Dictionary

Words on this page

Advent

Advent means ‘coming’ and is the special four-week period leading up to Christmas. It is a time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’s birth but also for his coming in glory at the end of time.

Anglican

Anglicans form the family of Christians closely related to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst tracing their inheritance back to Christ and the earliest Christians and to the ancient Roman Catholic church, the sixteenth century Reformation was a crucial moment for Anglicanism.

Baptism

Baptism involves declaring faith in God and being washed with water. It means being cleansed from sin, being united to Jesus Christ, receiving his Holy Spirit and becoming God’s children. Sometimes called ‘Christening’.

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Lectionary

A lectionary is a pattern for Bible readings for the Church year. This means that churches in the Church in Wales are able to use the same readings on any given day.

Liturgy

Liturgy is a set form of words and action used for worship. In the Church in Wales (and many other churches) these forms follow the same pattern from one congregation to another. Most Anglican liturgies look back in some way to the Book of Common Prayer.

Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Church in Wales

The Church in Wales believes and proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is Good News, because it encourages each one of us to realise that God loves us, that he has gone out of his way to meet us in the person of his Son, in whom he accepts us as we are. He asks us to draw on his strength to live life to the full, and to bring healing to the world.

The Church in Wales is committed to safeguarding and to helping survivors of abuse. Find out more:

Visit our safeguarding page

Advent Course 2024

Welcome to 2024's Church in Wales advent course, O Come Let Us Adore Him. We hope you enjoy this course and use it to draw closer to God this festive season!

New: Digital Lectionary

Welcome to the Church in Wales Digital Lectionary. The Digital Lectionary is available in both English and Welsh from the same source.

Climate change

God’s Earth is crying out for our care and if we do not urgently limit greenhouse gas emissions and the destruction of species we will permanently disfigure our common home preventing billions of God’s children from flourishing. The Church in Wales recognises responsible stewardship of creation is integral to Christian discipleship.

Welsh language

The Welsh language is alive and well in the Church in Wales as Christians across the land worship, witness and serve God and their communities. Our hope is to continue to develop our provision so that our mission and ministry in Welsh may be strengthened and be given new opportunities to flourish.

The Church in Wales is part of the Anglican Communion

Visit: www.anglicancommunion.org

Prayer of the week

All-knowing, ever-just God, help us to speak truth to power as wisely as serpents and as gently as doves. Following the example of Your Son, who lived out His prophetic calling to all people, in all nations, for all time, in the outpouring of Self upon the cross, may we participate in bringing the whole of creation to the knowledge of the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Grant a love of mercy to all leaders, justice for all peoples, humility and protection for those whose call is to challenge situations, individual and corporate, local and global, where injustice and retribution abound. May our words be seasoned with Your love, truth, and grace, in the name of the Father, in the power of the Spirit, and in union with Christ. Amen.
Esgobaeth Llanelwy ~ Diocese of St Asaph

Collect of the week

Collect 3 Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge: give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming that, when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
See this week's lectionary