Alan Jewell
Vicar, St Matthew’s, Stretton, and St Cross, Appleton Thorn

As I produced last year’s report, it occurred to me that it might be the last time I ever had to do such a thing. It turns out I was wrong, and here we are again!

I wrote last year’s report, covering the year 2024, shortly after the national Day of Reflection marking the fifth anniversary of the first COVID lockdown. I spoke then about the shadow of those events still hanging over us. One more year on, we still live with the memory of those days.

The work of recovery has continued during 2025, but we are now also beginning to look ahead — both to the future of our churches and, for me personally, to retirement and the end of my time as your vicar.

Looking back over the past year, we give thanks for the life and witness of our two church communities. St Matthew’s and St Cross are different in character, yet together they form a single benefice, sharing in the calling to worship God, serve our communities — Stretton, Appleton, and Appleton Thorn — and make known the love of Christ.

As in every year, there have been both challenges and encouragements, and signs of quiet faithfulness alongside moments of growth and change.

Worship

Our regular pattern of services has remained broadly unchanged.

At St Cross, we continue to gather for Holy Communion each Sunday at 9.30am.

At St Matthew’s, the main Sunday service is at 10.45am, with Holy Communion on the first and third Sundays, and Morning Worship on the second and fourth Sundays. Morning Worship is intended to be more all-age friendly. On those Sundays, a small and faithful group also gathers at 8am for Holy Communion.

In addition, an informal contemporary evening service is held on the first Sunday of the month, drawing people from across the benefice and much appreciated by those who attend.

We also have united morning services from time to time — usually on fifth Sundays, after Christmas or Easter, or when we have an episcopal visit — as we did for Holy Cross Day when Bishop Mark, the Bishop of Chester, came to St Cross.

At St Matthew’s, it is encouraging to see the continued presence of families with young children, particularly at Praise & Play and Sunday morning worship. We are grateful to those who lead activities for children during communion services.

At St Cross, the absence of children remains a challenge. Nevertheless, both churches offer a warm welcome to all who come.

Morning services from St Matthew’s continue to be livestreamed and recorded. We have improved things considerably since the improvised technical arrangements of the pandemic years, and this provision enables those unable to attend in person to remain connected with the worshipping life of the church.

We are grateful, as always, to all who contribute to our worship: those who lead, read, preach, and pray; those who prepare our buildings, arrange flowers, ring bells, operate sound and projection, welcome visitors, and provide hospitality.

Special thanks go to Linda Buckley, our Reader, who leads and preaches across both churches.

Life Events

In 2025, our two churches together were responsible for:

• 31 baptisms (up from 19 in 2024)
• 6 weddings (slightly down from 7 in 2024)
• 23 funerals (similar to the 22 in 2024)

Baptisms

Of the 31 baptisms, 27 were at St Matthew’s and 4 at St Cross.

The number of baptisms was particularly high in 2022 because of a post-pandemic catch-up, before falling again in 2023 and 2024. It is encouraging to see a significant recovery in 2025, especially at St Matthew’s.

This suggests that, while patterns of connection with the church may fluctuate, many families continue to seek baptism for their children.

Weddings

Of the 6 weddings, 4 were at St Matthew’s and 2 at St Cross.

Wedding numbers have shown a gradual decline since 2022, when there was still some pandemic catch-up taking place. The fall in church weddings reflects wider social change.

Nevertheless, each wedding remains a significant pastoral opportunity, bringing us into contact with couples and families at an important moment in their lives.

Funerals

Of the 23 funerals, 17 were conducted on behalf of St Matthew’s and 6 on behalf of St Cross.

Funerals continue to form a substantial and consistent part of our ministry. Many are for those in later old age, giving thanks for long lives well lived. However, there are also occasions when we are called to minister in situations where death comes much earlier than expected.

Such services can be especially demanding pastorally, as families struggle to come to terms with untimely loss.

Both congregations also found themselves saying goodbye to much-loved members and supporting their families.

All in All…

Taken together, these patterns highlight a familiar feature of parish ministry: our strongest points of contact with the community are often at the very beginning and the end of life.

This offers both an opportunity and a challenge — an opportunity to offer care, welcome, and the hope of the gospel at significant moments, and a challenge to build deeper and more sustained relationships with people and families in the years between.

As always, I am grateful to all who support our Life Events ministry: vergers, churchwardens, administrators, musicians, flower arrangers, bellringers, and clergy who assist with services.

Again, special thanks go to Linda Buckley, who offers a significant funeral ministry, often based on personal and scouting connections.

Parochial Church Councils

Both PCCs have continued to exercise their responsibilities for the governance of the church, sharing in oversight of worship, mission, safeguarding, finances, and the care of our buildings.

I am grateful to all who serve on the PCCs and Standing Committees of St Matthew’s and St Cross for their commitment, wisdom, and willingness to take responsibility in the life of the church.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding remains a standing priority in both churches, and PCC members have engaged with this not simply as a matter of compliance, but as part of our shared commitment to creating a safe and healthy church culture.

Finance

Both PCCs have continued to monitor finances carefully, recognising the pressures we face while also giving thanks for the generosity and faithfulness of those who support our life together.

Special thanks go to our Treasurers:

• Matthew Heywood at St Matthew’s
• Tracy-Anne Clancy at St Cross

Further information about church finances for 2025 is available elsewhere in this report.

Fabric

The care of our buildings has again been a significant area of attention.

At St Matthew’s, work has included ongoing drainage issues in the basement, improvements to lighting, and general maintenance of the building. We are especially grateful to the Community Payback Team, who work weekly in the churchyard and keep it in excellent condition.

The PCC has also begun planning for the church’s 200th anniversary in 2026 — an opportunity both to give thanks for the past and to look ahead with hope.

At St Cross, the PCC has continued to care faithfully for the church and churchyard despite the challenges of maintaining a historic building with limited resources.

The life of St Cross continues to be sustained by a small but faithful congregation, and I am deeply grateful for their quiet commitment and service.

Thank you also to “Team Thorn” for work both inside and outside the church.

Vacancy

During the year, both PCCs have also begun to look ahead to the vacancy that will follow my retirement.

While this will undoubtedly bring challenges, it also offers opportunities for others to take on new roles and responsibilities, and for both churches to continue to grow in confidence and shared leadership.

If you think you might be able to help, please speak with a Churchwarden or with our Reader, Linda Buckley.

Volunteers and Community Life

Both churches continue to depend on the generosity of volunteers, and I am deeply grateful to all who give their time and energy in so many different ways.

From Linda, our Reader, to churchwardens, PCC members, cleaners, event organisers, and those who offer hospitality, much of the life of the church is sustained by work that is often unseen.

Community

Both St Matthew’s and St Cross continue to host regular opportunities for community connection, including weekly coffee mornings and a variety of social and fundraising events.

At St Matthew’s, activities such as the Singing Kettle and the monthly quiz continue to bring people together in enjoyable and accessible ways while also supporting the work of the church.

The Christmas Tree Festival remains a highlight and, for many people, “the start of Christmas”.

At St Cross, regular gatherings play an equally important role in maintaining community connections. Both churches also host musical evenings and other social events during the year.

We often think of these occasions simply as fundraising, but they are just as important in building relationships and offering a sense of welcome and belonging within our communities.

Both churches also maintain good relationships with local schools. St Matthew’s has its longstanding connection with Stretton St Matthew’s CE Primary School, while St Cross has developed strong links with Appleton Thorn Primary School.

I have continued to take assemblies and collective worship in both schools, as well as at Grappenhall Heys.

Looking Ahead

As we look ahead, we do so in a time of change.

The coming year will bring the celebration of the 200th anniversary of St Matthew’s, as well as the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the benefice following my retirement.

Times of transition can be unsettling, but they also offer opportunities for renewal.

This year, at St Matthew’s, we are marking the repair and refurbishment of the tower clock. The two clock faces are unique in having letters instead of numbers. They spell out two phrases:

“Time is not all”
“Forget not God”

Writing an annual report reminds me that so much of what we do is shaped by time — the daily, weekly, seasonal, and annual cycles that govern our lives.

In the annual report, we are invited to look back over a calendar year, while also looking forward to all that lies ahead.

The message of the church clock is that time is not the whole story.

The psalmist reflects on God’s eternal faithfulness and our transitory experience, and prays:

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
(Psalm 90.12)

And Ecclesiastes reminds us:

“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.”
(Ecclesiastes 3.1)