# **Ebenezer Baptist Church, Magor Registered Charity no. 1136850** **Annual Report Year ending 31st December, 2025** ## **The Diaconate (the Charity Trustees of Ebenezer Baptist Church)** Minister Rev. Mark Thomas Secretary Kathy Allen Treasurer John Loebl Deacons Beverley Davies, Helen Ellwood, Phyllis Jones, Andrew Leighton, Christine Miles, Suzie Roberts, Davina Thomas, Christine Foster (January to March) ## **Diaconate Meetings** The Diaconate has met 11 times for business meetings. ## **New Diaconate Appointments** This year, at the AGM in March 2025, we welcomed one new deacon, Suzie Roberts, on to the Diaconate. Andrew Leighton and Christine Miles began a second 3 year term of service. ## **Church Leadership** ## **Achieving Our Objectives** ## Our principal activities as a Church continue to be: Worship and prayer; The teaching and sharing of the Christian Faith; The pastoral care of the individuals; Service to the local community and the wider world. This annual report gives an indication of the wide range of activities we undertake as a church and how we fund them. Our accounts show that we remain a generous charitable church, supporting a wide range of organisations both at home and overseas. This is, for example, through monthly charitable giving to a charity decided by the church meeting for each month for that year; and also through responses to emergency situations in the wider world. During this year the church agreed a proposal to give away an annual sum from our church reserves, which was put into practice by the end of the year, and is reflected in our annual accounts. We continue to pursue our aims of creating stronger links between the Church and the communities of Magor and Undy with the aim of bringing more people to faith in Christ, and as part of demonstrating the love of God for his world. Looking prayerfully at the needs in the community around us, initiatives have been set up in respect of managing household debt and the setting up of a support group for those with dementia and their carers. A number of individuals have linked with Christians Against Poverty (CAP) locally and have trained to provide a course and support for individuals. An initial course has been provided in Magor and a second course is planned with a local venue yet to be decided. The support group for those with dementia and their carers is taking place once a fortnight, with the hope that it will build on support that can be provided with input from those attending. Our Family Fun sessions, usually held for a half day each school holiday or half term have been well attended and have received positive feedback. A Ceilidh was organised in September, with music and direction by the Welsh Music Group, and this was much appreciated by all who attended. We celebrated with Laura and Greg and with Georgia and Nico on the occasions of their weddings. We continued to seek a second worker for the fellowship, to work in partnership with our minister Mark Thomas, and we will continue to be open to this possibility. ## **Membership and Adherence** We have noted with joy the encouragement of people of different ages joining us in our Sunday worship during the year. Four of our members (Jeremy and Ruth Lock, Ruth Hassell and Tina Liberson) ended their membership with us, two because of moves outside our area. Tina had been part of our fellowship for over 40 years. All will be missed. A number of individuals who have been part of our fellowship were called home during the past year. Beryl Cox, Gill Edwards, Arthur Hill, Joyce Jones and Jeanette Walker. Beryl Cox, a member of very many years was previously our church organist. We remember them all, as part of our fellowship. At the end of the year there were 89 members and some 30 adherents (people who worship with us regularly or occasionally). ## **Connections** We have maintained the relationships with our fellow Baptist churches at Caldicot and Underwood. In January we celebrated with Bethany Caldicot their 40[th ] church anniversary. In addition, we have also met up with St Mary = s Church in Wales for Remembrance Day and Christmas carols in Magor Square. One of our members continues to serve as a school governor for Magor Church in Wales primary school. It was a privilege once again to host nursery children from Magor school for a session about the nativity in November, and older primary age children visited our coffee morning on one occasion to share time with local people there. We continue to welcome opportunities for multi-generational time together. Our Christingle service and nativity services continued to provide opportunity for families who have not necessarily been part of our worship to join in with us. We again much appreciated the thoughtful and original all-age nativity service which Mark and Anne Thomas produced. This is becoming a much anticipated event! Further afield we support the work of the Baptist Missionary Society, and the work of the Kasozis in Uganda (Rock Ministries) that continues to prosper. Peter and Rose Kasozi have continued to support a number of churches local to their area, which formed under the umbrella of their organisation; and their health clinic. Education is provided for children in that area at both primary and secondary levels. ## **Church Teams** Part of the Trustees = main responsibility is that of ensuring that the teams of volunteers are in place to run and deliver the wide-ranging programme of events and activities in the community. We are grateful for our volunteers = work in all areas: - Pastoral care has continued to be overseen by a small dedicated team of people who link with the more informal support of people for each other within the fellowship, under the oversight of Mark Thomas; - Bible Study leaders continue to deliver a well-supported and varied programme, with thanks to Mark Thomas for his directing of this, which is supported by his preaching Sunday by Sunday; - Volunteers who provide our music and sound desk operating, with thanks to both the dedicated ongoing work of those who are established in the team, and to new volunteers; - Teams of volunteers who operate the Church = s Friday coffee morning; - Volunteers who run our weekly knit and natter group; - The team who work in our ministry to children and young people through our Toddlers and Sunday Club; - The team who offer support and friendship to women in our monthly Ladies friendship group - The team who offer support and friendship to other men in through the monthly Men = s Drop-In; - The small and dedicated team of Sunshiners who deliver flowers on behalf of the church, again with thanks both to the dedicated longstanding individuals and to those who have volunteered more recently; - Our small cleaning team; - Those who provide refreshments after our services; - Our catering teams, who provide for monthly Light Lunches and for church events; - Door stewards; - Once again we acknowledge the many individuals, who provide the hard work of maintenance, lettings, publicity, gardening, furniture moving and the many other unseen practical tasks; - Free for All, who continue to seek to bless individuals, businesses and schools in our area with chocolates or other small gifts, including a community Easter Egg giveaway; - The Magor Baptist Church Property Trustees who are responsible for the maintenance of Church Properties, and continue to manage crucial work within our church building. ## **The Future** Our verse for this year has been A _Shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life_ @ _Philippians 2: 15-16._ We are encouraged by the weekly attendance at our Sunday worship, and the number of individuals who have stepped forward to be part of the work of this fellowship. We thank God for his provision, and we thank him especially for the ministry of Mark Thomas, and for the support of Anne Thomas. We seek to continue to provide a witness to the love of God for his world, shown in Jesus Christ, his life in this world, his death and resurrection, to the community around us. We look to continue to be a generous church, looking outwards to the needs of the world around us. Over the year we believe that we have demonstrated our commitment as Trustees to advance the Christian faith according to the principles of the Baptist denomination and carry out other charitable purposes in the UK and other parts of the world. ## _Kathy Allen_ ## _Church Secretary (For and on behalf of the Diaconate)_ ## **Sunday Club** The five leaders of the Sunday Club team work on a rota so that every Sunday Service of the year is covered. Unfortunately numbers remain low but we are delighted when visiting children join the group. Because attendance is spasmodic our lessons are based around 'stand alone' subjects rather than following a series. We have covered Bible heroes from the Old Testament and many stories from Jesus' ministry. These include parables and miracles together with seasonal stories such as Easter, Pentecost and Christmas. The nursery group from St Mary's Church in Wales School visited once again to see the Nativity scene set up and hear the story, led by their teacher. They sang the songs that they had learned ready to share with their parents or the school's Christmas service. The children all received a Christmas story book to take home which we trust they will use. Our minister Mark Thomas and his wife Anne attracted a good number of children to the Christingle service and also to the Nativity service. The Nativity Service took the theme of an Advent Calendar. It was quite a scene as angels, shepherds, wise men, sheep and camels and of course Mary and Joseph came through the "door" of the calendar. The "Fun Time" mornings have been a success with a good response of children enjoying craft activities and sharing a gospel story. We will look forward to continuing this vital work as we share the gospel in the coming year. _Phyllis Jones Coordinator_ ## **Toddler Group** It has been another fun and exciting year. We have gained new members and lost a few, as they move on to nursery or school. We continue to provide a safe and relaxed environment for children to play, with age appropriate toys, puzzles and craft. While the adults chat and make new friends. We have welcomed new born brothers and sisters to our group too. Our families have supported our Family Craft mornings and are always asking when the next one is. There was great excitement in September when a camera crew came to film in the chapel. There were a few little helpers waiting to join the crew and have a go behind the cameras. The finished product can be seen on our website. The Toddler Team consists of 4 church members who are there each week providing this outreach and are grateful to those who step in when needed. However, we could do with a few more people to call on when needed. Thank you to the team for their commitment and support throughout the year. _Bev Davies_ ## **Ladies Friendship** Beth Ford, from RNR Therapy started our January meeting with a most in-depth interesting talk on Holistic Therapy. This is an insight into alternative medicine and a wellbeing feeling that we can all practice on ourselves at home. She spoke about the benefits of pressure points, breathing techniques that affect our bodies and how to relieve stress and physical pain. It was comforting to discover that a number of our ladies have already attended her studio for treatment. Once again we joined with the Ladies Circle in February, who hosted us and speaker Christine Miles, who gave a superb account of the Annual World Day of Prayer. This year the ladies from the Solomon Islands had put together a wonderful programme which has taken 3 - 4 years to bring to fruition. The theme being based on Psalm 139v14, praising God for their blessed and abundant islands, which hold sunny skies, beautiful birds, colourful fauna and flora including a bountiful sea life off white sandy shores. Unfortunately, Pat O = Shea who was to speak about the Cruse Charity fell ill in March, and was unable to attend. However, Christine Miles, being the stalwart she is, stepped in, and as usual gave an outstanding account of the delightful and interesting places you pass through while travelling the A49. For our April meeting, Mr. Roy Boylett gave us a fascinating talk into the life of the bee, and what it means to be a bee-keeper (or bee carer in his words). It was amazing to know that bees haven = t evolved in over 100 million years, having the same job and purpose to this present day. June Nicholas introduced us to Lady Rhondda and the Five Women Statues in Wales, for our May meeting. It was the most amazing insight into the life of these remarkable women (especially our own local > hero = ) who have virtually been unheard of, if it wasn = t for The Monumental Welsh Women Organisation, who are dedicated to recognising the contribution to the history and life of Wales. On 20th June, eighteen of our ladies visited the BBC Studios in Cardiff. The sun was shining, the temperature hot, and so were our ladies with enthusiasm for the BBC Studios. We were all of one mind, it was stupendous (the building, security and also the three young tour guide ladies). It provided 1 hour and 45 minutes of pure enjoyment. Nothing was too much for them to make our visit pleasurable, and the icing on the cake was a face-to-face chat with Sabrina, one of the BBC weather girls, followed by a view into the 1pm News Room, live with Jenny Jones. Obviously, a trip like that was most memorable, and will be hard to surpass. We ended July with a meal at our faithful restaurant, The Wheatsheaf. As usual the meal met our expectations, and the ladies enjoyed an evening of good conversations and laughter. September started our new programme with a very informative, sensitive yet positive talk by Adele Griffin on her work with people who have had strokes. It was so encouraging to see the preventative ways the NHS has progressed regarding strokes, and the positive results made with people and families, living a productive life after such a disabilitating illness. October we treated ourselves to an evening at the cinema in-house, > Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris = . A most delightful, lighthearted, comedic film that took us out of ourselves for a few hours. We enjoyed a cup of popcorn, for a change, going home a little more uplifted than when we arrived. November = s meeting was held at St. Mary = s hosted by the Ladies Circle. We had a very amusing evening learning the history of the Ukulele, originating from Portugal, but being adopted as Hawaii = s national musical instrument. A wonderful evening at the Wheatsheaf, for our festive meal ended the year in December. _Jenny Tilton Chairperson_ ## **Knit and Natter** As a group we meet every Monday between 1.30 - 3.00pm in the schoolroom at Magor Baptist Chapel. We = re a friendly, sociable group of ladies who enjoy getting together to knit, natter and crochet over a cup of tea, coffee, biscuits and sometimes cake. This past year, through our knitting, we = ve supported the Refugee Council in Newport with blankets, baby clothes and Christmas stockings. We have also supported the Neo-Natal Baby Unit at the Heath Hospital with Christmas stockings, and the Cats Protection (through Woman = s Weekly) with 270 mice. We also supported the Francis House Children = s Hospice with knitted chicks. Through our weekly subscriptions, we have donated to the RNIB, Alzheimer = s, Building Bridges and Ready Steady Go. During the summer we enjoyed our yearly cream tea at Chepstow Garden Centre. We are always happy to welcome any ladies (or gentlemen) who would care to join us and knit!! _Jean Smith Chairlady_ ## **Light Lunch Club** We have now been opening the doors for lunch once a month for over three years. Many of our attendees have been coming since the beginning and we love seeing them and serving them. We have increased our numbers too. We still keep lunch fairly simple with soup being a favourite. We still managed to provide a Christmas dinner in December and there is a real party atmosphere. Our wonderful volunteers work very hard to make our lunch run smoothly: those who prepare the food in the kitchen, and those who come and lay tables and serve. We are grateful too that we have brilliant gentlemen who come and wash up and put china and cutlery away. We also acknowledge the hard work in putting up the tables and putting them away again, plus returning the chairs ready for the next activity. We have sadly lost several of our friends and we miss them very much. We give thanks for all the new friends who have come and we enjoy getting to know them. We give thanks that we can provide a warm welcome and serve the community in this way. ## _Christine Foster Coordinator_ ## **Forget-me-Nots** Forget-me-Nots was set up because of the need within our community for an outreach opportunity to support people with dementia. By the end of December we had been running for four months and had organised eight meetings. To date seventeen people with dementia have attended with their carers. Some purchases have been made for activity interest, e.g. age-appropriate specialist jigsaws with relevant conversation prompts. Other games e.g. dominoes, giant Ludo, Snakes and ladders, quizzes are also enjoyed. A variety of themed memory boxes are available for us to use, on loan from the library. This is a safe space for carers to talk, to get to know one another and share their coping strategies in a supportive environment. We can see friendships being made and people who attend appear relaxed and feel welcomed by the team of volunteers who are committed to these sessions. We meet on alternative Wednesdays to the Severn View care home in Caldicot, and hope to encourage local people who perhaps have restricted transport. _Helen Ellwood Coordinator_ ## **CAP** February 2025 six people completed the Money Coach Training programme delivered by CAP (Christians Against Poverty), which enabled us to run community money management sessions open to anyone free of charge. Mark, Anne, Liz and myself from MBC. Robin from St Luke's Tutshill and Paul from Caldicot Methodist Church were the team set up to deliver this outreach project. It was very positive to have three different churches involved and on board. After our initial training we ran the full four weeks in May, as dummy courses to ensure we all felt confident in delivering the course publicly. It was a great success and we as a team bonded well. So, we were ready to start planning and promoting the course to deliver in the community. In June five of us attended CAP - an annual United Conference in Bridgend. This was a great opportunity to network and hear further testimonies from people who had been successfully supported by CAP. September 2025, we ran out first full four week sessions. Eight people signed up with interest and three attended and completed the course. All agreeing it was very helpful and they felt comfortable to partake in the tasks each week. It was a great learning experience, not just for people in debt but also for people wanting to improve their money management skills and knowledge. After a successful first course, we hope to run more in the future around our local area depending on interest. ## _Helen Ellwood Coordinator_ ## **Friday Coffee Morning** Well, another year is complete, and what a great year it has been. The Coffee Morning has continued to run every Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. These gatherings have consistently proven to be a focal point for many people within the Magor and Undy community, providing a safe and friendly environment for people to meet and socialise. This year, we were also visited by Magor School on several occasions, which provided wonderful additional entertainment for those attending the Coffee Morning. The feedback from attendees has been entirely positive. We have continued to serve tea, coffee, and freshly cooked scones at very reasonable prices, whilst still raising significant amounts for both local and national charities. This year also saw an increase in the number of charities we were able to support, which is fantastic. Once again, I would like to thank all members and volunteers who continue to make the Coffee Morning such a great success. May it continue for many years to come. Beneficiaries Supported This Year:- Brain and Spinal; Raven House Trust; Magor Baptist Chapel; Ty Hafan; Kidney Research UK; Kids Cancer Charity; Ready Steady Go; Sight Cymru; Ripple Effect; Breast Cancer Now; Sense; Dementia UK; Diabetes UK; St David = s Foundation; McMillan Nurses. _Jean Smith Coordinator_ Lll co ￿ C£1 Ln o * * o o o * o C¢ m Ln th O Ln m m o o o th o o o f•J Ln ( m Ln m o r*4 rri o Ul Pj Ln n LTr c m ff) Ln rr )000 0000 9) ty) c oomLQO mLncoo r*4 m In Ln f*4 (Q Ln Z - rf y4 n Ln O 0 fn ¢YJ m Ln