Good evening friends,

How is your week progressing? I really am struggling to get through my emails – I’m really sorry if you have been patiently waiting for a reply. Be patient no longer and send me a little nag, if you are waiting for something that is time critical! 

This weekend is a big one locally with the Usk Show taking place on Saturday. It is a wonderful gathering of all that is to be celebrated across about rural Monmouthshire, from livestock, to traditional crafts, food, and entertainment. You can buy a ticket on the day if you are not sure, and there is plenty of parking plus a really efficient park and ride service from local areas. Come along! Near the show ring you will find the chaplaincy tent, although I must confess to preferring to wander the whole showground bumping into old friends and new ones. So many wonderful conversations to be had, and so much to enjoy. Perhaps I’ll see you there?

In just over two weeks’ time our Sunday service will be a Ministry Area service, and there will be only one service across all our churches. We have chosen to have this service in St. Micahel’s Church in Glascoed as that weekend (29^th September) is the feast of St, Michael and All Angels. Our theme will be Ecochurch, and again the location is an excellent one as this church has some very rare orchids in its churchyard which has led to some very careful management during the flowering season. We will be having a guest speaker at this service, Delyth Higgins, who lead the Rocha Ecochruch scheme. All our churches now have at least one award so I invite you to come and celebrate all that we are doing as stewards of God’s planet, whilst learning about new things we might consider. 

After the service you are invited to stay for a picnic, so do bring along your munch and something to sit on. 

Sunday 29^th Sept. 11am!

Finally, please can I ask for your prayers for our Ministry Area Council? Will be meeting on Tuesday 17^th Sept. In the afternoon and the responsibility of being a trustee is not to be taken lightly. At our last meeting we took the decision that all the minutes should be in the public domain so look out for them ,in about a fortnight. The MAC is the body with legal oversight for all that we do. Let us pray for generous decisions and good stewardship of all that we have.

Thank you for all your kindnesses and how generously you work within our churches, this really is a team effort and I’m very grateful for every one of you. You know where I am if you need me.

With much love,

Sally xxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Good evening Friends,

It’s a late one today – it’s been a long and busy day! I hit the ground after my holiday on Tuesday and haven’t stopped. Ministry is wonderful and I am glad to be back, although it was hard to leave Will. He will be back with us on 1^st October and sends you his love.

My holiday was wonderful  – with a pattern of eating, walking, resting, swimming, and sleeping. What more could I ask for? Perhaps a little glass of something? There was that too!

I’ve come home and realise that life goes on and I’m watching and praying for many of you who are in challenging times. Because of this, I ask that you hold each other in your prayers over the coming weeks – there are people carrying private burdens, for which prayer would be a comfort and offer strength. 

I had a lovely conversation with someone just today about how we all like to give and offer help but how poor we can be at accepting and receiving it when we need it ourselves. Please bear that in mind – when we receive kindness from others, we give them the opportunity to be thankful givers, so our graciousness in receipt makes us givers too. We all take turns in giving and receiving, how amazing is the human race that we can be both? So thank you to those of us who are supporting and giving, and well done to those of us who are gracious receivers. We are both!

I think there are quite a few things I should be sharing, but I’ll restrict it to just one this evening, and I’ll email you separately next week about other news and events.

Please can I flag up to you the most extraordinary art installations that are appearing in some of our local churches. It is called “Vessel” and you can find out more about it here – 

Vessel: a breath-taking art trail via ancient Welsh churches – Friends of Friendless Churches Art + Christianity, in collaboration with Friends of Friendless Churches, are hosting ‘Vessel’, a ground-breaking exhibition from 8 August to 31 October 2024.friendsoffriendlesschurches.org.uk

You’ll see that many of the local Friends of Friendless churches are being used and I highly commend this opportunity to visit. It can feel like a sort of pilgrimage. Why not give it a go and tell me what you think?

A few more emails to write tonight and then bed – jet lag is real! 

With my love and prayers, you know how to reach me if you need to.

With love,

Sally xxxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Supporting many local charities

Good evening all,

What a week so far! I’ve been trying to strike through everything on my To Do list so that I’ve left everything in a good place before I go on holiday. I am so excited to see William, and although I love ministering in our beautiful patch, a short break from the huge task of leading us is much needed. Thank you to all of you who have wished me a happy trip. I intend having a holiday and travels without drama or craziness. Let’s hope the airlines and others want that for me too hahaha! 

Sue continues to be unwell, and she and Bill are also away on their own holidays for part of my leave, so Sarah will be holding the fort. Thank you Sarah. The archdeacon is also on hand should you need anything.

It is impossible to plan for a holiday without thinking about the return. We have some exciting plans for the autumn, with our harvest services, and the recommencing of Leading Your Church into Growth sessions (contact me if you want to know more). No one can say that the countryside is sleepy! In addition we will be welcoming the bishop for a special day exploring our ministry area, and Helen Rees will be licensed to work part time amongst us. Exciting times.

And with that I think perhaps I should finish. I haven’t packed, the children want to celebrate my upcoming birthday, the house is a right pickle and I still have a sermon to write for Sunday. If I don’t see you before Sunday, I will look forward to seeing you upon my return.

With my love and gratitude for all that you do,

Sally xxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Good evening all,

I hope you are all well and have had a good week? I’ve been completely sucked into the Olympics – there isn’t a sport I’m not an armchair expert in now! I am in awe of so much energy, determination, and the sheer brilliance of all those competing. There is such diversity and such an obvious air of care and camaraderie amongst the nations – it’s truly hopeful to see, in light of the other news that has been with us over recent days. We can learn some useful lessons about community from sport, don’t you think?

It’s been on my mind to give you due notice of my summer holiday. I’m going out to America/Puerto Rico, to see Will on 19^th August and will be back at my desk on Tuesday 3^rd September. Please bear with me if I am slow to get back to you after my return, and I’ll leave contact details for my colleagues on my email and answerphone. I’m telling you now, so that you’ve got a week to be n touch before I go, if there was anything you had on your mind and that can’t wait until September.  

You might be interested to know that Will is really making the most of his time away – his book is written and there is a plan for a book launch when he returns. He is now spending time in quiet and devoted prayer. If there is anything you would like him to pray for please let me know and I will pass it on to him. Knowing that he is praying for us every single day is rather reassuring.

Prayer really is the bedrock of all that we do isn’t it? I know that when I least want to make the time is when I will get most benefit, and I am absolutely sure that my attitude and willingness to forget my self interest and concentrate on God’s desires, are best achieved when I make enough time for prayer. Quiet time in the morning with a cuppa, looking out on the garden has become a real joy this summer. How and when do you pray?

Well perhaps that’s it for today. Time to tidy my desk, pour myself a glass of something cold and refreshing, and see what happened in the cycling. What is the omnium? It is completely unfathomable!

You know how to reach me if you need me, and please be assured of my prayers,

Love Sally xxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Good evening lovely people,

Wow, what a hot few days we are having in Monmouthshire! I must confess to choosing to travel somewhere by car today instead of taking my bicycle for the short distance – just so I could use the air conditioning! Not very environmentally friendly I’m afraid, but it kept me in a better mood, so I think that might have made it worth it!

This week I have to share with you some news which is becoming public knowledge locally, but which should be shared with the whole Ministry Area. After many years of struggling financially, the local churchgoers, along with the Ministry Area Council have decided the time has come to close St. Michael’s Church, in Glascoed. This is both sensible and extremely sad. It’s not an easy thing to do, and we need to be gentle and kind as we pursue this, aiming to have a final service there at the end of the year. The churchyard will remain open so that people can be buried there, and existing graves can be visited, and the wild orchids and other flora and fauna will continue to be cared for. I would be grateful for your prayers for all those affected by this decision. Towards the end of the year we will plan an event to close the church with love and gratitude for all that it has meant to the community.

In related news, there will be five Sundays in September, with the fifth one falling on the feast of St. Michael and All Angels (Michaelmas). So we will be having a full Ministry Area service on 29^th September at 11am at the church in Glascoed, because it is dedicated to St. Michael. This will be the only service in the Ministry Area that day. We are hoping to have someone from Rocha as a guest speaker, to talk about Eco church and what we have all been doing to improve the eco credentials of our churches. After the service you are invited to stay for a picnic (please bring your own food and something to sit on) in the beautiful churchyard at the church. 

Finally tonight, can I thank you for all your prayers and give you notice that we will be recommencing the final three Leading Your Church into Growth sessions in September. The leadership team have scrutinised all the feedback and are beginning to get a good feel for some of the exciting things we might consider as we work to change the culture in our churches and to grow them in healthy ways. It’s not too late to join in – 

Tuesday 3^rd Sept.

Tuesday 17^th Sept.

Tues 1^st Oct.

All 7pm-8.30pm in the hall at Llanvair Kilgeddin.

There will also be a celebration Ministry Area Service at Usk primary School on Sunday 24^th November, so please save the date. Every single church and community will benefit from these events if it is able to join in with them .Come along, you might be surprised! 

Right I think that’s everything. Flapjack and a cup of tea await me!

With my love to you all,

Sally xxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Good evening my friends,

Where is the time going? We are almost in August and I’m still wearing socks and long trousers! 

Thank you for your feedback about including the dates of events in this weekly letter. The general sweep of replies suggested that this would be good but that it is also a little fraught in terms of finding a way to do it that wouldn’t forget to include something! There was also a feeling from several that maybe the collating of the information should be done by someone else and that it should come as an attachment to my letter, so as to not intrude on the chatty nature that I have developed with you all. I’ll take all that thinking to a few wise people and see what we can develop!

In the meantime, I do need to remind you that on Saturday 27th, just a day or two away, it is the Big Breakfast in the Memorial Hall in Usk. This is run by the Ministry Area and offers a superb breakfast from 8am-11am that morning. All the food is locally sourced and the breakfast is free, leave a donation if you would like. If you’ve never been, I really do recommend it – the quality is exceptional, and the company is great. The last one saw well over 100 people enjoying food and friends. Maybe I’ll see you there?

My only other thing to share this week is a prayer request. Knowing that I can ask so many people to pray about things is truly wonderful and a brilliant example of what it means to be part of a church community. We can all pray, wherever we are, and whatever our circumstances, so thank you for your willingness.

I would be so grateful if you could join me in praying for families over this summer. I am aware that several families I know are coping with loss, of all different types, and much of it is hidden, and not shared. That’s  in addition to the loss of older family members, which his always hard. Please can we pray that all those learning to live with loss of any kind can find peace and comfort form God, and the y don’t feel alone in their various situations. 

Thank you so much.

And now to close, to tidy my desk, and to find something rubbish to watch on the telly this evening, ready for a rest day tomorrow. My plan for resting is to tackle the chaos of the hallway and hang the last of the pictures. I’ll let you know how that goes!

With my love and gratitude for you all,

Sally xxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Good evening my friends,

How are you today? 

I was thinking about what to share with you in this letter this evening and it occurred to me that I needed to seek your opinion please. My diary is obviously full of all sorts of lovely things that are going on in local churches but I tend not to share them, only really publicising things that are specifically ministry area wide events. I think when the number of churches was fewer, and I began writing to some of you, I did remind you of the local specific community and church events.

Anyway, the question is – would you like me to include in this email a weekly reminder of the various church events and special things that are imminent or should I keep things simple? The recent comms surveys that you filled in have produced a wonderful amount of information and we are beginning to look at this and dig into it a little, but one of the comments was about needing things to be simple and relevant. So over to you – would you like me to try to include local church stuff?

With that in mind, you’ll be pleased to hear that there is another Big Breakfast planned for Saturday 27^th July in the Memorial Hall in Usk, 8am-11am. Local produce cooked and served, at the amazing price of whatever you think it is worth and you can afford. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is friendly and fun. Come alone or bring family and friends, we would love to see you.

Finally I would like to thank you for all your encouragement and support at the moment. It doesn’t go unnoticed that so many of you quietly go about doing wonderful and important things for the work of the church, so that I can spend time doing what I do. Sometimes I wish my admin load was lighter, but every day I have conversations and opportunities to pray about things and people, situations and events, that make me very glad to be amongst you, and very sure that God is working his purpose out amongst us, and for us, in ways we can only begin to imagine.

Please continue to be your positive, prayerful, encouraging selves – you’re awesome!

Be assured of my prayers and love,

Sally xx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.

Good evening lovely people, I’ve made it to Friday!

I almost feel as though I haven’t been here this week, with a whole day in the diocesan office and two days in Usk primary school interviewing to appoint a new head teacher. It’s such a daunting and important task, and the responsibility is a real privilege. They were a tough couple of days but being in the school is such a joyous thing to do. The children speak about their faith and beliefs with such ease, I always come away refreshed and encouraged. 

What do I need to tell you for the coming week? Well my diary looks a little less pressured which will give me a chance to catch up on all that has been neglected – an opportunity to catch my breath. Those moments are critical aren’t they? I wonder whether I should actually build them into my diary, so that I can know that there is time I can lurch towards, when all the important but less urgent things get their due time. From the autumn I will be scheduling a monthly day which I am going to call my discernment day. It will be a time when I can step away from all the day to day stuff and spend time with God, praying and seeking his purpose and will for us. This will tie in perfectly with trying to navigate our way through the conversations that we have begun as part of the Leading Your Church into Growth sessions. It’s too easy to just keep going, and just as we have talked about whether we are in “maintenance” or “mission” mode with our church lives, I need to do something similar for the life of the Ministry Area. Space to see the bigger picture and time to pray and reflect are essential parts of any growth plan, be it ourselves, our work, or our churches. This discernment day will replace my monthly quiet day which hasn’t really been working because I didn’t always see the importance  of it. In practice the day probably won’t look much different, but it will now be more likely to happen because I’ve recognised why I should do it! I am a work in progress!

I think the last thing to mention is a prayer request please. Over the next week all the year six children in our primary schools will be taking part in events, services, and parties to mark their final days in primary school and their transition to senior school. These are big times in their lives and I know that both staff and children would be very grateful for your prayers for them as they plan to say goodbye and prepare for new starts and bigger worlds. Please pray too for their families as they watch their little ones begin to mature and spread their wings.

I think I’m on top of emails, just about, but if I’ve missed anything that you would like a quick reply on, please can you re-send. Sorry to ask, but I worry!

With love to you and yours, and please be in touch if you think I can help with anything.

Sally xxx

Please note that Friday is usually my rest day. Emails received on Friday may not be responded to until after the weekend. Thank you for your understanding.