REPORTS FROM THE CHURCHES
St David’s , Llanddewi
On the Sunday after Christmas we were delighted to again welcome people from the wider area to our service of Carols and Communion, with refreshments afterwards. It is always good to spend time with people from the communities around us in this little set-apart church at Llanddewi. (Many people don’t know it’s here, although it’s so close to the A4118 road and a B road linking north and south Gower!) We are looking forward to an afternoon tea at 3pm at The Granary Café in Scurlage (SA3 1BA) on 14 February. Do join us to enjoy tea, cakes and company, and help us to raise much-needed funds for Llanddewi church.
Our mid-week study group has started thinking about the meaning and implication of individual words of the Jewish Shema prayer, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.’
The theme for this month’s magazine is ‘Creativity in the service of the kingdom of God’. Creative service in the kingdom of God encourages us to recognize that the Kingdom of God is in the people and places where God reigns, fulfilling his loving purposes in creative service, thinking outside the box and acting by faith. The church has pioneered many forms of practical creative service, notably through mission agencies like hospitals. Worship songs, music, poetry, literature and art conveying spiritual meaning have played a major part in creative service through the centuries. Recent creative ways of serving God include re-ordering church buildings to offer spaces and resources to serve social needs like foodbanks, counselling, art and music, and outdoor activities that encourage wellbeing and make connections between creation and God.
God, the Creator of all things, has created gifts within us and for us, to bring blessing. When we recognise the gifts and resources we have to offer, see the possibilities, and offer them back to God, the way is opened for healing, hope, and transformation – new creation, new life.
Penny Henderson
St Illtyd’s, Oxwich
The Christmas decorations have been taken down and now we only have memories of Christmas 2025. Most memorable in Oxwich was the Christmas Eve service when every seat was taken, showing that a religious element is still important to very many people. Our services since have been increased by some of our intermittent visitors. We now look forward to the first signs of spring and creation’s reawakening of the snowdrops in the churchyard and the odd daffodil showing its leaves.
It is time in our own gardens to become creative to make them as attractive as possible, in praise of God’s Kingdom. Living on Gower, we are so very aware of these changes. Others have different gifts, write beautiful prose and poetry, make pots and glassware and sew and knit. Swansea has produced poets and musicians for a long time, no doubt influenced by the surrounding scenery, notable of course being Dylan Thomas and his friends, Daniel Jones and Vernon Watkins. Another poet, Edward Thomas, called Swansea ‘a horrible sublime town’, whereas Dylan’s description was ‘an ugly lovely town’. I wonder what they would say about the town today? The Duncan Family were painters of note and there are all types of music to be found very frequently all over the city and Gower. Hymn writers such as George Herbert and Frances Ridley Havergal, who lived in Caswell, used their talents to write wonderful hymns. The British Empire Panels in the Brangwyn Hall, or the Swansea china in Swansea Museum can have such an effect as well as the beautiful scenery we experience so often on Gower.
Where there is beauty evoking an emotional response there must be a spiritual effect of this in the service of God’s kingdom. How blessed we are to live in such a place with abundant creativity in evidence all around us exhibiting God’s kingdom.
Rosemary Wigley
St Andrew’s, Penrice
We continue to hold our Sunday services at 8.30am. In early January it was still dark when we opened the church and not only dark but very cold. We have been trying to balance the cost of heating with a certain degree of comfort, however, despite the cold spell and members of the congregation suffering from coughs and colds everything has continued as normal. Our two very stalwart clerics have always arrived on time and never complained about the low temperature. Hopefully the weather will soon be milder as signs of spring are already appearing in the form of the snowdrops in the hedges at Penrice.
Reynoldston Chapel was packed, for the Thanksgiving Service for the life of Jane Gronow. Jane was the epitome of kindness and warmth, much loved by many and highly regarded by friends and neighbours. Her quiet strength and willingness to help and support were upheld by her strong faith and dedication to others. Stuart, Mari and Scarlett are very much in our thoughts at this time of great sorrow.
We recently met to plan our summer events and have several good ideas for the 2026 season of lectures. The first event, on 15th April, will be given by Ian Prothero, who has an enthusiastic interest in geology which he often combines with history. The title of Ian’s lecture is ‘A Simple Geology of Central Gower and a Couple of Related Historical Consequences’. Ian is well known to us and has attended many lectures at Penrice and is sure to make the evening a great success. At the meeting there was much discussion about finance and how to finance our ministry share to the Ministry Area while continuing to maintain the fabric of the Church. Fund raising seems to be the key to keeping things stable, but it is increasingly hard to provide value for money when thinking of ideas to raise cash. We are fortunate that our calendars sell so well as it makes a huge contribution to our funds. We are very grateful to Richard Dorran for taking the photographs and to Jim Harford of Print Partnership for doing all the printing. Angela Barnett
St Cattwg’s, Port Eynon
January 24th marked St Cattwg’s Day, the anniversary of the saint’s death. As this coincided with a session of our popular Caffi Cattwg, a small celebration was held there, alongside a workshop for Wild Church. A team of twelve worked for several hours giving the church and café area a thorough clean, rewarded by a delicious lunch provided by Alison Carman and Chris Williams.
‘Creativity in the service of God’s Kingdom.’ God himself, being the first and greatest creator, has given the inhabitants of his kingdom scope to create for themselves and to further his work by all the means he has put at their disposal. Some have the ‘divine spark’ of spectacular ability in music, art and drama, talents that attract popular attention. The names of King David and of the legendary Orpheus have come down in history as supreme musicians. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo have represented biblical scenes which are admired to this day. Handel and other composers of oratorios have glorified God in heart-stirring works. However, we should not overlook the less obvious contributors to God’s kingdom: the agriculturists who first tilled his earth and those who have continued to do so in innovative ways; practitioners of medicine and surgery who have learned how to cure and prevent ailments; researchers and problem-solvers; astronomers; architects and erectors of magnificent and of humble buildings for worship or dwelling; leaders of communities; preachers of God’s word; all who serve others.
Earliest man discovered his own ability in pressings of his hands on cave walls and by wonderful drawings of animals and hunting parties. Even some birds, animals and fish use artistry in courting and nesting. All represent the creative gifts of God through which we can serve.
Susan Morris
St George’s, Reynoldston
The clergy and lay readers in our churches are very much in our prayers as they will have to bring in changes resulting from the final retirement of Canon Roger in April. Roger has contributed so much to our church life here in Gower. Impossible to replace but, in fact, not to be replaced.
January saw the welcome return of our organist, Olivia Craddock, after an operation. Many thanks to Penny Henderson who has so willingly stepped up to the keyboard on a number of Sundays.
We were saddened to hear of the death of Mike Lee. Mike was known to many of us, working alongside his father Lyndon, sister Shirley and brother Alan at the shop on the Lower Green. For many years Mike was a member of the Fire Service, a keen sportsman and football coach.
Members of the Afternoon Club learned a great deal about creativity in Reynoldston when Kirstine Dunthorne gave an excellent presentation about artists who were inspired by the Gower landscape. A number of them made their home in this village whilst others visited and painted. James Harris Senior and son James lived at the Bryn, and were eminent marine artists. Allan Duncan, also a resident here, painted the picture of Reynoldston Fair in 1885, on view at St George’s. Several generations of the Duncan family were associated with Horton – where the last two sisters lived until the 1960’s and made a significant contribution to Port Eynon Church and village life. Reynoldston has a link with the French Impressionists through Lucien Pissarro, a distinguished artist and son of Camille Pissarro. Lucien was a frequent visitor to Gower and stayed at Brynfield in 1933, painting Cefn Bryn and some village scenes. Many residents and visitors to Gower have been much comforted and felt blessed by God through the wonderful creativity of these artists and feeling for the land around.
Valerie Beynon
St Mary the Virgin, Rhossili
We have prayed for some time that our numbers at St Mary’s might increase and yes our prayers have been answered in that we are achieving double figures in our monthly service. It is comforting to know that people are coming to live in properties in the village and that some of them are attending church services.
The ‘Meet the Artist’ event at St Mary’s drew some 23 people to what turned out to be a lively and thought-provoking evening. Chloe Thomas explained her thoughts behind the panels and how they related to the Light of the World. People expanded on why they were drawn to a particular panel from their own experiences. These panels will be in place for a few more weeks before being changed for a new set.
Roger Button
Gower Ministry Area 