Christians Together in Wrexham/ Cydweithio Gyda Crist yn Wrecsam Minutes Salisbury Park URC 7.30pm Thursday Oct 15th 2015

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1 Christians Together in Wrexham/ Cydweithio Gyda Crist yn Wrecsam Minutes Salisbury Park URC 7.30pm Thursday Oct 15th 2015 Present: Sarah Opper (YWAM), Richard Sharples (Methodist), Sarah Errington (St. John s/st. James), Phil Arton(Community Church), Brian Matthews (Trinity), John Hodgkinson (Community Church), Elaine Smith (St. Margaret s), Carl & Naomi Squire (Methodist), Ruth & Adam Meredith (Farndon Methodist), Gill Grainger (Council), Elizabeth Gauge (St. Giles), Sue Allen (Christ Church), Art Ellinson (St. Marks), Roy Whitney (Christ Church), Lynne Mort (Methodist), Peter Devaney (Salisbury Park), Chris Lawton (Church Army), Nigel Burns (Methodist), Judith Dolben (Salisbury), Jonathan Smith (St. Mark & St. Margarets) Apologies: Geraint Owens (WFTR), Mark Vening (YWAM), Frank Collins (IPAC), Pauline (St. Marks), Sue (St. Marks), Gareth Jones (Christ Church), Paulette Gower (Gwyersllt), Jason Bray (St. Giles), Pam & Glo (Trinity), Elizabeth Waddington (IPAC) 1. Welcome: Devotion/Thought and Prayer by Host Church (Brian & Peter) We were asked to place a candle on a nation on a world map and to pray for the nation Read from Amos Introductions 2. Business Minutes of Last Meeting (AGM 9 th July 2015) No issue from minutes Constitution Mark & Brian updated with minutes from AGM Logo - choice between the two Asked people to choose between them by voting with paper Thanked Sarah for hard work on many logos Progress on website & & bulletin Now online and changed to info@ctwrexham.org.uk and Encourage congregations to sign up for the information bulletin Finances 347 in current account in Cytûn, in Mission Wrexham Phil & Brian are working unite them by end of year - new name and with same signatures 3. Correspondence & Requests Letter from Ian Lucas MP thank you for helping with summer lunches for kids Remembrance Day Wreath Laying on Sunday service November 8th - could

2 anybody represent us since a wreath has been ordered on behalf of Christians Together in Wrexham Action Point: YWAM will do this (one Brit, one international ideally). Richard or Brian to forward details to YWAM as they are available. 4. Engagement with the Council Particular welcome to Gill Grainger, Community Connections and Equality Officer with WCBC and input from her. Her is mailto:gillian.grainger@wrexham.gov.uk What are the key areas? Trying to understand inequality by talking to people (or intermediaries like faith groups) WCBC acknowledges the important of faith in Town and looks to be supportive of faith groups and is open to conversation Reduction in public sector funding when need is going up in the midst of changes to benefit changes makes for a challenge (a perfect storm!) o Jonathan Smith asked if there were any specific pinch points o Gill said the bedroom tax and changes to benefits, disability, zero hour contracts, those living at the margins pushed further are all issues. o Joint Public Issues team (represents several church bodies) produced a report about rethinking benefit sanctions that are deliberating punishing and punitive to vulnerable and especially those with mental health issues. Should CTW gather around that? Collaboration and collective work is welcomed WCBC launched Together in Wrexham formed as a reaction to reduction in council funding which encourages communities to do more for themselves, needs champions and volunteers in communities and networks to meet the challenges, so there is funding as an enabling grant available WCBC, in response to Syrian refugee crisis, has been asked to participate in a resettlement programme by Welsh government. Commitments are made in principle but no practical steps have been taken. As a dispersal city we have some experience and resource so though nothing is official, we hope to coordinate a response in months to come (phase 1 before Christmas (too ambitious?), phase 2 after Christmas). TCC coordinated a meeting about this and will continue to play a role. We all long to make a positive response as Christians and as Welsh government and local council. 20,000 refugees divided equally is only 5 families per town in the UK so it s a doable job. Community tensions and hate crimes and inequality are on the rise and we all need to listen to those with little voice who desperately need to be heard (Council may know best or Faith

3 groups may know best so we have to share information and make sure each group knows what s important to vulnerable people) Poverty Hearings deliberate attempt to empower the vulnerable to tell their story (can t minimize the scale of this task) Progress relating to - Fostering and Adoption November 11 (hopefully) info day hosted by Church & Council for part-time or full-time fostering, lodging for those over Worship and Prayer United Service on Sunday at St Margaret's with input from Church Army evangelists Chris & Josh (asked and invited Sue Allen to do reading in Cymraeg and Brian to organize an English reader) (Note: not a One World week service, but rather more Gospel oriented) Wrexham Town Prayer Diary launch on Sunday at United Service - Thank you to Art Ellinson worked very hard to create this - is on a 2 monthly cycle and gives 3 topics per day and helps everyone pray for town and means many (people & churches) can pray on same topics together - will be available online eventually - will offer all churches copies of this document Action Point - CTW to write a letter to church leaders to ask how many copies they want with a sample included - already made 300 at cost of 80 to CTW (about 12p per diary) (CTW agreed to pay for requested copies and not ask for money from churches since the benefit outweigh the cost) - A step forward from Praying Citizens Town Prayer News - New one planned for November. - John Hodgkinson (johnhodgkinson2003@yahoo.co.uk) with your story/update and prayer pointers (more time sensitive issues than above) - May have a focus on North Wales Prison (CLF met the Prison Chaplain Mark John recently, see report later in minutes) Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - St. Giles for United Service Sunday Jan 24th 6:00 pm Action Point: CTW to confirm St. Giles is available - BBC Radio Wales Service for Christian Unity recording Nov 25th pm Methodist Church and to be broadcast during Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. All welcome to join in singing and background. Many do listen to this radio service. Pilgrimage - Day Pilgrimage planned for Saturday 14th November to Englesea Brook (Museum of Primitive Methodism) and Mow Cop (where it all started). General Plan: Going by mini bus likely. David Young involved. Visit museum and Mow Cop. Framed with prayer and

4 devotional. All welcome. - Four Day Pilgrimage to Pennant Melangell 12-15th May Salt and Light Ministries: Local Established ministry brief verbal reports - CAP Phil s replacement Sue Lumb starts in November (Phil s doing counselling at Chester Uni) and Mike Norbury as Community Links Officer starts soon to raise profile and get more clients in - WFTR churches switching weekends and new rota to be set soon, awaiting Geraint s replacement as chairman - Just Across continues with ministry to migrants and internationals through English classes and befriending. Looking to add a programme to give out fresh fruit and veg to asylum seekers in partnership with health visitors, need about 2000 a year for this. - Feeding School Kids on Summer Holiday might do a get together for all volunteers and play leaders who distributed, date TBA for November at St. Mark s. View to provide food for kids during Christmas holidays. - Foodbank wanting to get a warehouse for harvest and Christmas parcels as quickly outgrowing storage at Salvation Army. - YWAM new year without DTS and all being missionaries in town both joining in and starting new - University doing well overall and fresh interviews have been doing for a chaplaincy coordinator at Glyndwr - International Fellowship low in numbers to encourage internationals to attend Sundays from 4:00. David missed 3 meetings with Ulla being ill and now in Wrexham Maelor Action Point: Brian to send a card to Fewsters New ministries? - Student Dinners YWAM & Glyndwr CU and Rhosddu Methodist putting on weekly meals for students starting 3 rd November Advent & Christmas - Sharing of ideas and proposal of Carol Singing and Angels (artistic representations handmade kind of things) scattered around town centre with messages of Christmas, or proposal to give out white feathers (represent angels) with a message attached Ideas: Ask each church to make an Angel or ask Messy Church. Find shops to display. Need to advertise well. Elaine shared about sheep trail in Denbigh which were in shops and you collected their names and got a prize at Christingle service and it was excellent participation. Was a lot of work though! Action Point: Lynne Mort to approach some friends who might be interested in this. Richard happy to be part of a group. Caroling - Salvation Army will undoubtably be out so could we join in and do other slots. Or at Victorian Christmas market on 10 th December. At late night shopping at Eagle s Meadows. Give something away without asking for money. Action Point: Sarah & YWAM to coordinate and

5 advertise this (ask for permission at Eagle s Meadows and Victorian Christmas Market) - Advertising: Council website request from a few months ago and get it on on CTW site Action Point: Sarah O to check council advertising and work with Sally at Christ Church to gather details for CTW website - Halloween on a Saturday this year. Street Pastors will be out. Is there anything else more evangelistic? 7. Sharing of News: Particular welcome to Chris and Josh, the new Church Army Evangelists on Caia Park (who will feature on Sunday night). We want to join in with you! Report from Church Leader s Fellowship i. Prison vast array of ministries already in UK, approx 2500 prisoners which means many opportunities available to us. Mark John, head chaplain, is very engaging and open to Churches getting involved. ii. Prisons Week in November. iii. Looking to a conference next Spring with Chaplain and Governor of Prison (recommending Prison Fellowship, Care of the Ex Offender, PACT) Meetings related to Prison (see proposal for January meeting) i. Monthly meetings at St. Marks ii. By Autumn 2016 we must be training as prisoners start arriving January 2017 iii. Quakers and TCC and Mother s Union also have history of prisons work (let these groups know so we can coordinate our efforts) Easter plans are happening behind the scenes Officers to ask for a collection on Sunday United services that goes to CTW (to help cover the prayer diary) 8. Future Meetings: Thursdays :00 pm. Proposed and accepted dates - Jan 28th - proposal to focus upon 'Chaplaincy Everywhere' (prison, hospital, hospice, university, college, school/street pastors) and a focus on plans towards Lent/Easter (at Trinity) - Apr 28 th location TBA - July 14th (AGM) location TBA 9. Closing Prayers