News & Diary Page
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Over seventy people were mesmerised as Joan Baker demonstrated
her artistic skills in Llansanffraid on Saturday November 19th at
the Community Hall. The event was organised by Mrs Viv Cook as part
of the fundraising for the remodernisation of St Ffraid’s Church.
Joan Baker is a renowned artist. She demonstrated the movement from
the beautiful simplicity of watercolour: creating a composition from
translating into brushstrokes the reality of the known image to the
journeying into mixed media for stronger statements about the
underlying energy in the landscape. Joan paints her way through her
life and for a day the people in Llansanffraid journeyed with her.
Joan is a church member in Bishop’s Castle and has a following of
local artists. The event raised £670 and church members provided
refreshments throughout the day. In total over £66 000 has been
raised by St Ffraid’s for this project.
Yesterday,
the closest Sunday to All Souls, people gathered to a service of
Remembrance for their loved ones. As well as the usual lighting of
candles in church bulbs were planted in a corner of the churchyard
to begin an eco memorial garden. Mrs Jennie Juckes (1658 finishing
touches) has responsibility for the development of the area.
St Ffraid’s re modelling fund three quarter way to its target
thanks to grant aid funding. The church held an enjoyable morning on
29th October in which Ann Kirkham (of Floranz and daughter of the
late Percy Thrower) demonstrated “Flowers with a touch of Sparkle”.
Over 75 people supported the event organised by Mrs Viv Cook, Grant
Co ordinator for the building project. The event raised £460 and Ann
kindly donated her two displays as raffle prizes.
A similar event will be held on November 19th, again in Llansanffraid Community with well known artist Joan Baker who will be demonstrating artistic skills. Tickets are selling well but always room for more. Please contact pampowell@micro-plus-web.net 01691 828244for further details.
St Ffraid’s is pleased to report that the car park is nearly completed and that both the Faculty and Planning Permission have been passed.
This will include:
· A new extension to house a toilet with baby changing facilities and kitchen.
· Removal of 2 pews each side from back to enlarge social area, welcoming area adjacent to new facilities.
· Removal of 2 front pews in front of pulpit to enable space for children / family service / concerts and other events.
· Removal of pews by North door to enable a quiet and more intimate space for prayer and counselling.
· Tidying up the existing vestry and inserting a door for security which will also provide a more comfortable meeting space.
We have started applying
for funding for this project and our target is £100 000. We have
currently reached £52,000 by local donations and Grant Aid.
Our latest donation of nearly £800 was from Cost Cutters in the
village. Thank you to Jamie and all the staff.
Llansantffraid and Llanfechain Diary
Many thanks to all who gave to the Llansanffraid appeal and to our Community Council for the grant from the recycling site.
A number of people from both churches have moved their regular giving to Gift Direct which means that we claim the gift aid monthly. Please contact Pam for further information on this.
The Grouped Parishes of Llansanffraid and Llanfechain
December 2011
Towards the end of the First Letter to Timothy, there is a
stirring passage:
“Charge those who are prosperous in this world not to be
over-confident. They shouldn’t set their hopes on something so
uncertain as wealth, but on God, who richly provides everything for
us to enjoy. People should work for good, rich in acts of kindness,
being open-handed and generous. In this way, they will store
up for themselves the best possible foundation for the future, and
take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6.17-19)
This same passage is the source of the phrase - the motto - that has
been chosen by the Standing Committee for the coming year: “Take
hold of the life that is truly life.”
This phrase calls us to begin the Church year by thinking about what
is really important in our lives. The claim of the Christian
faith is that there is a fullness of life that begins with faith in
Jesus Christ. True life is first found when we make our peace
with God, and let him into our lives. Jesus himself said “I
have come that you may have life, and life in all its abundance”
(John 10.10) and God was born as a baby in Bethlehem in order to
assure us of his forgiveness and welcome, if, like the prodigal son,
we will turn and journey towards our true home. Christian
discipleship begins when each of us comes to Christ and makes our
peace with him, a peace which is not based on any efforts to make
ourselves worthy, but on a letting go, an acceptance that God’s love
is unconditionally given.
Our diocese faces many challenges: learning to be a people,
who don’t just attend Church, but who become Church, and the
initiative lies with you. The diocese will be trying to get
its message across in various ways in the course of 2012. My
hope is that together we can fashion a local Church in which you
feel you have a vested interest; that offers teaching and fellowship
and a quality of worship and life that helps you to grow in
holiness. If our motto means anything, however, it means that
the initiative for change lies with each one of us, on our own
generous response to God’s love revealed in Jesus. May God
bless you in this holy season and in the coming year.
+ Gregory Llanelwy
28 November 2011, Advent Sunday
Regular services: Morning Prayer or the Morning
Office will continue at 8.30am in churches. (Tuesdays and Wednesdays
in Llanfechain and Mondays and Thursdays in Llansanffraid.) This is
a half hour service in which we pray for the World, the Church and
our Parishes, including individual concerns. Exceptions-26th-29th.
Thursday Communions at 10am in Llansanffraid. A said
Communion (1984 Rite/ Green Book) which is a half hour service.
The Vyrnwy Nursing Home is visited by the Pastoral Team for
Holy Communion. This month’s visits will take place at 2pm on 7th
and 21st
Prayer Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 7-8pm in
the Vicarage -6th and 20th this month.
Schools: Pam sometimes supported by other church members, is involved most of the day each Tuesday in both our schools.
4th December: Advent 2
Llansanffraid
8am Holy Communion
11am Holy Communion
Llanfechain
9.30am Holy Communion
11th December: Advent 3
Llansanffraid
11am Carol Service (in Church this year)
Llanfechain
9.30am Morning Service
3.30pm Carol Service
18th December: Advent 4
Llansanffraid
8am Holy Communion
11am Holy Communion with Baptism
Llanfechain
9.30am Holy Communion
25th December: Christmas Day
Llansanffraid
11am Holy Communion
Llanfechain
9.30am Holy Communion
During Advent there will be a Prayer Labyrinth (devised by Jane) in Llanfechain. Church is open daily as usual and lights will be left on. Please visit and give yourself and God some time in this busy period.
Christmas Party
All are invited to the Vicarage on Friday 16th December from 6.30pm.
Please sign up on the sheet at the back of churches to help us with
numbers.
From 28th November until 5th December there will be an exhibition of
work in St Ffraid’s by Robin
Those living in the village will receive a card giving details of
all our services. Thank you to all who will deliver them.
Christmas Eve Crib Services
Between 2pm and 3.30pm there will be a “Living Crib” moving around
Llanfechain village which will finish in St Garmon’s. Everyone
welcome but ready made shepherds and angels very welcome!! Children
must be accompanied to walk.
5pm Crib Service at St Ffraid’s, Llansanffraid
Again, ready made shepherds and angels very welcome!!
Christmas Eve at 11.30pm
Holy Communion and carols at both Llansanffraid and Llanfechain.
Will church members please donate mince pies for the Carol Services.
Thank you
New Year's Eve: There will be a short service in St Ffraid’s
Church before we ring in the New Year.
Refreshments in the Vicarage afterwards. Please let Pam
know if you intend coming to this.
Services on Christmas 1 (New Years Day)
8am (St Ffraid’s) and 9.30am (St Garmon’s) only. These will
be said services to give our organists a rest.
Please note that for the rest of January St Ffraid’s will be closed
for ceiling repairs and there will be joint services at Llanfechain
at 9.30am. Please let us know if you require transport. We really
hope that this won’t be considered “ a holiday” for the St Ffraid’s
congregation. 8th (Morning Prayer); 15th (HC) ;
22nd (Family Service); 29th (HC)
Other Dates
December 4th 6.30pm Choral Evensong and Advent Carols in Llansilin.
If you require a lift ask Pam
6th Staging into St Ffraid’s for school performance
13th Llansanffraid school performances at 1.30pm and 6pm
17th 10-12 Rehearsal for those involved in the Crib Service in
Llansanffraid
20th School services in both churches
January 2012
Saturday 14th Coffee Morning at The Vicarage in aid of The
Living Stones Trail
29th January at 3pm. Caereinion and Llanfyllin Deaneries will
celebrate their merger with a Service for Candlemas at St Mary’s
Church, Llanfair Caereinion. Bishop Gregory to preside.
A Happy and Blessed New Year from all at The Vicarage
News Archive
Confirmation September 2008
Some of our 08 Confirmees with Bishop John on his last
Confirmation in our
Deanery. We wish Bishop John and Mrs Davies a long and happy
retirement.
St Ffraid's Church, Llansantffraid
Some of the animals who came to our blessing service yesterday. Rather wind swept but terapins, guinea pigs, ducks and a range of dogs brought their owners to worship. The talk was given by our local community vet-Mr Mark Overend who talked of the awe and wonder of his work particularly in the field of cardiology.
In
March this year we held a Celebration of Marriage in St Ffraid's'
church. This year our sister church, St Garmon's Church,
Llanfechain has hosted more weddings than in the last 20 years.
Half of these are Roman Catholic weddings and we are proud to
share our church with another denomination. There have also been
more weddings booked in Llansantffraid this year and our two
churches are enjoying developing a ministry to couples and young
families.
Easter
As usual we enjoyed a full week of services with our Worship Leaders leading the evening services.
This year Bruno led the Palm Sunday procession from the Community Hall to church and on Wednesday of Holy Week we enjoyed a pilgrimage to Pennant Melangell.
Confirmation
Bishop John after the Deanery Confirmation on 23rd September at St Ffraid's. Fifteen of the confirmees were from our parishes and we look forward to them all getting involved in our church life through youth events, Pathfinders and Family Services.
(Click on the pictures for a larger view)
Llansantffraid hosted a day for all those in the Llanfyllin Deanery preparing for Confirmation.
Favourite part- definitely the lunchtime BBQ!
Pathfinders
(Click on the pictures for a larger view)
Members of Pathfinders from Llansantffraid and Llanfechain Churches joined together on 1st August to enjoy a day at Redridge Adventure Centre on one of the sunniest days of the year. The group were challenged at heights, through artificial caves and on water. Pathfinders will start again on Mondays (Llansantffraid) and Thursdays (Llanfechain) with a lot more resources - thanks to a grant from the Archbishop of Wales' Fund for Children.