IN THE recent meeting of Penarth Cytun (Council of Churches) Mrs Ann Niblett was elected as the Vice Chair of Penarth Cytun and will succeed the Rev Sue Fender from Elfed Avenue United Church in October.

Ann is the secretary of Tabernacle Baptist Church and is an accredited lay preacher and has served Penarth Cytun in many roles and has currently organised the ecumenical Lent Groups where people from different churches are randomly put together in groups to study a series selected by the Rev Sue Fender.

The groups are now meeting regularly in homes or church halls around Penarth. The working together of the churches is illustrated by the fact that within the last three years the chairmen have included Rev Elfed Jones from St Joseph’s Catholic Church and Captain Steve Mayo from the Salvation Army.

The Lent Lunches are now taking place in the Citadel, Plassey Street every Friday with assistance from Captain Mayo and members of the Salvation Army. The responsibility for cooking and serving each Friday is on a rota with all the churches working together. On March 13 Albert Road Methodist will work with St Dochdwy’s Church with Stanwell Baptist working with St Joseph’s on March 20 and Capel Bethel doing the cooking with Elfed Avenue United Church on March 27.

There is a wide choice of different soups served accompanied by cheese and a bread roll. The cost is £4 which goes to Christian Aid and the very well attended lunches to date have raised much needed funds for Christian Aid which is giving assistance in so many areas of the world where the need is currently so great. All will receive a warm welcome and delicious food followed by a cup of tea or coffee.

The events in Lent culminate in the traditional March of Witness on Good Friday, April 3, at 10am proceeding from the top of Arcot Street to West House where a short service will be held led by the Rev Sue Fender. The concluding event is the Sonrise service on the cliffs near the bus shelter at the end of Raisdale Road which takes place on Easter Sunday, April 5 at 6.15am when those gathered look forward to seeing a wonderful Penarth sunrise from across the Channel as they give thanks for their risen Saviour.