My Challenge to the Church

 At the Gathering in Aberystwyth, (see previous blog post) panel members were asked to  present a challenge to the churches as they think about a  Church Uniting in Wales.  This was Bethan's:

 Before I present my challenge to you, I want to share with you the thing I enjoy most about going to church and the thing that I feel is unique about going to church. And that is that it’s a place for me to communicate and be friends with people of all ages and all walks of life. The reason I’m telling you this is because I feel that more more people should have this opportunity, and although we as churches are all welcoming and welcome everyone, people just don’t seem to come to events or walk into churches anymore. But why is this? 

             How many of your churches have notices and news sheets or posters up saying that you welcome all sorts, or saying what’s on during the week? It's really useful for people who come to church to hear the notices or get the news sheets... but what about everyone else?

 So my challenge to you, as the church, is to change the way you communicate or advertise the church to none church goers. 

            We are bombarded these days with different  ways to communicate, telephone, meeting for tea in a cafe, texting, email, facebook, twitter and blog spots, but yet churches don’t seem to make full advantage of them.   

             I ’m not saying that these ways of communicating should be used to evangelise as in making online 'statuses' of Bible quotations and praising God because, from what my friends that don’t go to church have told me, it is more likely to push people away than encourage them to come to church. It feels like its being pushed upon them and to be honest things like that make me cringe. But I would say that things like a facebook page for churches and a chance for churches to 'tweet' would give the space to advertise activities that are going on in the church and also give church members a place to communicate with one another, other than on a Sunday. 

 Blogs would also be beneficial for churches to show what has been going on and it also gives people who have an interest in writing and blogging a chance do so. But obviously if people don’t have an interest, there’s no need to force people to write one!

 

I also think that using social media would be a good way of getting young people more involved in the church because, from my experience, it is impossible for a young person to go on a computer or smart phone without checking facebook and the church news would come up on their newsfeed!

It’s a way of showing that the church is the people not the building; facebook‘s where ever gods’ people are praising! 

I know my challenge has been all about technology in a way, but I’d also like to challenge the leaders of the churches and organisers of events to remember why I enjoy going to church. Because whenever there’s a Synod day or big event there’s always separate activities for the children and young people, which is good in one way but in others means you lose the opportunity to communicate with people other than your peers. Why can’t activities cater for all ages? Because that’s the thing I appreciate most about church.

 
          Bethan Walkling

The Gathering

 One Church Uniting in Wales?  That was the vision put before a gathering  of some hundreds of representatives of URC, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and (Church in Wales) Anglican churches in Aberystwyth  on Saturday.

The vision was shared in many ways, incuding  a drama which showed us how One Church  split into many denominations over 2000 years,  each with its own particuar emphasis.  Squabbling between churches  took on comic proportions before our eyes.  Interspersed with some of the Church's  best loved traditional hymns, like 'The churches one Foundation is  Jesus Christ our Lord' it highighted the anomaly of our divided reality.

Bethan,pictured here (left), took part in a panel discussion chaired by  Phil George  (Broadcaster and member of Canton Uniting Church) along with  Delyth and Trystan, Chaplains  at the University of Cardiff. 

For Bethan's viewpoint, see her separate blog post.

To my mind this  was a vital part of the day,  and perhaps  the riskiest part,  involving unscripted conversation about the ways in which young people experience church and what might be done to reach them more effectively   (Cardiff chaplains wear chaplaincy hoodies, rather than dog collars!)

Most of the day otherwise comprised presentations of one kind or another -  although there was plenty of chatter in the pauses between sessions as people responded informally to what they heard and saw.


This was an image from the day that  will remain with me. It's a picture of lichen, growing in concentric circles on a rock with a huge gap in it.   The Rev Dr Olav FykseTveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, introduced this as a  picture of church unity... growing and spreading,  creating a wholeness despite the  obvious chasms!

Communion was  co-celebrated by  five leaders  from the five covenanted denominations, with Rev Simon Walking representing the URC, Rev Dafydd Andrew Jones on behalf og the presbyterian Church of Wales and the Rev. John Garland for the covenanting Baptist churches.   A new, bilingual communion service was used, copies of this were made available to delegates for use in their own churches.

L

Lots of discussions will be taking place at local and national levels, to see if the idea of  a church Uniting in Wales is one that can take root.  Watch out for further blogs on the matter, once I have  studied the  pack of  recommendations and  discussion papers in more detail.

The drama, the order of service for communion and discussion doucments can all be downloaded from the dedicated website for  the Gathering .

"Luv 'em to bits"

“I luv ém to bits” she said as she snipped my hair and told me about her customers, some of whom have been with her for decades.  During the winter months, when the steep roads can be icy, I asked if she closed shop and just stayed home, but no, her husband either takes her or she walks “only seven miles”.  I’d imagine the customers mostly stay at home on days of ice or driving rain but again, no.  They come in all weather.  “Mad as a box of frogs,” she says. 

Here are three things I’ve noticed in the last month of living in Pontypridd:

v  Many people have been here a while.  For some, they’ve lived in this area for decades; others were born here (or very close by), others have great- grandparents born in the area.  Roots go deep, and appreciation for the land, the culture, the intertwining stories of people and place run equally deep. 



v  There is a great love for neighbours, friends, and people of the community.  And for those in this community, as in every village, city or town, who are more challenging to love -- those whose lives have been broken and walk through the world more visibly wounded than others -- love is expressed through care, patience, understanding.  People are included; programs are supported; a place is provided.

v  The people of Ponty are tough.  They’ll walk seven miles in the cold to get to work because they know a customer will come despite the weather.  These are folks that can make ends meet, who are not pretentious in the slightest but have dignity and honour and will give you the warmest welcome should you pass this way.  Hard work is never a deterrent for a worthwhile project and the concern for others almost always tops a concern for oneself.

As for the people of St. David’s Uniting, well, they are all this and then some.  They are a remarkable and delightful group of people.  The next blog entry will be about them.  For now, whoever is reading this and wherever you are, I hope you are part of a community that, for all of its seen and unseen flaws, you “love to bits”.

Yea! We're here.

Yea!!  We’re here and very happily so.  Incredibly warm and delightful people; gorgeous scenery; a manse cleaned and furnished with care, thoughtfulness and amazing generosity – words fall short except to say that we are genuinely blessed to have landed here.

From our morning walk



How do these things happen?  

There is a wonderful congregation in Vancouver named St. David’s United, and a delightful congregation in Pontypridd, Wales, named St. David’s Uniting.  5,000 miles apart, they’d never heard of each other until a couple of months ago, yet they have a historical connection through the person of Dilys Maddin.  

The Old Bridge (177something)

Pontypridd, Wales (taken from The Common)



Dilys Hughes was born in Pontypridd in the 1920’s.  She was raised and attended school here.  After the second World War, Dilys married Charles Maddin and they began a new life in a new home in Vancouver, Canada.  It turns out that a new church was developing up the road from their home (this was, after all, the 50’s, when a new church was opened in Canada every week).  Being relatively new to the area themselves, they jumped in with this new venture and helped get it off the ground.  As the building neared completion in 1957, the congregation needed a name.  Several suggestions were put forward, including one from Dilys.  In respect to the patron saint of her beloved Wales, she suggested this new church be called St. David’s.  

I don’t know if the name seemed a good fit or if it was helped by the, shall we say, persuasive skills and enthusiasm of Dilys, but one way or the other the name St. David’s won the day and this is how a congregation in Pontypridd and in Vancouver were first connected.

Over 50 years later, this connection was entirely lost until remembered by Dilys’ daughter, who now lives in Arizona and, when she discovered I was going to serve St. David’s in Pontypridd, sent an “I can’t believe it!” e-mail.  That I should happen to be called to the same town where Dilys was born and raised and attended church, and that she would the one who brought the name to the congregation in Vancouver is more than a coincidence.  It is remarkable and makes me wonder about relationships and connections.  It makes me wonder about how God works in our life, hitching us to people who share unseen lines of connection.

When I was able to tell the congregation in Vancouver where we were going and what we’ll be doing, two people approached me and said, “We’ll be right down the road!”  Bob Burrows, a retired minister from St. David’s and a member of the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir was leaving to sing at the Cardiff Castle.  He had some extra time, so hired a car to take him to Pontypridd, 20 minutes away. He found St. David’s Uniting, in the center of town, took photographs, and called us from his cell phone to say, “I’m so excited for you!”  

Only four days later another member of the Vancouver St. David’s congregation, Hew Gwynne, was coming to Cardiff to visit relatives.  The Sunday after Bob was here, Hew Gwynne arrived for coffee after the Sunday service.  He, too, took photographs and sent an enthusiastic e-mail.  

St David's Uniting, Pontypridd

What are the chances that a person born in Ponty would be a founding member of a congregation in West Vancouver who helped name the church, and 55 years later I would be called to go from this West Vancouver congregation to serve an interim position at St. David’s in Ponty, and within two weeks of informing the W. Van congregation of our whereabouts, two members would be visiting the town and the church where my family and I would soon be arriving?  Anybody good at statistics?  What are the odds?

There seems to be a bridge of connection between the two communities.  Perhaps you’ve seen this 5,000 mile bridge that spans from Pontypridd to Vancouver.  It crosses the Atlantic, rides over cities and prairies, clears the rockies and coastal mountains and lands in West Vancouver.  You may not be able to drive on this bridge or find it on Google Maps, but you can travel this distant line of connection, as several already have.

We are connected in ways unseen.

Dan Chambers

Tango with Death

Waitresses are at the ready to welcome you to Estanco Ranch in  Argentina. The year is 1953. Please take you seats  and enjoy a a three course meal with your friends. Senor and Senora love to entertain guests in their home.

But no!  What does the Senora say?  Murder... surely not!

Listen to the cast tell their stories and the mystery will unfold...

Evonna and Dr FR Ensic...  have they been poisoning the Senor?



Has Tobo been seeking revenge?
           

Six people correctly identified the true murderer (no.. I'm not telling).

Everyone left the building unharmed, but having laughed  and talked a lot.

A new Moderator for URC Wales Synod

In a packed chapel,  (The Plough Chapel, Brecon)  the Rev Simon Walkling was inducted as the new Moderator of the National Synod of Wales, of the United Reformed Church.

A bus-load travelled up  from St David's Uniting Church, to  take part in the occasion and to wish  Simon  Godspeed  in this new phase of  his ministry.

The Rev Michael Jagessar, Moderator or General Assembly,  presided at the service and the Rev John Humphreys, a former Moderator of the Wales  Synod, gave the address.  He encouraged us to think of ourselves as churches 'on the brink of something new', rather than churches looking over our shoulder at our past.

Cantorion sang, as did Pontypridd Male Voice Choir.. and Simon sang with them both!

The sun shone for us to enjoy tea and cake on the paved area outside the chapel,  and to catch up with friends,before boarding the bus back home.

Kairos Summer Mission Households

Elinor  will be living in a Christian Community in West London next year, during her university studies. She attended  a special fortnight in Glasgow to prepare for the experience.

Over the past year of studying in London, I have been involved in a Christian community called Koinonia (“community” in Greek). Koinonia is one in a global network of University Christian Outreaches. Each outreach is associated with all-age Christian communities which make up the Sword of the Spirit movement. Kairos is the name given to all youth programmes (under 25’s) within this movement, and is therefore the umberella under which Koinonia comes. This specific programme – Summer Mission Households – was for a fortnight, hosted by the Community ofthe Risen Christ in Glasgow.

Service

Kids club

The focus of Summer Mission Households (SMH) was service. We had sessions where we listened about being servant-hearted; about the importance of letting people serve you, as well as offering to serve yourself; about taking joy in serving, and realising how each little thing no matter how dull it may seem at the time, is working for God’s kingdom. In this spirit we threw ourselves into the service projects to which we were allocated. One (which I didn’t see first hand) was Clay Church. I believe this was set up by one man who basically gathers groups together and goes to more run down or abandoned areas of Glasgow to do ‘guerrilla gardening’ i.e. mass weeding and planting of pulbic spaces, but without the  permission of the authorities! 

The project I was most involved with was Missionaries of Charity – a kids’ club run for three weeks during the summer holidays by a group of nuns stemming from the movement of sisters established by Mother Teresa. We spent 3 hours a day with them playing games, singing songs, doing crafts and skits and one outing to the park. 

Housework in Belleisle St

Other projects were at the Preshal Centre and Bellisle Street. Bellisle Street is the location of our host community’s offices, where we did some painting, cleaning and re-arranging of rooms. The Preshal Centre is a homeless shelter providing a place for sharing experiences and building friendships. We were there primarily to serve and clear lunch, but also ended up leading a little sing-a-long, participating in a snooker tournament, and chatting and hearing their stories which really moved some of us.

Households

Household training

 Another major focus of the fortnight was a series of training sessions, working through a ‘household manual’. Households are a common thing throughout the Sword of the Spirit communities. They’re single sex houses, teaching the importance of compromise and the beauty of common living. All expenses are shared including the buying of food, spending evenings doing house activities to get to know each other are encouraged, and it’s important to have the house available for events and visitors. It’s also a great way to give insight into Christian life to those who perhaps aren’t so familiar with it. Of course, each house varies depending on those living there. It is up to the residents how to organise the daily morning prayer, and who has which role within the house e.g. treasurer, events co-ordinator, shopper, etc.

 

Drawing on how  our experience of living during this fortnight, the training sessions looked at how recommendations in the ‘manual’  help us to explore our faith deeper and live with God as the centre. I am going into a household based on this model in London in September for the year.

Trip to Loch Lomond

Getting to know the community

Alongside all of this, we had split men’s and women’s sessions, ‘Lord’s Days’ and a few freer, more relaxed, retreat days. Lord’s Day is a weekly occurrence within Sword of the Spirit communities. As the communities are ecumenical, and people are encouraged to worship within their own Church traditions on a Sunday, this is celebrated on Saturday evenings and consists of communion and dinner.

We will forever be grateful to the hospitality of the Glasgow community! We were spread between 3 houses (2 houses of 5 girls, one of 11 guys). Two of these were houses that belonged to members of the community, given for our use over the fortnight. We were hosted by a few families for dinners. Many gave us lifts to and from sessions as one household was a bus ride away from the majority of the community residences. Some of the community’s youth were even helping out with the Missionaries of Charity kids’ club. We had some talking to us - as part of the retreat day, in a session on service, and most notably in the ‘Slice of Life’ sessions where different people were invited to each house to share their testimonies. It was incredibly inspiring to hear how people had retained their faith and trust in God throughout life’s trials!

  

Elinor Rhys