The morning service on Sunday, 27th April is to be on the theme of Leadership. People will be invited to talk about someone whom they have looked up to and followed (or learned from) as a leader - not famous people, but people in your own life, whether in your faith, your church experience, your education, your profession, or life generally.
If anyone feels they have something to say on this theme (very briefly of course!) I (Ray) would be glad to hear from them. There will be opportunity for anyone to participate at the time, but it would be good if at least one or two people come prepared.
St David's Uniting Church Blog
Check out our blog on a regular basis to find out more about the different activities that our church organises and takes part in for the local community and beyond.
Friday 27 March 2015
Friday 29 August 2014
Greenbelt: Something for Everybody
For a number of years now I have spent the
August Bank Holiday weekend at Greenbelt. I was first introduced to it by some
young people at my church in Leytonstone, and I have loved it ever since. It
has grown in numbers over the years, and developed a distinctive character. Children go there for the fun and games,
teenagers mostly for the pop music and creative projects, and us oldies mostly
for the talks and panel discussions and to meet old friends. It is a huge family
festival with a special appeal for Christians with open minds and a concern for
justice and peace.
This year saw a change of venue. After a number
of years at Cheltenham Racecourse, it has moved to the grounds of Boughton
House, near Kettering. This is a very different site, much more rural, and
naturally there were teething troubles. There were critical comments, and
apologies from the organisers, but I didn’t hear any moaning. Greenbelt is a
bit like Christmas: whatever little inconveniences we have to put up with, everybody
makes the effort to stay cheerful and be nice to one another.
It’s also a bit like the Edinburgh Festival:
there is a vast range of things to choose from, and by choosing some you
inevitably miss others. I went to talks by John Bell, the ever popular speaker
and hymn writer from the Iona Community; by Brian McLaren, writer of books such
as A New Kind of Christianity; by Nadia
Bolz-Weber, the very unconventional pastor of a very unusual church in America;
and by the Bible scholar Richard Burridge who was reflecting on the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian 35 years
on.
For me there were two highlights. The first was
a panel discussion on issues surrounding marriage in view of the new
legislation, chaired by Vicky Beeching, a popular Christian singer. I must
confess I had never heard of her till last week, when she hit the headlines by coming
out as gay and telling the harrowing story of the self-condemnation she had experienced
as she grew up in a conservative Christian environment, and how she now has a
passion to save other young people from going through the same. As she walked
onto the stage at Greenbelt, there was a standing ovation that seemed as though
it would go on for ever!
The other highlight was hearing Mpho Tutu, daughter
of Desmond Tutu, talking about forgiveness. She and her father have just
published a book called The Book of
Forgiveness. Needless to say, I went straight to the bookstore to buy it
and join the queue like a teenage fan for her autograph! Like her father, she was
so friendly and charming with everybody that it was quite a long wait.
If you haven’t been to Greenbelt, whatever your
age, try it! Most people camp there in tents or caravans, but if that’s not your
style (as it certainly isn’t mine!) you can always find a hotel or guest house or,
if like me you’re really lucky, you may have friends who live nearby.
Thursday 3 October 2013
Volunteering on Iona – a welcoming community
You have 2 hours and a half till you’re back
to work. You’re not obliged to do anything in this time. You may sleep. You may
go for a walk. You may go for a cream tea at St Columba’s Hotel. You may read.
You may join the guests in their sessions. You may play cards with your
friends.... You bump into a fellow volunteer who invites you to join a group of
them heading over to Port Bann to swim (possibly) and just hang out on the
beach. Why not? You grab your raincoat – just in case – and off you go, hands
empty, but the air filled with conversation and laughter.
The Isle of Iona is home to only about 130
residents, but with 100+ guests per week, up to 30 volunteers at any given
time, and about 20 resident staff working at the two centres used by the Iona Community
- the Abbey and the Macleod Centre - and the hundreds of touristy visitors that
explore the island each day, the village becomes a hub of life. Iona Community
members are dispersed across the whole world, although the offices are based in
Glasgow (http://iona.org.uk/).
The pilgrimage |
Oban |
I was only on Iona for six weeks, the shortest
stretch of time one can volunteer for, working on the housekeeping team in the
Macleod Centre. My working days consisted mainly of meal set-up (all except the
food itself), clearing/washing up at the end of each meal, a constant stream of
laundry ranging from bedsheets to towels to volunteers’ clothing, training
guests in their chores during their stay, and on turnover days, cleaning the
centre from top to bottom. Days off often involved trips off the island – once
to the puffin island of Staffa, twice for walks/hikes around the Isle of Mull,
once to Oban on mainland Scotland – or adventures around the island, joining
the guests for the weekly pilgrimage or making my own way around. A short walk
to the North End or elsewhere on the island could take you to what feels like
the most secluded spot in the world. I rediscovered the joy of reading fiction!
The vision for the two centres is to build a brand new community,of staff, volunteers and guests, each week. This involves worshipping together at the daily morning and evening services, eating together, sharing in daily chores or tasks, and making that conscious effort to get to know one another. Community happens quickly, with a core continuity of people each week, and its yet inherently different each week, due to the different combination of people engaging in it. It’s a dynamic, evolving phenomenon which brings so much joy and challenge to everyone who is part of it. All are invited and welcomed to join!
Elinor Rhys
Saturday 28 September 2013
i Church Training
Deborah and I (Cerys) have just spent 5 days at the Windermere Centre attending an iChurch web-site course and putting together our new church web-site. It only needs a few more tweaks and it will be ready. If you're impatient and want to see what we've done so far then visit stdavidsuniting.org.uk
The course was very intensive hard work, yet satisfying in that we came away with our web-site up and running.
We were allowed some free time, which was spent exploring nearby Bowness and Windermere and shopping. Deborah caught a bus one afternoon and explored the wonderful countryside in the Lake District.
One other important aspect that must be mentioned is the food! All meals were prepared for us - and very delicious they were too!
The training given by Rebecca and Lawrence was first class. They steered us all - Bernie, Cerys, Colin, Deborah, Jacky, Ken, Neil, Sally - from practically no knowledge to being confident webmasters.
The course was very intensive hard work, yet satisfying in that we came away with our web-site up and running.
We were allowed some free time, which was spent exploring nearby Bowness and Windermere and shopping. Deborah caught a bus one afternoon and explored the wonderful countryside in the Lake District.
One other important aspect that must be mentioned is the food! All meals were prepared for us - and very delicious they were too!
The training given by Rebecca and Lawrence was first class. They steered us all - Bernie, Cerys, Colin, Deborah, Jacky, Ken, Neil, Sally - from practically no knowledge to being confident webmasters.
Saturday 7 September 2013
A taste of Greenbelt
I spent the
Bank Holiday weekend where I have usually spent it for some years now, at
Greenbelt. This is a Christian festival held at the Cheltenham Racecourse. Its
flavour is a bit like the Edinburgh Festival – loads of choices, something for
everybody. You never come away feeling there was nothing there for you. You come
away regretting some of the things you had to miss because they clashed with
something else you didn’t want to miss, or because (especially at my age) you
just didn’t have the energy for it all.
Because
last year the rain caused serious problems, this year’s attendance was slightly
down, at only(!) 17,000. Greenbelt draws all kinds of people, from over 80s to
babies, but the balance is mostly towards the younger end. Most people camp in
tents, some bring their caravans, but I
am among the “softies” who prefer to stay in a comfortable hotel.
There is
nothing regimented or dogmatic about Greenbelt. It is a free festival of the
spirit. There is music of all kinds – rock, Gospel, folk, old-fashioned hymns,
classical. There are plays, films, art exhibitions and shops. There are talks on
a wide range of subjects, and an opportunity to experience worship in many
different styles – Catholic ritual, meditation, Iona, TaizĂ©, a Quaker meeting, a Goth
Eucharist – you name it!
This year
we even had a taste of the Sunday Assembly, the so-called “atheist church” that
was recently started in London and is rapidly catching on elsewhere. It is a
blend of communal singing and talk encouraging people to “live better, help
often, and wonder more”, but with no obligation to believe in God. I doubt
whether any other Christian festival would give a platform to this organisation.
Nor do I know of any other Christian festival in which the presence of gay and
lesbian people, and events catering for them, is welcomed and accepted as part
of the rich tapestry of Christian life.
Among the
things I attended were: a talk by a bishop on the “emerging Church”; a talk by a
historian on the significance of the Chartists, with samples of their hymns; a
mentally challenging lecture on radical theology, and a symposium on the same
theme; a forthright appeal for the full acceptance of same-sex relationships by
the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral; the above mentioned Sunday Assembly; a
few musical performances, and a concert with the amazing jazz musician Courtney
Pine.
The central
event is the Sunday morning Communion, held in the open air. The vast
congregation gathers in small groups sitting on the ground, with groundsheets
and umbrellas just in case! I joined a group of about ten people from my former
church in Leytonstone, and had a very happy time with them. The atmosphere was
festive, and after praying, singing, hearing a challenging message, and sharing
bread and wine we were invited if we wished to stay and
dance.
Perhaps
next year we can arrange for a group from St David’s to be there. I would highly
recommend it.
Ray Vincent
Wednesday 7 August 2013
So what's happening?
All has been quiet on the blog since the end of May. You may be thinking that we are perhaps dumbstruck after having to say 'farewell' to the Chambers family at the end of their inspiring ten months in our midst.
Well, sad as it was to see them go, we have not been moping about, awaiting better times! In fact a great deal has been going on. The AGM in June meant some changes on the eldership. The new elders team is busily involved in the process of seeking a new minister.
We were successful in being awarded a £500 grant from the URC for an 'Art talk' project and plans are underway for a launch in September. Contact is being made with schools and community groups in Pontypridd, inviting them to submit photographs which say something about our community. We hope to be able to offer workshops to help with the technical challenge of producing good photographs.
In March we shall stage an exhibition in the church, inviting as many people as possible to look at, and reflect on our community, Pontypridd, in pictures.
The various visual contributions will be a stimulus for us as a church to review what we see our role to be, (or our mission to be) in our local community.
We have also received a £700 grant from the URC Mission and Development Fund which will enable us to send two people to a course at the Windermere Centre, to redesign the church website. We'll be holding an open meeting early in September, before they go, for people to chip in their ideas about for a new website.
We are pleased to see the church almost back to normal as the work to install a new heating system is almost finished. We can look forward in confidence to a warmer winter than the last one.. inside the building, at least.
And there has been another successful Holiday Club. That deserves a separate entry!
Well, sad as it was to see them go, we have not been moping about, awaiting better times! In fact a great deal has been going on. The AGM in June meant some changes on the eldership. The new elders team is busily involved in the process of seeking a new minister.
We were successful in being awarded a £500 grant from the URC for an 'Art talk' project and plans are underway for a launch in September. Contact is being made with schools and community groups in Pontypridd, inviting them to submit photographs which say something about our community. We hope to be able to offer workshops to help with the technical challenge of producing good photographs.
In March we shall stage an exhibition in the church, inviting as many people as possible to look at, and reflect on our community, Pontypridd, in pictures.
The various visual contributions will be a stimulus for us as a church to review what we see our role to be, (or our mission to be) in our local community.
We have also received a £700 grant from the URC Mission and Development Fund which will enable us to send two people to a course at the Windermere Centre, to redesign the church website. We'll be holding an open meeting early in September, before they go, for people to chip in their ideas about for a new website.
We are pleased to see the church almost back to normal as the work to install a new heating system is almost finished. We can look forward in confidence to a warmer winter than the last one.. inside the building, at least.
And there has been another successful Holiday Club. That deserves a separate entry!
Thursday 30 May 2013
Farewell to the Chambers Family
On Sunday 26th May, Dan conducted his last services at St. David's Uniting Church in Pontypridd.
After the morning service most people stayed for a 'party' lunch and to share in the splendid cake that Kath baked. Here are some pictures of the day.
After the morning service most people stayed for a 'party' lunch and to share in the splendid cake that Kath baked. Here are some pictures of the day.
Dan and family
Our gift to the Chambers - a Welsh Love Spoon
The Chambers' gift to us - or rather, for The Manse
The beautiful and delicious cake
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