New Year Changes at the Diocesan Office

St Asaph Round-up: Dydd Iau, 7fedIonawr 2016

Newyddion o Esgobaeth Llanelwy:Thursday 7January 2016

New year changes at the Diocesan Office

Welcome to Gareth Williams who started this week to cover for Pam Thompson's maternity leave. Pam's last day in the office is Friday 15 January.

Rachel Cutler is now Properties Administrator working with both Jan Williams and Dewi Thomas to support the Parsonage Board andthe Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) for the Care of Churches. To contact Rachel regarding Parsonage Board matters, please email: to contact Rachel regarding the DAC, please

Jackie Feak has taken on a new role. She will continue as Hospitality Co-ordinator for the Cathedral and will also work to support the Ministry Team as Ministry Support Officer. To contact Jackie regarding the Cathedral please email . To contact Jackie regarding Ministry Support please .

Jackie will be working 28 hours a week between the hours of 9am - 2.45pm.

All three people are contactable via the main diocesan office number 01745 582245.

The Annual Plygain service will be held at St Asaph Cathedral on 29 January at 7.15 pm.

This week:

Plygain Service in St Cynog’s, Llangynog – Friday 8 January at 6.30 p.m. For more information contact Arthur on 01691 780094.

Light up a Life Service for St Kentigern Hospice - Sunday 10 January, St Thomas’ Church Rhyl. Poster circulated previously.

Training

Last chance to book: Church and Empire: A Theology Study Day with Roger Haydon Mitchell – We are very fortunate to have Dr Mitchell with us, a renowned author and theologian, particularly on issues to do with church and politics. This study day will look at how establishment and empire has led to a particular context for our mission. This is particularly relevant as we approach the centenary of disestablishment. This is relevant to all, but especially those who have studied Theology at any level.If you are free please do consider booking for this day:

12 January in Llangollen Pavilion, 10am – 4pm. Cost Free.Booking is essential. Please contact Sian on or phone 01745 532582.

Hope in Dementia, a one day conference for those supporting people living with Dementia on Monday 8 February, 2016 atLlanelli Elim Church, Myrtle House,LlanelliSA15 1LH. Cost - £10 with lunch provided by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and drinks available throughout the day. See the attached programme for details.

TCC is running a training course designed for community leaders: 6pm 25th February - 6pm 27th February 2016

This training is an introduction to community organising, designed to give participants the skills and confidence to become leaders or develop their leadership roles in their communities. The course will teach you how to create strong relationships, in order to build power in the community and take action on the issues you care about. The sessions will be interactive, and participants should expect to be challenged. However, the course is also great fun, and allows time for participants to get to know people from other groups and organisations.

TCC's residential community organising training is offered free of charge to anyone from a TCC member group. Others are welcome to attend at a charge: £200 per place for individuals/organisations, £150 for charities/not-for-profit organisations (including churches).

More details at

Coming Soon

Deeside Silver Band in Concert. St. Mark's Church, Connah's Quay, is proud to present an evening of live music with a special concert by Deeside Silver Band. The concert will be held at 6pm on Sunday 17 January. Tickets £3.

Youth and Children’s Worker Breakfasts 2016– If you are interested in Youth and Children’s work within our Diocese or are already involved then these breakfasts are for you.To book your place please contact

South – Gregynog Hall, Gregynog.

27 Feb, 11 June, 10 Dec. All sessions run from 10am-12.30pm. Free of Charge.

North – Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden.

30Jan, 21May, 3 Dec. All sessions run from 10am-12.30pm. Free of charge.

“Living Water” – Chrism Reflective Weekend at Abbey House, Glastonbury, Somerset. 26-28 February 2016. Booking form and additional information attached.

Summer School in Old Catholic Theology: 3-8 July 2016 - If you'd like to study Old Catholic theology for a week: this summer school offers you the ideal opportunity to do so, in the beautiful Dutch city of Utrecht. Lecturers affiliated with the Old Catholic Seminary in that city, including the Archbishop of Utrecht, Joris Vercammen, will introduce an international group of students to topics such as Old Catholic praxis and spirituality, liturgy, history, theology, ecumenics, and canon law. The course includes a number of excursions. The course is the perfect introduction to Old Catholicism for ecumenically interested clergy, students of theology, and interested laypersons, as has been the experience of participants since 2011. For more information, please consult: or contact the course director, the Rev. Prof. Peter-Ben Smit,

“#Follow2016” – A Christian Day festival for 21st Century disciples.16 July 2016, 10am-4pm, De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Motivational teaching, Practical resource center, Inspiring worship, 24-7 prayer, World food, Messy Church. £5, under 5’s free. Box office tel: 0116 2333111. Block booking advised as there is a fee of £3 per booking. This day is hosted by the Central Reader’s Council of the Church of England and is open to all.

Information and Marketplace

Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund. If you are intending to apply to this fund and have not already notified Tracey White, please do so now. You will need a letter of support from the Representative Body and Tracey will arrange this. She also has some guidance that she can share with you to make your funding bid stronger. Please note that due to pre-arranged work commitments, Tracey will be away from the office and with no access to email during the week before the funding deadline. If you require support in making your bid, the last date this will be available is Monday 15th

Calling all Gift Aid Secretaries/Treasurers. HMRC have issued a “Call for Evidence” on the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme. ACAT (Association of Church Accountants and Treasurers), as the national support charity for church treasurers is asking you to take part in this consultation. All Church in Wales parishes are members of ACAT and this gives ACAT areal opportunity to influence HMRC policy on GASDS in respect to churches, but only with your help.

Please would you visit this website and complete a very short survey for us about how GASDS is or isn’t working for your church. The survey will close on 31 January 2016 to give ACAT time to collate the results.

Continued support for refugees

Volunteers are collecting items which will be taken to refugees in Calais at the end of January. You can take donations toUnit 8 WhitegateIndustrial Estatein Caia Park, LL13 8 UG. Only the following items are required:

Warm winter shoes
Warm men's trousers
Warm coats
Sleeping bags
Tents

For more information, contactLeanne / 07497 874178
A group in Flintshire is collecting items to be sent to Syria

SHARE has volunteered to be part of a nationwide appeal to send urgently needed aid out to Syria this winter. The group has committed itself to filling a 40 foot container with aid and needs your help to donate the following urgently needed items:

Good quality (new or very good condition) warm winter clothing for men, women, children or babies. Blankets, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, tents, backpacks and baby carriers.

A list of required food for food packs is on SHARE's facebook page -

Donations can be taken to SHARE Aid Centre, Unit 5, Castle Park Industrial Estate, Flint, CH6 5AX. Usual opening times are Tuesday and Thursday 9.30-12.30pm and Wednesday evening 6.30-8.30pm. Items need to be delivered beforeSaturday 23January.

Clerical Polo Shirts: for a donation to the British Heart Foundation, 'free' to anyone who'd like them, 5 second-hand Kevin Mayhew Unisex clerical polo shirts with slip-in collars in size XL. 1 - black; 2 - navy blue; 2 light blue. Happy to split them between more than 1 person if necessary

All enquiries to Hermione

Reminders:

New requirements for residential landlords in Wales to be registered and accredited

The head of property services for the Church in Wales, Alex Glanville, is working on new guidance for parishes that own properties and rent them out.

The new arrangements have two elements: Registration and Licencing. Registration is relatively straightforward for the RB as overall landlord but licencing is more problematic as this relates to training for those who manage the let property. It is not as simple as only the property department and inspectors being trained as in many cases parish people are involved in managing let houses too.

Parishes are advised that they do not need to do anything at this stage though they may like to be aware of the general provisions at:https://www.rentsmart.gov.wales/en/ . We have until November 2016 to put the necessary arrangements into place.

What’s on

St Cystennin's church, Mochdre will be holding a Welsh service which will be in honour of St Dwynwen and to celebrate all personal relationships through marriage, engagements and partnerships combined with a Communion Service at 3pm on Sunday 24 January. A warm welcome will be extended to all who value loving relationships.

The service is for all who appreciate the Welsh language, welsh first language speakers including welsh learners and non welsh speakers and any who wish to support the measures taken to bring Welsh language services back to this beautiful church.

Mi fydd Eglwys St Cystennin, Mochdre yn cynhal gwasanaeth yn yr iaith Cymraeg i ddathlu Gwyl St Dwynwen ac i werthfawrogi perthnasau personol drwy priodas, dyweddiad a partneriaid ac i glodfori Cymun Bendigaid am 3 o'r gloch y Sul 24ain Ionawr. Croeso cynnes i bawb sydd yn gwerthfawrogi perthnasau gariadus. Mae’r gwasanaeth ar gyfer pawb sydd yn gwerthfawrogi’r iaith Cymraeg - siaradwyr rhugl, dysgwyr, pobl ddi Gymraeg a pawb sydd yn cefnogi'r fentir i fynd ymlaen i ddod a gwasanaethau Cymraeg yn ol i'r eglwys hon.

Llandudno Keswick Bible week – 3-6 May 2016 at Llandudno Baptist church. Speaker Jonathan Lamb, CEO Keswick Ministries. More details to follow nearer the time.

Join St Asaph Cathedral on Pilgrimage to Walsingham 11th to 15th July 2016. Leaflet circulated previously. Further information and bookings contact Fr Rex Matthias

StAR - If you want something including in the St Asaph Round up, please send it to next StAR will be on Thursday 14 January.

Check back on previous editions of StAR at linked from the home page)

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Keep in touch!

Keep up to date with what is going on across the Diocese.

@StAsaphDiocese

Sian Connelly

Administrative Assistant / Cymhorthydd Gweinyddol
Diocesan Office /Swyddfa'r Esgobaeth
High Street / Stryd Fawr
St. Asaph / Llanelwy

LL17 0RD