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The VisionPrayerFather,We hold before you our familyin the Diocese of Swansea andBrecon and we open our heartsand minds to your Spirit:

Bless us as we gather in yourname;guide us as we growinto the likeness of your Son;lead us by your Spirit to go outand make disciples of others.

God of our journeying, be ourwayand our truth and our life;our beginning and our end.

We pray through Jesus ourLord.

Amen.

Gweddi EinGweledigaethDad,Dygwn ger dy fron ein teulu ynEsgobaeth Abertawe acAberhonddu.

Agorwn ein calonnau a'nmeddyliau i'th Ysbryd:

Bendithia ni wrth innigyd-gyfarfod yn dy enw;arwain ni wrth inni dyfu ar lundy Fab;tywys ni â'th Ysbryd i fynd allana gwneud disgyblion o eraill.

Dduw ein siwrneio, bydd diein ffordd, a'n gwirionedd, a'nbywyd;ein dechrau a'n diwedd.

Gweddiwn trwy lesu einHarglwydd.

Amen.

ISSUE NO. 19

DIOCESANNEWS

NEWYDDIONO’R ESGOBAETH

T H E D I O C E S E O F S W A N S E A & B R E C O N

Y R E S G O B A E T H A B E R T A W E A C A B E R H O N D D U

HOW CAN WALES ANDITS CHURCHES RESPONDTO THE GLOBAL FOODSYSTEM’S CHALLENGES?

GATHERING AS GOD’S PEOPLE GROWING MORE LIKE JESUS GOING OUT IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT

With hardworking farmers and ordinary peopleeverywhere facing the highest food prices in ageneration and the rise in number of people in the UKneeding to use food banks, what role does the churchhave to play in food, farming and sustainabledevelopment? What are the links between local andglobal farming concerns? IF Wales plays its part, couldwe see an end to global hunger?

On the first day of the RWAS, Geraint Hopkins, Cytûn’sPolicy Officer, chaired an IF campaign panel discussionbetween the Rt Rev’d John Davies, (Lead Bishop forRural Affairs and Chair of Christian Aid Wales’ NationalCommittee), Cathrin Daniel (Head of Christian AidWales), Elen Jones (National Coordinator Fair TradeWales) and Llyr Huws Gruffydd (North Wales AM).Points of discussion ranged from funding to...

Continued on page 4

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Dear Friends,

I’ve just come from a visit to theannual Diocesan Youth Camporganised by Fr Neil Hook, theBishop’s Officer for Youth, andhis team of leaders and helpers.It was good, very good, toengage with some welcomingand lively young people who

expressed a clear interest in exploring the things of the faith andthe call to be Christians.

WHAT DIDTHEYOUNG PEOPLE SAY?

I was told that good work happens in some places and excellentcontacts are established with young people and with families.But, deeply troubling was to hear some terrible tales of inertia insome places around the Diocese where little or no prayerful orfinancial support is given to work with young people or familiesand where plans for outreach just don’t exist. It seems that insome places, the recommendations of the Provincial Review thatfresh engagement with the young and with families is essentialto our life as a church, and that creative thinking about outreachmust be happen have fallen on deaf ears.

AREWE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT FAMILIES ANDTHEYOUNG?

Because this cannot be allowed to happen, plans are alreadyunderway for the special appointments of particular individualsto groups of deaneries or, as they come into being, MinistryAreas. There these people will have responsibility for gatheringtogether teams of people to actively pursue engagement withyoung people and families. These people will work closely withNeil and with Liz Kirlew, Bishop’s Officer for Families, to whomwe owe, as a Diocese, a great debt of thanks for all they do.

WHAT ABOUT DEVELOPINGMORE LAY-MINISTRY

In addition to appointments such as these, I will shortly beappointing a Bishop’s Officer for Lay-Training and asking theBoard of Finance to authorise better financial support for bothtraining and communication.

BUTWE’RE UP AGAINST IT!

This is the reality in many places as we seek to maintain ourcurrent way of being church. But that way has to change andpatterns of how we minister have to change too. None of thenew appointments or new ventures is a luxury. Each of them iscrucial to our answering the call to become, afresh, the people ofGod and the welcoming presence of Christ in our communities.

Already there are many places where things are on the move andwhere challenges to change and grow are being enthusiasticallyembraced. The feedback from this year’s Visitations indicates thatyou are up for it in most places. So, to those of you in parishesand deaneries where some of these challenges are already beingaddressed as part of our Diocesan Vision, I say a hearty and loud‘Well done!’

SO, AREYOUTALKING ABOUTTHE CHALLENGE?

If your parish is lamenting the lack of younger people in its life,worried about a gloomy future, just committed to keeping thefamiliar show on the road and fearful of change:

• You might inquire whether the special PCC meeting at whichthe Diocesan Vision is to be the only item on the agenda hashappened.

• You might ask your Parochial Church Council when it lastdiscussed work with and outreach to families and youngpeople.

• You might ask whether your PCC has considered planningan event or a series of activities aimed engaging with them.

• You might ask if they have considered applying to theDiocesan Mission Fund for a grant to kick-start planning forsuch an initiative.

If these things have not happened or are not planned,something is wrong and needs to change because, let’s face it,people who don’t come to church or engage in our activities are,often, not hostile to what the faith represents or what the LordJesus teaches, but they do, very often, find the way in which wepresent it as uninviting and weird. It’s we who have to change ifthey are to change.

DIOCESAN NEWS - FROM BISHOP JOHNSEPTEMBER 2013

To try and ensure that this Committee has a fresh purpose, itis proposed to significantly reduce its membership form thepresent 42 - utterly impractical - to about 15. The purpose of thenewly structured Committee is to ensure that the DiocesanVision initiative and changes to the life of the Church in Walesrecommended by Provincial Review and accepted by theGoverning Body, are kept high on the agenda of our diocesanlife. In relation to the Review, the two major recommendationswhich have thus far been accepted are those which relate to thecreation of Ministry Areas which are to be served by Ministry

Teams. For specialist advice or input, the Committee will be ableto co-opt others or invite others to particular meetings.

Changes such as those which the Committee will recommendwill require much new understanding of the ministry of all God’speople and the special training of lay and ordained ministers toserve in local areas. Schemes for the development and deliveryof this training are already planned; and it is expected that theywill become available to people selected for ministry in the nearfuture.

DIOCESAN STANDING COMMITTEE

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The delivery of the agenda set by the Standing Committee is tobe overseen from January 2014 by a newly-established MinistryCouncil. The membership of this Council will, again, be modest,and will include some of the Bishop’s Officers, who overseeparticular areas of Diocesan Life such as Mission, Ministry,Children and Families work. The Council and the Committee willwork closely together and, in doing so, will provide a much morefocussed and coherent strategy for the future.

MINISTRY COUNCIL

DIOCESANCONFERENCE

PARISH SHARE- A THANK YOU

For many years the Parish of Killay has run a successful “Pramgroup” on a Monday afternoon. The dedicated band of helpersand leaders are always looking for ways to give things a boost. AsPart of their Parish Vision they have been considering how theymay set up a Messy Church but God had another idea.

Almost as an answer to Prayer the Children and families workerfrom the Parish of Sketty (Sian Parkhouse) called the Vicar andasked to meet. She wanted to give some feedback that she hadbeen given by people who cross parish boundaries to go tothings that she does in Sketty as well as to the Pram group inKillay.

After a discussion Sian offered her services for one Mondayafternoon a month to lead a kind of what has been termedCreative tots. This would involve crafts activities based around abible story, similar to Messy Church without the meal. Fr Tim isgrateful to Canon Knight for agreeing to this and they both seeit as a positive move towards developing a Ministry Area.

Fr. Tim said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for the two parishes towork together with a lay worker taking the lead. It also fits in withthe Diocesan Vision. Our Vision Prayer includes the phrase “lead usby your Spirit to go out and make disciples of others” and this in oursmall way is an attempt to connect with one group of People in oursociety. To sow a seed to help ourselves and others to grow more likeJesus.”

The project is to start in September. Please remember them inyour prayers.

PRAM GROUP GETS FAITH LIFT

This year’s conference takes place on Saturday, October 12th,and many of the themes, challenges and opportunities aboutwhich I’ve written will be on the agenda there. To those of youwho are members, I look forward to seeing you and to your fullanticipation in our ongoing discussions. To those of you who arenot conference members, I do hope that you will get to see theConference Report and that all parishes and PCC’s will ask forfeedback from your elected members.

Neither our ministry as it is currently being delivered across theDiocese nor ministry as we hope it will be in the future can existwithout your ongoing financial support via the Parish Share.Clergy Stipends will increase by 1.6% in January 2014 and, justas with our own homes, other costs continue to rise. So, to thoseof you who continue to give to help us maintain, deliver andplan for better things, my warmest thanks. To the many whoregularly review their giving to keep pace with inflation, evenwarmer thanks to you!

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...middle-income countries, trust in aid agencies and the age-oldsaying ‘charity begins at home’. But drawing the most interestwas the question, “to what extent would we have to live on less toachieve a fairer global food system?”

“It’s a fallacy that we have to sacrifice all”, said Cathrin Daniel. “Weoften talk about the ‘poverty trap’, but what about the ‘wealth trap’?Are we afraid of not constantly becoming wealthier? Perhaps whatis needed is for us to remove fear from the equation and for us to bejoyful about believing there is enough for everyone - maybe it’s ourperception of ‘enough’ that needs to change.”

Speaking as a Christian, a politician and a human being,Assembly Member Llyr Huws Gruffydd, underlined eachindividual’s right to life, to food and drink. Responding withanother question, “are we willing to give up our fortnight in thesun?”, something we feel we “deserve”, he notes that the IFcampaign is not about necessarily expecting less, but about“understanding that we need a cultural shift in expectations”.

If Christians are called to be good news to the poor, Bishop JohnDavies called on Wales’ churches to seek after a fair share of theearth’s resources. He warned how easy it is for us to be toopreoccupied with our own business that we forget to speak outfor the neglected and the abused.

Elen Jones underlined the importance of Welsh legislation intackling global poverty and hunger and challenged thepeople of Wales to be gutsy in calling for strong legislation onSustainable Development. Llyr Gruffydd noted that weshouldn’t fear this - legislation is not about expecting less,but in realising potential in alternative means of maintainingwhat we currently have, for example through investing inrenewable energy.

The audience was left with a call to action to challenge thedistribution of wealth and power over resources through callingfor tax justice and fair trade.

• Take further action on tax dodging

http://act.christianaid.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=48&ea.campaign.id=21073

• Ensure your church and community is Fair Tradewww.fairtradewales.com/fair-trade-nation/faith-groups

Dean Cycles on behalf of the homeless in Wales and the hungryaround the world.

During the last week of August Dean Geoffrey joined ShelterCymru’s latest cycling challenge - 275 miles in 4 days along Ireland’sCooper Coast between Rosslare, Dungarvan and Kinsale. He cycledwith a dozen other people - and at nearly 66 he was the oldest.

Two years ago he cycled from Brecon to Paris in 5 days and raisednearly £10,000 for Shelter and a young people’s music fund inBrecon. This time the first £1,500 will go to Shelter, the next£1,000 to Christian Aid and the next £1,000 to new Brecon FoodBank. If he raises more than £3500 the surplus will be sharedequally between Shelter Cymru and Christian Aid.

The easiest way to support him is via the website:www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/deanofbrecon

HOW CANWALES AND ITS CHURCHES RESPONDTO THE GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEM’S CHALLENGES?JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE G8 SUMMIT IN NORTHERN IRELAND, CHRISTIAN AID AND WALES’ CHURCHESUNITE AT THE ROYAL WELSH AGRICULTURAL SHOW TO CALL FOR AN END TO GLOBAL HUNGER.

DEAN CYCLES ON BEHALF OF THE HOMELESS INWALES AND THE HUNGRY AROUND THE WORLD.

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SEE THE SHOW - READ THE BOOKBIBLICAL BLOCKBUSTER RETURNS TO SWANSEA

ARIOSA SINGERS SUMMERVISIT TO SPAIN

The all time family favourite musical, Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat, returns to Swansea Grand Theatre forone week only from Tues 10th - Sat 14th September and stars Ian‘H’Watkins in the lead role.

This colourful retelling of the biblical story about Joseph, hiseleven brothers and the coat of many colours sings out to youngand old alike with a score which is wall to wall hits, including‘Close Every Door’ and ‘Any Dream Will Do’.

Having enjoyed sensational reviews, Bill Kenwright’s“AMAZING”,“SUPERB”, “WONDERFUL” and “BRILLIANT” production ofTim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling family musicalcontinues to enjoy huge success across the country withstanding ovations at every performance.

Performances are at 7.30pm on Tuesday, 2.00pm and 7.30pmonWednesday and Thursday, Friday at 5.00pm and 8.00pmand Saturday at 2.00pm, 5.00pm & 8.00pm.

Tickets for this magical musical are available from SwanseaGrand Theatre’s Box Office on 01792 475715 or can bereserved online at www.swanseagrand.co.uk Prices are£14.00 - £28.00* with selected concessions available.

* All tickets are subject to a 50p Restoration Fund contribution.

The Ariosa Singers, the youthchoir affiliated to All SaintsChurch Oystermouth, visitedSpain in the summer holidays.They gave sacred concertsin Barcelona and GironaCathedrals; Sant Roma Church,Loret de Mar; Montserrat Basilicaand sang secular music atClaustre Hostalric (see photo).The Singers are directed byPenny Ryan OBE, choral directorof music at All Saints and theywere accompanied by organistLeslie Ryan and pianist ThomasWilliams. Around a third of theSingers are also choristers in thechurch choir.

On their return home fromSpain, the Ariosa Singersembarked on a busy schedule ofrehearsals that will culminate in a performance, with soloists andorchestra of Haydn’s ‘The Creation’. Friends and parents willaugment the Ariosas as a community choral event. The concert

will open the All Saints Alive September Music Festival.

www.ariosasingers.com

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Canon Janet Russell writes: ‘Growing More Like Jesus’, theDiocesan Bible Study Guide has a session where members ofthe group are invited to bring a gadget that they findindispensible - and then to tell the rest of the group aboutwhy it was so valuable to them.

In our session everyone brought something and we each madea short presentation to the others. No-one was shy - in factpeople were really engaging as they described or demonstratetdthe objects they had brought. In telling their stories theyautomatically shared something of their own lives; how theyhad discovered the gadget, why it was important to them -and why they would recommend it to others.

We really enjoyed the insights that this activity gave us but itwas just as important to realise that talking about somethingthat is important to us is not difficult and can be great fun.

Almost all of think that talking to someone about Jesus borderson the impossible, maybe even in bad taste; why? Do we find itdifficult to acknowledge that he is central to our lives? Well,probably not, but sometimes we make it harder for ourselves byassuming that other people wouldn’t be interested in finding outabout what makes us tick.

My business cards have all my details on one side and on theother (the ‘spare’ side) there is a picture, ‘Pure in Heart’, by PaulHobbs, and there are questions. One of them is this, “Gospelstories, what’s yours?”. We forget that the gospel didn’t stop oncethe New Testament was written down. The Good News keeps onhappening, keeps on transforming lives. It is re-written over andover again in every Christian life.

I wonder; what are the gospel stories that your life tells?

The Rev’d EldonPhillips one of theChaplains at SingletonHospital is set to gettastebuds flaring witha curry named in hishonour.

Eldon admitted he washonoured to be given pride of place on the menu at the Ali Rajrestaurant in Llanelli.

Eldon who is also The Scarlets chaplain is a regular at the TrinityRoad restaurant, and now all customers can have a taste of a dishhe has spent years helping to perfect.

“The curry is hot and spicy - a bit like the Rev Eldon!” he said.

“I go there every week, and this is something Faruk the chef hasconcocted over my visits - we make little changes here and there.”

“They adapt it every week for me, and now they have put it on themenu for everyone to try.”

“It's described as a spicy, garlicky, hot curry.”

Eldon has travelled to India on two missionary visits, witnessingextreme poverty in some of the most remote villages.

“What I've done over the past year or so is spoken to three or fourgroups of school children about my trips,” he said.

“The restaurant welcomes schools - they tell the children how theycook the meals, and let them taste some of the dishes.”

“It's a nice experience for them.”

Restaurant owner Anwar Ali said Eldon's curry was attractingquite a lot of attention.

“Surprisingly people have been trying it since it was put on themenu,” he said.

“It's a talking point, and then people want to give it a try.”

GOSPEL STORIES

HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN GIVES NAME TO CURRY

SWANSEA UNIVERSITYTHEOLOGY PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES

MICHAELMAS TERM 2013"Is Forgiveness Immoral?"

by Professor Nigel Biggar(Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Oxford University)

7.00pm onMonday, 28th October

"Can we know anything about the historical Jesus?"by Dom HenryWansbrough OSB

(Ampleforth Abbey York; former Master of St Benet's Hall Oxford)7.00pm onMonday, 11th November

'"The brush's piety": R.S.Thomas's painting poems'By ProfessorWynn Thomas

(Professor of English at Swansea Universityand Literary Executor for R.S.Thomas)

7.00pm onWednesday, 27th November

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ADRIAN PLASS RETURNS TO THE DIOCESEThis autumn the Diocese will be hosting three events with theChristian Speaker Adrian Plass. We were delighted, in 2004, towelcome him to Brecon Cathedral for one of our ‘Renewal’ Daysand a few years later he made a return to the Diocese and spokeat St Mary’s Swansea. Now we are pleased to announce that hewill be coming again this November along with his wife Bridgetwho is a writer and speaker herself.

Saturday November 23rd in Sketty Parish Hall10.00am - 3.00pm - A day event that is open to all.

Sunday November 24th at St. Paul’s SkettyAdrian Plass will preach at the morning services.

Sunday November 24th at Sketty Parish Hall2.30pm - 4.30pm - an afternoon event that is open to all.

Most of us are aware of Adrian as being the author of the‘SacredDiaries’ and some of the other books he has written over theyears including ‘Never Mind the Reversing Ducks’ and ‘BlindSpots in the Bible’ but now he is returning to his first subject aswe will see shortly.

For the last four years Adrian and Bridget have been members ofScargill Community in North Yorkshire, committed to offeringhomely hospitality and bespoke ministry to guests, and supportto a growing international community. They have recently

moved offsite in order forAdrian to spend more timeconcentrating on writing. Theresult is his 36th book, a newSacred Diary (“Adrian Plassand the Church Weekend”) toadd to that popular series.

Adrian and Bridget continueto travel widely, performingsketches, stories and poems in a variety of venues, oftensupporting their chosen charities, Toy box, World Vision,Frontier Youth Trust and Sailor’s Society. Free time favourites?Indian food, walking their dog Lucy, relaxing with their four adultchildren and attending evensong in Durham Cathedral.

This is an excellent opportunity to come and hear one ofour most experienced Christian Speakers whose mixture ofsincerity, humour and compassion as well as provoking insightsinto the scriptures will be a real benefit to all who come. Ifyou don’t know where the Sketty Parish Centre and are goingto use SAT NAV the postcode) is SA2 9AR. More detailsabout the event are on the Vision website:

(http://www.gatheringgrowinggoing.com)

The Church in Wales’ proposals toimplement changes to the way itorganises itself presents a good time toremind ourselves of the saying ‘Theonly thing that is constant is change’,something we can all relate to.

Certainly in my own life’s journey changehas played a major role and the same

could be said of my spiritual journey. In both instances, for themost part, it was not predictable.

Looking back I see that change was often due to circumstance,none more so than when I came to Wales as a child and startedattending a local Gospel Hall simply because it was convenientlysituated near my family’s home. Because of that circumstance Imet the person who gave me my first experience of coming toknow the love of Christ; that person was my Sunday school teacher,to whom I am eternally grateful.

As a young adult my life’s journey, because of work commitments,continued in other countries; first in Zambia where unbelievably,just across the road from where my husband and I lived, there wasa Gospel Hall. Here my spiritual journey witnessed what can onlybe described as the most colourful and joyous expression of faithbecause if ever there was enthusiasm for the Lord, it was in thatHall. The congregation, some having walked several miles on dustypaths from outlying villages, would turn up with Sunday best shoesin hand, only putting them on when they reached the steps thatled up to the Hall door. In that Hall the vibrant colours of thecongregation’s clothing was equally matched by the vibrant andjoyful singing that carried loudly on the still and warm African airof Sunday mornings.

Those memories, along with the unforgettable sight of the mightyVictoria Falls situated between Zambia and the then Rhodesia, nowZimbabwe, displayed the power of God and the wonder of hiscreation in all its magnificence.

Following Zambia my life’s journey continued in Liberia, the onceAmerican slave colony from where, in the nineteenth century,Africans were shipped to America to become slaves. During mytime in Liberia it found success in trading its rubber and iron ore

with the rest of the world. Sadly of course, during the latenineteen eighties the country slipped into civil war but has, onceagain, endured over adversity and is now engaged in rebuildingprogrammes.

Liberia heralded further changes for me, when I became thewidowed mother of two small boys. When they asked why theirfather had to die I had no adequate answer because I was askingmyself the same question; for the first time I questioned where Godfitted into our lives. Just like Thomas I wasted no time in doubtingJesus’resurrection from the dead let alone that he had died for me;a belief I had accepted without question before.

Of course while my faith tottered God stood firm. Now back inBritain with a career in the Civil Service I found my faith sustainedme when a significant number of my closest family died within ashort space of time, between them leaving a large gap in the livesof my sons and mine. Because of those experiences, I came tobelieve we do not own tomorrow, for as it says in the epistle ofJames: “Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go tosuch and such a town and spend a year there, [...]. Yet you do noteven know what tomorrow will bring. [...] Instead you ought to say,If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that”(Jas 4.13-15).

Reflecting on Jesus’ tortuous journey to the cross and hisresurrection that reminds us afresh of the hope of everlasting lifeand on my ordination to the priesthood; I know that the changesto my spiritual and life’s journey have between them, shaped theperson I now am, my ecumenical thinking and my ministry.

I believe, despite the changes we may encounter during each ofour lifetimes, that as believers in the risen Jesus Christ, we are ableto stand firm in the knowledge that Christ provides us with certain

constancy in our individualspiritual journeys despitethe changes we mightencounter.

Rev’d Carol Davies

Assistant Curate,Parish of Llwynderw

‘THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONSTANT IS CHANGE’

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Copy for the next edition to the Editor (Fr. Tim Williams, The Vicarage, Goetre Fach Road, Killay, Swansea SA2 7SG.E.mail: fr_tim_williams@ntlworld.com) no later than 18th October please.

Kingsbridge Print Ltd: 01792 897321

DON’T STIGMATISE ADDICTS SAYS BISHOPBishop John speaking at the opening of the KaleidoscopeCentre in Llandrindod Wells said that it’s too easy to stigmatisepeople with drug or alcohol addictions and to blame them fortheir situation

He said that, whilst there may be a small number of people whofind themselves in addiction out of choice, there were manymore who turn to substance abuse out of despair or because ofa failure to cope with the pressures of their lives. “It’s just too easyto caricature those with addictions and to stigmatise them asselfish or stupid. All too often addiction results from traumaticexperiences in life or even an inability to cope with life, aninability which leads some people to seek refuge in addictivesubstances and behaviours. For those who turn to drugs or it can bethe first step on a very slippery slope, the end of which can be theruin of their lives and the lives of those around them.”

Kaleidoscope has now established itself as a major substancemisuse service in South Wales. There are Kaleidoscope, which hasits origins in the 1960’s in a Baptist Church in Kingston-upon-Thames, runs a number of centres in England and Wales,including those in Llandrindod Wells and Brecon and is a major

substance misuse service in South Wales, providing support topeople with drug and alcohol problems, and enabling them tomake positive changes in their lives. At the heart of its work is arespect for the dignity and value of all, and its vision is toprovide life enhancing services to people in their communities.

Asking why a Bishop should be asked to open the Llandrindodproject, Bishop John said “Just as it’s easy to caricature addicts, soit’s also easy to caricature Christianity and the Gospel which areactually about being good news for people in need and trying tobring them fullness of life.” He added that, because those withaddictions sometimes turned to crime to provide the means tofeed their addictions, helping them to escape from theiraddiction was of benefit not only to addicts themselves, butalso to the communities where they lived.

This year’s Diocesan Conference will be held in Brecon CathedralSaturday 12th October. Conference starts at 10.00am and willend around 12.30pm. This will be the first meeting of the newtriennium, when members will be addressing the key issuesraised in the Church in Wales Review, published in July 2012.

The formal role of the Diocesan Conference is set out in theConstitution of the Church in Wales. In addition to the formalitiesof the Conference, there is an opportunity for open discussionon current issues facing the Diocese,the Province and the wider ChristianChurch. Membership includes allserving Diocesan Clergy, together withelected lay members from Parishesand Deaneries. Licenced Readers andOrdinands, who are not electedConference members, are also invitedto attend in a non-voting capacity.

This year’s programme will include:

• receiving of formal reports

• results of recent elections to serveon Diocesan and Provincial groups

• presentations and discussions onthe roll-out of the Diocesan Visionand initial ideas on thedevelopment of Ministry Areas

• a presentation by The LAB, aNewport based worshipping

community, offering us an insight into a different approachto ‘doing church’, the LAB made an inspiring presentationto the April meeting of the Governing Body, for moreinformation on The Lab see GB Highlights on the Church inWales website http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/

• The LAB will also be leading Conference members inworship

Early in September, all Conferencemembers and parishes willbe receiving copies of the ConferenceReport. Congregations are encouragedto prayerfully read the reports priorto conference and raise questions forConference through your electedConference members. This is animportant opportunity for individualsand PCCs to influence how the missionand ministry of the Gospel will be madea reality in the Diocese of Swansea &Brecon.

Rev’d Nigel DoyleDiocesan Clerical Secretary

DIOCESAN CONFERENCE 2013