Eglwysi'n llawn teuluoedd
Mae grwpiau rhieni a phlant bach wedi bod o gwmpas ers blynyddoedd lawer. Maent yn cynnig cyfleoedd i rieni a gofalwyr o blant ifanc ddod at ei gilydd, i sgwrsio, i rannu cyngor a phryderon. Mantais arall y grwpiau hyn yw’r cymdeithasu y mae’r plant yn ei chael gyda’u cyfoedion – rhywbeth na lwyddodd llawer o blant i’w wneud yn ystod y pandemig.
Ar draws yr Esgobaeth mae gennym nifer o grwpiau plant bach sy'n cynnig cefnogaeth hanfodol i rieni a phlant. Isod mae tair stori yn rhannu newyddion da ac ysbrydoliaeth.
Ym Mro Cyfeiliog a Mawddwy, cafwyd cacen penblwydd a balŵns yn ein gwasanaeth unedig misol ddiwedd Ebrill. Roeddem yn dathlu penblwydd cyntaf ein grŵp ‘Arch Noa’ a ddaeth i fodolaeth ar ôl i griw bach o wirfoddolwyr fod yn cyd-weddïo ac yn mentro cenhadaeth i deuluoedd lleol gyda’i gilydd. Fe wnaethom sylwi ar ffyniant babanod a nodi ers y pandemig nad oedd unrhyw grwpiau wythnosol lle gallai rhieni newydd fynd â'u babanod neu blant bach i chwarae a chael sgyrsiau gydag oedolion eraill! Roedd lansiad ein grŵp yn cyd-daro â thanwariant yn y gyllideb yn adran Cyngor Sir Powys sy'n ymwneud â sefydlu grwpiau cymunedol i blant dan 5 oed. Daethant atom(!), ac roeddem wrth ein bodd yn derbyn rhai teganau newydd sbon ganddynt i'w hychwanegu. at ein holl roddion hoff.
Rydym yn cyfarfod bob bore dydd Mawrth yn ystod y tymor, i fyny'r grisiau yn San Pedr, Machynlleth. Mae teuluoedd newydd yn dod drwy'r amser, ac mae rhai rhieni a ddaeth o'r cychwyn yn anffodus yn ôl yn y gwaith erbyn hyn, tra bod eraill ar blentyn rhif 2 felly fe gawn ni ddal i'w gweld nhw a'u plantos! Arweiniodd lansio’r grŵp at gynnydd mewn bedyddiadau y llynedd, ac roeddem wrth ein bodd bod 5 o rieni wedi dod â’u rhai bach i’n gwasanaeth dathlu lle bu ein tîm ‘Agor y Llyfr’ yn adrodd stori’r Beibl am Arch Noa a buom yn gweddïo, gan ddiolch am fendith Duw a darpariaeth, a gweddïo dros yr holl blant y byddent yn tyfu i adnabod cariad Duw tuag atynt. Fel gweithgaredd gweddi creadigol, fe fesuron ni’r plant (a’r ficer!) ar siart uchder sydd bellach yn hongian yn falch yn yr eglwys – atgof i barhau i weddïo dros y plant wrth iddynt dyfu mewn ffydd a statws.
Ar ôl y gwasanaeth, dywedodd un fam "Fyddwn i erioed wedi dod i wasanaeth yn yr eglwys o'r blaen, ond mae dod i'r grŵp a dod ar Noswyl Nadolig wedi fy ngwneud yn fwy cyfforddus am ddod i mewn i eglwys." A dywedodd un arall, "Rwy'n berfeddol na allaf ddod i Arch Noa mwyach oherwydd fy mod yn dechrau swydd newydd... Oes yna Ysgol Sul y gallwn ddod iddi?" Oes, oes mae 'na!!
Camau Bach yw grŵp plant bach y Gadeirlan sy’n rhedeg mewn partneriaeth â’r Ymwelwyr Iechyd lleol. Yn cyfarfod ar fore dydd Mawrth yn y Gadeirlan ym Mangor mae'r plant yn cael lle mawr i chwarae ynddo. Mae teganau o ansawdd uchel, pren yn bennaf, yn cael eu gosod ar fatiau llawr meddal tra bod rhieni a gofalwyr yn cael cynnig diod boeth a chyfle i eistedd a sgwrsio. Cynhelir sesiynau tylino babanod yn nhawelwch Capel Fair yn ogystal â’r cyfle i gael sgwrs un i un gyda’r Ymwelwyr Iechyd. Mae tost a chrwmpedi yn cael eu gweini hanner ffordd trwy'r sesiwn gyda'r rhieni a'r gofalwyr yn aml yn fwy awyddus iddyn nhw na'r plant!
Nid oes unrhyw amser stori na chrefftau yn cael eu cynnig ar hyn o bryd ond mae gwylio'r plant yn crwydro'r Gadeirlan ac yn ymwneud â'r celf a phensaernïaeth yn wych. Mae un plentyn yn chwythu cusanau at ffigwr Iesu sy'n hongian uwchben y Groglen bob wythnos ac yn gwneud pwynt o gyffwrdd â chledrau'r cerflun o Mair yng nghorff yr eglwys. Mae rhai rhieni hyd yn oed wedi gorwedd ar y llawr drws nesaf i'w plant i edmygu'r to a'r awyrgylch yn yr adeilad. Mae llawer o'r rhieni wedi dweud, er eu bod wedi byw ym Mangor ers blynyddoedd lawer, nad ydynt erioed wedi camu i'r Gadeirlan.
Ers ei lansio ym mis Medi 2022 mae dros 140 o wahanol blant wedi bod i Camau Bach – pob un yn dod ag o leiaf un rhiant neu ofalwr. Mae'r mwyafrif helaeth o'r rhain yn byw ym Mangor ac o fewn pellter cerdded i'r Gadeirlan ac yn cyfarfod yr arweinwyr a gwirfoddolwyr wrth iddynt siopa neu ymweld â siopau coffi sy'n cynnal y cysylltiad.
Mae Camau Bach hefyd yn cael ei redeg gan Bro Tysilio yn Eglwys y Santes Fair, Porthaethwy. Gan ddechrau ym mis Medi, 2021, caiff ei drefnu a’i redeg gan dîm o wirfoddolwyr ymroddedig, a gydlynir gan Weinidog Teuluoedd Lleyg Trwyddedig Ardal Weinidogaeth.
Mae amrywiaeth o weithgareddau ar gael – yn ogystal â matiau meddal a pheli bownsio bythol ddibynadwy – gyda gardd wenyn y greadigaeth ddiweddaraf! Mae’r gweithgareddau fwy neu lai bob yn ail rhwng rhywbeth a drefnir gan yr Ymwelwyr Iechyd sy’n mynychu a thîm yr eglwys sy’n dod â rhywbeth ag elfen o’n ffydd Gristnogol gyda chyffyrddiad ysgafn.
Mae’n wych gweld yr eglwys yn fwrlwm o brysurdeb bob wythnos, ac i fod wedi datblygu perthynas gyda’r rhieni a’r gofalwyr yn ogystal â’r rhai bach eu hunain. Mae ceisiadau am weddi a cheisiadau am fedydd wedi dod yn rhan gyson o Camau Bach, gydag un bedydd hyd yn oed yn cael ei sefydlu fel sesiwn Camau Bach fel bod pawb yn teimlo'n gartrefol!
Mae croesawu plant, pobl ifanc a theuluoedd yn un o flaenoriaethau’r esgobaeth a byddem yn falch iawn o weld mwy o’r rhain yn cael eu lansio ar draws yr esgobaeth. Cysylltwch â Naomi Wood, Gweinidog Teulu yn yr Eglwys Gadeiriol os hoffech sgwrs am ddechrau grŵp plant bach.
Churches full of families
Parent and toddler groups have been around for many, many years. They offer opportunities for parents and carers of young children to gather together, to chat, to share advice and concerns. Another benefit of these groups is the socialising the children get to do with their peers – something many children missed out on doing during the pandemic.
Across the Diocese we have several toddler groups which are offering vital support to parents and children. Below are three stories sharing good news and inspiration.
In Bro Cyfeiliog a Mawddwy, our monthly united service at the end of April had birthday cake and balloons. We were celebrating the first birthday of our 'Arch Noa' group which came into being after a small group of volunteers had been praying together and venturing in mission to local families together. We noticed a baby boom and identified that since the pandemic there were no weekly groups where new parents could take their babies or toddlers to play and have conversations with other adults! The launch of our group coincided with a budget underspend in the department of Powys County Council that deals with starting up community groups for children under 5. They approached us(!), and we were thrilled to receive some brand new toys from them to add to all our preloved donations.
We meet every Tuesday morning in term-time, upstairs in St Peter's Machynlleth. New families come along all the time, and some parents who came from the start are unfortunately back at work now, while others are on child number 2 so we'll get to keep seeing them and their toddlers! Launching the group led to an increase in baptisms this last year, and we were thrilled that 5 parents brought their little ones to our celebration service where our 'Open the Book' team told the Bible story of Noah's Ark and we prayed, giving thanks for God's blessing and provision, and praying for all the children that they'd grow to know God's love for them. As a creative prayer activity, we measured the children (and vicar!) on a height chart which now hangs proudly in church - a reminder to keep praying for the children as they grow in faith and stature.
After the service, one mum said "I'd never have come to a service in church before, but coming to the group and coming on Christmas Eve has made me more comfortable about coming into a church." And another said, "I'm gutted I can't come to Noah's Ark anymore because I'm starting a new job...Is there a Sunday School we could come to?" Yes, yes there is!!
Camau Bach is the Cathedral’s toddler group which runs in partnership with the local Health Visitors. Meeting on a Tuesday morning in the Cathedral in Bangor the children are given a large space in which to play. High quality, mostly wooden, toys are laid out on soft floor mats while parents and carers are offered a hot drink and a chance to sit and chat. Baby massage sessions are held in the tranquillity of the Lady Chapel in addition to the opportunity to have one to one conversations with the Health Visitors. Toast and crumpets are served mid-way through the session with the parents and carers often being more eager for them than the children!
No story time or crafts are offered at present but watching the children explore the Cathedral and engage with the art and architecture is quite awesome. One youngster blows kisses to the figure of Jesus which hangs above the Rood Screen each week and also makes a point of touching the palms of the statue of Mary in the nave. Some parents have even laid on the floor next to their children to admire the roof and the atmosphere in the building. Many of the parents have commented that, although they have lived in Bangor for many years, they have never stepped foot in the Cathedral.
Since launching in September 2022 over 140 different children have been to Camau Bach – each bringing at least one parent or carer. The vast majority of these are living in Bangor and within walking distance of the Cathedral and bump into the leaders and volunteers as they shop or visit coffee shops which sustains the link.
There is also a Camau Bach run by Bro Tysilio in St Mary’s Church, Menai Bridge. Starting in September, 2021, it is organised and run by a team of dedicated volunteers, co-ordinated by the Ministry Area Lay Licenced Families Minister.
A variety of activities are on offer – as well as the ever-dependable soft-mats and bouncing balls – with a bee garden the latest creation! The activities roughly alternate between something organised by the Health Visitors who attend and the church team who bring something with an element of our Christian faith with a light touch.
It’s great to see the church buzzing with joyful activity every week, and to have developed relationships with the parents and carers as well as the little ones themselves. Prayer requests and requests for baptism have become a regular part of Camau Bach, with one baptism even being set up like a Camau Bach session so that everyone felt at home!
Welcoming children, young people and families is one of the priorities of the diocese and we would be delighted to see more of these being launched across the diocese. Do get in touch with Naomi Wood, Family Minister at the Cathedral if you would like a conversation about beginning a toddler group.