A happy Easter to all who will be reading this blogg
Wedi meddwl... mae blogsyn yn swnio yn enw da am blogg!!! be da chi'n i feddwl!
Mae na gymaint wedi digwydd ers imi anfon fy negas olaf - sgen i ddim syniad lle i gychwyn!!!
Lle da i gychwyn pob amser ydi o'r cychwyn cynta!!!
Ond tybed?!!
So much happened over the last 3-4 months and since i sent the last blogg, i am really not sure where to start!
I suppose the best place to begin is at the beginning!!
But I wonder?!
It is bank holiday Monday. I am feeling quite exhausted... but too wound up in the excitement of it all to stop and do nothing!!! And so i am catching up with a few things and now I am on blogg duty!!!
And around me people are hard at work as per instructions....!
Wyn has his job...
And his brother Jack - who is on holiday with us over Easter, has his job!!!
I would help... but I have to catch up with keeping the blogg up to date!!!
They have just had a fitting lunch and they will soon be ready for tea at 4pm as is traditional with the old type of farming community... I eat when I can and when I need to!!! I think Wyn and Jack's culture and the way of doing things and living is much healthier and balanced!
So back to parish work and duties and the Mission Area role that i hold.
Yesterday saw Terence, Alex and myself being very busy for Easter Sunday and Holy Week.
The Mission Area began it's celebrations for Easter with a Service of Light - Alex celebrated in her group of parishes and we celebrated at all Saints whereby we lit the 3 paschal candles for the 3 churches - followed by an Easter eve party. Then at dawn... well not quite... but early enough for those of us who are not morning people... we gathered at Mochdre for a Dawn Service...
Over 30 of us gathered for this occasion at 6am... the incentive... to engage with the easter experience fully... and to enjoy the fellowship and the bacon gaps and hot cross buns and coffee offered kindly by the Mochdre family.
A welcome feast after our worship at Dawn whereby we renewed our baptismal promises and praised God...
Mae Crist wedi atgyfodi... Aleliwia... Amen...
Christ is arisen... Alleluiah... Amen...
Holy week was busy and very meaningful as we shared and worshiped together.
Our lent mission Area group met for the last session on Holy Week Monday. We had services and times of prayer throughout the week. On maunday thursday we had a Mission area coach trip to the Maunday Thursday service at the cathedral. All began well... but then the coach decided to break down. Decision... decision... Mission Area leader cap on... do we return home or do we continue... Jesus never gives up on anything or anyone... no matter how impossible the mission ahead sounds to him or us... and so onwards and forwards...
We arrived 3/4 hour into the service just as bishop Gregory was coming to the end of his sermon. Alex and I departed the coach dressed as angels!!! We crossed the zebra crossing giving alarm to all cars... so all traffic stopped automatically for the rest of the coach crew. We arrived at the Cathedral door... I said to Alex... "we mustn't giggle no ok"!!! In we went to be greeted by a Cathedral steward who was awaiting our arrival... bless him... and so Alex and I walked into... no... not into a service mid-way... but to silence... whereby the bishop greeted us as a group having travelled fro the Cedewain Mission Area... albeit late... and we were given a warm welcome. "Well Alex", I commented as soon as we sat down, "we have certainly made an entrance and made the Cedewain presence known in the Diocese".
A brief resume of what has been happening in my group of parishes.
PCC meetings and Easter Vestry... we have been blessed in seeing new Wardens appointed, new secretaries for both parishes after the anxiety of wondering if appointments would be made.
Aberhafesp... a church with a pulse... a life and a future. We have a newly appointed young people's warden and a secretary to take up the vacancy - all good news.
i suppose the most touching moment for me in the parish was on Good Friday. The church plans a children's morning, followed by worship and a fish and chips lunch. Lots of work goes on behind the scenes.
16 primary school aged children attended on the morning... and wait for it... all 16 spoke Welsh, attending Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd. Having taken an assembly at the school a few weeks ago, and asking the children to stop me in the town if they saw me so as to say hello and to introduce me to their parents, i was inundated by greetings when I arrived. Most of the interaction was through the medium of Welsh all morning... which was a real blessing for me and for the parents of the children who are keen to promote and encourage the welsh language.
On the eve of palm Sunday we had a similar morning to cater for the youngsters at All Saints Church. Again a wonderful response with many children and parents enjoying a great day of sharing, worship and fun. Adults as well as children participated in craft work etc. We had a wonderful worship experience and all left looking forwards to the next Sunday on Saturday experience.
I feel that we have a good working relationship as colleagues. We have a chapter meeting every month - for clergy, retired clergy and readers. We have some significant meetings planned for the Mission Area - Archdeacon's visitation at the end of May, a Workshop for all Worship leaders, Readers and those involved with music in our Mission Area - to create new worship booklets for the Mission Area, and also to offer support and fellowship to our Worship Leaders.
In my group of parishes I have been preparing a team to administer home communion to the housebound as I do feel that it is important to keep regular contact with our members who can no longer worship with us at church.
I have also recruited a team to prepare parents for baptism. The number of baptisms in the parishes are too many for me to give a worthy service to parents and families. It was wonderful to see some of the fruit of this effort on Easter morning as a number of the baptism families attended worship and were linked with a member of the baptism team who will see them through the preparation and greet them at church when they attend pre and post baptism, and will assist me at the baptism service.
I am rather jumping from parish efforts and ventures... to Mission Area efforts... I know. I apologise... but this is how the work happens in reality... from one context to another.
Still on parish matters and activities.
It is good to feel more a part of the parishes and to feel that I am getting to know parishioners, the communities etc. There is more town and community involvement... I am now the Chaplain of the british legion! I requested that I be called Chaplain rather than Padre as the invite specified... I cannot quite fit the bill as Padre = Father!
There is talk that Rector Nia is due to close one of the churches!!! There was mention in one of our PCC meetings... quite remarkable how the news got around that I was about to close a church...!
I have now a clearer vision as regards the churches and their lives and future. But it is not for me to say... to decide... it is a matter of praying and listening to God as to his will and to discern this as regards the future of our church buildings, our existence and growth as a body of Christ's people etc.
We shall see...
It was really encouraging to witness the appointment of a younger PCC membership for the parish of Llanllwchaiarn & Newtown, to appoint a new warden and a young secretary. We all realise that there is much work ahead for all of us. All Saints Church as a building needs much work done... and I do think and feel that God has shown me clearly that the way forwards is to go all out for a major reordering and repairs project...
I say this and admit that it is much to my dismay... I hadn't really wanted to return to a similar situation and project as that of Christ Church, Bala... in repeat of a building project, as I know full well how draining it can be and how hard and pressured the work and responsibility can be! But there is no option... the work needs to be undertaken and God has spoken!
As a Mission Area we are looking forwards to meeting Phil Chew who will share with us his experience re the 2020 vision and his Mission Area.
I do feel that there is a willingness to work together as regards some of our churches... not all churches perhaps... but it is good that most of the churches appreciate the need and possible benefits of moving onwards and forwards.
It is good to see Alex so settled and so very enthusiastic in the Kerry group of parishes and I am heartened in knowing that she feels affirmed in her ministry. She has received some wonderful and supporting comments as to her ministry. Thanks to all who have shared such comments of affirmation and please continue to share them.
It is Bank holiday Monday... I am clocking off now. I wish you a happy and blessed Easter. Will be back soon... or soonish...
hope you enjoy reading this blogg!
Nia
Great to read this blog and to hear the enthusiasm in your voice, Nia - some wonderful ideas and willing hands, and we earnestly hope warm and vibrant hearts to support you in this exciting venture, leading out patterns and innovations in the developing shape of the Church in Wales, Hwyl, cofion cynnes and cariad oddiwrth Glynne ac Ann yn y Ffrwd xx
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