TRAINING DAY FOR UNIT COMMITTEES
A Training Day was held for the Unit Coordinators and all the members of the four Unit Committees on Saturday 23rd February at the Diocesan Centre, Brecon.
The Theme for the day was “TEAM BUILDING”.
We began the Day with a Team Bible Study. The Bible Study was followed by a session called ‘Ten Top Tips’ for leading a committee meeting and another on “Making the Team work”. Each session was separated by a report from each Unit Coordinator containing up-to-date information on each Unit. There was also a very useful discussion on how best we can keep members informed about the work we are doing, especially within the Diocese. We also learned about Team Building through games.
Twenty-six members attended the Day and everyone returned an “Appraisal Form”. From these ‘forms’ we were able to ascertain that on the whole everyone enjoyed the day and found it very beneficial.
ADVENT RETREAT
The Retreat was held in the chapel of Campion Gardens Retirement Village, Bishopston, Swansea, on 1 December. The Leader, Canon Geoffrey Thomas, took the theme of “Prayer”. He suggested that prayer can be offered to God anytime, anywhere and in all sorts of circumstances. Sometimes, it is not always easy to use personal prayer, during a service because, being human, our minds can and do wander! Canon Geoffrey said that was important to set aside a quiet time for prayer and suggested that we use the letters ACTS to structure our prayers: A is for Asking for what we need in order to lead our lives as we should like to; C is for Confession, or asking forgiveness for our wrong doings; T is for Thanksgiving, or giving thanks for all our blessings; S is for Supplication, framing our special requests for those in any kind of need.
Canon Geoffrey's advice was practical, meaningful and couched in language that we could all understand. Our prayer life is so important and we all need encouragement to persevere in setting aside a time for prayer in our busy lives.
It is sometimes difficult when one has a number of people that one wishes to pray for, to maintain one's thoughts and concentration. The Canon suggested dividing the prayer list up into days of the week. In our informal discussions over lunch, it was agreed that was a really good idea.
The day finished with the Eucharist. All who attended the retreat, found it to be a most helpful and meaningful day, which encouraged us greatly in our prayer life, as we entered the season of Advent.
NEW DIOCESAN PROJECT - STORY BAGS
A story bag or sack contains a story book and various items which make the story come alive. These may include puppets, toys. puzzles, jig saws, a DVD. The story bag is a fun way of encouraging a child to read, at home with a parent or older sibling. The bags are being made by branches and deaneries to supply the Family Centre, which are run by the Diocesan Board of Social responsibility.
WORLDWIDE NEWS
News from our link Dioceses:
Perth
In her Christmas letter Patricia Pearce, the Link Correspondent, tells us that they are moving into summer, but have had some excellent falls of rain over the past two days, always a delight at this time of year, and more so as their rainfall had been well below average in the past year. Most of the farmers in Western Australia are having a poor wheat harvest, due to lack of rain and locusts damaging the crop.
Patricia tells of a wonderful event held in December, when 58 women from the Sudanese community were admitted to the Mothers' Union . The group will be known as the Balga Mirrabooka Branch and as the women's English improves, they hope to attract more women, besides the Sudanese refugees, who have been allowed to settle in Australia . So for these ladies, it's a new country with new beginnings, and we pray that they will find much fellowship in our growing movement. The Diocesan President, Ruth Spilsbury, conducted the service and the Diocesan Chaplain. The Venerable Kay Goldsworthy preached.
Patricia thanks us for our calendar, which she has placed in the Diocesan Office for all to see. She says that she likes to share it with the members.
Please remember Patricia and her family in your prayers. Her husband, Ron, has been diagnosed with Dementia of the Alzheimer's variety, and their daughter Katie, who has been suffering from seizures, more than usual recently, due to her epilepsy.
Regrettably, there were no other Christmas letters from our other Links, but they have been sent our greetings as usual, and I hope that we will have news from them sometime.
Kitui
A letter arrived recently from Anne Ikuche in which she tells of floods, which were devastating in the Mwingi Archdeaconry, of the diocese, in October. The majority of the community lost their shelters, all the crops in their gardens and some lost family members. She says that they continue to thank us through Mary Sumner House who sent relief funds. They are now struggling to reconstruct homes and some are residing in public schools, churches etc. The Government is doing little to help, but they thank God and the church for the help they are receiving.
She also tells us that they now have 40 women who have graduated on the Healthy Home Delivery programme. The training was given by the Ministry of Health and organised by the MU in Kitui Dioceses. She ends by sending her love to everyone in Swansea and Brecon Diocese, particularly all those she met on her visit here.
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