Rugby Fixtures

Tomorrow (Saturday), Narberth have arranged an attractive friendly fixture at home to the students from UWIC in Cardiff. Kick-off will be at 12 pm. Hot drinks and light refreshments, including delicious home made soup, burgers and hot dogs, will be available from the food hut in the car park and a full range of club clothing, personalised gifts and other merchandise can be obtained from the well-stocked club shop. Supporters are advised to park cars in parking areas outside the ground. There are no league fixtures tomorrow (Saturday) because it is quarter-final weekend of the Rugby World Cup in France and Cardiff. The kick-off for the friendly fixture is at the earlier time of 12 pm so that players coaches, members and supporters can watch the matches live on the big screen at the clubhouse immediately after the game. Kick-off for the quarter-finals will be at 2 and 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday, but television coverage starts earlier.

CHURCH SERVICES

Sunday: St. Andrew's, Narberth - 10 am Joint Benefice Family Eucharist. St. Teilo, Crinow - 6 pm Harvest Songs of Praise. Wednesday: St. Andrew's, Narberth - 10 am Holy Eucharist.

Templeton Community Association

The October meeting of the Templeton Community Association committee was told that sadly Mr. Robert Thompson, owner of the Italian Prisoner of War Chapel at Henllan, had died last week. The group sent their condolences to his family and postponed their planned visit to the chapel until next spring.  Members of the committee decided to take a food hygiene certificate course in readiness for the Christmas Supper, due to take place on December 7.  Forthcoming events discussed include an opportunity to view the proposals to enhance Templeton village green - this will now take place in the Chapel Hall at the top of the village on October 13. Please come and look at the plans - your comments will be valued.  On November 10, the Heritage Group will be holding another exhibition on Templeton Times Past from 10 am -4 pm in St. John's Church Hall -your photographs and memories will be welcomed.  Sue Lloyd was thanked for her work in preparing the September newsletter which members distributed recently. The next issue will be in March and contributions will be requested from all other village organisations. The next coffee morning will take place on Tuesday, October 16, all welcome.

Christian Community Church

Sunday's service is in Bloomfield House Seminar Room at 10 am. The speaker will be Dr. thomas Odejide who is a consultant at Withybush Hospital and founder of the Living Hope Hospital, Nigeria. A warm welcome to all.

Bethesda Baptist Chapel

Services at Bethesda Baptist Chapel, Narberth, this week are as follows: Sunday School starts at 10.15 am. Morning service takes place at 10.30 am and the evening service at 6 pm, both services being taken by Rev. Chris Rees, the minister of Bethesda Chapel. The Bible study and prayer meeting takes place on Tuesday at 7.15 pm. A Christian bookstall is held in the Country Market in Narberth's Queen's Hall on Thursday between 9 am and 12 noon. All are very welcome to these meetings.

Grace Church Holy Joes are meeting on Saturday morning for another men's breakfast at Cafe Becca. Grace Church meet every Sunday morning at the Queen's Hall, Narberth. Coffee is served from 10 am with the main gathering commencing at 10.30 am. It is an all age church, an active time for the children, and serious fun for all who attend. The speaker this Sunday is Paul Dando who has returned from a two day conference in Poland. He spoke last week on forgiveness, which was thought provoking and relevant to all in life. We all need to move on, cannot carry any baggage of unforgiveness, forgiving others as Christ forgave us. You are most welcome.

Cricket Club

Winners of the National Lottery bonus ball draw organised by the ladies committee of Narberth Cricket Club this week were: Group A - Jordan Howell; Group B - Martin Phillips. On Friday, October 19, junior presentations take place at 8 pm at the rugby club for Under 9s, 11s and 15s teams, while on Friday, November 30, at 7.30 pm at the rugby club, the Christmas Ball will be held. Tickets are £20 and anyone interested in pre-ordering tickets is asked to ring Richard or Rhian on (01834) 861464. There are limited tickets available.

Templeton United Reformed Church

The communion service on Sunday is at 9.30 am at Narberth United Reformed Church and will be led by Rev. Nanette Lewis-Head, of Tenby. A warm welcome is extended to all. Croeso cynnes i bawb.

Meat Draw

The winners of the Narberth RFC Supporters Club Meat Draw this week are as follows: beef - Tom Parsells; lamb - John Owen; pork - Dorian Phillips. The supporters' club raises money each week on behalf of the rugby club through the meat draw. Supporters interested in having a ticket at £1 per ticket with three chances to win a joint of meat for the weekend, should contact Shelley Morris on (01834) 861897 or any member of the supporters' committee. The draw takes place every Friday evening.

Narberth RFC 100 Plus Club

Membership subscription is now due for the 2007 -2008 season. Anyone wishing to rejoin or become a member should contact Peter Spacey on (01834) 861875. The annual membership is £10 per annum. There are 11 monthly draws. Cheques should be made payable to Narberth RFC 100 Club. Application forms can be obtained from Peter Spacey or from the club steward on (01834) 860462.

Narberth Branch RNLI

At a recent meeting of the Narberth branch of RNLI held at Plas Hyfryd Country Hotel, Narberth, the chairman presented the treasurer's report in unavoidable absence of the treasurer John Davies. It was reported that the sum of £148 had been raised at the Narberth Carnival through the Name the Teddy Bear stall and a RNLI Sweepstake competition. In addition, the sum of £414.80 had been raised through the sale of RNLI lottery tickets at the Pembrokeshire County Show in August. The chairman thanked all of the committee members who were involved in both events for their efforts and members of the public for their most generous support. If RNLI collection boxes at any locations need to be emptied, John Davies, the treasurer, can be contacted on (01834) 861115. Members discussed the arrangements for the Bengali Supper Evening, with food from East West Cuisine, to be held at Narberth Rugby Club on Friday, November 2. Tickets priced £12.50 were issued to members for distribution. The next meeting of the committee will be held at Plas Hyfryd on Monday, December 3, at 7.30 pm. NARBERTH BAPTIST FELLOWSHIP

There seems to be a universal longing, a hunger in us all for forgiveness. The writer Ernest Hemingway tells of a young man who wronged his father and ran away from home to the city of Madrid. Out of great love for his son, the father advertised in a Madrid newspaper, 'Paco, meet me Hotel Montana, 12 noon Tuesday. All is forgiven. Papa.' Paco is a common name in Spain, and so when the father arrived at the hotel, he found 800 young men waiting for their fathers! Forgiveness is central to the Christian faith. But there are faulty models of forgiveness. Take for example the woman who was lectured by her minister on the importance of learning how to love, forgive and 'turn the other cheek', to her abusive husband who had knocked her senseless again and again till her bones were broken. What kind of teaching is this, that condones domestic violence? Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting, or condoning, and it is not a form of self-sacrifice. Forgiveness is a turning to the good in the face of a wrongdoing or injustice. It is a merciful restraint from dwelling destructively in resentment or thoughts of vengeance. When we do not forgive, we give ourselves away to someone else's control. We must not become rage slaves, hate addicts, or junkies co-dependent on the wounds inflicted on us. Even so, it is important to allow our feelings of anger and resentment to surface and maybe with a friend, minister or counsellor begin to talk about the injury and understand how change can come about. When I forgive, it breaks the hold of that wrong, done against me, upon my life. Don't let us locate our lives in other people's wrongs.