60p CREDO 1. February The Parish Magazine of Christ Church, Roath Park Lake Road North, CARDIFF CF 23 5QN. Volume 23 Issue 1.

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1 CREDO 1 60p Volume 23 Issue 1 The Parish Magazine of Christ Church, Roath Park Lake Road North, CARDIFF CF 23 5QN Ash Wednesday: a good time to admit you are sorry Have you done something which haunts you? Which makes you feel restless and defensive, every time you think of it? Why not deal with it this month, and put it behind you? Whatever your mistake has been, consider what the Bible has to say to you: I have not come to call the virtuous but sinners to repentance (said Jesus). (Luke 5.32) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55.7) Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. (Joel 2:12-13) God is inviting you to come to him this Ash Wednesday. What a wonderful offer! Make the most of it, and remember how the prodigal son was welcomed back by his compassionate father. Parish Pump Leap Year 29th February 2016 brings us a Leap Year. We need to add this extra day every four years in order to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth s revolutions around the Sun. The problem is very simple: our calendar has 365 days, but it actually takes days (a tropical year) to circle once around the Sun. That means we are out by nearly six hours a year. Four times six hours is 24 hours - hence an extra day every four years. Adding the extra day in February goes back to Julius Caesar in 45 BC. In his Julian Calendar, February was the last month of the year, and 24th February was Leap Year Day. Parish Pump Annual Subscriptions for to Molly Hughes in envelope marked Credo With full name & address on the back of the envelope Please note that articles for the March edition of Credo NO LATER than 14th Feb Handwritten or on a named memory stick in RTF February 2016 Ash Wednesday 10th Feb pm Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes Sunday Evening LENT Reflections from 14th February More Big Questions At Christ Church & St Denys, Lisvane See page 8 Page 2.February Diary; Thought for the Month; Page 3 Our Vicar Trystan Writes; Who s Who Page 4.Curate s page Page 5.Benedictine Quiet Day; Church Family; Page 6. Number Please! Page 7.Church Hall update Page 8.Coming Events Page 9 Carols & Mince Pies; Youth group Page 10 Our Page Page 11 Crossword; Ghana; Music; new Curate Page 12 Notice Board

2 2 CREDO Tuesday 2 nd Thursday 4 th FEBRUARY DIARY am noon Church open for PRAYER 9.30 am Holy Eucharist (tea & coffee to follow) Sunday 7 th TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY 8.00 am Holy Eucharist am FAMILY SERVICE pm Youth Social at Minny St. Church 6.00 pm Service of Light Wednesday 10th ASH WEDNESDAY 7.30 pm Eucharist & Imposition of Ashes Sunday 14 th LENT am Holy Eucharist am Parish Eucharist & Funky Church 6.00 pm Lent reflection: The refugee Crisis: Who cares? - Revd Aled Edwards OBE (Wales Committee of the Equalities & Human Rights commission) Thursday 18 th 9.30 am Holy Eucharist (tea & coffee to follow) Sunday 21 st LENT am Parish Eucharist. Visit of Bishop Michael Lewis - Diocese of Cyprus & Gulf J Walkers Youth Group & Funky Church 6.00 pm at St Denys, Lisvane - Lent Reflection: What can we learn about race from South Africa - Revd Kent Middleton Sunday 28 th LENT am Holy Eucharist am Parish Eucharist & Funky Church 6.00 pm Lent Reflection: Different & exciting ways of doing church Revd Wendy Taylor (Diocesan Pioneer Ministry Officer) March Saturday 5 th Parish Pilgrimage to the Galilee Chapel, Llantwit Major - see weekly newsletter Sunday 6 th LENT 4 MOTHERING SUNDAY 8.00 am Holy Eucharist am FAMILY SERVICE 6.00 pm at St Denys, Lisvane - Lent reflection: Ethics in Medicine - Professor Jonathan Richards (Visiting Professor of Primary Care at The University of Wales) Prayers for Healing am every Wednesday in Parish Office Other services & activities as announced in the newsletter DATES for your DIARY Saturday 19th March 2016: Benedictine Quiet Day at Christ Church Saturday 9th July: Festival of Prayer at St Michael s College (leaflets in Porch) ConneXion Groups meet once a month - list in newsletter If you would like to join one of the groups please contact Trystan Thought for the Month Lent. For me, You are a soily field, Fresh-turned after the Stickle-backed frosts of winter yields To the sun s caress Within your folds, still sleeping, lie The hard-husked seeds of Summer s joy Flesh fruits that Gave the oil, made the wine flow. We wait their stirring, look for the green Of fragile Spring, The harbinger of the soul s return And a golden Harvest. CHRIST CHURCH YOUTH The J Walkers group are meeting on the following occasions: 7 th February Minny St. Church pm 21 st and 28 th February 7.00pm 8.30pm in Christ Church 20 th March pm in Christ Church

3 CREDO 3 Who am I? Dear friends The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favour (Isaiah 61: Luke 4:18-19) These words, from Isaiah, are the words Jesus chooses to read aloud when he starts his public ministry at his home synagogue. This reading sums up who Jesus is. By choosing these verses, he s saying this is what the Messiah is all about this is what I m all about; this is what I m ushering in a new way of looking at God, a new way of looking at the world, a new way of treating people. And where he stops in the Isaiah passage is no coincidence either. He stops just before a line that adds and the day of vengeance of our God. So, he s saying: this is what the Messiah is about, this is what God is about love, not judgement; grace, not retribution. Jesus carefully chose this passage, then. It summarises his identity, it s his mission, it s who he is. Identity is an important thing in our society. Who am I?, we ask ourselves, sometimes consciously, but sometimes it s just a question that lies at the foundation of our everyday existence. The rock icon David Bowie was someone who knew something about the power of identity, going through, as he did, different reincarnations in his music and stage personas. But what was interesting about the reaction to his recent passing was how many people talked about his music, persona, and fashion helping them find their own identity. I read one article entitled How David Bowie Helped Me Figure Out Who I Am and another, from The Guardian newspaper, entitled For those of us whose identity is slippery, David Bowie was a secular saint. You might think the grief people felt at a stranger s death was rather strange, but to many people he was significant because he helped them explore that question Who am I? he helped forge and define their identities. Identity is certainly important to us. It helps us define ourselves, gives us security, helps us to engage with others, helps us to feel empathy and compassion. All of us will search for meaning and identity in life I m a man or woman, I m Welsh, English, or South African, I m black or white, I m gay or straight, I m married or single, I m a football fan or a rugby fan, and so on. Our identities are not bad things, and are often to be celebrated. But, as Christians, we must not cling too tightly to them they are not things that define us to our very core. As Christians, our challenge is to look beyond how we define ourselves. By following Christ, we actually take on a new identity, and it is that identity that should define our thoughts and our actions. In his letter to the Philippians, St Paul urges us to take on the mind of Christ. In other words, our call is to actually become Christ, to root our ultimate identity in him. At baptism, the early church told new believers that they had become christoi ( Christs ). By becoming Christ, our minds change, our actions change, our hearts change. We discard the I in us and replace it with Christ himself. This is what you are subscribing to by being a Christian, not the Creed, the Gloria, or the Eucharist. They may well be important to us, but they re only important because they help us be Christ. The core of a Christian s identity is a commitment to becoming Christ. By forging a relationship with him, we are able to live him out in our everyday life. We do that by looking at the words that Jesus chose from Isaiah to define himself and saying that s also what I m all about, that s also who I am, that s also where my identity lies. Imagine how individuals, communities, and society would be transformed if all persons who called themselves Christian, really did live out the words that Jesus chose to start his ministry. That s our call as Christians... to show there is good news to the poor; to proclaim freedom for those who are imprisoned by guilt, by shame, by their past; to promise new life for those who are suffering and in pain; to campaign, and work for, freedom for those who have been oppressed and downtrodden; to proclaim the Lord s favour on those who see no hope, those who see no light. This is what our community here in Christ Church is all about. Yours in Christ, Trystan WHO S WHO at Christ Church Lake Road North Cardiff CF23 5QN Priest in charge: Rev.Trystan Owain Hughes Tel: Curate: Rev. Kent Middleton Obl.CR Parish Secretary Denise Searle:contact Parish office Parish Office & Hall Enquiries Tel: christchurch-cardiff@tiscali.co.uk Web site: Church Wardens Haydn Hopkins Tel: Colin Francis Tel: Reader Dominic de Saulles P CC Secretary Judith Hill Tel: Treasurer John Hodgson Tel: Gift Aid Secretary Gerald Bradnum Tel: Electoral Roll Officer David Alexander Tel: Magazine Editor John Griffiths Tel: Sacristan Len Bowker Tel: Assistant: Haydn Hopkins Tel: Organist /Choir Julie Waller Tel: Funky Church Karen Payne Tel: Sandra Tel: Flower Rota Organiser Sylvia Dowell Tel: Churches Together Julie Waller Tel:

4 4 CREDO From our curate Revd Kent Middleton Obl CR Approaching Lent... Dear friends, In a matter of days, with our traditional observance of Ash Wednesday, our 40- day journey through Lent will begin. We will be called as a People of God to foster a deeper spirituality nourished by fasting, prayer, quiet meditation and listening to God. As we approach Lent we focus on the Gospel passage describing the Transfiguration of Christ. This mountain-top experience is considered, by (philosopher & theologian), Thomas Aquinas to be one of the greatest miracles. Not a miracle performed by Jesus on others but rather a miracle performed on Jesus himself. Christian theology assigns a great deal of significance to the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place for the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth. The Transfiguration event complemented Christ s baptism and showed the perfection of life in Heaven. To begin to understand this mysterious event, we need to look at the context in which it took place. About eight days before, Jesus had asked the disciples who people said he was and then asked them, Who do you say I am? Peter answered, Y ou are the Christ, the Son of God. From that point on Scripture tells us, Jesus began to teach them that the Christ, the Messiah, must suffer and be killed, and on the third day raised to new life. He told them, If anyone wants to come after me, they must take up their cross. Jesus accepted Peter s description that he was the Messiah, the Christ, God s chosen, the Anointed One. But Jesus reinterpreted Peter s idea of what that meant. It was not about winning military victories, throwing out the Romans and reestablishing the Kingdom in the tradition of David and Solomon. It was about walking with the outcast, the exiled, the marginalised, the despised, the poor and the powerless. It was about the way of suffering. It was about overcoming the power of evil by subverting it through weakness. Eight days later, on th mountain-top, God the Father affirms Jesus is the Messiah. The Gospel writers tell us that, While these followers watched, Jesus was changed. His clothes became shining white, whiter than any person could make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them, talking with Jesus. It was no coincidence that Moses and Elijah appeared. In the Old Testament, Moses was seen as standing for Law and Elijah as representative of the Prophets. The disciples would have remembered Jesus teaching from the Sermon on the Mount when he said, Do not think I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. This is the purpose for which the Messiah comes. But was Law and Prophecy enough to get us into the Kingdom? Humankind needed the Law. The Law was God s rules and regulations on how we should live. Yet we continued to fall short of God s commands. We continued to fail to love both God and neighbour. When the Law was not enough we heard the inspirations of visionary Prophecy of what God intended life should be, to encourage and inspire us. But tough Law and inspiring Prophecy is not enough to get us into the Kingdom. We need the Transfiguration. We need Christ, the Messiah. The transfiguration is not just about Jesus, it is also about us. What we need is Jesus, who offers to walk with us, every step of the way. We cannot do it on our own. We need that living relationship with him, every minute of the day. Only Jesus can bridge the gap between our human fallibility and the promise of heaven. In the Gospel God s commandment is very clear, This is my beloved Son, listen to Him - here is the Word made flesh, here is the invisible God made visible in the form of Jesus, who dwelt among us. Listen to Him here is our agenda set by God. This is what He instructs all of us to do. The transfiguration event not only supports the identity of Jesus as the Son of God but this statement, Listen to Him, identifies Jesus as the messenger, the mouth-piece of God. Listen to Jesus. Put your hand in his. Then you will be able to trust God and live as he wants you to. We have to depend on Jesus, trust him and let him lead us one step at a time. He is the one who told his followers, I am with you always, till the end of time. Coming alongside us, he guides us to do what is right. Walking with him means that we will be on the right path. In a few days we will begin our Lenten journey where we are called to foster a deeper spirituality. I was once reminded that spirituality is not about raising your head and looking up but rather it is about lowering your head and learning humility and honesty. This is how we foster a deeper spirituality. We lower our heads and listen to Jesus. In the rush of life we all need moments to pause for prayer and reflection and to listen to the gentle voice of God. Just as Jesus reflected God s glory on the mountain, so we too need to reflect Jesus more not just in our words, but in our actions and attitudes, the whole of our lives. I pray that we will be prepared to reflect God s glory not only in our lives but also in our families, in our communities, in our workplaces and within our city. Let us become a people of God, who listen to him and who live with confidence in Christ as we journey toward the heart of God. My dear friends, as you continue your Lenten journey, may you be encouraged to find places of quiet and rest to listen to the gentle voice of God. God says to each one of us, This is my beloved Son, listen to him! I wish you all a holy and blessed Lent Revd Kent Middleton, Obl CR

5 CREDO 5 Benedictine Quiet Day Saturday, 19 March ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus... that in all things God may be glorified. (cf. Rule ch. 57.9) Life has changed a lot since Benedictine monasteries spread throughout medieval Europe and became great centers of prayer, learning and craftsmanship. There is a huge spiritual hunger in our secular world that, for some of us, can be answered by adapting the spirit of the 5th century Rule of Benedict to 21st century life in our homes and workplaces. Benedict was born in Nursia, in the district of Umbria in Italy, at a time of turmoil in Europe. The Roman Empire was disintegrating. There was war and principalities engaged in power struggles. We do not know all the historical details of Benedict's life. As a young student in Rome, he turned away from the decadence of the city and for three years lived as a hermit in a cave in Subiaco, near Rome, helped by a local monk, Romanus. He began to attract followers, and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at living in community, left with a few loyal monks to form the community at Monte Cassino, about 80 miles southwest of Rome. It was at that growing monastic community at Monte Cassino that Benedict wrote his Rule, which spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages as Benedictine monasteries and their influence grew. St. Benedict s Rule organises the monastic day into regular periods of prayer, study, fellowship at meals, silence, rest and manual labour. Although St. Benedict based his writing on earlier monastic texts, he takes a much more measured and human approach than was common at the time. He writes with humility, and the life of Christ is the bedrock upon which all his texts are based. The most important word in the whole Rule is the very first: "Listen..." Prayer is the cornerstone of Benedict's Rule. A Benedictine Quiet Day would try to follow the same or similar format as that of the typical monastic day. The nature of any Benedictine Quiet Day is reflective and meditative. Silence and listening to God are the two most important aspects. During periods of silence, people are encouraged to simply LISTEN. During Lent we are called, as a People of God, to foster a deeper spirituality nourished by fasting, prayer, quiet meditation and listening to God. In the Gospel according to St. Mark, chapter 9 vs. 7, God s commandment is clear, This is my beloved Son, listen to him. In the confusion of our everyday life we need moments to pause for prayer and reflection and to listen to the gentle voice of God. As we commence our Holy Week journey we invite you to be part of our Benedictine Quiet Day and to share with us in the heritage of the Benedictine tradition, which is a life based on hospitality, mutual respect and a search for God. Benedictine Quiet Day Saturday, 19 March am 5pm Christ Church, Roath Park Sometimes it's good to leave the crowd - Around the Church Family Our Good Wishes & Prayers to: Nancy Ayre, Marion Le Beau and Kay Dugdale all slowly recovering at home after their falls last year. Bernard Richards, discharged recently from hospital, at present with his son Tim near Birmingham until early Feb. Doug Sanders now at home after some weeks in hospital Home Communions take place once a month, usually on the first Tuesday - if you know anyone who would like to receive Communion at home please inform the Parish office or Gerald. Sick Visiting Requests Please complete the book, kept on the Lady Chapel altar, if you wish to request a pastoral visit for someone who is sick. It is checked weekly. Thank You Nancy Eyre sends her warmest thanks to all her friends in Christchurch for the kind messages & visits during her stay in hospital, which were much appreciated. Dear Friends in Christ Church Once again I have to thank you for your generosity to the Paradise Run. I asked for money to buy gloves for the men and women who were going to be at a Christmas Party. I collected at a retiring collection in November and sent to my daughter, Angharad to reimburse her for the gloves she had bought on the internet - a friend donated 5 the next week. I wrapped the 50 pairs of gloves for Roy Dowell to deliver to Elizabeth Perret- Atkins, and I retained to buy

6 6 On September 3 rd 1939, a Sunday, I was working at Llandaff Telephone Exchange. I was seventeen years old. That day war was declared. Until then the men that worked in the exchange covered the night duties, but as some immediately joined the Armed Forces, it meant that women had to cover the night shifts. Our job, communication, was vital, so I had to walk to and from work in the dark in order to keep the exchange operational. Eventually it was necessary for the powers that be to prevent men who worked at the Telephone Exchange from joining up, so telecommunications became a reserved occupation. When war came, everything was blacked out. There were no streetlights and all homes had to have sufficient covering over their windows to prevent any of the light from inside being seen in the street. Walking to work in such conditions could be quite scary but we got used to it. I am now a nonagenarian, and to my knowledge, the last surviving telephonist of that era from the Cardiff Exchange as one of my oldest friends died very recently. My friend told me that when working nights at Llandaff, she was so tired she fell asleep. Head Office was trying to contact her, as Llandaff was being bombed. The first thing that woke her up was a policeman, climbing in through a window to see if she was all right. Another time she was so cold that she put an electric fire near her. It fell over and caught fire. Luckily the fire didn t reach all those wires in the exchange. Imagine what carnage that would have been! At the time it was terrifying but when we were reminiscing she could laugh about it. The war years were stressful times. You had to have a sense of humour to get by. We sang a lot, laughed and joked but also prayed. At home we had a back yard, so there was no room for an Anderson Air Raid Shelter. Instead our middle room was reinforced NUMBER PLEASE! and called a Morrison Shelter. This is where we went during an air raid. At the General Post Office in Cardiff, where the main exchange was located, at the sound of the air raid warning we went into the basement. During one air raid I was on my way home from work and sheltered in the dungeon in Cardiff Castle. This was featured in John Humphrys recent documentary Blitz Wales. Another time, my dad, my twin sister Monica and I had to shelter in the lower part of the Moorland Hotel, now no longer standing. My father was a Fire Warden, which meant that in the event of an incendiary bomb being dropped he would attempt to put out the fire and report the incident to the authorities. Two of my sisters were in the A.R.P. (Air Raid Precautions). Their job was to ensure complete blackout and report any offending households. My brother -in-law was a wartime policeman stationed at the Law Courts. The first High School in Cardiff was Howard Gardens, in those days known as The Municipal School. The building, situated Newport Road took a direct hit so new schools were built in Penylan; the school for boys was called Howardian High School and the girls school Lady Margaret High School. Because of the shortage of staff at some schools there were emergency trained teachers. The Germans did not only target London, Liverpool and Plymouth, but also Cardiff and Swansea. When Swansea was bombed I was one of five volunteers from Cardiff who were asked to help man the Swansea Switchboard. The devastation in Swansea had to be seen to be believed, sheer destruction, almost everything flattened. As there was no electricity or gas the food in the canteen had to be cooked using paraffin. The smell of it makes me feel sick to this day but we had to eat! CREDO Before he joined up, my husband was in the Home Guard. He then trained in Canada and was an Air Crew bomb aimer, flying a Lancaster Bomber. He was very loyal and would never betray anyone; everything was hushhush, so he never spoke about his work in the R.A.F. Just as well because it was said Loose lips sink ships. I admire him because during his time in the R.A.F he rose from the lowest rank to be a Warrant Officer, which was the highest noncommissioned rank. A rumour circulated in Cardiff that a spy was living in Roath. He used to St. German s Hall before it was bombed broadcast propaganda on the radio. I believed the rumour. It was only recently I discovered that what the spy talked about, Lord Haw Haw, was actually broadcasting in Germany! We always attended St. German s Church Roath, so we were particularly shocked when a bomb destroyed our church hall. At the time my twin sister and I were both working but members of the girls club had been sheltering there. Many of the girls were seriously injured and one of them was killed. Her mother never recovered from the loss. The importance of keeping the telephone exchanges running during the war often seems to be overlooked. Nothing was mentioned about it in the Blitz Wales television programme, but when I watched John Humphrys talking about the effect of the Blitz on the lives of people in South Wales during the war, it sparked my memories so I thought I would write some of them down. My life has had many ups and downs but at the age of ninety three I am a survivor. Veronica Moverley.

7 CREDO 7 NEW CHURCH HALL UPDATE More than a distant dream I m sure many of you are wondering what s happening with our plans for a new church hall. Here s the latest update. The PCC and planning group decided that whilst we liked the design produced by Gillard Associates, it was beginning to get too expensive, and we started to have second thoughts. We were all worried that it would be a constant drain on our resources for many years to come. So, we decided to go back to the drawing board. This was not an easy decision, as we had spent a considerable amount of time and money on the previous design. But, as with many big enterprises, we realised that our efforts had not been in vain for we had learned a lot. We know more about what we actually require from a new building than we did this time last year. NEW PLAN We have, with the permission of the PCC, engaged Ed Green of the Pentan partnership in Cardiff, to look at a new design for our hall, and have asked him to come up with a much more modest plan. The plan is to replace the current hall structure with something bigger, on somewhat the same footprint. This, will mean that the hall will be out of use during the building process, but that will be the price we have to pay. We hope to start building the new hall in the spring of 2017, which seems a long way off, but actually will come round soon enough! FINANCE We plan to sell a strip of land on the car park which is parallel to the houses next to the car park, this is likely to raise in the region of 200,00 to 250,000. We have given Ed the brief that finance is of the essence, and he is going to try to build our new hall for 200,000, with any remaining balance going to refurbishing the church and paying for ministry needs. This will be a very tight budget and there will be ongoing costs to pay before a brick is laid. We, therefore, need to put our minds to raising funds in order to have another 50,000 in the kitty. This will mean that we won t have to skimp on necessities, either for the church or the hall. OVER TO ED Ed is now looking at the project and will be coming up with some drawings in the very near future. This project belongs to us all, and we, on the planning committee, are looking forward to sharing the new ideas with the congregation as soon as we can. Time to roll the wagon! Please pray wisdom as we take this next step for the future of Christ Church. Linda Alexander, Chair of the New Hall Committee. Buildings Renewal Fund Update: the latest tally of contributions (73 so far) is 14,463 (including 2,121 in collections at 6 events and 150 donated by 'Good Companions' group) plus the tax refunds so far received on Gift-Aided donations 3,134, making a total of 17,597. Thank you to any who have recently added to this fund. Further donations or enquiries are welcomed in favour of Christ Church, Roath Park, to Gerald Bradnum or Treasurer, John Hodgson. Various events/sales have so far raised a further 5,110, incl. 305 part-share in Christmas Concert proceeds 11 th Dec. & incl. from sales -garden produce, loom-bands, CrossInMyPocket, books: 362. Up to 25 th Jan. 2016:- Grand Total Received: 22,726 minus Expended - (scheme 1 architect & pre-application Council: 7,490 & existing hall roof re-covered 03/15: 3,700): 11,190 Fund Balance in hand 11,536 Caption Competition. The picture reminded me of an occasion when I was a youngster in the Boys Brigade. We had to attend Church Service and one day we brought with us a new boy who was a member of the Salvation Army. During the service he kept saying out loud Amen etc., which is usual in the Salvation Army. We young boys got the giggles and we were roundly told off in the Church. George Cable.

8 8 CREDO Women s World Day of Prayer Friday 4th March 2.00 pm St Faiths Church (Morris Ave. off Templeton Ave.) Prepared by the Christian Women of Cuba Speaker to be announced - see the newsletter J WALKERS - Youth Group yr olds Come and join this new group every third Sunday each month at the 10 am service Next date 21st February CHATTERBOX For babies and toddlers with parents/grandparents Thursdays 1.30 pm pm in Christ Church Hall during term time Parish Weekend retreat Fri. 27th May - Sun. 29th May Llangasty House Brecon Our theme is The Echo Within. Please consider joining us. Booking Forms available Christ Church Society 2016 How we won the War A talk from Peter Davies An account of the devious methods used to deceive the enemy Wednesday 24th February pm in the Church hall All Welcome add your name to the list in the porch ALL WELCOME Contact: Howard Kilvington Altar Kneeler Project. Tues. and Thurs. home stitching weekly Sat. meetings 10-12noon 20th February and 12th March in the Church Hall. Call in and see the progress and put a few stitches in! Contact: Posy Akande or Tuesday &Thursday details Fair Trade Fortnight 29th February - 13th March 2016 Look out for special events and products MORE BIG QUESTIONS 14th February 6pm - Christ Church, Roath Park - The Refugee Crisis: who cares? Revd Aled Edwards OBE (Wales Committee of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission) 21st Feb. 6pm - St Denys, Lisvane - What can we learn about race from South Africa? Revd Kent Middleton (Curate of Christ Church) 28th Feb. 6pm - Christ Church, Roath Park - Different and exciting ways of doing church Revd Wendy Taylor (Diocesan Pioneer Ministry Officer) 6th March 6pm - St Denys, Lisvane - Ethics in Medicine Professor Jonathan Richards (Visiting Professor of Primary Care at The University of South Wales) 13th March 6pm - Christ Church, Roath Park - The Holocaust and Faith Perry Buck (Award-winning journalist and author) 20 March 6pm St Denys, Lisvane - Palm Sunday Revd Paul Francis (Pastor of Glenwood Church)

9 CREDO 9 Carols and Mince Pies in my little eyes This is my third year of attending the Carol and Mince Pie evenings. As I am sitting here writing about the lovely memory of the cheerfulness and the warm cuddly feeling of friendship and kinship in this corner of our Heavenly Father s house, a line comes into mind: This is a little piece of land flowing with honey and milk! This year, especially, with half a hall filled up with children, what better place would one want to go? Each year I take Chinese friends to the evenings, who asked why Carol and Mince pie are a sign of Christmas celebration. I couldn t give them a convincing explanation, of course! I just told them that this is a Welsh tradition, and particularly, a tradition of Roath Park Christ Church! My friend Anne was amazed at our Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime as everyone performed so professionally! Also, she was massively touched by the happy atmosphere of the evening just like a big family. This is the attraction of Carol and Mince Pie evening for me, too. The harmony of the carols, the roof-raising noise of pantomime interaction between cast and audience still echoes in my ears. Three years ago when I first attended Carol and Mince pie evening, all the way through the evening, there was laughter, shouting, clapping - one felt like they were bathing in the spirit of joy! Everything - the performing, the acting, the proms, the music, the lights, smiles of people s faces - echoed this joyful festival spirit so long that the thought of the evening brings back smiles to my heart! Jane Song Our youth members and team had a great afternoon in early January, hosting young people from Minny Street Church and their youth team. Youth group Activities during the afternoon included People Bingo, Blanket Volleyball and creative, highly competitive team games (!!)...great ways to get to know each other really well. (See photo). Refreshments and a concluding short time of reflective thinking ensured a really successful event. On February 10th we have been invited to Minny Street Church for the afternoon. All secondary aged young people are invited (3pm to 4.30pm). Please contact Val on vjjones2000@yahoo.co.uk if you need a lift to the church, which is on the junction of Minny Street and Fanny Street, off Crwys Road. We are also planning a series of events with the youth group from St Denys Church, Lisvane. We have invited them to a social afternoon of fun, games and fellowship at Christchurch on Sunday 20th March (3pm to 4.30 pm), and a trip to Barry Island is planned for the afternoon of Saturday 25th June. In the autumn we are hoping to join the St Denys group for a hike and also a bonfire party. More information to follow on all of these events nearer the time. J Walkers continue to meet for Christian-themed activities and discussion on the third Sunday of each month during the 10am service. Dates for Youth Alpha group sessions on Sunday evenings are circulated. We welcome any young people and their friends who would like to come along to any of the activities outlined above. Val Jones Condolences are offered to the Archbishop of Wales and his family following the death of his wife, Hilary who died on Friday 15 th January at home. She had been suffering from cancer. The Archbishop, Dr Barry Morgan, thanked those who had been praying for her and the family since her illness began. He said, Hilary appreciated the care and concern you all showed and we were both upheld in a way I cannot describe by your prayers. She fought bravely over the last 20 months and never complained. She died without pain and at home as she and all of us wanted. All we can do now is release her into God s tender hands. The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John Davies, said, Throughout the Archbishop s ministry, Hilary had been a source of wonderful support and help to him. Her loss will be keenly felt and I am sure the entire Church in Wales would wish to assure the Archbishop and his family of our love and prayers as they grieve privately.

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11 CREDO 11 CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Success or wealth (Deuteronomy 28:11) (10) 7 Forbidden fruit for Nazirites (Numbers 6:3) (7) 8 Concede (Job 27:5) (5) 10 Look at (Psalm 48:13) (4) 11 Much in evidence after weddings (8) 13 Condense (Job 36:27) (6) 15 Breakwater (6) 17 Give a tan (anag.) (8) 18 More usually now called Pentecost, Sunday (4) 21 After living for 365 years, it was said of him that he walked with God (Genesis 5:23 24) (5) 22 Trampled (Judges 9:27) (7) 23 For example, Miriam, Deborah (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4) (10) Across 1, Prosperity. 7, Raisins. 8, Admit. 10, View. 11, Confetti. 13, Distil. 15, Groyne. 17, Navigate. 18, Whit. 21, Enoch. 22, Trodden. 23, Prophetess. DOWN 1 Arrogance (Proverbs 8:13) (5) 2 Roman poet from first century BC (4) 3 So rapt (anag.) (6) 4 Declare again (2 Corinthians 2:8) (8) 5 Paul s fellow worker, to whom he sent two epistles (Romans 16:21) (7) 6 God s foreseeing care and protection (Job 10:12) (10) 9 Traditional form of Roman Catholic Mass (10) 12 The Lord... has given the of Israel to David and his descendants for ever (2 Chronicles 13:5) (8) 14 My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my (Luke 1:46 47) (7) 16 The central element in Nebuchadnez zar s dream, identified and interpreted by Daniel (Daniel 2:31) (6) 19 On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18) (5) 20 City where Paul was under house arrest for two years (Acts 28:16) (4) DOWN: 1, Pride. 2, Ovid. 3, Pastor. 4, Reaffirm. 5, Timothy. 6, Providence. 9, Tridentine. 12, Kingship. 14, Saviour. 16, Statue. 19, Hades. 20, Rome. Jamuary 2016 NEW YEAR GREETINGS AND THANKS FROM GHANA "I wish you all a prosperous and Happy new Year, I thank you so much for moving my family and other orphans to a happy home"(referring to their education which lifts them from poverty) Fr Jeremiah talks of how poverty in Ghana and throughout Africa is turning young people to crime. Two young people from his village were killed by armed robbers while on their way to Bolga Tanga (This is the town with a post office from which Fr J collects the money we send) " Please continue to support us in your prayers 500 was sent in early December at the beginning of their hungry season. this was made possible from the sale of 2 nativity sets, cards, preserves and donations from the talk given by Clare Dow. I add my own thanks for your support, please continue to supply me with your used greetings cards and by buying those on sale in the porch (I shall be making lots of Seville orange marmalade as soon as the oranges are available). Norma Ash Music group: For some time budding and flourishing musicians have been meeting on an informal basis, to get to know our capabilities, each other and work on worship songs and music. Sue Hurrell is also working with some of the youth on Sundays. We aim to expand the group across the church and every FIRST Saturday of the month 4.00 to 5.00 pm. (day before family service) Please speak to Julie or Sue if you would like to join in. It is now only 9 weeks to EASTER. If anyone would like to join the choir for any of the services in Holy week, but especially for Easter Evening Praise Please let Julie know OR turn up for rehearsals on Thursdays: 6 30 to 8 00PM Julie Waller Thanks to Gloria and her helpers for raising 1,090 for Church Hall Funds from the Christmas Jewellery & Gifts sale in December NEW CURATE: The Archbishop has announced that we will be having a new curate in June! We will be very sad to see Revd Kent leave to return to the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, but we are delighted to be welcoming Jordan Hillebert as our new NSM Curate and to welcoming him and his wife Krisi to our congregation. Exciting times for Christ Church!

12 12 CREDO WORSHIP AT CHRIST CHURCH Sunday 8.00 a.m. The Holy Eucharist a.m. The Parish Eucharist 6.00 p.m. Evening Service Weekdays Thursday 9.30 a.m. The Holy Eucharist (Saints Days and Festivals: See Parish Diary) PARISH PRAYER GROUP in the Lady Chapel Wednesday, am Eucharist for healing with anointing and the laying on of hands as announced. Holy Communion is taken to the sick and housebound, and anointing as requested. Please inform the Vicar in cases of sickness, bereavement or distress. From the Registers December Communicants Sundays 6th th 116 Archbishop Morgan presided & preached 20th 83 27th 68 Weekday communicants 186 including 24th 60 25th 101 Communions of the ill & housebound at home 1 Holy Baptism 13th December Dylan Gareth Fowler OTHER SERVICES Please arrange with the Vicar for baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals. The Vicar is happy to arrange times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) or for counsel. GOOD COMPANIONS Tuesdays at 2.00 p.m. Norma Ash CHRIST CHURCH SOCIETY 4-5 times annually Howard Kilvington LADIES KEEP FIT GROUP Mondays at 7.30 p.m. Jill Kilvington FELLOWSHIP & BIBLE STUDY GROUPS (see newsletter for details) Haydn Hopkins Linda Alexander SERVERS GUILD Sunday morning and as announced Gerald Bradnum CHATTERBOX Thursday pm during Term time Gill Barker Mary Payne FUNKY CHURCH Karen Payne Sandra YOUTH GROUP (11-16 year olds) Meet monthly Rev. Trystan Hughes CHOIR Thursdays at 6.30 pm Julie Waller Tel: CHRIST CHURCH NURSERY Every Weekday 9 am -12 noon Anna Brancazio or RAINBOWS Tuesdays at 5.00 p.m. Emma Lane BROWNIES Mondays at 6.00 pm. 84th SCOUT GROUP Group Scout Leader vacant Group Committee Chairman Geoff Payne Enquiries to Caryl Roach BEAVERS Thursdays at 5.30 p.m. Stephanie Barker CUBS Wednesdays 6.15 p.m. Simon Rimell SCOUTS Wednesdays 7.30 p.m. Simon Broadley