The Community
The Community of Coleg y Groes began formally on St. Andrew's day (November 30th) 1990, when our diocesan bishop (we are part of the diocese of St. Asaph) came to commission us at a service at Corwen. The original vision was of 'a house in Wales, where a group of Christians would live together, as candles grouped together to give a stronger light, and where people could come to find rest, refreshment and renewal.'
In 1994 the first ‘Companions’ were admitted - the beginning of a community
structure which is spread much further than Corwen. The first Companions had
felt that God was calling them to to have a closer commitment to the work of
Coleg y Groes. Initially the focus was on supporting the ministry based in
Corwen. But as the number of Companions have grown so the concept and vocation
has developed. Today we are working at being a Community rather than a support
group. We call the Community in residence in Corwen the ‘Coleg’ and the
Community in dispersion the ‘Llan’
COLEG
In the Coleg y Groes community we seek to make community visible through a common commitment to Christ and to the vision of the community. This expresses itself through a common life of
- prayer and worship
-the sharing of resources, knowing that all our resources ultimately come from God
- work and hospitality
- openness and responsibility in the use of personal income
We envisage that others who join the Coleg may own or rent their own property in the immediate locality, and may have families. So the essentials of community life will need to be explored and negotiated over and over again, but without losing the ethos of the original vision. We aim for a creative simplicity of life, enjoying and celebrating the gifts of God, developing personal and communal creativity, not being afraid to explore and use new technology and ideas, but standing free of the ‘must have’ consumer society. We remember that everything we have is to be used for God’s greater glory. We are called to take seriously the challenge of a life that is conformed to Christ and his values. Living as community will sometimes mean living ‘on the edge’ in a variety of ways.
Admittance to the ‘Coleg’ Community is formalised in an act of worship, usually in the presence of the diocesan bishop or some other representative of the wider church. This takes place after a discernment process which involves the community’s Advisory Group. Membership is initially for a probationary year. It may then be confirmed for agreed lengths of time, and may eventually be for a lifelong commitment.
LLAN
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The cross worn
by Community members is a copy of an ancient cross carved into a stone
near St. Non’s well at the place where she is reputed to have given birth
to St. David. It reminds u |
s
of the celtic christian heritage of community life with its values of
praise, commitment, hospitality and evangelism. We seek to explore and
live out those values in today’s world. The Coleg y Groes Community is a
community that seeks to be truly ecumenical while acknowledging its
Anglican roots.
There are over 430 places in Wales that start with 'Llan'. Basically it means ‘enclosure’. A 'Llan' was a piece of land enclosed by a wooden fence within which would be a church and a group of Christians. Each 'Llan' was established around the 6th century by a Celtic saint after whom the site was named.
Part of the initial vision for Coleg y Groes was of ‘a group of Christians living together, like candles that give more light if they are grouped together, where people can come and find rest and renewal and go out again’. Over the years this has expanded so that the community is not necessarily in one place. One of the features of the last few decades has been the development of dispersed communities. The growth of communication technology provides tools to help in developing such a community. The challenge is to explore ways for a dispersed community to have “stability” and a recognizable identity while it is not located in a particular place.
What makes the Llan Community any different from a selection of Christians who happen to know one another slightly and correspond occasionally? Members identify with and seek to live out the Community vision - the centrality of an accepting love which takes as its model the love of Jesus and the commitment to building community in this Community and wherever we find ourselves;
They seek to nurture that commitment through
(i) a pattern of life which gives an important place to the prayerful reading of scripture and regular prayer. Members are encouraged to have a ‘soul friend’.
(ii) regular prayer for one another. The Community Daily Prayer is a tool for this.
(iii) regular contact with one another, by email, phone and letter, and by meeting in
local groups where possible. A Community Newsletter which comes out quarterly, aims to share ideas and encourage discussion, consultation and fellowship.
(iv) giving priority to attendance at the annual Community meeting
(v) support for the ministry based at Coleg y Groes in whatever way is appropriate.
Membership of the ‘Llan’ is formalised in an act of worship, usually in the presence of the diocesan bishop or some other representative of the wider church. There is usually a year for reflection and discovery between first requesting membership and the making of a member. Membership is for 3 years, normally renewed at the annual Companions meeting. ‘Llan’ members wear a small version of the Community cross as a mark of identity.
Now the Community consists of Margaret and Heather who are priests in the Church in Wales and resident here at Coleg y Groes, together with twenty Llan Companions, lay and ordained, married couples and single, and so far from the Church of North India and Church of England as well as the Church in Wales. We share a fellowship of prayer and are continually exploring ways of building up this diverse and wide spread community as we listen to God and to one another. Sometimes we welcome individuals or couples to come and 'live alongside', being involved in the day to day running of the Retreat House and maybe exploring what they should move on to next.
If you want to explore becoming a part of this Community please write to us at Coleg y Groes, Corwen, Denbighshire LL21 0DR