September Church News

September Church News

Ah September… tis the season of mists, mellowness and harvest. Although, 2026 will be remembered for heatwaves, drought, terrifying wild fires and poor harvest yields.

The congregation at St. Mary’s send greetings to the wider community of Wenvoe with St. Lythan’s and invite you to join online at ipcamlive.com/stmarywenvoe

First the good news. The recent collection for the Christian Aid Appeal from the churches in Wenvoe and Sully for the victims of the earthquakes in Venezuela, came to £570.75 including Gift Aid. Thank you everyone.

Now the not so good news. At a recent meeting of the Church Council, the members were apprised of the current financial position of St. Mary’s that gave a worrying situation that we are not paying our way. Our income has fallen behind the expenses for keeping the church open. We are grateful to all who attend regularly at St. Mary’s and contribute to the funds to keep the church functioning, but the time has come for a rethink of how we value the work of the church with a fresh look at how well we support the church here in Wenvoe with our weekly or monthly donations. It is always difficult to talk about money, but the facts are staring us in our faces. For example, “As of 30 June 2026, St Mary the Virgin, Wenvoe has recorded a deficit for the half year in excess of £6000.”

In recent years, our income has been impacted by the deaths of some regular and generous donors. This has put a great strain on our cash flow. We, the JCC, (Church Council) have therefore agreed to take the following steps:

  1. To SHARE the current financial situation with St Mary’s, Wenvoe congregation.
  2. To INFORM the De Morgannwg Ministry Area that, as of 31st August 2026, we will be unable to submit our share to the Common Fund for the remainder of 2026. (This money is sent by the Ministry Area to the Diocese of Llandaff primarily to cover the cost of clergy.)
  3. To ASK that any who are able please consider increasing their donation to the church. Additionally, if you are not already doing so, please sign up for Direct Gift transfers from your bank account. Forms are available in the church or online. When you tick the Gift Aid box, the church receives the 25% Gift Aid without any further administration. If you also choose the CPI box, your donation will be increased each year. You may, of course, change the amount or cancel at any time. These automatic monthly donations are a great help in keeping our finances stable.
  4. To PROVIDE a monthly update of our income and expenditure for the year so far beginning this month.
  5. To ASK the congregation to hold the JCC in its prayers as they navigate these difficult financial times. So, to recap and explain the figures, these are the figures for the first six months of 2026.

Income: £19,452. Expenditure: £25,641. Balance (deficit) £6,189.

Steps have already been taken to reduce our outgoings. The Common Fund payable to the Diocese of £2,759 each month has been cancelled. Other expenses are being looked at. We are facing the winter period when our gas bills will be high, so expect a slightly chillier church than you would like.

The church in Wenvoe has a reputation of responding positively and generously to external charitable appeals such as Christian Aid, The Royal British Legion and Ty Hafan. Now St. Mary’s is such a charity and needs a positive generous response from its members and an appeal to the wider community who wish to see the church flourishing when the call is there for St. Mary’s to host a baptism, a funeral or a wedding. Is this the time for setting up an ad hoc Friends of St. Mary’s in the wider community in bringing an extra income stream to maintain the church in our midst?

Looking ahead we will be celebrating Harvest on September 27th at 9.30 am. Our farmers have had a most difficult time with the weather. Let us come together with a sense of thanks in sharing what God has given us, while calling to mind the challenges of this dry season for our farmers and so many others enduring wild fires in Wales and elsewhere.

Food Bank: Out thanks to Jude and Nigel Billingham for the tremendous work they have undertaken with the Food Bank. They have decided to step back, and Judith Jessop has kindly agreed to take on the task of taking the food donated to the warehouse in Barry. Please keep the donations coming; the need is greater than ever.

The Ministry Area BBQ takes place at 6 Milson Close in Rhoose CF62 3EJ at 2.00pm on Saturday 5th September. Soft drinks and sides provided. Bring your own meat/fish for grilling on the BBQ. RSVP to denisemaud@cinw.org.uk

Thank you for reading the church news. Asking for money is difficult at the best of times. It has not been easy to write, but if you wish to contact Vicar Lyndon Tel 02922 806018 he will be pleased to hear from you when he returns from Canada on the 4th September.

God Bless

Parry