Saint David’s Uniting Church
Minister: Vacancy
Church Office Tel: 01443 300345
Website: www.stdavidsuniting.org.uk
Admin email: [email protected]
Link for Live Stream – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1ftWuXHexnfFdo1FKwXBZA
7th January 2024
Welcome to the first newsletter of 2024 – and A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!
We’ve had a break and now we look forward to bringing you the news each week…..if YOU have anything to share please contact us at the Admin email or through your Elders.
Our worship today is being led by Iestyn. He will be following the lectionary readings for the 1st Sunday after Epiphany, but using them for a New Year theme.
Fair-traded refreshments will be served in the hall following the service. We invite you to join us for this time of informal fellowship when handmade cards will also be on sale.
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Church Family and Pastoral News
We include this in the newsletter to inform our prayers during the week. We think of:-
- Dorothy who is hoping to have an operation very soon.
- Elsie as she waits for a scan prior to treatment
- Those who are struggling with mobility.
- Brian as he waits to continue new treatment.
- Those who were unable to worship with us because they had Covid – most have now tested negative.
- Others we know of who have been unwell over the festive period.
Thanks …..
…from George and Linda for the Christmas E-Card. Greetings and Best Wishes to you ALL
Birthdays
NO birthdays or Celebrations that we are aware of this week.
Diary for the Week
Monday 8th Language Class 10.00am.
Wednesday 10th St David’s Guild at 2pm – See below.
Sunday 14th Zoom Service with Gwen Simmons opens at 10.30am.
Alternative Service at 10.45am in the Church led by Michael Howells
Future Services
January 21st Celebrating our Church Anniversary with the Worship Group
January 28th Rev Ray Vincent
February 4th Haydn Blackey
St David’s Guild
The Guild start their winter Session on Wednesday. Marilyn has booked a variety of interesting speakers for January and we have provisionally reserved a table at Alfreds for our New Year Lunch on February 7th.
For our first meeting Margaret Wicks will share her sister’s poem Growing upon The Graig.
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Christmas Greetings were received from
As is our practice rather than send cards to people we see almost every week, we are invited to pin a generic card to the greetings board and donate the money to a charity of our choice. Five of the cards received were made by Colleen. One card supported World Gifts Trees for Life helping to make a real and lasting difference to a community experiencing poverty. This year cards were received from:
Liz, Iestyn, Isobel and Tomos, Marlene McCloy, Beti, Pat & John Howell, Pam, John Attwood, Elsie, Anne Coles, Viviane, Mike & Marilyn Edwards, Colleen & Kev, Marcia & Brian, Stephanie & Alan, Sonia, Pat Cooke, Chris & Margaret, Marilyn Young, Catherine Naamani & family, Hettie, The MP and MS for Pontypridd and the URC Synod Support Team.
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Donations to Charity
A cheque has been sent to The Leprosy Mission for £435.00
A cheque for £272.00 has been sent to the Pontypridd foodbank. this will continue throughout 2024.
Christian Aid – Collection at the Christmas Day Service £100.
The Christmas appeal is still open for anyone else who would like to contribute but will be closing in a couple of weeks: to date we have £390.00 for Akany Avoko, an orphanage in Madagascar and £380.00 for Displaced Persons in Action in Cardiff.
Special Envelopes are available, if you wish to gift aid. please put your name on the back of the envelope
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Progress on our move to Castle Square
Pam and Lynda are attending a meeting of the Synod Trust next Wednesday to make a presentation of what we want to do at the Castle Square building, both construction work and carrying out our mission in the area.
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Reflection for the new year
Loving God, as we stand on the threshold of this New Year,
we pause for a moment and look back on that which is passed.
We remember with thanksgiving times of fun and laughter, joy and celebration,
and acknowledge with sorrow those things which have grieved our hearts and troubled our souls.
And as we look forward to 2024 with hope and expectation to all that may lie ahead
we pray that your ways of peace, justice and love may be known on earth, and in our hearts.
Help us bear witness to your saving grace in our lives and in the life of the church.
May we recognise your presence leading and guiding us,
that we might live as faithful disciples of your son, Jesus Christ,
who we seek to follow each day of the year and throughout our lives. Amen
Revd David Salsbury, Moderator Elect of the National Synod of Wales
Thank you so much for my ECard. and for your kind words . Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2024. See you all in February. X