The Upper Wye Group of Parishes proposals for Ministry areas are implemented sensitively and following reasoned debate then they could enable us to be more effective in our proclamation of the Gospel which is surely what we’re all about. I also believe that if we implement Ministry Areas properly then we can do something very constructive about the real problems of rural isolation. At the heart of the idea behind ministry areas is the theory that through them clergy and individual Christians will be enabled and encouraged and empowered to work together in mutually supportive teams. Just think back to the occasions when you’ve felt that the Church has enabled you to feel closer to God. I strongly suspect that for most of us, that is an occasion when an individual Christian has demonstrated their faith through action; it’s encouraging and supporting people to do that more effectively that ministry areas are all about. It’s about taking the Church back to how it was in New Testament times when you discover in the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles, the Church’s ministry was something in which all Christians participated fully according to their gifts. Surely if that was how it was then that’s how it can and should be. Please don’t approach these proposed changes with trepidation or hostility, because surely as Christians we’re about change, in the lives of individuals and communities through Christ. My prayer is that when you look back on 2014, the changes in the Church will have enabled the Spirit to work ever more powerfully in our communities and diocese. With my love and prayers to you all, as always,
Dear Friends, At the beginning of a new year, it is traditional to spend time looking back on the past twelve months and forward to the year ahead; now I know that for the purists among you that process should be well completed by the time that you read this, well in terms of the Church that process usually takes place as part of the Easter Vestry, and by the time that this is published that will almost be upon us, if it hasn’t started already! In view of that it seems perfectly in order to me to engage in some backwards and forwards looking, in fact I would go so far as to suggest that it is an extremely helpful process. In an increasingly frenetic world, a majority of people seem so preoccupied with the immediate concerns of life that they don’t make time “to stand and stare” and yet, surely that is an increasingly important and essential corrective. Surely, that is a quality that we as Christians can offer to our society, because when we actually think about it, that is something that we can do quite well, just consider for a moment the times in your own life when you are completely still and quiet, I’d be prepared to wager that one of the most significant and regular occasions when you do that is in church, perhaps in that precious few moments before a service begins or even in the period after it has concluded. So, to return to the point where we began, what was the highlight of your pilgrimage of faith in 2013? Was there a time during the past year when you felt closer to God than at any other? What about a time when God seemed very distant? How significant a part did the church play in either incident? For many people, thankfully, the church can in often very simple ways provide times and spaces when people can find that God can feel so close that we can actually reach out and touch him. Sadly, however, there are also times when the Church like any organisation or institution can feel as if it’s getting in the way and thus making God seem very distant and impersonal. This is often particularly true when the Church starts talking about that word which so many Christians fear most the word “change,” rather like the joke about how many Anglicans does it take to change a lightbulb? I’m sure that as you read the proposals for Ministry Areas many of you feel that aching and nagging discomfort about change and probably not for the better. Despite my own initial misgivings, I am prepared to state publicly that I do believe that if the
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Mothers’ Union Details of our Mothers’ Union meeting for February are as follows: We are meeting at Mrs Sheila Ovis’ home at 2.30pm on Wednesday 5th February. The speaker will be Rev. Ben Griffith. The talk will be followed by a bring and share tea.
Llanyre, Newbridge-on-Wye, Cwmbach Llechrhyd, Llanfihangel Helygen, Llanafan Fawr & Llanfihangel Brynpabuan Revd Ben Griffith, 2 Highbury Fields, Llanyre, LD1 6NF, Tel: 01597 823321, Email: benedictgriffith@sky.com 10