First draft of my report on the calendar year 2023, to be presented to the Annual Meeting on 19 May 2024.

I began the year in Melbourne, Australia, as part of a three-month sabbatical. I was away from parish duties from the beginning of November 2022 to the end of January 2023. As I said in last year’s report, I am very grateful to the Churchwardens and others for their support, and to the clergy and Readers who kindly stepped in to take services. Foremost amongst these was, of course, our own Reader, Linda Buckley, who generously gave much of her time and energy to ensure that things went well in my absence. I am also grateful to the Revd Chris Moore who provided priestly ministry.

During my sabbatical, I worshipped in a number of cathedrals and other splendid churches: from Chester, Gloucester, York, and Canterbury, to Berlin and Melbourne. I was in Melbourne for the whole of Advent and Christmas 2022 to Epiphany 2023. I attached myself to St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, and was privileged to lead some midweek eucharists there and to take part in a couple of Sunday services. My aim (as well as visiting family) was to try to make sense of following the Church’s calendar in the southern hemisphere. (Christmas in the summer?!)

Life Events

In 2023, our churches held 31 baptisms (down from 37 in 2022), 6 weddings (down from 11 in 2022) and 18 funerals (down from 23 in 2022). Of the baptisms, 24 were at St Matthew’s, and 7 at St Cross. Of the weddings, 4 were at St Matthew’s, and 2 at St Cross. Of the funerals, 12 were the responsibility of St Matthew’s, and 6 came under St Cross (including services conducted at the crematorium or cemetery, rather than in church).

I’m grateful to those who support our ‘Life Events’ services – the Vergers, Alan Bruce at St Matthew’s and David Rose at St Cross, the Churchwardens, and Carol Rylett who is Baptism Administrator at St Matthew’s.

Of course, the ‘Life Events’ statistics don’t tell the real story. Among those for whom funeral services were conducted, there were some very familiar names. I was approaching the end of my sabbatical when I heard the news that our Reader, Alan Hibbert, had died. Alan had reached the age of 90 and had exercised an active ministry in both churches until very recently. We feel his loss deeply. I always valued Alan’s support, encouragement, his deep faith, and commitment to prayer. He was godly, spiritual, and Christlike. We thank God for his example of Christian discipleship.

We also said farewell to Dorothy Edwards, who had been such a significant figure in the life of St Cross and the wider community.

Volunteers

Churches, along with other charities and voluntary groups, have experienced a drop in the numbers of people who are able to give their time to support their activities. Studies suggest that formal volunteering is at a record low: in 2019, 11 million people were recorded as volunteering at least once a month. By 2022, that figure was down to 7 million. The think tank, Theos, reported in September 2023 that possible causes of the reduction in volunteers included:

“a combination of changed working patterns, retirement, economic pressures, and a difference in the ‘offer’ that volunteers are now looking for after the pandemic”.[1]

Churches have long relied on retired people to take responsibility for many of the jobs that need doing. As our members age, we are always looking for younger people to take over, but that is proving difficult. Church regulations require each parish to have two elected Churchwardens, but there is a growing number of parishes that are unable to do that as it becomes ever more difficult to find people willing to undertake the duties and responsibilities of this role.[2] I am very grateful to the Churchwardens for both parishes – Stephen Edwards and Kath Holbourn at St Matthew’s, and David Shaw and Sandra Bates at St Cross. Kath stood down in October 2023 and we are very grateful for all her hard work as Warden. (We have yet to replace her!)

Many parishes also struggle to find volunteers to fill places on the Parochial Church Council. I’m grateful to those who do give their time in this way for both churches. At St Matthew’s, we have not been able to fill all available places. We are blessed to have very competent and committed Treasurers: Catherine Edwards at St Matthew’s and Tracy-Anne Clancey at St Cross. Particular thanks to Catherine who announced her intention to stand down, for all that she has done for St Matthew’s.

Against this backdrop, it is good to note that both churches still have a remarkably dedicated band of lay people. The danger of naming individuals is that I’m bound to leave someone out: but thanks to the unsung heroes who support our churches – who give their time and money, who keep the buildings safe, clean, and comfortable, who change the altar frontals, decorate with flowers, ring the bells, play pianos and organs, welcome visitors, take, count, and bank collections, work the technology, make tea and coffee and provide biscuits… Thank you!

Worship

With the interruption to regular worship in church during the pandemic, we lost a lot of ground. We lost regular worshippers as people aged, continued to isolate, or simply got out of the habit of attending church. Numbers at St Cross on a Sunday morning are not bad, but St Matthew’s often feels rather empty. (30 people at St Cross feels good. 30 people at St Matthew’s, not so much!) There are positive signs, too, with new people joining both congregations and, at St Matthew’s, a number of young families who regularly worship with us.

One of the things that vanished in the pandemic was the rota of people doing readings and prayers in church. We now have a smaller number of people participating more often. If you would like to help, please let me know.

Our regular pattern of Sunday worship looks like this:

First	9.30AM 10.45AM 6.30PM	Holy Communion Holy Communion Contemporary	St Cross St Matthew’s St Matthew’s
Second	8AM 9.30AM 10.45AM	Holy Communion Holy Communion Morning Worship	St Matthew’s St Cross St Matthew’s
Third	9.30AM 10.45AM	Holy Communion Holy Communion	St Cross St Matthew’s
Fourth	8AM 9.30AM 10.45AM	Holy Communion Holy Communion Morning Worship	St Matthew’s St Cross St Matthew’s
Fifth	Either 9.30AM or 10.45AM	Holy Communion	Either St Cross or St Matthew’s

At St Matthew’s, we have been able to re-introduce Sunday activities for children, with a small band of volunteers working with colouring sheets and crafts during the 10.45AM service when it is Holy Communion. We try to make the Morning Worship services more all-age friendly. The 10.45AM service at St Matthew’s is routinely live streamed – as we have the technology in place – and we have had some online worshippers who have become in-person worshippers! All live streamed services are also available as videos on the St Matthew’s website (https://www.stmatthewschurchstretton.org.uk/).

The evening Contemporary Worship on the first Sunday of the month has a small band of regular attenders: those who come are very appreciative of what is on offer.

Conclusion

As we look back on the events of 2023, it is clear that both churches have faced challenges and have also seen signs of life and growth. As well as saying goodbye to significant members of the community, and grappling with issues of finance, fabric, and smaller, older congregations, we have witnessed the dedication and resilience of those who continue to support our churches. There is much to be thankful for.

As we look ahead, what can we say? I can do no better than this:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

Hebrews 13.8

Every blessing

The Revd Alan Jewell, Vicar

St Matthew’s, Stretton, and St Cross, Appleton Thorn

vicar@stmandstc.org

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[1] https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/29-september/news/uk/tensions-between-night-shelter-volunteers-and-guests-exposed-in-theos-study

[2] https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/15-march/features/features/no-churchwardens-and-vacant-pcc-posts-an-investigation-into-the-church-volunteering-crisis