Plwyfi y Bannau a’r Llyn

Parishes of the Beacons and

the Lake Bwlch & Cathedine, Cantref, Llanfeugan, Llanfihangel Talyllyn,

Llanfrynach, Llangasty Talyllyn, Llangorse, Llanhamlach,

Llansantffraed, Llandetty, Llanywern

The Beacons Benefice and

The Parish of Llyn Safaddan

Ministry Area

Church Newsletter

Llythyr Newyddion Eglwys

March to May 2019

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER : A complete list of all the services for Holy Week and Easter can be found below, under ‘Forthcoming Services’ LENT LUNCHES FOR CHRISTIAN AID : Christian Aid Lent Lunches are taking place again this year in both parishes – In the Beacons Benefice these are on Wednesdays at 12.30pm:- 13th March: Hosted by Brenda Powell, Brodawel, Maesmawr Lane, Talybont 20th March: Hosted by the Danbys, 17 Maesmawr Close, Talybont 27th March: Hosted by Sue Large, Cuiparc, Talybont 3rd April: Hosted by the Podgers, Dros Y Sir, Cefn Cantref 10th April: Hosted by the Bramleys, Weatheroak, Llanhamlach

In Llyn Safaddan the lunches are on Fridays:- 15th March: Hosted by Trina & Alan Lodge, Cwmbrook, Llanywern. 22nd March: Hosted by Kathleen and Phillip Keane, Llanfellte, Bwlch 29th March: Hosted by Mary Anderson Chalkhill, Llangorse 5th April: Hosted by Janet and the team at the Retreat House, Llangasty 12th April: Hosted by Alan & Susan Jevons, The Vicarage, Llangors. LENT STUDY GROUP : We are planning something of a new departure for our Lent Study Group this year - we are going to follow a study booklet which is based on the film ‘The Greatest Showman’. This course is very well constructed and thoroughly bible-based, using the film to highlight certain dramatic situations and bring out all kinds of important questions which are very relevant in our lives. We plan to meet on Thursdays at 7-00pm (not 14th March), starting on the day after Ash Wednesday. There are 5 sessions where we see particular clips from the film which powerfully illustrate the theme, and use the booklet to help us think through the issues . ‘The Greatest Showman’, made in 2017 and starring Hugh Jackman, is at one level the story of Barnum’s Circus - which started as more of a freak show - with all its ups and downs. At a deeper level, it asks questions about acceptance and belonging. Coming every week is probably difficult for most of us: as the booklet gives an overview of each session, it is easy to catch up if you miss a week. If you haven’t been to a bible study group before, we hope you might be tempted to give this a try. The first session will be at Llanhamlach Church, at 7pm on Thursday March 7th. Looking forward to seeing you if you can make it.

ANNUAL VESTRY MEETINGS : The time of year for our Annual Vestry Meetings will shortly be upon us – these are occasions for receiving reports about the past year, electing officers, and setting the agenda for the future. The dates of our Annual Vestry Meetings are:- 7-30pm Tuesday 30th April in Llangors Church for Llyn Safaddan. 7-00pm Thursday 2nd May in Llanfrynach Hall for the Beacons Benefice. Before these meetings, we also need to hold the annual meetings of each church. These are:-

Llanhamlach – 6-30pm Tuesday 19th March; Llansantffraed – 2-30pm Wednesday 27th March; Llandetty – 2-30pm Wednesday 10th April; Llanfeugan - Monday 15th April after the 7pm service; Llanfrynach – 2-00pm Wednesday 24th April; Cantref – date and time to be confirmed.

Llangors – Sunday 7th April after the 11am service; Llanfihangel 7-00pm Tuesday 9th April; Llangasty – 5-00pm Sunday 14th April; Llanywern – Sunday 28th April after the 11am service; Bwlch – Sun 28th April after the 6pm service. COME & SING MESSIAH : We plan to establish a Llyn Safaddan Choir, an informal group rehearsing in Llangors/Llanfihangel churches to prepare for a COME and SING MESSIAH, (mainly Part 3) to be held just after Easter - 7-00pm Wednesday 24th April at Llangors Church. Rehearsals will be Friday 29th March / Friday 12th April / Tuesday 23rd April. All singers are welcome, whether part of the church community or not. Please contact Trina Lodge on 658878 for further details. HENRY VAUGHAN MEMORIAL SERVICE : The annual Henry Vaughan Memorial Service, including wreath laying at the grave of Henry Vaughan, takes place at Llansantffraed Church on Sunday 28th April at 3.00pm. Choral Evensong will be

sung by the choir of St Mary’s Church, Abergavenny and the speaker this year will be the Venerable Peter Pike, the former Archdeacon of Montgomery in the Diocese of St Asaph. All welcome. LLANFIHANGEL FUNDRAISING EVENTS : Llanfihangel Church has a number of event planned - a Quiz Evening at the Black Cock Inn, Llanfihangel, 7-30pm Monday 11th March, a Bridge Evening on Wednesday 10th April , a Coffee Morning with cakes, raffle, and plant stall in the Bishop Bevan Hall, Brecon 10am -12 noon on Friday 10th May, and, looking further ahead, an Open Gardens event on 29th June. Further details will appear in the weekly notice sheet, and on the web page. All welcome.

ADVENT SLEEPOUT : A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored Trina, myself and two friends from Builth, Ivor and Anna, plus Bertie the whippet, to sleep out in Lanhamlach

church on 21st December. It was a much milder night than last year and we were warm and even fairly comfortable; even so, breakfast at the crack of dawn in the Old Rectory was most welcome! The best news is that we have been able to raise a massive £1400 between us, divided between our Diocesan Family Centre which works here in Brecon and in several centres in Swansea, and the Swansea Night Shelter which is a cooperative project between several Swansea churches, each open one night a

week until the end of March and well integrated with other support for homeless people in Swansea. Come and join us next year! Liz

LANGORS MONTHLY COFFEE MORNINGS : These charity coffee mornings are on the second Monday of the month at Llangors Village Hall from 10am -12 noon, and the causes are usually those used or supported by local people, or part of our local life:- Monday 11th March – for Marie Curie Monday 8th April – for Christian Aid Monday 13th May – for Parkinsons UK Come along and enjoy the company and the cakes. TALYBONT TEA & CHAT : Meets 3-00pm – 4-30pm on the first Monday of the month at the Henderson Hall, Talybont:- 4th March / 1st April / 6th May LLANFRYNACH COFFEE MORNINGS : This starts up again after the winter break, meeting on the second Wednesday of the month 10am – 12 noon at Llanfrynach & Cantref Hall - 13th March / 10th April / 8th May. LLANGASTY RETREAT HOUSE DROP IN DAY : An opportunity to pause for prayer and personal reflection - come for all or part of the day. Bring your own lunch. Coffee and tea provided. No charge, but donations welcome. No need to book. 10am to 4pm with Eucharist at 12 noon. Monday 11th March / Monday 15th April / Monday 13th May.

With Mothering Sunday and Easter approaching, here’s a recipe for SIMNEL CAKE TRAYBAKE from Kath Johnson: For the cake: 250g/9oz mixed dried fruit 100g/4oz dried apricots (chopped) 85g/3oz glace cherries (chopped) zest of 2 oranges juice of 1 orange 200g/7oz butter softened 200g/7oz light muscovado sugar 4 large eggs 200g/7oz self-raising flour 50g/2oz ground almonds 2 tsps each ground mixed spice and cinnamon 500g/ 1lb 2oz marzipan (200g/7oz cut into 2cm/3/4in chunks, 200g used in the topping and 100g to make balls to go on the top of the cake)

For the topping: 50g/2oz butter 50g/2oz light muscovado sugar 100g/4oz plain flour 100g/4oz flaked almonds 1 tbsp honey, warmed a little to aid mixing)

1). Soak all the dried fruit in orange juice overnight. 2). Butter and line with baking parchment a 20 x 30cm tin and heat oven to160C/140C fan/Gas 3. 3) In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with electric whisk. add the eggs one at a time then the flour, spices and ground almonds. stir in the chunks of marzipan, orange zest dried fruit and any remaining juice. 4). Scrape the mixture into the tin, level the surface and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 200C/ 180 fan /Gas 6. 5). Rub together the butter, sugar and flour for the topping. grate in the remaining 200g/7oz marzipan Mix in the flaked almonds and syrup with a fork and sprinkle over the cake. return to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Arrange the marzipan balls on the top and cool in the tin or (my variation) thin the 100 g marzipan with water and juice or sherry (not too runny) and drizzle over the cake. The original recipe uses thin water ice.

PROTECTING BABIES FROM HIV IN TANZANIA : Following the visit of a speaker from USPG last Autumn at the Ministry Area service, our PCCs have decided to begin a supportive partnership with this USPG sponsored project, as an expression of our outreach to the church in a very different environment from our own. As USPG puts it, this is a new way for churches in Britain to partner with a church overseas by supporting their local mission in action. We’ve already received a report about ‘our’ project which happens to be a relative new one: Tanzania is one of the African countries most severely affected by HIV/Aids. Mother-to-child transmission of the virus during pregnancy, birth and when breastfeeding, means that numerous babies become HIV positive. The project funded by USPG is based at Mvumi Mission Hospital in the Dodoma region where the Anglican Church is located. The aim is to help over 6,000 women and 4,000 children in reducing mother-to-child transmission, and at the same time building community participation. Our support is helping to provide vital materials and equipment, plus voluntary testing and counselling, as well as support for HIV positive mothers on infant nutrition. In the first report we have received, stories of two mothers are given as examples of those who have already benefited: Agatha (35) was devastated to learn that her second partner was HIV positive. Advised to attend the clinic where she was given anti-retroviral treatment, (ARV) when her baby, Elizabeth, was born and later tested, she was found to be HIV negative. It had worked! When Agatha was asked what more the program could do, she pleaded for more health education in the community – an urgent need because of unhealthy lifestyles so common in her village. The village where Flora, the mother of six children, lives, was visited by the outreach team. After counselling, she and her husband agreed to be tested for HIV – both positive! They were both put on ARV, but the husband stopped treatment after three months while Flora remained on medication. The child was born testing negative, but the husband’s health was deteriorating. On a later visit, the health team persuaded him to resume treatment. The family are now healthy, and working hard on their vegetable plot. Such real life stories encourage us when we know our contributions are being used creatively and making a real difference to the endangered lives of Tanzanian village folk. Our prayers are asked for blessing on this project and for all those involved, patients and carers alike. Richard Podger

FORTHCOMING SERVICES

Friday 1st March 7-00pm World Day of Prayer Service at Bwlch Sunday 3rd March Sunday before Lent

Exodus 34. 29-35 / Psalm 99 / 2 Corinthians 3.12 - 4.2 / Luke 9. 28-36

9-30am Holy Communion at Llanfihangel 10-00am Beacons United Holy Communion for St David at Cantref 11-00am Holy Communion at Llangors 6-00pm Evening Prayer at Llanywern Ash Wednesday 6th March

Isaiah 58. 1-12 / Psalm 51. 1-17 / 2 Corinthians 5.20b - 6.10 / Matthew 6. 1-6, 16-21

10-00am Holy Communion (1662) at Llangors 11-00am Holy Communion at Llanfrynach Sunday 10th March Lent 1

Deuteronomy 26. 1-11 / Psalm 91. 1-11 / Romans 10. 8b-13 / Luke 4. 1-13

9-30am Holy Communion at Bwlch 10-00am Holy Communion at Llandetty 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanfrynach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llangasty 11-00am Family Church at Henderson Hall Talybont Sunday 17th March Lent 2

Genesis 15. 1-12, 17, 18 / Psalm 27 / Philippians 3.17 - 4.1 / Luke 13. 31-35

9-30am Holy Communion at Llanfihangel 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanfeugan 10-00am Holy Communion at Cantref 11-00am All Age Worship at Llangors 5-00pm Service of Healing at Bwlch Sunday 24th March Lent 3

Isaiah 55. 1-9 / Psalm 63. 1-8 / 1 Corinthians 10. 1-13 / Luke 13. 1-9

9-30am Morning Prayer at Bwlch 10-00am Holy Communion at Llansantffraed 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanhamlach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llanywern

FORTHCOMING SERVICES

Sunday 31st March Lent 4 / Mothering Sunday

Exodus 2. 1-10 / Psalm 127. 1-4 / 2 Corinthians 1. 3-7 / Luke 2. 33-35 (different readings may be used for Mothering Sunday)

10-00am Mothering Sunday Communion at Cantref 10-30am Mothering Sunday Service at Llanfihangel 11-00am Mothering Sunday Service at Llansantffraed Wednesday 3rd April 10-00am Holy Communion (1662) at Llangors KR Sunday 7th April Lent 5

Isaiah 43. 16-21 / Psalm 126 / Philippians 3. 4b-14 / John 12. 1-8

9-30am Holy Communion at Llanfihangel 10-00am Beacons United Holy Communion at Llanfeugan 11-00am Holy Communion at Llangors 6-00m Evening Prayer at Cantref Sunday 14th April Palm Sunday

Luke 19. 28-40 (Palm Gospel) / Isaiah 50. 4-9a / Psalm 31. 9-16 / Philippians 2. 5-11 / Luke 23. 1-49

10-00am Blessing of Palms & Holy Communion at Llandetty 10-00am Blessing of Palms & Holy Communion at Cantref 10-30am Procession, Blessing Palms & All Age Worship at Llanfihangel 11-00am Blessing of Palms & Family Church at Henderson Hall 6-00pm Readings and Hymns for Holy Week at Llangasty Monday in Holy Week 15th April 7-00pm Compline at Llangors 7-00pm Compline at Llanfeugan Tuesday in Holy Week 16th April 7-00pm Compline at Llangasty 7-00pm Compline at Llanfrynach Wednesday in Holy Week 17th April 7-00pm Taize Prayer at Cantref

FORTHCOMING SERVICES

Maundy Thursday 18th April 3-00pm Thursday at Three Service at Brookside Home, Llangors 7-00pm Holy Communion at Llansantffraed 7-00pm Llyn Safaddan Passover Supper at Llangasty Retreat House Good Friday 19th April 10-00am Devotional Service at Llanhamlach 2-00pm Devotional Service at Llanywern Sunday 21st April Easter Day

Acts 10. 34-43 / Psalm 118. 14-24 / 1 Corinthians 15. 19-26 / John 20. 1-18

6-00am Dawn Communion & Breakfast at Llangasty Retreat House 9-30am Holy Communion at Bwlch 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanfeugan 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanfrynach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llangors Wednesday 24th April 7-00pm ‘Sing Messiah’ at Llangors Church Sunday 28th April Easter 2

Acts 5. 27-32 / Psalm 118. 14-29 / Revelation 1. 4-8 / John 20. 19-31

10-00am Holy Communion at Llanhamlach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llanywern 3-00pm Henry Vaughan Memorial Evensong at Llansantffraed 6-00pm Evening Prayer at Bwlch Wednesday 1st May 10-00am Holy Communion (1662) at Llangors Sunday 5th May Easter 3

Acts 9. 1-6 / Psalm 30 / Revelation 5. 11-14 / John 21. 1-19

9-30am Holy Communion at Llanfihangel 10-00am Beacons United Holy Communion at Llanhamlach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llangors 6-00pm Evening Prayer at Llanfihangel

FORTHCOMING SERVICES

Sunday 12th May Easter 4

Acts 9. 36-43 / Psalm 23 / Revelation 7. 9-17 / John 10. 22-30

9-30am Holy Communion Bwlch 10-00am Holy Communion at Llandetty 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanfrynach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llangasty 11-00am Family Church at Henderson Hall Sunday 19th May Easter 5

Acts 11. 1-18 / Psalm 148. 1-6 / Revelation 21. 1-6 / John 13. 31-35

9-30am Holy Communion at Llanfihangel 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanfeugan 10-00am Holy Communion at Cantref 11-00am All Age Worship at Llangors Sunday 26th May Easter 6

Acts 16. 9-15 / Psalm 67 / Revelation 21. 10, 22 - 22.5 / John 14. 23-29

9-30am Morning Prayer at Bwlch 10-00am Holy Communion at Llansantffraed 10-00am Holy Communion at Llanhamlach 11-00am Holy Communion at Llanywern Thursday 30th May Ascension Day 7-00pm Holy Communion at Llanfrynach

Parish Websites Beacons Benefice https://parish.churchinwales.org.uk/s475/

Llyn Safaddan https://parish.churchinwales.org.uk/s451/

Who’s Who - Useful Numbers

Church in Wales Clergy

The Revd. Kelvin Richards

Priest in Charge and

Ministry Area Leader

The Rectory

Talybont-on-Usk

LD3 7UX

(01874 676146) kelvin@beaconssafaddan.plus.com

Ven. Alan Jevons

Archdeacon of Brecon and

Associate Priest

The Vicarage

Llangors

LD3 7UG

(01874 658298) alan.jevons@icloud.com

The Revd. Liz Bramley

Local Ordained Minister

Weatheroak

Llanhamlach, LD3 7YB

(01874 665267)

LD3 7BQ liz.bramley@icloud.com

The Revd Trina Lodge

Local Ordained Minister

Yr Hen Ffermdy

Llanwern, LD3 7UP

(01874 658878) petrinamlodge@gmail.com

The Revd. Richard Podger

Permission to Officiate

Dros y Sir (Barn 6)

Cefn Cantref

LD3 8LT

Presbyterian Minister

Revd. David Jenkins

14 School Gardens

Brecon

(01874 622827)