now will be where to start and where to call an end…

Parish work has been very busy… numerous calls to the Rectory for bookings of baptisms… and so my diary is now loaded healthily with many baptisms and pre-baptism visits to families. I have to address the important question soon… what to do regarding baptisms. A wonderful opportunity to share the Good News, and an opportunity I dare not miss and indeed wouldn't wish to miss for the world. But, due to the number of baptism requests that are now received… i have no choice but to address the question… how can the group of parishes I serve, best serve these families and their request. I need to ponder and to pray about this. But what a wonderful situation to find ourselves in… with so many families wanting their children baptised.

Funeral ministry has been busy also… more so in the Kerry group of parishes, which I have responsibility for at present - only until Alex is inducted on Thursday evening. In a sad and round about way this has been an excellent opportunity to establish relationships within the Mission Area of Cedewain… and hopefully an opportunity to offer caring and supportive pastoral ministry to the bereaved families… and here is where I would like to express my sincere thanks to Reverend Leonard Parry-Jones and all who have provided pastoral care for the bereaved during the period of interregnum.

Weddings have also been a busy part of the last few weeks work… As I was transferring information etc upon leaving my last Parish, I was handing over two weddings by common licence for 2014 and one wedding by common licence for 2015… none of the three being a local couple. But, how wonderful that couples feel a warmth towards a particular area and decide that they want their marriage blessed by God… and so seek out the local church for their wedding ceremony. I am really sad that I cannot be present to conduct their marriage ceremony… However, I have no time to be sad really…! Weddings galore booked already in the diary… and I have by now met with most couples. It is a joy to be part of the planning and excitement and to reassure the couples that all will be all right on the day…!
I think that I have inherited six times as many weddings!!!! Great news!

Wyn… the gentleman… my husband… who warned me… and said politely to others… that he was to become properly retired once we were to move to a new parish… Well, well, well… and… I have photos to prove this… HE IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING RETIRED PROPERLY… with a smile and a plea from me… he was preparing a grave for the remains of ashes at Aberhafesp Churchyard a couple of days ago… James, who came to bury the ashes of his father, whose grandfather had been an Olympics medal winner, a Wimbledon tennis player and indeed a Manchester City football player… and had played cricket on a national and possibly international level.. an all rounder in sports if ever there was an all rounder… Maxwell was the name!!! Well, back to my story… James shared with me that dad's wishes was for his ashes to be scattered from a hot air balloon… I didn't dare ask James… why not this option!!! The other option was for the ashes to be close to the family grave and monument at Aberhafesp. And so with little less than 24 hours to accommodate James's request… his wife informs me that I am quite right in assessing that James believes in doing everything yesterday… I got Wyn into action and all was prepared in good time for a dignified service at St Gwynog's Churchyard.

Fallen trees…! All are now cleared and what a fine job the contractors did. If I was to have had my own company's job contract specification I would never have expected such a high standard of workmanship… and can I tell you… I am a stickler for very high standards!
The work of the workforce was of the highest standard possible… not only did they clear the trees tidily from the Churchyard, they greeted all who came to observe with politeness, they were hard working, they gave the proper respect and dignity to the fact that they were working in a Churchyard… and they even hoovered all the dusty remains after the job was completed… they were a company that actually had no need to brush away the dust from their shoes! If you want a sound workforce to clear away fallen trees in the future i can highly recommend Mitch and his team… of R F Gardiner Ltd, Cirencester Road, Chalford, stroud, Glos GL6 8PE. And I would also like to thank Debbie Dean from Severn Trent Water Board, once we established, after much frustration, who was responsible for the fallen trees, Debbie got everything in motion as regards removal of tree, repair / replacement of gravestones etc with great efficiency.

I am desperately behind schedule as regards home visits… and this agenda had to be delayed this last week due to a runny nose and a common cold… I knew that I could't visit the sick, vulnerable and elderly and share my unwelcome cold with them all!

A joint PCC meeting had a good response and generosity towards some necessary changes… the main one being to the change of times to the regular church services… this is to enable me to attend all of the three churches twice a month… with… importantly… time to share fellowship after the services rather than having to dash off to conduct another service. All this has meant is to move the Llanllwchaiarn services a half an hour later together with all the baptism services.

Individual PCC meetings are scheduled for a date in the not too distant future… on the agenda… not my agenda… is the removal of pews, organ, extension, reordering!!!!! I have been here before!!! So I have it all to come again!

A spring clean is due at all three churches… before the actual spring season… within the next few weeks.

As regards the Deanery. contact has been established mainly due to Alex's induction this coming Thursday. Also, we are planning a visit to the cathedral as a deanery for the Chrism Mass on Maunday Thursday… this has not been properly advertised in the Deanery yet… but it will be soon. I sense the feeling that Newtown and area is just that mile or so too far from the cathedral… however, i am eager to encourage the Mission Area of Cedewain to become more a part of the Diocese and more linked to the Cathedral.
Also we have a Deanery / Mission Area Dawn service planned for Easter Sunday morning… which will be a great opportunity to wake up to another dawn in our relationship as a Mission Area.

New notice boards are about to be ordered for the 3 churches - Newtown, Llanllwchaiarn and Aberhafesp. Strange things are happening in my old parish of Bala I hear… and so i am keen to sort these notice boards out asap!!!



And then there was even more exiting news… Wyn had not actually been appointed but…



Wyn gives Jack a good hair cut ready for his big day…




As far as I know man is an imposter, and his induction if it has taken place, is totally illegal!!! But doesn't he look the part… a very distinguished looking Rector and potential Bishop!!!

[For this of you who may not know me well… Wyn Morris… whose name appears on the notice board… is the barber… Jack is my brother in law in love and crime!]

Diocesan commitments carry on… few duties but enough as I try to settle down to a busier work routine and schedule. It is good to be part of Diocesan groups and meetings to keep in touch - both for myself and in order to update the parishes and Mission Area I serve.
my involvement with two Church schools continues to be important and special to me - Ysgol Llanddoged and Ysgol Eglwys Bach, both in Conwy… and of course Ysgol Beuno Sant, Bala. It is a real joy to me that the three schools will journey together on pilgrimage to attend the service at the Cathedral on may 4th May - the Eve of the feast day of St Asaph - where they will take part and share out shell shaped biscuits.

There is much more to share… more to come…

Helynt neithiwr… hefo'r coed… / Yesterday's events… trouble with trees...

Fel y rhan fwyaf ohonoch cawsom drafferth gyda'r gwyntoedd cryf ddoe.

Like most of you we had trouble with the strong winds yesterday.

The phone rang early afternoon as I was setting off on a home visit… residents of Llanllwchaiarn whose house overlooks the church and Churchyard. They informed me that a large tree had fallen in the Churchyard. Wyn and I set off immediately to investigate. We found two trees down. One had fallen and broken the fence… it almost covered the whole of the parking ground… but… there was worse to come… In the Churchyard itself another tree… a huge beech tree, had fallen, broken the fence and has most certainly broken a good many headstones. This will cause upset to many people… and so the media was contacted and they were keen to report about our mishap in the county Times this week… a wonderful opportunity for me, on behalf of the Parish, to say that we deeply regret any pain and upset caused to families due to the fallen trees and consequent damage to the gravestones.

I was asked to be at Llanllwchaiarn Churchyard for 8-10am for the photoshoot!

Here are a few of the photo's taken by the photographer for The County Times… and thank you Dominic for arranging this.

Now I am trying to establish on whose property these trees stood… it certainly isn't Churchyard land… and so hopefully the owners of the land will arrange for the trees to be cleared, the fence to be fixed and more importantly, for the headstones to be fixed or replaced. 

And so… off I go to chase some people up so that a decision can be made as to who is responsible as regards the clearing up and repairing!! I will keep you informed… and I truly regret the upset this will have caused individuals and families who have loved ones buried in the Churchyard.

On a happier note, some loose tiles which fell off our roof last night thanks to efficient workers and to Dewi Thomas. 

And I have had a very excited visitor at the rectory… Alex… who will be joining us at the Mission Area of Cedewain very soon. She is so much looking forwards to the beginning of her new adventure… and I am looking forwards to working with her and having her as my colleague….

More later...

Mae'r eira wedi cyrraedd / We have snow in Newtown

Mae'r eira wedi cyrraedd a mae pobman yn edrach yn hyfryd. Mae'r haul allan rwan a'r eira yn dadmar yn araf bach.

The view from my study window is beautiful this morning with the snow covering the hill above and all the rooftops.
I wish I had time to go off to find a good walk… I miss my regular walk by the river, up towards Rhiwlas, to Llanfor and back to Bala… a lovely nature walk which took me approx 2 hours… an hour and a half when I ran parts of it (the downhill parts!)
Finding a walk in Newtown was on my priority list but alas it has made it's way to the bottom of that list! It will happen…!

I think I confused some of you with my Kerry experience in my last blogg… Let me explain… I had a meeting in Kerry with the Church Wardens of the four churches Alex will be looking after. They forgot to mention that the meeting was to take place at Mitzy's house… and so I found a locked church and no Church Wardens!
I walked around the venue for a good 1/4 hour and having given up I crossed the road back to my car… and there I saw the Church Wardens sitting in Mitzy's dinning room… next door to the Church. And so we eventually had our meeting!

It was a good meeting and an ideal opportunity to meet some of the Church Wardens properly and to get more of a feel for the Deanery/Mission Area of Cedewain.

Yesterday's meeting with Archdeacon Peter and my new colleagues, Pam and Toni (Area Deans in the Archdeaconery), was another opportunity to learn more about the workings of the Archdeaconary of Montgomery.

Today I have my first funeral in my group of Parishes - at St Llwchaiarn Church, Llanllwchaiarn. I'm glad that I'm a Welsh speaker - otherwise I think I would be struggling to pronounce this name! And so I am working with new undertakers, new vergers etc and learning how to work together - they'll soon get used to me and my ways!

My desk is busy and untidy… not at all how i like it to be… there are pieces of paper, lists etc etc… needing attention and I am thinking to myself - when am I going to find time to do this, that and the other…? I will find the time… of course… but I like to do things yesterday and not tomorrow!

I am busy learning new names… and trying my best to remember them - not an easy task for me as I struggle to remember names! We had holy Communion at All Sain's this morning, Wyn joined us, and I remembered most of the people's names - which is good going.

And i have something to share with those of you who heard Wyn say that he was retiring properly upon our move to Newtown. He was looking forwards to coming to church and not having any duties. Well, who was helping to move chairs after the service this morning! Yes, Wyn! No one asked him… he couldn't resist helping! I can see him getting quite involved in the Parish and I know that he'll be busy helping in more ways than one. good news for me and the Parish!

Must say cheerio for now… work to do.

Tan roc am nawr… mae gwaith yn galw.

Recruiting and making new friends - Recriwtio a gwneud ffrindiau newydd...

Mae'r Sul hwn, fy ail Sul yn y Plwyf, wedi bod yn ddiwrnod arbennig iawn o symud ymlaen a ymgofleidio fy mywyd newydd mewn lle a chyd-destun newydd. Nid y byddaf byth bythoedd yn aghofio teulu Eglwys Crist, Y Bala. Diwrnod o benodiad arbennig a phwysig a diwrnod o selo perthynas gyda ffrindiau ifanc… a phob oed… sydd yn newydd ran fy mywyd i a Wyn...

This Sunday was a very special day indeed for me and I hope for all those present in the congregation. It was a new day of recruiting and appointing a new Alter Server - Alex, who did an excellent job today in serving me at the altar… and hopefully he will carry on in this role for the next 10 or so years… following in the footsteps of Lewys, Mael and Joanna… my faithful alter servers at Christ Church, Bala - all of who began this service ten years ago and who continue when home on leave to serve at the altar at Christ Church.

 Alex and I shaking hands to zeal the contract!!!

Alex and I after exchanging contracts!!! No wages Alex unfortunately… but lots and lots of pleasure i hope…!

New friends… Alex… with his younger brother Matthew, in between James and Eleri… three new lovely friends at All Saint's Church.

Alex at the alter… I think he is pleased to be helping!

This busy morning led to all sorts of meetings and gatherings. A long and important meeting with organist Mary… a very dedicated Christian and organist - to plan weddings, baptisms, funerals… and even Easter!!!

Then a meeting with all the Church Wardens of the Kerry group of parishes to plan Alex's induction service... and so the afternoon began… I arrived in good time… Kerry Church was dark and locked… no one about… I walked all round the church… no life… went to the village hall… all dark… rang Mary, church Warden of Dolfar and organist of All Saint's and Llanllwchairan… beginning to sound confusing… join the club!

Nothing more that I can do… back to the car… but… wait…lets have a detour… this way and that way… no progress… head for the car and home… the worst that can happen is that a report of dissatisfaction is sent to the bishop… and he will then most definitely…. me…! Fill in the missing word!!!

But them I will have my side of the story…!!

Thanks to everyone who has made today special for me and for God.

x

"Pwy feiddiodd dynnu y llun hwn…?" bydd yr Esgob o bosib yn fy holi! / "Who dared take this photo…? the Bishop may well ask me!

Dwi'n gaddo na fyddai yn dweud pwy anfonodd hwn imi? A diolch fil am ei anfon… Waw… dwi rioed wedi edrach mor o ddifrif… ofn yr Esgob ella… ofn yr her o fod yn Rheithor i grwp o Blwyfi newydd a mwy o lawer ran maint na'r Bala… Ac eto, os sylwch yn fanwl… ella mai gwrando yn astud yr oeddwn i ar y comisiynu roedd yr Esgob yn ei roi ger fy mron ran ysbryd Duw!!

I promise that I will not disclose the identity of the photographer! However, I wish to give thanks for what he/she captured here! It was a longish moment (x 2 due to the dual affair of induction as Rector and commissioning as Mission Area Leader). I recall the two occasions very clearly. The Bishop was busy in his engagement with the legal scripts… and I wondered where I was meant to focus my eyes… and then I found that I needn't 'think' about this any longer… the focus became quite concentrated on the listening, engaging and committing of myself to all that I was hearing relating to the charge of my new role as Rector of Llanllwchaiarn and Newtown with Aberhafesp together with the role of Mission Area Leader of Cedewain. A rather tall task!

The culprit of the photograph can easily be identified… If you think back and remember who sat where on the evening of the Induction Service… this particular attendee was obviously sitting to the left of the Bishop…! If he/she is found out, please Bishop Gregory, don't send him o the gallows!

Your secret is safe with me Adrian!!!!! (Super shot…)

Yesterday was a day of much progress again regarding Parish and Mission Area duties. Meetings to plan baptisms, weddings and funerals, preparing a priority list for visiting those who are ill and most vulnerable, planning ahead for my first Mission Area meeting at the beginning of March...

It was great to meet with some of the couples that I will be marrying later on in the year, to meet parents and plan the christening of their child(ren), to help a grieving family with their funeral plans, to support a person in ill health, to have some local calls of support, encouragement and welcome…

… and to send poor Wyn off to find a specific pipe to fit our new washing machine to enable us to plumb it in when it arrives on Saturday. He was well chuffed to have arrived a local shop selling all sorts of DIY stuff… but not the specific item Wyn was after… to be referred to an outlet on the industrial estate who would most definitely have the part. he got the part for the mere sum of £1 something. So from Saturday onwards we will have a working washing machine and a clothes line in the garden to dry our clothes… progress indeed.

Off to Morning prayer and then a baptism couple to plan the service for the baptism of their baby daughter…

I'll be back soon!!!

AMSER I ANFON GAIR O'R DIWEDD / TIME TO SEND WORD AT LONG LAST!!!!

O'r diwadd dwi yn cael amser i anfon pwt o air. mae wedi bod mor brysur ers dydd Iau diwetha a'r gwasanaeth sefydlu!

At last I am able to send a few words following a really busy few days following the induction Service last Thursday!

The Induction service was a special occasion for me personally and an experience that I will remember and treasure for ever. Yes, I was very nervous and worried that I would become emotional. I really didn't want to be tearful at the service… for one thing I don't know that Bishop Gregory or Archdeacon Peter would have known how to cope with me and my tears!!!
It was so very strange that once the service began my nerves disappeared and I got on with my role… the same thing happened when I took my mother's and my grandmother's funerals… Once in role I became confident and calm.
I can say with hand on heart that i enjoyed the service very much. there was a very beautiful atmosphere at All Saint's Church that evening and it was so special to see such a crowd of people filling the whole of the Church. I was so touched to see friends such as Betty who had travelled all the way from London for the evening, friends and old colleagues from my time as a social Worker at The Heath
Hospital, Cardiff, Friends from Caernarfon, Llangollen, Rhyl, Rhuddlan, Bala… and Gordon Lloyd who had travelled from Barmouth. Gordon is a good friend who was brought up in Newtown and was a young chorister at All Saint's some 70 years ago. he left Newtown to pursue his career in the police… and he returned to his old Church for my induction service!

Here is Gordon (the white haired gentleman standing on the back row next to Chris) surrounded by 3 of my Church Wardens and the young people who helped with the service…

And this is a photo of the three Church Wardens...

from left… Mike, Barbara, me, Chris. (The fourth Warden, Shirley, had to leave early as she had a long journey to a friends funeral in London the following day).

Having said good bye to the Bala family in the coach i returned to All Saint's church feeling a sense of excitement… no sadness, no tears… The past has been, the future is just beginning!!!

However, upon arriving home and reading some of the cards I became very emotional and cried more!!! It is a strange thing… being so sad and heartbroken… and yet, this was all my own doing… the decision to leave Bala and start in a new Parish!!!

The next morning, actually the next day throughout was very busy indeed. Friends who had stayed overnight at different venues came for coffee, first staff meeting at the Rectory, more visitors and meetings… a busy but fruitful day.

Saturday was just as busy… friends called en route home to Bala and it was time to be still and prayerful in order to prepare my first sermon for my first sermon in the Parish. What will they expect to hear… what will i say… what should I say…?

Sunday 10am was to be my first service - a joint service for the three Churches at All Saint's Church - refreshments to follow in the hope that people would stay after the service for further fellowship - a great opportunity to meet people and to begin forming relationships.
There was a congregation of about 150 with a few children and young people. i was thrilled and enjoyed the service throughout. The fellowship was warm and it was sad to see everyone leave…

And so my ministry here has well and truly begun. I have met with many lovely Christians. I had a good meeting today with Alan Backhouse who is a retired cleric who worships at All Saint's and has been busy helping in the parish during the interregnum. Between Alan and Michael Comer, I have two caring, supporting and trustworthy clerics and soon to become good friends I am sure. Three super lay readers - Wendy, Christine and Jean, a number of Worship Leaders and Pastoral Assistants… I feel rather spoilt for colleagues to help with my ministry!

Things are on a rather bigger and busier scale here to compare with Bala… this was partly why I moved… to be involved with a bigger and busier parish! And so here i am in a bigger and much busier parish. I have by now, sifted through the wedding and baptism bookings and have arranged to see all the couples and parents… I am beginning to prepare a list of home visits in order of priority…, I have a meeting with Alex next week and with her Wardens this coming Sunday to offer support as they prepare for her Induction service…, A joint PCC meeting has been arranged for next week and I have a long list of matters for the agenda, and a Mission Area Meeting has been arranged for the beginning of March… which Alex will be able to attend... I am making a start! And of course, there are some Diocesan meetings to fit in!

And so while I am busy with my work, Wyn has been delegated with the responsibility of the food shopping… and he has plenty of shops to choose from. He has found a good butchers shop and he has found a shop nearby where he can collect his Daily Post… his Motorcycle News is sent directly to the Rectory. For those of you who know Wyn, you will know how important receiving Motorcycle News on time is for him!

Our vouchers which we had as a gift from the parish are being quickly spent… on a washing machine (we had a flood in the utility room a few days ago… our old machine has come to the end of it's days), and so a new one has now been purchased and will arrive on Saturday. A hose pipe, some kitchen implements, a new set of telephones…, all very essential items.

We have heard that Wyn's close friend Huw is very poorly, now in the Wrexham Maelor, and so we will visit him asap. Huw is a really lovely person. he used to cut the lawn for us in Bala and i always provoked him… that he timed his visits well for tea. Wyn and Huw would chat for ever. Wyn will be upset at the news of Huw's deteriorating health although he may not show it.

Rhaid imi ddweud tan toc nawr… mae hi wedi hen basio amser gwely! Anfonaf air eto cyn hir…

I must say cheerio for now… it has long passed my bedtime! I will blogg again before too long...