Dyffryn Clwyd

I hope everyone is keeping well and safe.

As we approach Gaudette Sunday, the halfway mark of our Advent journey we prepare to light the Rose candle in our Advent wreaths. The Rose colour signifies a lightening of the penitential nature of the Advent season, a mixture of the purple of penitence and the white of joy. Gaudette translates as Rejoice and reminds us of St Pauls call to Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say Rejoice! 

It might feel like there is little to rejoice in as I sat to await our First Ministers announcements as to whether there may be changes to regulations and the new varian of Covid. But it is important to remember, that whatever may come God is with us, our Emanuel.

While there is of course concern with the new variant of Covid, it is still relatively low in Wales and there is no immediate changes in regulations for us but of course that may change and we will continue to monitor things closely. In the meantime, I am confident that over the majority of the last 2 years of pandemic we have been open and conducting services and are able to do so safely with all the measures we have become used to. We will continue with masks and hand sanitiser and ask people to be sensible about how close we are when we socialise at the end of the service. We will continue to worship and to sing!

If I could ask people to be sensible, and with so many coughs and colds going about please do take a test to be sure if you’re feeling a bit under the weather.

I will continue to take rapid flow tests before services and visiting people.

You can get free rapid flow tests for you to use at home from the government website – https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

However, even with yet another twist to the story with this pandemic, I’m looking forward to lots of carol services coming up!

Tomorrow we have the Christmas fair in St Peter’s Ruthin at which many of our churches will have a stall to help raise much needed funds for their churches. Please do come along and support them and pick up a bargain!

On sunday we then have 2 festive events, with Christingles in the park followed by a light trail to the church in Clocaenog at 3.30pm. And also at 3.30pm we have Carols by Candlelight in Llanynys with the Voci Choir. Do come along and enjoy.

We then have carols on Thursday in Efenechtyd and then 4 Carol services next sunday! Details are on the newsletter.

While we’re all busy during advent and getting ready for Christmas we’re also looking ahead to next year. Please find attached the 1st draft of our 2022 calendar. In this I’ve marked Church Council meetings, MAC and Treasurer meetings, fundraisers, social events, pilgrimage and quiet days. It’s going top be busy 2022! It’s great to see so many great things going on…

I’m still waiting for dates from a number of our churches and when these come in then we will update the diary…

I’m off to join the Song School now as they rehearse some carols, it’s great to see this growing and more young people coming along to learn the life-long joy of church music and singing.