Synod Welcome Service – Sunday 13th September at 8pm

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to extend you an invitation to a (Zoom) Synod Welcome Service to take place at 8pm on Sunday 13th September.

I’m hoping that in the absence of our normal Synod meeting on the Saturday, this service will provide us with an opportunity to worship together, to pray for one another and to greet new colleagues who have come to minister among us, as well as to reflect together on where God might be leading us in these challenging and changing times.

The service will last just under an hour, and we are holding it at 8.00pm so that it doesn’t clash with anything else happening on that Sunday. There’s no expectation that anyone should feel they ‘have’ to attend, but we are hoping that it provides an opportunity for us to worship, reflect and pray together at the start of this new Connexional year.

All Synod Superintendent ministers have details of the Zoom Code etc or alternatively please e-mail office@methodistwales.org.uk for further details.

I look forward to seeing you then.

Every blessing,

Stephen

Uniting Church Sketty Eco Awards

UNITING CHURCH SKETTY, SWANSEA (formerly Sketty Methodist Church and Bethel URC Sketty)

In December 2019, Uniting Church Sketty was awarded a BRONZE ECO AWARD by the charity A Rocha.

To attain an Eco Award there are five categories which have to be completed – WORSHIP AND TEACHING; BUILDINGS; LAND; COMMUNITY AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT and LIFESTYLE.

Perhaps the most difficult one we had to decide upon was the LAND category. One the one hand our congregation does not walk out of the building straight on to a pavement. But, on the other hand, we do have some flower beds and a small area of grass, so, being honest we couldn’t say we didn’t have any land. Yet, on the other hand, we haven’t got enough land, for example, to grow trees. Eventually we decided we had land and we would have to look at ways of using it as creatively as we can, now and in the future.

In August 2020 UCS attained a SILVER ECO AWARD, from A Rocha, the charity which encourages churches to become more environmentally friendly.

At the time of writing, UCS is the only Methodist URC church in Wales with a Silver Eco Award.

Even though we have been in lockdown for several months, it has been possible, by “thinking outside the box” to work towards this award.

During the late winter and early spring, new plantings were made in the church flower beds, to attract butterflies, bees and other insects. The flowers which were planted, and have flourished, include poppies, rudbekia, nicotiana, cranesbill geranium and sedum.

As UCS does not have enough land to grow trees, we have joined a scheme initiated by the City and County of Swansea, where you can pay to adopt a tree or buy a new tree. The church meeting agreed to the purchase of a Liquid Amber tree (related to the Canadian Maple), which will be planted in a local park next winter.

Our church related Community Worker (URC Swansea Region of Churches), Adella Pritchard, has started a Unity in Diversity clothing bank for asylum seekers, who are now living in our community. However, asylum seekers don’t just need clothes, so the project has extended its remit by appealing for items such as desks and chairs for older children to do their school work and for cots and prams for babies and toddlers.

Many of the sections of the ECO survey were already being undertaken at UCS regularly. Each month our magazine includes “Pray Without Ceasing”, which includes prayers for people in our locality, the environment and current issues. Prayer walks (on paper) have also been devised, one for use in a/any park and the other for use on a/any beach.

During Creationtide, this autumn, we plan to experiment by starting Forest Church in a local park, at a local beach and…..we may go down to the woods…….!!!!

To learn more about Eco Church awards visit www.arocha.org.uk

Janet M Neilson (Eco Church Co-ordinator, Uniting Church Sketty)

Radio 4 Sunday Worship – Sunday 16th August

This Sunday’s BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship will be led by Rev Dr Stephen Wigley with contributions from Rev Del Liddell, Cardiff University Chaplain.

The programme start at 8.10am and will also be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast.

Further details of the service can be found in the link below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lslt?fbclid=IwAR0jnO7iktbo8h5pU8EX2IxHcCi5ezYJKVMJa-BatraHM2tLvfwUNN2N0so.

Coronavirus – guidance from the Methodist Church

Coronavirus – guidance from the Methodist Church

We recognise the challenge which the whole country is facing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Helpful guidance for our life as a church ,which is regularly updated, can be found on the Methodist Church website at:

https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/latest-news/all-news/the-methodist-church-coronavirus-guidance-and-resources/

‘If my people’ prayer service – Sunday 26th July at 8pm.

Dear Friends,

There will be an IF MY PEOPLE style prayer service on Sunday 26th July at 8.00 pm featuring worship, testimony and breakout prayer groups. You are warmly invited to join us.

The connection details will be as on 31st May as repeated below. Please forward this message around your circuit and encourage people to join in.

There will be no restriction on numbers. However, some indication of likely response would be very helpful.

Zoom connexion details can be obtained from me direct.

Every blessing

Paul