pulse September 2017
Services in September 3rd
Christchurch Golden Anniversary 11.00 a.m.
Celebration Service with Holy Communion
6.00 p.m.
Songs of Praise
10th
11.00 a.m.
Family Worship
17th
11.00 a.m.
Family Worship
6.00p.m
24th
2
11.00 a.m.
Evening service with Holy Communion (Please note change from the original date)
All-age and Parade Service
Minister’s Letter Exciting Ecumenism – Really? Once upon a time, the word “ecumenical” was exciting. In 1942 William Temple, in his inaugural sermon on becoming Archbishop of Canterbury, declared the ecumenical movement to be “the great new fact of our era”. In 1972 the United Reformed Church was formed as, it was thought, the first step towards the creation by 1980 of one great united Church, in England if not Britain as a whole. And in our own time David Cornick, the General Secretary of ‘Churches Together in England’ has stated that the ecumenical movement was “the most exciting and dynamic force in the twentieth-century Church”.
led locally in 2005 to the formation of the ‘Cardiff East Ecumenical Mission Partnership’ (CEEMP) of which Christchurch is a part. (Christchurch itself, of course, had been founded on ecumenical principles nearly 40 years before). However the dreams of earlier decades were now fading. Several proposals for unity between denominations had collapsed. The traditional churches were haemorrhaging members at an alarming rate, and the new Evangelical churches which were coming onto the scene rarely seemed to be interested in forging links with those outside their own networks. Theological discussions foundered on the rocks of issues such as bishops, the ability of ministers to celebrate Communion outside their own denominations, permissible forms of worship and – more recently – gender and sexuality. And the world around was changing as secularisation and the cult of the individual came to the fore.
Enthusiasm for the ‘ecumenical project’ was certainly evident west of the Severn. A great conference, hailed as “one of the most representative events ever held in Wales”, took place at Carmarthen in 1963. It called for unity across the Christian denominations, believing not only that this was part of God’s intention for his Church but that it would also promote good relations between English and Welsh In this climate few churches seemed speakers. Twelve years later five to be enthusiastic about ecumenism; indeed many of them were using all denominations signed the their energies in a struggle for ‘Covenant for Unity in Wales’; this 3
survival. Christians became bored with endless meetings which often seemed irrelevant and arcane, and frustrated with denominational rules which seemed to hinder them from working together rather than helping them. Attendance at wordybut-worthy united services plummeted. Yet the very fact that so many of God’s people now wanted to work across the old boundaries was itself a mark of ecumenical progress: such a thing would have been unthinkable half-a-century before. Increasingly Christians of all ‘brands’ – including the ‘new churches’ – got together to run food banks and winter night shelters, to set up debt advice centres and street pastor projects, even to actively spread the Christian message in their communities. Some of us might be disappointed by the way in which the goal of one united Church has been quietly abandoned, and regard today’s informal ecumenism as nothing less than surrender to an inferior option. (Indeed, it has been suggested that the signing of the 1975 ‘Covenant for Unity’ was not the hoped-for ‘watershed moment’ for the ecumenical vision but the start of its demise). Others might feel that the earlier goal was always unrealistic and that what we must do now is enjoy our diversity, maintain strong links, work together and learn from 4
each other’s traditions. Personally I feel that the centuries of complex history meant that the creation of a single “super-Church” was never going to happen. I also believe that our faith contains so many insights, shades of belief and styles of worship that we would never be able to construct a Church which would suit us all. But – and it’s a big “but” – I am not happy with the way things stand, at least in Cardiff East. I have only been here for a few months, but it’s become very clear to me that the ecumenical agenda has little impact on our churches’ life and work. Of course there have been some notable successes, such as the Christian Aid ‘Big Brekkie’. But most of us have little idea of what is happening in our sister churches, there is little sharing of resources, and attendance at the CEEMP ‘Covenant Service’ was poor. It is clear that, at best, most of us regard ecumenism as an ‘optional extra’; it does not lie – as it is supposed to– at the very heart of every memberchurch’s life. The noble aims of our Covenant, such as “joint worship, prayer and study”, united “pastoral, social and evangelistic outreach into our community”, and the “coordination of decision making” stand written but lie virtually ignored.
Of course there are good reasons for this. One is that discussing everything across all of our churches is timeconsuming, impractical and – yes – dull. Another is that the Ecumenical Partnership is too large, covering a wide and diverse area. Clergy are far less numerous than they were a decade ago and have to concentrate on their own churches. And most Christians, in my view, are happy with the church they have joined and just don’t see much point in mixing with others. Nevertheless, elements of ecumenism are still worth pursuing, not just because we believe that God’s Church is essentially One, but also because co-operation can enable us to do things that we could never do on our own.
or small groups of churches can join in youth work or social action with the minimum of structure and bureaucracy. It may appear that we have abandoned the high-sounding ideals of fifty years ago (and those ideals must not be allowed to fade completely from our sight), for today’s ecumenism seems to be informal, pragmatic and practical. Yet the basic aims have not really changed: so let us ask ourselves how we can get involved in building God’s Kingdom on earth – all of us and together? With best wishes, Andrew
And so, at least in the meetings of our own “North Cluster” of churches, we have started discussing how pairs
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50th Anniversary Greetings on the occasion of Christchurch’s 50th Anniversary. Kay and I are very sorry that we are not able to join in the celebrations, but we send our very best wishes for a happy and successful weekend.
Of the fifty years you are celebrating we have such good memories of the thirty four and a half years of that time that we spent at Christchurch. The worship we shared each Sunday and mid week together with various acts of service in the community still mean a great deal to us. The many events staged by the choir and the drama group, both sacred and secular, hold very happy memories for us both. Perhaps most of all, we treasure the memories of the ecumenical relationships we forged with our Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed Church, Church in Wales and Roman Catholic colleagues. In a world so torn by disunity and conflict our local ecumenical bonds of acceptance and friendship were a beacon of hope.
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We hear that those bonds are not quite as firm as they once were, but we very much hope that celebrating 50 years of the past will inspire you to reignite the founding vision of Christchurch to fulfil the prayer of Jesus “that they may all be one”. You are all very much in our thoughts and prayers at this very happy time. Yours sincerely, Graham Davies Minister Emeritus
Ladies’ Circle I can’t believe that it is nine months since I wrote my last charity knitting report in Pulse. Where does the time go? In July I delivered a large bundle of knitted items to the Life for African Mothers appeal. This organisation now supports hospitals and clinics in seven countries in Sub Saharan Africa. (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Somaliland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). I gather that the baby bundles that we donated last November went to Sierra Leone.
We continue to support the Cuddles appeal and last month I was able to send a boxful of beautifully knitted items. These will be distributed to maternity units in UK hospitals. I have recently received a newsletter from them and the following was included: “Once again I would like to thank you all for the part you play in making Cuddles such a success. Goodness knows how many bereaved parents we have helped over the years. The messages from both parents and hospital staff continue to show how much the clothing, blankets, wraps, pockets and cribs help”.
and blankets for the homeless in our own city. These items, as in previous years, will be delivered in November to the Salvation Army in Cardiff for their Bus Project. I myself am also involved with another knitting group, supporting the City Hospice (that’s the new name for the George Thomas Hospice Care). A variety of items are knitted and crocheted and at present ‘bereavement blankets’ are being made. These are a comfort to those who have lost loved ones. I am also involved in making ‘twiddle muffs’ for people suffering from dementia. We were knitting them for patients in the Royal Gwent in Newport but there were difficulties in distributing them. However, a new place has been found that are in need of them; it is a home for the elderly in Caerphilly. Once again, I shall conclude by thanking the Knitters out there (you know who you are!!) for all their support and also for the non-knitters who support us in other ways. It’s quite amazing how much we are able to contribute considering we are a very small team. Jean Richards
At present we are concentrating our efforts on knitting hats, gloves 7
SEPTEMBER 2017
Sunday
Tuesday
27th
28th
29th
3rd
4th
5th
11.00am Celebration Service with Holy Communion 6.00pm Songs of Praise
10th
2.00pm Ladies’ Circle 7.00pm Pantomime read through
11th
11.00am Family Worship 6.30pm Sunday Takeaway
17th
11.00am All-age Family and Parade Service
12th 2.00pm Ladies’ Circle
18th
11.00am Family Worship 6.00p.m. Evening Service with Holy Communion
24th
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Monday
19th 2.00pm Ladies’ Circle
25th
26th 2.00pm Ladies’ Circle
Wednesday 30th
6th
13th
Thursday 31st
Saturday
1st
2nd
11.00am Prayer Meeting 7.00pm Quiz and Barbecue
7.00pm Golden Anniversary Concert
7th
8th
9th
7.30pm Fellowship Group
11.00am Prayer Meeting 7.00pm Seven11
14th
15th
1.45pm Toddler Group 7.00pm Deacons’ Meeting
20th
Friday
16th
11.00am Prayer Meeting 7.00pm Seven11
21st
22nd
1.45pm Toddler Group 7.30pm Church 7.00pm Christmas Meeting Crafts Planning Meeting
11.00am Prayer Meeting 7.00pm Seven11
27th
29th
28th
1.45pm Toddler Group 7.30pm Fellowship Group
23rd
30th
11.00am Prayer Meeting 7.00pm Seven 11
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News 50th Anniversary Weekend 1st - 3rd September Friday 1st September, 7.00pm – Quiz – BBQ – Memorabilia The Quiz will NOT be a “Brain of Britain” evening but a FUN evening with hot dogs and burgers at £1 each. Tea, coffee and squash are available but you can bring your own wine/beer if you wish.
Please come along and support us and enjoy our memorabilia trip through time. Entrance Fee is £1 – bring a friend – all are welcome. Saturday 2nd September, 7.00pm – Golden Anniversary Concert Tickets for this concert, featuring Dowlais Male Choir and Cathays Brass are available from Eirian or Ian. There is no charge for the tickets but charity donations can be given at the bucket collection on the night. The donations will be shared with the charities that the Choir and Band support and Llamau, a Homelessness Charity that Christchurch has agreed to support. The concert starts at 7.00pm, doors opening at 6.30pm. Please do come along to support this special evening, as we celebrate our Anniversary through music and song. Sunday 3rd September – 50th Anniversary Celebration Services 11.00am
Morning Communion Service including unveiling of our Anniversary Quilt and Anniversary tree.
6.00pm
Songs of Praise
South Wales Baptist Association Day This will be held on Saturday, September 30th at Pontyclun Baptist Church, Pontyclun from 9.45am to 3.00pm. The morning sessions feature an option for those working with children and youth, alongside a seminar entitled “But I can’t talk to people about Jesus!” These will be followed by a further session on “I’m not that good at prayer either!” Running alongside these will be sessions for 10
those concerned about the current BU Pension Deficit and activities for children and young people. A space for Quiet and Prayer will be available all morning. A lunch of jacket potato with baked beans will be provided, together with an opportunity to fellowship, a bouncy castle, an Instagram selfie corner and further children’s and youth activities. The afternoon session at 2.15pm is called “In it all together!” and is for everyone. This will include a brief AGM, the welcoming of new Ministers, “In Memoriam” and closing worship. The main speaker, will be the Rev. Dianne Tidball, current President of “Baptists Together”. Please let Andrew know in advance if you would like to attend: the Association needs to have some idea of numbers for catering purposes. Full programme details are at http://www.southwalesbaptistassociation.org.uk/associationday2017.php
Holiday Bible Club As I write this the church has just been transformed ready for 'Mission Rescue' and we're all ready to go! The write up will follow in next month's edition but for now I would like to say a HUGE thank you to all the volunteers and anyone who helped in any way to make the week the success I'm sure it will have been! Liz Dickinson
‘The Promise of Christmas’ - St David's Hall, 2nd December, 7.30pm The Promise of Christmas is back with the usual festive mix of carols, Christmas songs and orchestral music. A family feast to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with Cambrensis Choir and Orchestra, the large forces of the St David’s Praise Choir and the Promise of Christmas Youth Choir who never fail to delight. Tickets are now available from St David's Hall. As there is only one performance (no matinee) this year it is expected that tickets will sell out quickly so get your tickets soon! There is a small group from Christchurch who have been taking part in this wonderful event for many years. Would you be interested in joining us? There are no auditions, just an enjoyment of singing is required! We practise every Tuesday evening at Albany Road Baptist Church at 7.30pm - 9.30pm starting on 3rd October for 9 sessions under the fantastic direction of Jeffery Howard. He 11
makes the evening light hearted and fun and we always leave feeling uplifted. If you want to know more or enrol, please speak to Trudy Joshua by 17th September
“Christchurch Takes to the Streets!” - Prayer Walk, 20th August Following a shortened service in church and with the sun shining down, a good number of Christchurch folk took to the highway and footpaths near the church. Our aim was simple: to pray for the community surrounding us.
So we ambled down Llanedeyrn Drive as far as the School and then up towards the Maelfa. On the way we stopped at places ranging from the school, the “Retreat” and the new houses in the “Eastside Quarter”, to a bus stop, an unpromising patch of grass and the local dentist’s! At each location a member of our congregation led a relevant prayer. We then returned to church for a well-earned “cuppa”. For many of us this was a new and even unsettling experience, but we completed the Walk in good heart and perhaps with a renewed vision of our community. A “virtual” Prayer Walk was held inside the church for those who were unable to join the group outside; they were able to follow the same course and pray for the same topics by means of a Powerpoint presentation. Thanks to all who took part. Andrew
Anniversary Flowers and Harvest I sometimes feel all I ever put in Pulse is a plea for money !!!!! or flowers or helpers. Well here we go again. On Friday September 1st we shall be decorating the church for the Anniversary weekend. If you feel you can help in any way please come to Christchurch, at 10 o'clock on the Friday morning. We will not be doing anything very complicated and you need have no experience of flower arranging to help put together our displays for the weekend. If you have any garden flowers which are gold(ish) in colour please bring them, along with any greenery you can spare. We promise to get you home in time to come back for the quiz and, of course, you don't have to cook as you will be able to eat plenty of burgers and hot dogs at that. 12
Next... did you realise that Harvest is only four weeks after the Anniversary? If you have not denuded your gardens at the beginning of September, please think about flowers and foliage which could be used at the beginning of October. (Where does the time go?). It'll be Christmas soon! That reminds me.... NO, I'll leave that for another edition of Pulse. Thanks, in anticipation, Linda Jones
Church Meeting The next church meeting is on Thursday 21st September at 7.30pm. Please come along to find out what is happening in your church!
Pantomime 2018 During the autumn rehearsals will be getting underway for the Christchurch Players next production of 'Peter Pan'. Speak to Writer and Director Elly or Players’ Chairman Michael if you are interested in being involved in anyway on or off stage. For the children our junior cast audition/read-through will be on Tuesday 5th September at 7.00pm. The Players
Christmas Crafts Planning Meeting We are nearing the end of summer (have we had it?!) and thinking about the Christmas Fair already! There will be a short meeting on Wednesday 20th September 2017 at 7.00p.m. in the church porch and you are invited to come along with any ideas and ‘samples’ if possible of items we could make to sell at the Christmas Fair in November. It would be good to have some new crafts to offer this year. We look forward to seeing you! Trudy, Angela & Ruth
Birthday Celebration Congratulations and many happy returns to Ralph Jeffery as he celebrates his 80th birthday on September 20th. Have a lovely day!
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Rotas Stewards September
Ralph Jeffery, Diane Thorne, Jean Richards
October
Maurice Holcroft, Kundai Chuma, Jean James
Cleaning
(Further details from Jean Richards or Gareth Joshua)
Week commencing September 4th
Carole Cox and Alison Ridgway
September 11th
Diane Thorne
September 18th
Sian and Gareth Wood
September 25th
Tesni and Erfyl Williams
October 2nd
Jan Derrett and Hywel Williams
Flowers September 3rd
Anniversary Weekend
September 10th Kundai Chuma September 17th Frances Stacey September 24th Val Prothero October 1st
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Harvest
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Christchurch United Church Llanedeyrn Drive Llanedeyrn Cardiff CF23 9JQ
Welcome to Christchurch We are a united church in east Cardiff, and offer a warm welcome to all visitors. Worship reflects the inter-denominational composition of our congregation. Baptist, Methodist and Covenant Rite Liturgies are used, infant and believer’s baptism and infant dedication are practised. We have an open Communion table at which the invitation is to ‘All who love our Lord Jesus Christ’. There are many church and community activities during the week, and some special events each month. We have strong links with other churches in our area.
www.christchurchunitedcardiff.org.uk
Items for the October edition of PULSE to Eirian by lunchtime on September 17th. Contact:
editor@christchurchunitedcardiff.org.uk 029 2065 5691 PULSE box in the church porch