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The Reverend Melanie Prince has announced that she will be leaving the Diocese of Llandaff this Easter. Currently serving in the parishes of Penmark, Porthkerry and Rhoose, Melanie will be saying goodbye to those congregations as well as the outstanding community project she helped form in Rhoose.When Melanie began her ministry in Rhoose 11 years ago, St Peter’s Church looked very different. The then small church building was in a great location but with a growing Messy Church and toddler group, it was clear the space needed to be expanded to serve the locals’ wants and needs.After conducting a local survey on where neighbours could express what they wanted for their town, plans began to form to extend the church to include an activity hub with kitchen.Now the thriving heart of the town, the project has had £600,000 worth of investment from local funders and St Peter’s is a food bank, a Dementia Café on a Tuesday, a Warm Space on Wednesday afternoons, a safe place for young people (over 50 attend the youth club on a Friday), a Citizen advice host and home to a thriving Messy Church and toddler group with over 50 families.St Peter's Church youth group is growing rapidly and would benefit from some extra hands. If you are passionate about youth ministry and would like to get involved, please email melanieprince@cinw.org.ukMelanie and the PCC's main focus is to provide for the community, alleviate loneliness and introduce people to Jesus.About her time at St Peter’s Church in the Rhoose community, Melanie said, “Different people's lives changed in lots of different ways. To see the Lord at work in the people, that's been my favourite bit. In one sense, I couldn't care less about £600,000 building if nobody's life is changed by it, it is a waste of time.“Relationships are there with the community and now next steps for bringing people to Jesus. They know Jesus’ love but the want is for people to know Jesus for themselves. The new building means we can offer more than just services. It’s comfortable, it’s warm, it’s welcoming and it’s what you need a church to be. We've got the projects up and running and now we need to get it to the next stage and maybe that takes somebody different.”To her successor, Melanie would like to encourage them in using their gifts for the community: “Buildings are not my thing. My gift is teaching the Bible to all ages and working with families. My gifting is not buildings and projects but that’s what the Lord got me to do. So, I would say not to be daunted because He will give you the skills to do it.”After being ordained in Llandaff Cathedral, Melanie has served 26 years in our diocese, ministering in St Mark’s Gabalfa, Aberavon, St Athan and Penmark, Porthkerry and Rhoose.Melanie said, “I’ve really loved the 4 communities I have served. They’re very different but they all become family to me in the time that I was there.”To the St Peter’s community she says, “Keep on trusting in the Lord because He is faithful and I feel He wouldn’t build this up just to knock it down.”“Seeing people come to faith in the Lord to seeing Him change lives. I can think of two mums who came to faith very obviously on my watch."And just to see what the Lord's done in their lives has been a wonderful thing. But different people's lives changed in lots of different ways. To see the Lord at work in the people, that's been my favourite bit. In one sense, I couldn't care less about £600,000 building if nobody's life is changed by it, it is a waste of time.”Over the years Melanie was also on the Diocesan Youth Committee, Chaplain to St Padarn’s Institute and then Vocations Advisor. She said she is grateful that her time in the Diocese of Llandaff has encompassed more than parish ministry and delighted in being part of the ordination journeys.Melanie’s last service will be on 29th March for Easter Sunday.Melanie is moving to Lampeter to serve in the Diocese of St David. A place close to her heart, Lampeter was where Melanie met her husband and felt a call to ministry. “It feels like it is coming full circle. I am pinching myself that I am going to be the vicar there because I loved and respected the vicar who was there while I was at university. It’s humbling and daunting but amazing. Working with students will be different and a new challenge but I am looking forward to giving a new congregation some love. But I’ll have to improve my Welsh language! Another challenge I am looking forward to.”We would like to deeply thank Rev’d Melanie for her ministry. She will be greatly missed.