lurchersontheedge

The Bishop of Bangor regularly gathers Ministry Area (MA) Leaders from across the Diocese of Bangor to confer, consult, laugh and learn together. I have just returned (9 June) from one such 24 hour event. They usually take place in Nant Gwrtheyrn (http://www.nantgwrtheyrn.org/)

The 24 hours are temperature checks on where we are at as the Church in Wales in this part of North Wales (bangor.churchinwales.org.uk). The Church in Wales has been on an incredible journey of late as it repositions itself to be fit for mission and ministry in the 21st Century. We have heard from the new principal of the St Padarn’s Theological Institute about how clergy and those licensed for ministry will continue to be trained and formed. Discussion took place as to how we might together affirm the ministries of all God’s people.

Most of all, we were heard. That is the amazing thing about belonging to the Diocese of Bangor: the strength of companionship with our Bishop as we together make waves for the kingdom of God.

I could begin by bellyaching about the fact that I think this Referendum should not be called. That it has been because of the need for the leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party to appease his own troops.

That said, I will vote Remain because

… I am not afraid of immigration. Human beings have always migrated for centuries. I think it is a lie to suggest that immigration has robbed Britons of their jobs. Yet, the even bigger lie is that the poorest in our communities have been allowed to believe that this is true, and politicians of different hues and rosettes have encouraged this.

…I believe in partnerships and co-operation, and that there is not just one way of doing things. That agreeing together on climate change, environment, the mass migration of human beings is better than many different, incoherent approaches.

… we are at our best when we do things together, when we pool our resources and share with our neighbours (not just those next door). Sharing inevitably means that I cannot always have something that I might want.

…I realise that Britain needs its neighbours…. Gone are the days when the problems of the world could be solved by one nation acting unilaterally. The idea of Britain standing alone is partly mythical. In World War 2, it was not just plucky Britons standing up against the Nazis, but men and women from the Commonwealth, as well as the Free French, Dutch etc etc. Then those wonderful Commonwealth citizens were invited to help shape a new future for Britain. Britain depends, it always has and always will, on migration.

… the EU, rather than the British Left, have lately been the organisation that have reminded us we are not just individual economic units

… As a Christian, I want to say that we are interdependent with others. That we are committed to each other, no matter what… and we do not walk away just because we do not get our own way. It is not undemocratic to be outvoted…

… I am aware that the EU is not perfect. Then neither is Westminster, Cardiff Bay, Holyrood or Stormont. I am not and neither are you. It costs money to be part of the club, but not as much as is being peddled by the Leave Campaign.

… Sometimes the EU has been right and the UK wrong…. sometimes in recent history, the UK has committed itself to armed action and the EU has not, and perhaps it will be judged aright

I don’t want the status quo.

But I don’t want to walk out on our friends…. and then have the temerity to think we can have the benefits of being in the club, without being part of it.

I will vote Remain…

I have in the course of my ministry a number of hard conversations. Sometimes they are in surprising places. The best of them are completely unexpected.

Yesterday afternoon, I was talking with someone who does not now attend church regularly about how my efforts, sometimes paltry, to lead the churches, which I serve, into growth.

‘The problem for you’, he or she said, ‘is that you do not realise how critical things are and you seem to have forgotten that the church is supposed to be full of good news?’

The person then added, ‘you are starting the long way round’

I have been pondering about what that might mean.

Church, community, mission, people are not meant to be easy. They are all inherently a bit messy.

Sometimes in my ministry, I do forget what I am meant to be about. That is to say, a person of good news, sharing that the Jesus I believe in has indeed conquered death.

And the churches I serve…. maybe we have forgotten that we are meant to be places of healing and grace… and much more than imitations of other clubs yet with a tower or spired roof

I have run and being involved in running both the ALPHA Course and Start! At their best, they are wonderful places in which to introduce people to basic teachings of the Christian faith, and more importantly to Jesus.

At the heart of these initiatives though is the simple task, indeed I would say, the easy task of invitation and hospitality. Most of us love spending time with family and friends. Moreover, most of us enjoy talking with those who around us about things that we regard to be important.

In essence the Bro Cybi Weekend of invitations is all about giving people the chance to invite and be hospitable.

Take a look at what is happening here:

a weekend full of invitations.final

I spent some time in Sheffield with family this week – not enough time. It was a delight to collect my niece and her youngest brother from school. When we got to their home, my niece quickly ran upstairs and came down brandishing a piece of paper.

‘Uncle Kevin’, she proclaimed, ‘I have been learning Welsh’. Sure enough written in her own hand were words like ‘helo’, ‘hywl fawr’, ‘s’mae’… and we practiced them together. I enjoyed it and so did she. Why had she gone to all this trouble? I am not sure that my brother knew what she was doing.

I think she was learning Welsh because she knows that I am, and when she and her brothers come to visit, I do some Welsh pronunciation with them. I think she knew something was important to me, and wanted to share it. It was a moment of shared gift.

I am a strange creature – don’t all rush to disagree with me at once. I actually like evangelism. It is an amazing task. I have bodged it a lot. I have though got it gloriously right both in the context of a cold call or in a longstanding friendship.

I well remember Tracy and Mike (not their real names actually). Tracy was a churchgoer and Mike not. Mike knew that I was a Christian (long before I was even an ordinand). I seem to remember he even helped me with some power points for training in evangelism (power points were all the rage once), but we hardly ever mentioned Jesus.

Then there was a glorious moment, when he almost yelled. ‘I know Jesus is important to you, and if I am important to you, you must tell me about him’.

Evangelism was a gift just like my niece learning Welsh.

I need to do some more thinking about this.

A weekend full of invitations

Penwythnos llawn o gwahoddiadau

Annwyl ffrindiau/Dear Friends,

Please find as a downloadable link the final communications about next weekend’s various opportunities to invite our friends and neighbours to.

I am an unusual creature. I love mission and evangelism. I basically want to introduce everyone i know to Jesus Christ.

I hope you will get involved. I hope you will invite someone. I hope that together we can grow our church on Holy Island.

You will find the final brochure. Please do familiarise yourself with it. You will also find some a flyer for a number of the events, which i hope will make it easier to invite people.

Pob bendith/Every Blessing,

Kevin

a weekend full of invitations.final

A weekend of invitations on Holy Island

Penwythnos llawn o wahoddiadau ar Ynys Cybi

6 piece Welsh language rock band, Calfari are headlining a concert on Friday 6^th May at the ancient St Cybi’s Church in Holyhead as part of the Church in Wales on Holy Island’s Weekend of Invitations. Originating from Anglesey/Bethesda the band have recently taken their show as far as field as Cornwalls ‘Looe Music Festival’ supporting Jools Holland. The band will be appearing with Turnpike, Ash Garden and Daf Jones.

Amongst the other events taking place during the weekend will be a Conversation with Jill Saward on Saturday 7 May at St Gwenfaen’s, Rhoscolyn at 7pm. Jill will exploring the topic of forgiveness. In 1986, Jill was victim of a violent attack in Ealing Vicarage. Jill is a prominent campaigner highlighting the danger and effects of violence against women.

There will also be a Men’s Breakfast and Llan Llanast (Messy Church) in the ancient walls of the Roman fort in Holyhead involving amongst other things Chariot racing on Saturday 7 May.

The weekend will culminate with a visit of Bishop Andy John (Bangor) to St Ffraid’s, Trearddur at 10:30am and a Songs of Praise on Rhoscolyn Beach at 3pm on Sunday 8 May.

The Revd Dr Kevin Ellis, Vicar of Bro Cybi, comments, ‘the weekend is about allowing the community to see the church is alive, well and offering high quality events; and also Christians being that little bit more confident in inviting their friends and neighbours to join us’

Time flies when the proverbial is happening.

In many ways, I still have to pinch myself to remember that I am the Vicar of Bro Cybi (Holy Island) on Ynys Mon. It is not a position ever imagined that I would occupy when David, Lord Bishop of Gloucester ordained me deacon in the Church of God on 1 July 2001.

Indeed in September 2013, I am not sure I envisaged moving from one Anglican Province to another.

There are elements of life in my previous parish that I miss quite deeply, yet I am delighted nevertheless to be here.

I have delighted in learning a language. I am the foothills only of doing so. With a language comes a culture. I have learnt, or rather I am learning, to operate within a bilingual context.

(Welsh is more than just a language; a collection of sounds. Rather, it is intimately connected to the people and land. It is in essence, I think quite spiritual)

Of course, every Christian minister operates bilingually, or least we should do. In order to communicate anything we believe, we have to accept that we need to speak in a different language. This will be difficult at first, because we will need to learn to converse rather than to tell people things. Our speech will be hesitant rather than forthright; constantly checking that what we are saying that our pronunciations and intonations are correct. Learning a new language is vulnerable in the extreme, you move seamlessly from a world where you an articulate adult to one in where you are toddler grasping at particular words and phrases. Any form of evangelism that will be adequate today will need to grasp the reality of learning, conversation and humility.

My second year has been about vulnerability…. I think the third will be much of the same.