Diocese of Monmouth Esgobaeth Mynwy |
| A message from Peter Lea, Chair of the DBF Yet again, I am very heartened by the level of MinistryShare payments that we have received today. During such difficult times, receiving 89% of share to cover the cost of ministry in the diocese is an exceptional achievement from our parishes and Ministry Areas.Tighter government restrictions meant many of our church buildings were closed during Advent and Christmas – a time when we usually see our highest number of attendees. We ended 2020 in extremely challenging times, and have started 2021, still in a time of economic uncertainty.However, these unprecedented times have brought our church family even closer together with everyone pulling together to maintain the ministry across our diocese.As many of you will know, the Diocese has received financial support from the RB for Quarters two and three and we, in turn have been able to pass on that help to parishes and Ministry Areas in the form of a 40% rebate. It is encouraging to hear that some parishes have donated their 40% rebate to others in need of extra support at this time. This reflects a deep commitment and desire to share resources to support the life of the wider church.We know these are difficult times, especially financially, but this readiness to work together and make the most of the money we receive, gives me confidence that we will be strong for the future. I would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to you, and your congregations. Peter Lea  Covid-19 Updated Guidance – last update 14th JanuaryView the latest guidance here.Live-streamed Services & Reflections: Join a Sunday Eucharist from the Cathedral at 10:30am here.  Join the licensing of the Revd Sally Ingle-Gillis as Ministry Area Leader of the Benefice of Usk on Sunday at 4:30pm here.Saint Stories You may have seen a celebration of our Saints across out social platforms recently! St Edeyrn and St Basil have already featured, and we have plenty more ‘guest appearances’ over the coming months. If you have any interesting facts, history or research about your church’s saint, please contact jonathanperons@churchinwales.org.uk  Lent AppealOur Lent Appeal this year will go towards supporting the Church in Wales Centenary Appeal which was launched at a meeting of the Governing Body in 2019 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Church in Wales coming into existence. The Centenary Appeal aims to raise £100,000 for the work of Housing Justice Cymru and for Christian Aid’s work in supporting peace-building in the war-torn country of South Sudan. Sadly, but perhaps inevitably, the appeal has been severely compromised because of the pandemic and the drop in giving that most charities have suffered as a result. The current total stands at £10,878 and our contribution from the Diocese of Monmouth to this fund should give it a boost in what are very challenging circumstances.  Housing Justice CymruThe original aim was to support the HJC’s night shelter projects but, because of the pandemic, the charity is now focussing on more preventative support in conjunction with Local Authorities and partner organisations. It has launched the Citadel project to support vulnerable people who need help obtaining and sustaining tenancies.  Christian AidSouth Sudan is one of the youngest and poorest countries in the world, having been established in 2011 and then spiralling into conflict in 2013. The money raised will go towards Christian Aid’s work with the Episcopal Church of South Sudan in trauma healing, advocacy, workshops and peace prayer vigils as well as training for community leaders. Again, more information, including a short video, can be found on the CinW website.These are challenging times for all of us and money is tight for many. But I do hope and pray that we in the Diocese of Monmouth can make a particular point of supporting this Lent Appeal which will go directly towards helping some of the poorest and most disadvantaged people both in the communities of South Wales and those of South Sudan.  LENT 2021: DYING TO LIVE Whether you are a lay leader, a licensed minister or a member of clergy, we’d love to invite you to join in with our plans for this year’s Diocesan Lent Course ‘Dying to Live’. The Course: Key Information The purpose of the Lent Course is to help us explore together what it means to be a life-long disciple of Jesus Christ. We’d love to see small groups across the Diocese taking this opportunity to meet virtually using Zoom (or similar platforms) and explore discipleship together. Bishop Cherry hopes that there will be at least one group in each of our Ministry Areas, working through the six sessions on: – Lamentation – Forgiveness – Prayer – Generosity – Solidarity – Calling The course will be released on Friday 29th January as a free downloadable PDF, with everything you’ll need to make your Lent group a success! You will also be able to request printed copies from the Diocesan office, if you prefer. Please email admin.monmouth@churchinwales.org.uk to request one.  The Webinars: Get Prepared!We’re offering two webinars to help you to explore how you can make best use of this opportunity locally, and to help you reflect on your ongoing plans to nurture discipleship where you are. 26th/27th Jan: Leading an online small group A step by step guide to running an online small group using Zoom, or a similar platform, and facilitating group discussions. Including a preview of the ‘Dying to Live’ material! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leading-an-online-small-group-registration-133325864249 9th/10th Feb: Small groups, belonging and lifelong discipleship A chance to discuss in more depth the role that small groups and discipleship courses can play in the life of our Ministry Areas. How can small groups encourage belonging, facilitate pastoral care and enable lifelong discipleship? https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cmd-small-groups-belonging-and-lifelong-discipleship-registration-133330738829Save the Date!   Safeguarding TrainingPlease see below the January dates for Safeguarding Training on zoom. Places can be booked by emailing safeguardingtraining@stpadarns.ac.uk 19 January 14.00 – Part 1 22 January 14.00 – Part 2 – Limited Spaces 27 January 10.00 – Part 2 – Limited Spaces 29 January 10.00 – Part 2  Our education team will be putting together a range of great resources for our church schools to support them with home learning, if you would like to access these resources they’re available here.There are resources for FP and for KS2 which will be available each week on the website with the following themes, Week 1EpiphanyWeek 2JudaismWeek 3JudaismWeek 4JudaismWeek 5CandlemasWeek 6Ash WednesdayFor a downloadable and printable version of this email please click here. You can find the one-stop-shop for all you need to know and this week’s updates here. |
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