South Wales

Roath Church Redeveloped for Mission

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Created on Thursday, 22 November 2012 10:46

Parkminster United Reformed Church in Roath marked a milestone in its history on Sunday 18th November 2012 as it celebrated the completion of a two year redevelopment project with a service of Re-dedication.

The Church, which only came into being in 2008 with the uniting of the Roath Park and Minster Road United Reformed Churches, is seeking to serve the community and minister in ways that are relevant to the needs of society today.

Robin Abel, the chair of the redevelopment committee, spoke at the service about the journey that the church had travelled over the past few years. 

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Van Road Flower Festival

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Created on Monday, 11 June 2012 11:11

For the Caerphilly flower festival at Van Road United Reformed Church, the theme was Celebration so we celebrated 40 years of the URC we also did a window of Messy church


the 3 books are disscusions that took place before the 1972 union; the first copy of reform (from Keith) and a newish edition

Life in the URC, aged 40

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Created on Friday, 14 October 2011 14:06

The United Reformed Church will be 40 years old next year – and, like people of that age, it is in mid-life crisis. It is stuck between needs of those gone before, the older generation of parents and the elderly, and those coming after, the younger generation of children and teenagers.

That was the message of URC Assembly Moderator the Revd Dr Kirsty Thorpe, when she talked on ‘The URC at 40’ to a gathering of URC churches in South Wales Region. But her experience was not of God saying either this or that but saying both / and. ‘If we try to use only CD rom or the web instead of printing documents, there are protests from those with no computer,’ she said, ‘so we need to print, too. We must keep hold of all possibilities – ‘both / and.'

Kirsty said the URC needs to work on relationships – to meet together, to talk together. District councils had often been frustrating but people had talked to people from other churches. ‘Conferences on Skype are not quite so satisfactory,’ she said, ‘nothing replaces being with people.’

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Belonging to the Way

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Created on Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:40

The Revd Adrian Bulley was inducted to City United Reformed Church in Cardiff on Saturday 27th November 2010.

Carla A. Grosch-Miller offered the following reflection as Adrian was inducted to his new charge.

Isaiah 58:6-12; Psalm 139; Acts 9:1-22

When we meet Saul this afternoon, he is breathing fire against women and men who ‘belong to the Way’, asking for permission to bind and to bring them to Jerusalem for trial and sentencing.

As you embark on a new chapter as the people of God in this place, I want to explore with you the notion of Belonging to the Way as what it is to be Christian and how the concept of our identity as a Way not a label, a journey not a handle, fosters our flourishing and our faithfulness.

We are women and men and children who belong to the Way.  People of faith have long regarded themselves as people of a particular Way.Before the people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, Moses is said in the book of Deuteronomy to have given a final sermon to prepare them for their new life in liberty.  He told them: I set before you today two ways: the way of life and prosperity, and the way of death and adversity.  The way of life is to love God, walking in God’s way and following the commandments.  The way of death is to turn away from God, following and serving other gods.  Choose life!  [Deuteronomy 30:15-20]

‘Way’ is a word with many meanings.  It can have a rather rigid connotation as a habitual course of conduct –‘we’ve always done it this way’ is a phrase not unfamiliar in the church.  I’ve certainly heard it in every church I’ve served.

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