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
22nd October 2023
We welcome you all to our services today, especially if you are a visitor or worshipping with us for the first time. Rev Ray Vincent is leading our services today and we pray that, through his ministry, we may all receive the blessing that we most need.
Our service today includes the celebration of Holy Communion, and all are invited to share in the bread and wine with us.
We are delighted that Ray is leading our worship today: Ray officially joined our fellowship in May 2002 after ‘retiring’ from full time ministry, so we’ve known him a long time. The beginning of October sees the 60th anniversary of his ordination. A mile stone that deserves to be celebrated!
In a Facebook post on October 9th Ray said ‘I am thankful to God for the gift of health, which means that it is quite a busy working week. I want to mark it by offering a few reflections on ministry.’ These have been printed and are available from Marcia and have been posted on our website.
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Church Family and Pastoral News
We include this in the newsletter to inform our prayers during the week.
- We are currently unable to give any update on the arrangements for the funeral of Marilyn Dilworth, and continue to hold family and friends in our prayers as they wait.
- Elsie is grateful for the speed from consultation to appointment and is now waiting for the results of the biopsy she had on Tuesday.
- We think of those who, since COVID, no longer feel able to join us for worship, we know some are able to watch our services through YouTube, but there are several who don’t have internet access.
- We rejoice with Madeleine and Ron on the birth of their first great grandchild. A girl!
- We think of the Elders as they meet this evening to discuss Advent and Christmas Services, the move to Castle Square and arrangements for the concert on November 1st. by the Wind Band from Germany.
Birthdays
Another week with just two birthdays that we are aware of: TODAY (Sunday) 22nd Brian – he’s already been celebrating! On Friday 27th Isobel will no doubt have a good time with friends and possibly family.
We send our good wishes to them both.
Thanks…. from Magdi
I’m kindly writing to thank everybody that has wished and have offered to me a gift on my 18th birthday – and not forgetting the great help that you have done for us and my family as well, they are in Egypt currently, thank you all. Magdi Kajo Thank you all and God bless you all with long lives.
Diary for the Week
Monday 23rd Language Class 10.00am.
Wednesday 25th St David’s Guild 2.00pm – see below Guides at 6pm
Sunday 29th Morning worship at 10.45 with Maggie Kirkbride Lay Preaching Advocate for URC Wales Synod
Future Services
November 5th Dave Kitchen
November 12th Remembrance Sunday Zoom Service with Rev Vaughan Rees
Parallel service led by Michael Howells at St David’s.
November 19th Rev Simeon Baker
St David’s Guild
‘Never play leapfrog with a unicorn!’ Is the title of a book of poems for children by Dave Kitchen, and last week we were entertained as Dave shared some of these poems with us. It was a very enjoyable afternoon!
This week we our guest is a representative of YMa, the former YMCA building, which is now a place for Culture, Creativity and Arts, we will hear and how it links up with the community.
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Dates for your Diary
Tuesday, 24th October at 12.00
All are invited to the Meeting House at the University of South Wales Treforest for an afternoon with Martin Stringer, a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University, a gay Christian with wide academic and community experience and a very interesting speaker. Martin will be speaking on ‘Gender and Sexuality: A Difficult Conversation?‘ If you are unable to attend in person there is a possibility of joining online. For details see Ray.
Wednesday 1st November at 6pm
Those with a good memory will remember a concert held in the Church in 1999 featuring the Wind Band from Böbingen an der Rems. The band had a vast age range and gave a fantastic concert!
For some of the band who will be entertaining us it will be their second visit to their Musical Director, Jonathan Rhys Thomas’s home town, and they are thrilled to be returning.
The current band consists of 45 active musicians aged between 15 and 78 years, proving that music connects people of different generations. Working closely with young people they enable children to learn an instrument at an early age and play music together in a group.
Their repertoire includes concert music, film and pop music, as well as traditional Bohemian and Moravian brass music like march and polka.
The concert, which is free will be finished by 7.30pm.
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Thought for the week
Ability is nothing without opportunity
Napoleon Bonaparte
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DON’T FORGET! The clocks go back next weekend! You have an extra hour in bed!!