Diocese of St Asaph Mission Area of Bryn a Môr
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Diocese of St Asaph Mission Area of Bryn a Môr Mission Area Leader and Priest rooted in the communities of Llanasa, Ffynnongroyw, Gronant and Trelawnyd Application Pack :: September 2019 1 The Diocese of St Asaph In the Diocese of St Asaph or Teulu Asaph, we’re • Growing and encouraging the whole people of God • Enlivening and enriching worship • Engaging the world We’re a family of more than 7,000 regular worshippers, with 80 full time clergy, over 500 lay leaders, 216 churches and 51 church schools. We trace our history to the days of our namesake, St Asaph and his mentor, St Kentigern who it’s believed built a monastery in St Asaph in AD 560. Many of the churches across the Diocese were founded by the earliest saints in Wales who witnessed to Christian faith in Wales and have flourished through centuries of war, upheaval, reformation and reorganisation. Today, the Diocese of St Asaph carries forward that same Mission to share God’s love to all in 21th Century north east and mid Wales. We’re honoured to be a Christian presence in every community, to walk with people on the journey of life and to offer prayers to mark together the milestones of life. Unlocking our Potential is the focus of our response to share God’s love with people across north east and mid Wales. Unlocking our Potential is about bringing change, while remaining faithful to the life-giving message of Jesus. It’s about challenging, inspiring and equipping the whole people of God to grow in their faith. Geographically, the Diocese follows the English/Welsh border in the east, whilst the western edge is delineated by the Conwy Valley. The northern boundary runs along the North Wales coast as far as Llandudno, but only takes in part of that town. The southern boundary runs from the lower end of Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala) across to Dolfor, just south of Newtown in Powys. Ecclesiastically it is bordered by the dioceses of Chester, Lichfield and Hereford on the northern and eastern sides. To the south we border Swansea and Brecon diocese and to the west, Bangor. Large parts of the diocese are rural, but there are important and continually developing industrial and commercial areas around Deeside (one of the largest industrial parks in Europe) and Wrexham and significant developments along the two main arterial roads (A55 and A483). The coastal strip is home to traditional holiday resorts and tourism is an important industry in many parts of the diocese. St Asaph offers: • A welcome to all • Life enhancing opportunities for all • A commitment to nurture God’s gifts to everyone • A Christian education through our 51 Church Schools • A celebration and conservation of our very special places • A commitment to walk alongside those in need • A prayerful heart at the centre of every community 2 A Profile of Bryn a Môr Mission Area Bryn a Môr Mission Area was formally commissioned in July 2017 by Bishop Gregory and was formed from the Area Deanery of St Asaph. It covers an area from Dyserth to Ffynnongroyw, and from Trelawnyd to Prestatyn, so part of the coastal strip but also rural hinterland of the diocese. The churches that make up the Mission area are: St Bridget’s, Dyserth St Michael and All Angels, Trelawnyd St Melyd’s, Meliden St Mary Magdalene, Gwaenysgor Christ Church, Prestatyn Church of the Holy Spirit, Prestatyn Ss Asaph & Cyndeyrn, Llanasa All Saints, Ffynnongroyw Ss Mael & Sulien, Cwm a Pilgrim church under the care of the Mission Area. The Mission Area Conference consists of representatives from each church and is the group that thinks through the vision statement and works through the strategy for the Mission area. We have an administrator who keeps everything running as smoothly as possible, 2 clergy, wardens, worship leaders, 2 readers, retired readers and clergy and someone who will be the MA treasurer after he has done the training and we are currently up to date with our share. The clergy meet (usually) once a week to pray & converse together and we would expect the new appointees to join in with that time. On the 5th Sundays in the year we have joint services in the afternoon/evening going around the different churches to share in worship specific to that church. We have a spectrum of worship, from Anglo Catholic to more contemporary traditions in this mission area and have had services in the style of Taizé and during the autumn there will be Taizé services in Cwm, led by a team of people. There is 1 C in W primary school in the MA, several other primary schools and 1 secondary school that are very welcoming to the clergy and lay people who go in to take Collective worship. Messy Church and Open the Book both happen in the MA, and there are hopes to make these MA wide. We are on a learning journey to see what it means to become a group of Christians who are ‘‘Worshipping & working together as visible followers of Christ to love our diverse communities’ MA Vision statement 2017 and we look forward to welcoming 2 new colleagues to our communities. OUR NEW MISSION AREA LEADER AND PRIEST: We are praying for a priest who is a person of prayer, who will provide clear leadership for our Mission Area and develop our gifts and talents. In return we are all committed to the mission and growth of the Church. We hope you will: 1. Love us and our communities and encourage our spiritual growth. 2. Seek to develop the gifts, talents and skills of our congregations, by encouraging and strengthening us in our lay ministry and practical challenges. 3. Make space for the exercise of spiritual gifts and support and develop our prayer life, both ………personal and corporate. 4. Help us to further strengthen our ties with schools and encourage family worship. 5. Lead us in making disciples for Christ and inspiring church members into a deeper relationship with Him. 6. Love those on the fringes of the church. 7. Have a desire to work with us in mission. 8. Have a passion for outreach and seek opportunities to share the Gospel through daily life and ……...build relationships within our communities. 9. Work to make worship accessible and welcoming to newcomers. 3 The Church of St Michael and All Angels Trelawnyd TRELAWNYD VILLAGE: Trelawnyd (formerly Newmarket from 1710 to 1954) is a village in Flintshire, Wales. It is one of Flintshire's ancient parishes, originally part of Dyserth parish and is on the route to Bardsey Island. It became a separate parish between 1254 and 1291, and included the townships of Gop, Graig, Pentreffyddion and Rhydlyfnwyd. The village was renamed Newmarket in 1710 by John Wynne who obtained a faculty from the Bishops Registry. Wynne had by then redeveloped much of the village, established several industries, a weekly market, and an annual fair, to turn Newmarket into the area's market town. The plan failed as nearby Rhyl developed into the larger market town. The village was officially renamed Trelawnyd, meaning "Town full of wheat" in Welsh, in 1954. It has a very successful Male Voice Choir that practices in the Village Hall in which many community activities are held. ST MICHAELS AND ALL ANGELS: “A hidden gem” – St Michael and all Angels is set back from the main road which passes through the village on Cwm Road. The Parish of Trelawnyd appears to have been formed in the latter half of the 13th century. It originally formed a part of the Parish of Dyserth and the first reference to it is found in the Lincoln Taxation of 1291, where it is referred to as “Ecclesia de Deyserth, cum capella sua de rywlyfnwyd.” Interestingly, the Parish of Trelawnyd, originally a chapelry or daughter church of Dyserth, and becoming a Parish in the early 1800’s, has since mid 1970’s been grouped once again with that Parish. 4 St Michael and All Angels is small, only 55' long and 19' broad. In 1724 the church was rebuilt and put in good repair. This date is recorded on the exterior of the east wall above the window. Above this stone is another date, probably 1862 or 63, and recording the next occasion it was found necessary to repair the church. On this occasion the roof was reslated with Bangor slate, two coats of plaster were laid on, and repair work undertaken. The next major restoration took place in 1895-97 under the direction of the Chester architect John Douglas who built and restored many churches in North Wales and Cheshire. Under his direction, plaster was removed from the walls, the stones pointed, the chancel laid with encaustic tiles, and the old roof cleaned and varnished. It was during this restoration that the gallery was removed, and a new east window installed. In 1983 the next restoration was carried out - at this time the roof was reslated. The vestry was built outside the north door of the Church in memory of those who died in the first World War. It was dedicated on 14th April, 1918, by the Bishop of St. Asaph, The Right Reverend Alfred George Edwards Since then other work has been done - the church has been rewired and the west wall, bellcote and the porch have been repointed. The stained-glass windows have been provided with new window guards. We are praying for a priest who: • Is prepared to work with our committed congregations, to reinvigorate the churches and build on our firm foundations of faith • Values the contributions of members of the congregations and seeks to develop their talents • Provides clear leadership in mission and evangelism • Connects with the local community and leads people into the family of the Churches and the Churches to the people • Will be a pastor, spiritual director, teacher and friend For ourselves: We seek to live each day to the greater glory of God and in service to our fellow human beings.