All Sunday meetings at:- Porth Plaza, Pontypridd Road, Porth, Rhondda CF39 9PG - now starting at 7pm
Mar 21st - Blood, Sweat and Tears
Planning meeting - Friday 12th March, 2pm, Porth United Reformed Church
April 18th - New Dawn
Our café style services in Porth Plaza are arranged jointly with the Porth Newydd Parish. As well as plenty of coffee, cake and snacks, those present – aged from 11 to 80+ - watched film clips, engaged in practical action on behalf of those in need (such as signing letters to prisoners of conscience and cards to Gordon Brown about climate change), and had an opportunity to discuss the topics and chat with one another. The atmosphere is informal, so you can with confidence invite friends who don't usually come to church.
We are still learning how best to organise these evenings, so each one is different in format. So if you haven't yet had a chance to experience this new kind of worship, there are still plenty of chances!
The September 2009 Sacred Space followed a harvest theme. Entitled Bread of Heaven, we prepared bread for baking and worshipped together at the same time. Below the pictures is the recipe used for the bread rolls, together with some suggested scripture verses to help you pray as you bake!
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Recipe for brown bread rolls
Ingredients: - Makes 12 rolls – Leviticus 24.5-8
275ml / 9 oz water
450g / 1lb strong brown bread flour
22.5ml / 1.5 tbsp dried milk powder
7.5ml / 1.5tsp salt
10ml / 2 tsp soft brown sugar
25g / 1 oz butter or olive oil
2.5ml / .5 tsp easy blend dried yeast
Put water in a mixing bowl.
Add in turn:
flour, Exodus 29.40
milk powder, Deuteronomy 26.15
salt, Matthew 5.13
sugar Proverbs 20.17
Add yeast, mix ingredients and make a 'well' in the centre Matthew 13.33
Add oil and water into the 'well' , mix from the outside using fingertips, including liquid a little at a time, until incorporated into one lump of dough John 7.37-38; Matthew 5.6
Knead the dough for 10 minutes
Knead the dough once more, and divide into 12 rolls. Isaiah 55.1-2
Place the rolls on a baking tray, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to double in size. If they are slow to rise, put it somewhere warm to speed the process.
If you have not got time to bake the bread immediately, knock the dough back (punch it down as the Americans say), place it in a plastic bag and refrigerate it (you can even freeze it). When you're ready to continue, remove the dough from the cold, let it rise and continue.
Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 8 / 450° F.
Remove covering. Bake just above the centre of the oven.
Bake 15 -20 min. When cooked the rolls should sound hollow when you tap it on the base with your finger.
Leave to cool.
Share it with a friend, giving thanks to God for bread and for people to share it with! John 6.48-51
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The first café church in the Rhondda opened its doors at Porth Plaza on Sunday evening. Sponsored by the Porth Newydd parish and Porth United Reformed Church, the service entitled Aspects of Love attracted worshippers of all ages, who together watched film clips and listened to music about love in all its forms, tasted two Bible verses (involving horseradish and honey!), wrote prayers and penned letters and postcards to prisoners of conscience adopted by Christians Against Torture. An additional activity was to be interviewed by Katie from BBC Radio Wales, reporting on behalf of Good Morning, Wales! There was plenty of cake, coffee and juice thanks to members of local churches.
Revd Chris Coles summed up the evening saying that “Love is wonderful when we experience it but even better when we share it”, and there was a lively but worshipful atmosphere throughout the evening. Revd Gethin Rhys said, “This was a very encouraging start to café church, and I hope those who came to this first one will now feel confident to invite others to join us for the next service.”