Croeso Lent 2024: Journeying Together

Journeying Together

ESGOBAETH LLANDAF | DIOCESE OF LLANDAFF

Colofn yr Esgob

Wrth i mi ddysgu sut i ffeindio fy ffordd o amgylch ein hesgobaeth, mae thema teithiau yn llawer ar fy meddwl. Rwyf hefyd wedi dychwelyd yn ddiweddar ar ôl ymweld â’n hesgobaeth gyswllt yn Uppsala, Sweden a oedd yn antur gyffrous a chwrddais â ffrindiau ysbrydoledig a phartneriaid ffydd ar fy nheithiau.

O eiliad ein bedydd, dechreuodd pob un ohonom y daith bywyd fwyaf cyffrous a chymhellol ac mae llawer ohonom wedi dod o hyd i gymorth, ac wedi gwneud ffrindiau ar hyd y ffordd.

Wrth inni edrych yn ôl dros ein bywydau, gallwn olrhain y llwybrau yr ydym wedi’u cymryd. Gallwn adnabod adegau pan fyddwn wedi dilyn galwad Duw, ein gwneuthurwr a bod yn ffyddlon i Iesu ein gwaredwr. Efallai y gallwn weld y gallai fod yna adegau hefyd pan fyddem efallai wedi gwneud ein peth ein hunain, neu wedi mynd ein ffordd ein hunain, ac angen dod o hyd i ffordd yn ôl at Dduw.

Bishop’s Column

The Rt Rev’d Mary Stallard

As I learn to find my way around our diocese, the theme of journeys is much on my mind. I have also recently returned from a visit to our link diocese of Uppsala, Sweden which was an exciting adventure through which I met inspiring friends and partners in faith on my travels.

From the moment of our baptism, each one of us began the most exciting and compelling life-journey and many of us have found help, and made friends along the way.

As we look back over our lives, we can trace the routes we have taken. We may recognise times when we have followed the call of God, our maker and been faithful to Jesus our saviour. Perhaps we can see that there may also have been times when we may have done our own thing, or gone our own way, and needed to find a way back to God.

As a bishop, it is my privilege to have a small part in other peoples’ faith journeys. Hearing the testimonies (or faithstories) of those who are baptised, confirmed and ordained is a wonderful experience. It can be so humbling to hear how other people have responded to God‘s call, especially when they have experienced the challenges of illness, bereavement, or some other sadness. It always amazes me how the urge to find life, meaning, and hope is often so strong in people who have experienced immense challenge or hardship.

The greatest gift on our life-journey is the encouragement and help we receive from God and from others. The word

Fel esgob, fy mraint i yw cael rhan fach yn nheithiau ffydd pobl eraill. Mae clywed tystiolaethau (neu hanesion ffydd) y rhai a fedyddir, a gadarnheir ac a ordeinir yn brofiad hyfryd. Gall fod mor wylaidd clywed sut mae pobl eraill wedi ymateb i alwad Duw, yn enwedig pan fyddant wedi profi heriau salwch, profedigaeth, neu ryw dristwch arall. Mae bob amser yn fy syfrdanu sut mae’r ysfa i ddod o hyd i fywyd, ystyr, a gobaith yn aml mor gryf mewn pobl sydd wedi profi her neu galedi aruthrol.

Y rhodd fwyaf ar daith ein bywyd yw’r anogaeth a’r cymorth a gawn gan Dduw a chan eraill. Mae’r gair yn saesneg –“companion” – cydymaith yn cael ei ddefnyddio’n aml i siarad am y rhai sy’n teithio gyda ni, ac un o ystyron sylfaenol hyn yn Ladin yw “gyda bara”. Wrth inni feddwl am ein teithiau mewn bywyd ac mewn ffydd, diolchwn am bawb sy’n ein bwydo a’n cynnal ar ein ffordd, a gofynnwn i Dduw ein helpu i fod yn gymdeithion da i eraill, i gefnogi a chynnal pawb sydd angen cymorth i ddod o hyd i eu ffordd.

“companion” is often used to speak about those who travel with us, and one of the root meanings of this is “with bread”. As we think about our journeys in life and in faith, we give thanks for all who feed us and sustain us on our way, and ask God to help us to be good companions to others, to support and uphold all who need help to find their way.

Journeys: An Introduction

The Reverend Canon Tim Jones, Director of Ministry’

I once met some real-life Vikings* knitting socks by using long chunky needles held in place by their bushy beards. They were giving me a lift to Germany from a pilgrimage to the Taizé monastic commune in Burgundy, France, in a converted “folk-bus” (think Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday). The time in Taizé was life-changing for 21-year-old me, and that certainly includes the journey. We took a coach there and hitched the ride with the Vikings* to get home. The people we met, the conversations, the prayers, the adventures, the singing, the laughter, the crises – and the knitting – all swirled together into a powerful faith experience.

A pilgrimage, a journey made in faith, is an age-old invitation to walk more closely with God. Not all such physical journeys are gladly chosen; I remember other, urgent journeys made across the country at the news of dangerously ill loved ones. Somehow, the very act of travelling became part of the eventual grieving, and part of the honouring of their life and their love. It was also a part of offering it all to God’s mercy and care.

Our purposeful journeys in life, our very acts of moving, weave together physical reality, metaphor, and our growth into spiritual and emotional maturity. We should savour those journeys, even (perhaps especially) the short ones. Our

Sunday journeys to church and back: those are pilgrimages too, part of our praise, part of our encounter with Christ. One of the reasons for going to church is to be there for each other, to support each other in faith, and indeed to support each other in life.

To be a Christian is to be on a journey, often physical but always spiritual, always personal, and very frequently in the company of others who we are called by God to encounter on the way. Even Vikings*

*They might not have been actual Vikings. But they were definitely Danish, with fierce beards, and they knew how to wield wooden knitting needles with terrifying zeal.

Pilgrimage

The Reverend Dean Atkins, South Cardiff Ministry Area Leader

Porthcawl was the place for us. As children, it was our only annual holiday. A week in Trecco Bay. Through my childhood eyes, it was perfect and, as we walked the coast, we envied the people who lived in the houses which overlooked the sea. Where, we wondered, would the residents of Porthcawl make their holiday each year? Surely, they were on holiday all year round.

Each year, I make the same, familiar pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady

of Walsingham but, since my Trecco Bay days, I’ve resisted singling out the people who live in Walsingham as being on pilgrimage all year round, or those who live in many other places to which I’ve made pilgrimage, near and far.

And yet, as Christians, we are always on pilgrimage, which is one reason why we make the smaller pilgrimages in the first place. They reflect the journey we make through life, our eyes set on our homeland of Heaven, although we often make it hard work to get there.

It’s the simplicity of pilgrimage which brings profound rewards. We simply have to leave the house, be determined to get somewhere, our eyes set on the destination, often some holy place of great significance, whilst not forgetting that the journey is itself the pilgrimage.

We can also carve out pilgrimage times in the briefest of moments if we make it our intention to do so. Or we can plan ahead, book with a larger group, invite a few friends, or even travel alone and meander in and out of the

School Children Discover Faithful Butetown

With such a rich history of multiculturism, Butetown provides the ideal opportunity for school children to learn how different faith communities can live side by side.

Pupils from St Nicholas CinW Primary School joined Fr Dean from South Cardiff Ministry Area on a Faithful Butetown Walk, where they visited statues of Betty Campbell and Ghandi,

St Mary’s Church, Butetown, the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Islamic Centre and St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

The children were then given the opportunity to ask questions of Iman Mohammed and Very Reverend Archimandrite Nicholas Price, whilst learning how generations of faith communities have co-existed and thrived in Butetown.

The Faithful Butetown Walk is approximately 1.3miles and can be adapted to meet your needs.

Developing children and young people as ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world

is one of the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales 2020. If you have a school group or youth group who would like to take part in a Faithful Butetown Walk then get in touch with admin@stmaryscf10.com

If you’d rather do a self-guided walk, then you can find information by visiting https://southcardiffministryarea.co.uk/faithful-cardiff/ There is also a Faithful Butetown Discovery page at https://southcardiffministryarea.co.uk/faithful-butetown-2/

lives of fellow pilgrims we meet along the way.

Some travellers and tourists often find their way quite by accident to some sacred place, only to discover they have become pilgrims, if only for the briefest of moment.

In one sense the destination of our pilgrimage may be irrelevant for, as Christians, we are on pilgrimage all year round, although sometimes it is good to leave the house!

Lead Us Up the Mountain: Penrhys Way

Penrhys, a village at the top of a hill in the Rhondda, seems an unlikely pilgrimage spot. Welsh folklore tells of a holy well, named Ffynon Fair, or Mary’s Well, which encouraged pilgrims to flock to Penrhys seeking r elief from their ailments.

Poet Rhisiart ap Rhys wrote:

There are rippling waters at the top of the rock Farewell to every ailment that desires them!

White wine runs in the rill, That can kill pain and fatigue!

Legend says a statue of Mary, too intricate and beautiful to have been created by humans, appeared inside a tree. It would only allow itself to be retrieved once a chapel and shrine were built on the site.

Our Lady of Penrhys was one of three named statues (the others being Walsingham and Ipswich) burned in London by order of Henry VIII in 1538.

In 1953 the statue was replaced and once again, Our Lady of Penrhys stands in the open air, drawing pilgrims up the mountain.

Sarah Poole, from Aberdare, is a regular pilgrim to the site. She said, “Going to Penrhys as a family is something that I can remember doing since I was a little girl. When you’re stood on the mountain, sometimes in the wet, wind and cold, surrounded by the beautiful scenery and fellow pilgrims you feel a sense of Mary’s presence among you. It’s special and humbling.”

Rev Lyndon Hutchison-Hounsell, vicar in De Morgannwg Ministry Area, moved from Canada in 2022 and has since led pilgrimages to Penrhys. He said, “There are aspects of pilgrimage that help one to reflect on life and connect with the sacred. Peaks offer a sense of broad vision that we sometimes need in our lives, and valleys can help us to immerse ourselves, in the times when we are feeling low or closed in. The pilgrimage to Penrhys offers peaks and valleys and, for me, an opportunity to learn something about the geography and history of my new home. It’s opportunity to spend time with members of the churches I serve and connect with the faithful who have walked this way for thousands of years through prayer, reflection, and simply walking in my new home.”

Starting Out

Becoming a parent is life changing and the start of a whole new journey as a family, for some the journey will be full of fun and laughter, but for many the journey will be a bit of a shock – full of unexpected challenges. Finding a place where you are welcomed and cared for, and your little one gets to play with different toys and with other little ones is invaluable.

Baby and toddler groups offer an amazing space for babies, toddlers and their parents and carers to play, experience a warm welcome and develop a supportive community. They are a place where the love of God can be experienced in so many ways and they are a place where families can be supported, loved and challenged as they continue on the journey of life.

Grateful first-time parents, grandparents and childminders find a warm welcome and a listening ear. The ministry of putting a hot cup of something into an adult’s hand should not be underestimated: it may be the only time that week that someone makes them a drink. The volunteers who make baby and toddler groups happen are amazing – they welcome, remember names, serve tea and coffee, hold a crying baby whilst parents have a drink, play with a child for five minutes to give carers a break, or are on hand to listen.

Many people in churches today can trace the beginnings of their own journey of faith to an initial contact through a baby and toddler group, making them amongst the most exciting and significant starting places for mission to both adults and children.

The Talking Toddlers Report (released in May 2020) shows that 74% of all parents with children under the age of five attended a church-run activity in the past year – what a great missional opportunity!

A UK child has on average just 1,277 days between birth and starting nursery education. ‘1277 – Make them Count’ are passionate about supporting church-based toddler groups to make those days count. Several years ago, a National Month of Prayer for these groups which takes place in June was initiated to encourage people to focus their prayers on toddler groups, their leaders, the families that use them and the communities that they serve.

This June we want to encourage churches across the Diocese of Llandaff to pray for the work of their baby and toddler groups as they reach out to serve the needs of families in the local community. Keep your eyes open in the run up to June for ideas on how to engage Under 5s in the Bible and of course, prayer.

If your church is running a baby and toddler group and Ruth (Children and Families Outreach Enabler) hasn’t got in contact with you, please do let her know! She’d love to visit as many baby and toddler groups across the diocese as possible.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ for baby and toddler groups – they meet in churches, church halls, community halls and schools, they meet inside and outside, they meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly, they meet in the morning or the afternoon, they meeting on a weekday or a weekend. The possibilities are endless.

If this article has made you think about exploring starting a baby and toddler group please do get in contact with Ruth, she’d love to talk to you about the possibilities and help get things started.

Ruth Young, Diocesan Children and Families Outreach Email:

A Journey to Confirmation

In April, Bishop Mary will be in Cynon Valley South enabling 38 young people to make the next step in their faith journey through Confirmation. Among them will be 10-year-old Jacob and 10-year-old Jasper, who regularly attend St Margaret’s, Aberaman with their families.

Jacob, a pupil at Cwmbach Community Primary School, said, “I want to be confirmed because I want to be a bigger part of the church, and my Gran would be very proud of me.

My favourite part of church is meeting people who have the same faith, and everyone is really welcoming. I like having a role in the church like reading or helping with the collection.”

Jasper, who also attends Cwmbach Community Primary School, said, “When I go to church it makes me feel closer to God. I really like being part of the church and helping in the services, like when I’m asked to read or take the collection. I would like to be confirmed to make a bigger commitment to God and Jesus’s teachings and learn how to bring them into my daily life.”

For the last three years Fr Matthew Gibbon has delivered Confirmation Classes for the Cynon Valley South MA with the help of volunteer Catechists (a term used by the church for volunteers who help teach others about faith) Dave, SJ, and Nicola.

Dave said, “With my beard, funny t-shirts and tattoos, I know I don’t look like a stereotypical Christian but for me it’s really important that our young people see that there’s place for everyone around the altar. Lots of the young people come with preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian, usually along the lines of a list of ‘thou shalt nots’. I love helping them to find joy in our faith, by reframing the narrative and focusing on all the things Christians should be, like loving, kind, joyful. We certainly enjoy lots of laughs together.”

SJ grew up in the church and was confirmed herself at the age of 11. “I love helping with Confirmation Classes,” she said. “Every year we get a new group of young people, all with their own gifts, abilities and talents and I love helping them to the realisation that there is space for them in the church exactly as they are. It’s also really important to me that our young people get to see examples of people who have a ministry but aren’t necessarily called to Ordination. They’re so full of questions that adults would just be too afraid to ask, I love those moments where they ask something that really makes me think too.”

Crossing Countries and Finding Community – Cardiff

“It has been a great joy and privilege over the last few years to welcome many people into our church family at St Mark’s,

from countries all around the world”, writes the Reverend Marcus Nelson, vicar of St Mark’s

“We recently counted about 30 nationalities across our Sunday services and mid-week groups! In the midst of a world tearing itself apart along every possible fracture line, we are finding that Jesus is building an international church family. His gospel is for everyone, He belongs to the whole world. Many people who have been forced to leave their homelands are finding a new home in church. Our growing ethnic diversity has been such a great blessing to us. People from around the world who love Jesus, honour the scriptures and have suffered for global and historic Christian faith are challenging and enriching us in countless ways. Sometimes we can be tempted to think that church is a dwindling institution of the past, unable to deal with the challenges of society and culture today. We are finding the very opposite to be true, and discovering renewed confidence that church with Jesus at the centre is the hope of the world. If you read three stories below, I’m sure you will agree.”

Angie’s Story

I am Angie and my family have been to St Mark’s for more than a year now. I had no doubt about joining the big family after my first visit here. All the church members are absolutely welcoming no matter your status and nationality. They support and care for everyone with their loving hearts without bias. My two kids were baptised here last year and have been enjoying the Sunday school, regular and holiday activities so much for different age groups. St Mark’s gives individuals spiritual Support and guidance. It is like a Moral Compass helping individuals navigate ethical decisions. We have prayer meetings, home groups and educational programs helping deepen the knowledge of Christian teachings. There are fascinating services, special events and they even give away food and necessities to all people in need. The volunteers and the church serving restlessly and selflessly throughout the year.

Raju’s Story

in prayer from long time about this. While me and my wife Anita came here in August 2023, we were unaware about any church here. As we came, we were just walking out in street, and we saw St Marks church and the board in the wall with the timetable for the fellowship. The following Sunday we went there, and we were warmly welcomed. Since then, I regularly go there for the fellowship. I feel really blessed to be a part of St Marks Church. I feel like a family there. The way we worship the Lord and the way the team lead all of us is simply amazing. All the church members are so friendly and take care of us. Though I am very far away from my country, I never feel sad, because of this family I have got by the grace of God. This is how God has answered my prayer. I celebrated my first Christmas in St Marks, and I am so happy that it was my one of the best Christmas celebrations ever. I enjoy all the services here, whether it is small groups or the fresh start on Tuesday and Saturday morning. I had never expected to get this love and care after leaving my country and family.

Tari’s Story

My name is Raju Shrestha. I am from Nepal. I came here to complete my master’s degree. I am studying Applied Public Health at Cardiff Metropolitan University. As I came here, one of my priorities was to find a good church, where I can worship and praise the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. I was

Our journey to UK began in January 2022 when I got enrolled in Cardiff Metropolitan University for my MBA. Being a family of eight from Nigeria, we decided, I should come in first, settle accommodation before the others come to join me. Unfortunately, UK Visas and Immigration, granted me, my wife and one of my daughter’s visas but refused the others, this resulted in my wife shuttling between Lagos and Cardiff. In one of those visits, she visited St Marks, and excitedly came home like the Samarian woman by the well that she has found a church we can worship. Our initial plan was to visit various churches and prayerfully choose the one we would fellowship with, so after much persuasion I visited St Marks as our first ‘church inspection’ and was humbled to experience a church that continuously exceeds our expectations.

Gabalfa,

Evangelical Anglican Church, Cardiff.

Crossing Counties and Finding Community… – Neath

The Reverend Canon Lynda Newman, Neath Ministry Area Leader

Neath has always been a very close-knit community; everyone tends to be known in this small market town. Since the pandemic, our own church community has benefitted from several people from overseas who have found a welcome and a home in St David’s Church in the centre of town. Each person has their own individual needs; some are straightforward, and others more complex, but we hope we have been able to make a difference and to show God’s love and understanding in a practical and appropriate way. Sometimes this has involved us working alongside the registrars, social services, foodbank and with the local schools. Other times it has simply meant the joy of sitting down together over a cup of coffee.

About eight months ago, we were approached by a social worker telling us that a young man had travelled from Iran by himself and wanted to worship as a Christian. We arranged to meet and agreed with the social worker exactly what we would do. His knowledge of English was limited to begin with, (and our Farsi non-existent), but thanks to Google translate we got on well. Each week two members of our church community would meet and sit with him in church. One day he told me that he ‘wanted more Jesus’. He was baptised in the most joyous of services and later Confirmed. At Baptism, he wanted to be known as Tomas after the disciples. Because of his age, Tomas moved to Swansea, and continued to visit us each Sunday by train.

A few months later, Amir joined us. He too was from Iran. Amir’s English was good, and he wanted to stay with family members in London. In Iran, he had been unable to publicly proclaim his faith, and now wanted to be baptised and confirmed. Amir regularly keeps in touch and tells us he continues to pray for us. He now worships faithfully in his local church in London and has been studying hard for his GCSEs.

Abraham and Mary with Rev’d Canon Lynda Newman

More recently we have been joined by our Nigerian friends Mary and Abraham. Mary is studying for her Master’s degree in International Management. They are being sponsored by their home country, but circumstances have been challenging and they have had to leave their three young children at home. Church is a place of welcome and warmth for them a place to share their joys and sorrows and to gain the support they need – a community into which they fully belong.

Finding a new community is difficult when the language and culture is different, but I hope we have been able to show a true and welcoming heart to everyone who comes through our doors. We are always the richer because of them. Mary summed it up last week when she said, “It is by God’s Grace that we are here.” I believe that we have been truly blessed by the friendships and the faithfulness we have seen in these members of our family.

Amir with Rev’d Canon Lynda Newman

Our Eternal Pilgrimage

The Reverend Canon Zoe King, Barry Ministry Area Leader

Pilgrimages are not always beautiful and spiritually uplifting. An unintentional pilgrimage I made was to the Killing fields in Cambodia in 2018.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; Psalm 51:1

One in four Cambodians died during the reign of the Khmer Rouge and very few were killed with a bullet as they were considered too expensive. As we walked round the prison all I kept hearing in my head was Psalm 51 and Disturbed’s cover version of ‘Sound of Silence’.

In the prison there are some paintings by a survivor that echo parts of the stations of the cross and they were barbaric, challenging to see. The killing field is a land scarred, there is very little to see there but the dip and troughs where the mass

graves were. The audio commentary as you walk around is unsettling, blunt and spoken by a survivor. One of the stops on the audio tour was a tree called a magic tree. Babies were held by their ankles and their heads dashed against it. The temptation to turn off the audio was overwhelming but that would have made me a bystander not a witness.

Silence, like a cancer, grows… …But my words, like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells, of silence The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel

Pilgrimage is being open to change and engaging with God and not being a bystander but a witness. The depth of pain and suffering we had the opportunity to witness was a raw reminder of the events of Good Friday some members of our group chose to sit on the bus because they didn’t want to be upset. It was hard not to say you must get off the bus. In the echoes you could hear Jesus speaking to the women of Jerusalem.

The Via Crucis is not taken by Christ alone, we see it so many times not just on the news but in our streets, schools and communities and we must witness to it and do what we can to change it.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart Psalm 51:17

Jesus said on the cross ‘father forgive them for they know not what they do’ we must always witness and not idly be bystanders. This is our eternal pilgrimage.

“All might be saved and pass from death to life.” – Church in Wales Funeral Service Liturgy

The Reverend Charlotte Rushton, Pontypridd Ministry Area Leader

Whenever I am asked what my favourite part of being a Vicar is, people expect me to say weddings or presiding at the Eucharist. All of those are amazing ministries that fill me with joy, but my answer is always “being able to preside at a funeral”. My mother thinks that I am weird for giving that answer, but for me, this is the time where I have witness God’s immeasurable grace and the hope we have in Jesus.

My first encounter with death came as a young teenager when my grandmother passed away. As a 13-year-old, I was comforted by my family, assuring me that despite the sadness of her loss, my nan was ‘old’ and I was young, and this was the natural order of things. I was sad, but the world still felt safe.

A few years later, when I was 16, a dear friend of mine developed Leukemia and died very shortly after diagnosis. His death was earthshattering. It wasn’t fair or right! He was just 16 and had everything to live for – the natural order that I had sought comfort in was gone and the universe had let me down. The emptiness of the grief, the anger of the injustice and the sheer futility I found in the finality of death, was a burden that I found hard to bear for many years. Then something happened in my mid-twenties that started to change my views…

At the age of 25, I met God. It was an all powerful and overwhelming experience and it was wonderful! As I attended church and as I read the Bible, I began to understand that the universe had no power, only Jesus does. I began to understand what Paul meant when he wrote “Death, you can no longer win! Death, you no longer have any power to hurt us!” (1 Corinthians 15:55). Jesus has ultimate authority over all things, including death, and he has shown us that it is not

something to fear. When we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we have hope in eternal life with Jesus and knowledge changed everything. The burden of grief was abating, and all was well once again. But that was to be tested.

Like most women, I assumed that when it was time to start a family, it would simply ‘happen’. I thought that it would be easy – but it wasn’t. I lost three babies in close succession, and it broke our hearts. This time, the intensity and longevity of the grief was hard to bear, and I felt that the guilt and grief would consume me. But this time, I wasn’t seeking solace in the natural order of things, and I didn’t give the universe a second thought. This time I had Jesus with me.

My faith in him meant that I knew that my children were not merely fetuses, but people that God created and had knitted them together in my womb. They were fearfully and wonderfully made, and they mattered. They mattered to me, they mattered to their dad, and they mattered to Our Father. Not only were we assure that our babies were cared for by Jesus, but we were cared for by our Church. They loved us, cried with us and prayed with us, and they held us as we grieved.

I have a passion for funeral ministry because I have known grief with God and without Him. I know what it is to try and find fleeting comfort in platitudes and I know what it is to have deep and abiding peace in God. I pray that when I meet with a bereaved family, that the Holy Spirit will work through me and bring them peace. I know that they are entering into a lifelong journey of grief and that I get the opportunity to tell them the good news of Jesus and invite them to be part of a new family in his Church who are glad to pray with them and help them allow God to bind up their broken hear and to move from death into life.

Lent Photography Competition

Show your perspective of the world by getting involved with the Diocese of Llandaff Lent Photography Competition.

Send in your interpretation of each theme for the 6 weeks of Lent:

Friday 16th February – Journey

Friday 23rd February – Freedom

Friday 1st March – Spirit

Friday 8th March – Awaken

Friday 15th March – Energy

Friday 22nd March – Darkness and Light

Email your photo entries with your name, town and title of your photo to diocese.llandaff@cinw.org.uk or tag us in the photo’s post on Facebook.

Follow us on Instagram to see the results.

By entering into this competition, you are confirming that the photograph is your own and Llandaff DBF has the rights to use the photograph as and where they choose.

Signing the Gospel

According to research only 2% of deaf people know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. 2%!

This Lent, the Diocese of Llandaff is celebrating British Sign Language week from Monday 18th March to Palm Sunday (24th March) with daily reflections for the Deaf community.

Deaf Community Mission Outreach Worker, Nicola Roylance will be signing a Bible passage and reflection in a social media campaign to share the gospel with BSL users, create resources for churches to use year-round within their community and inspire people to engage with signing the Gospel.

Following BSL week, reflections for Good Friday and Easter Sunday will also be released.

Like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with the campaign.

‘Journeying with God

in the Wilderness’ Llandaff priest Mark Broadway invites us to ‘Journey with God in the wilderness’ in his new forty-day devotional.The Reverend Charlotte Rushton, Pontypridd Ministry Area Leader

The often-overlooked book of Numbers tells of the wanderings of God’s people as well the protection and provision they find in their saviour-God. Numbers can, however, be a difficult book to get to grips with.

Journeying with God in the Wilderness responds to this difficulty, as Mark guides us through an often-neglected book of the Bible with readings from Numbers and from the New Testament each day, along with prayers and questions to consider, helping us to make sense of the Old Testament through the lens of the New and giving us Christ-centred hope.

Journeying with God in the Wilderness is written as an aide to the spiritual journey of faith and can be read either individually or in small groups, during lent or any period of 40 days.

It will encourage and inspire anyone feeling lost or bewildered on life’s journey, or who wants to join in with the long Christian tradition of Lent as a wilderness experience, by showing them the fulfilment of the promises of God to his people in the wilderness.

Dr Paula Gooder says “This brilliant book of reflections takes us step by step through the book of Numbers and opens our eyes to the many riches that wilderness experiences can offer. I highly recommend it!”

Dr Ros Clarke says “This Lent devotional will take you along with the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness, pointing out the examples and warnings, offering us hope and challenging us to do better as we face our own wilderness experiences today.”

Join Mark Broadway as he travels through Numbers and find hope for your wilderness journey.

Ministry Areas on a Journey

The Venerable Rhod Green, Archdeacon of Llandaff

Christian ministry is incredibly demanding. Priests and deacons are busy with the daily grind of services, prayer, study, pastoral visiting, occasional offices, personal administration, evangelism, mission, and community outreach. As a result, clergy often feel lonely and isolated. So, as Archdeacons, we wanted to create a space for ministry area clergy and lay leaders to pause, sit back, take stock, see the big picture, and spend time together. That’s the thinking behind our Archdeacons Visitations. Historically, Archdeacons Visitations have been all about compliance. The Archdeacon asks whether the church is using the right ink in its registers, whether the logbook and terrier are up-to-date, or whether the silver plate is where it should be. Though these things are important, we felt as Archdeacons that we could reimagine visitations as something more creative and helpful.

Last year we invited every ministry area in each Deanery to come together for a whole day. We considered why we do what we do; exploring the great commandment and the great commission, and what they mean for our churches. We then took stock of what we were already doing before imagining what we might be doing in 10 years’ time. We then agreed some next steps as part of a new development plan. Next year we will complete the three-year cycle by looking at our evangelism and outreach, but this year our focus was on resourcing for that mission. First, we celebrated everything each ministry area had achieved over the last year. This was hugely encouraging. For some ministry areas, this was just putting a plan in place, for others, it was regularly meeting together as clergy teams, in one visitation every church there was growing one way or another. My heart was full as we celebrated all that God has been doing in the diocese. We then began some profound and challenging discussions around three areas. First, people; how do we organise and

encourage volunteers and lay vocations. Second, buildings; how do we make the most of the assets we have. Thirdly, we wrestled with our finances; how do we create a culture of generosity in our churches and how can the diocese support ministry areas through the reform of Fairer Share. Each conversation was honest and real but hopeful. It was a privilege to see all the hard work and effort put in throughout the day from everyone involved.

A key part of the process is the follow up. Each Archdeacon meets every ministry area council from across the Archdeaconry to see how their development plan is being implemented and to explore what additional support might be required. Archdeacon Mark and I are looking forward to receiving the 2024 development plans over the next few months which will guide our conversations as we continue to discern together where the spirit is leading us, both as individual ministry areas, and together as a diocese.

A Journey of Generosity

The Reverend Peter Watson, vicar in the East Vale Ministry Area and Diocesan Finance Advisory Officer

“For God so love the world that he gave …”.

If you’re reading this, it is highly likely that you’ll know how this quote continues. If not, do look up St John’s Gospel chapter 3 verses 16 and 17.

Giving is a spiritual discipline, through which we can allow the Holy Spirit to unlock the fruit of the spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, selfcontrol, gentleness. One of the spiritual disciplines is giving, where we can be generous in the giving of our time, of our talents, of our attention, of our money, of our forgiveness. In all of these we follow God in His generosity, and as we learn to be generous, we strengthen our spirituality, mature our Christian faith and deepen our relationship with God.

Jesus has much to say about money and about generosity. Observing the offerings at the temple in Jerusalem (see Mark 12: 41-44) he noted the widow who put in a mite, the smallest amount possible, and said, “…she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had …”.The well-off put in much more, but the

point of the story is that generosity of giving isn’t measured in absolute value, nor even in relative value; generosity is measured in how much it costs the giver. For us, only we can know what generous giving looks like, but the bottom line is that if your giving is not significant to you, it is not significant to God.

Today, financial issues continue to be at the forefront of many if not most people’s minds, and the church is not exempt from this. As always in our giving to God and to his church we each need to reflect on what generosity looks like to us, on how significant our giving is to us. But we also as church communities need to reflect on our generosity. The finances of the Diocese are organised so that Ministry Areas pay into the central fund, which then pays the clergy their stipends. This arrangement only works when the generous giving of some covers the financial challenges of others.

The fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, hope and so forth – comes to us as our spirituality and relationship with God deepens. May we, as individual and churches, always be generous in our giving.

THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST

ACROSS

1 This man was chosen to replace Judas (Ac. 1:26)

4 This was the special qualification for every apostle of Christ (Ac. 1:21-22)

6 Became a traitor of Jesus (Lk. 6:16)

7 Betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Lk. 22:48)

10 The disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn. 19:26)

12 A son of Alphaeus (Ac. 1:13)

14 The Hebrew version of Peter (Jn. 1:42-44)

16 A Jew born in Tarsus of Cilicia (Ac. 22:3)

17 The apostle killed by Herod Agrippa I (Ac. 12:1-2)

22 Son of Jonah; Jesus call this man Peter and gave him the keys of the kingdom (Mt. 16:17-18)

24 This nickname for Saul means “Little” (Ac. 13:9)

25 The father of an aposlle names James (Mk. 3:18)

26 Another name for Thomas who was not with Jesus when He appeared after His resurrection (Jn. 20:24)

27 How the apostles were known as a group (Mk. 14:43)

28 Father of Levi the tax collection (Mk. 2:14)

DOWN

2 A disciple of Jesus (Mk. 3:18)

3 What Peter, James, and John did for a living (Mt. 4:18)

5 Hebrew name for the Apostle Paul (Ac. 13:9)

8 This disciple brought his brother to Jesus (Jn. 1:40-41)

9 Jesus saw this man under a fig tree (Jn. 1:46)

10 Son of James (Lk. 6:16)

11 He said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn. 1:46)

13 The last apostle to see the Risen Lord (1 Cor. 15:8)

15 Member of the Jewish nationalistic party (Lk. 6:15)

16 This disciple brought Nathanael to Jesus (Jn. 1:45)

18 A doubter among the Twelve (Jn. 20:25)

19 Philip, Andrew and Peter were from this town (Jn. 1:44)

20 The father of James and John (Mk. 3:17; Lk. 5:10)

21 Another name for a student or follower of a teacher

23 One who is sent on a mission (Mk. 3:14)

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