Join us for Living Faith, a welcoming day of inspiration, encouragement and practical ideas for living out our faith in everyday life. Taking place soon, the event brings people together to explore what it means to live a faith that is active, relevant and meaningful in our homes, churches and communities. Through thoughtful sessions, conversation and opportunities to connect with others, Living Faith offers space to reflect, learn and be encouraged. Whether you are looking to deepen your own faith, discover new ways to share it with others, or simply spend time with fellow Christians, you are warmly invited to join us. Everyone is welcome.

Saturday 7th November

10AM - 12.30PM

Coffee and Worship from 9.30AM

Upton URC, 40 Heath Rd, Upton, Chester CH2 1HX

What does Living Faith look like?
Sometimes it looks like a church full of children, families, laughter, creativity, food and plenty of very special teddy bears. At Port Sunlight URC, we were delighted to see children and their families for a special Teddy Bears’ Picnic just a few days ago; a day created simply to spend time together, have fun and enjoy the warmth of our church community. There was craft, food, conversation, creativity and lots of opportunities to play and make memories together. Our teddies came along for the adventure too! But days like this remind us that faith is not something we keep inside the walls of a church or only talk about during worship.

Grandparents have a special opportunity to help shape the faith of the next generation. Living Faith for Grandparents offers simple, practical ideas for sharing faith naturally in everyday life. Led by Steven Mitchell, Children and Youth Development Officer for URC Mersey Synod, the sessions will provide encouragement, conversation and ideas to help grandparents make a lasting difference.

Dates:
Wednesday 30th September, 7.00–8.30pm. Wallasey Village URC
Thursday 8th October & 7.00–8.30pm Thomas Risley URC, Birchwood

Six years in the making. Today Bethesda Church in Runcorn finally broke ground on their new church building. As part of the ceremony, a Bible was buried in the ground where the new church will stand. There was something really special about watching it happen and knowing that, quite literally, the foundations of this new building have been laid with God’s word at the heart of them. It’s been a six-year journey to get to this point, and probably a reminder that God’s timing isn’t always our timing. There have been years of planning, waiting, praying and hoping for this day. Today, it finally came. A really special moment for Bethesda, and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the church and its community.

A garden for everyone. Emmanuel Church has officially opened its new community garden, creating a space where local people can come together, get their hands in the soil, grow and share fresh vegetables, meet others and simply enjoy being outdoors. At the heart of this project is something simple: community. A shared space where everyone is welcome, friendships can grow and people can take some time for their own wellbeing. The garden has been made possible with financial support from the URC Mersey Synod, alongside the generosity of anonymous donors who believed in the church’s vision for the space. Faith is about more than what happens inside our church buildings. It’s about serving our neighbours, sharing what we have and creating places where people feel they belong. We can’t wait to see what grows here.

On Tuesday 8th September at Westminster, The Gather Movement together with Zoe Franklin MP presented the report Heart of the Neighbourhood – How the church is providing essential services in every part of the country. The report highlights the significant impact churches have in our communities. The report noted of the 1,632 participating churches there was a staggering 12,840 initiatives covering mental health, food security, children and families and housing and homelessness being run by local churches. The event was attended by a number of URC members including Geoff Felton, Michael Hopkins, Mike Thomason and George Watt. Highlighting the good work that is happening nationally the report had no specific denominational focus and drew on a wide range of ecclesial traditions.

On 29 July 2026, Liverpool City Council met at Liverpool Town Hall to consider a Leader’s Motion supporting the Hope Not Hate Manifesto. Rev Philip Anderson, Chair of Churches Together in the Merseyside Region (CTMR), addressed councillors, speaking in support of its message of unity and standing against hate and division. The motion received cross-party support, marking an important moment of collaboration between Liverpool’s civic and faith communities and a shared commitment to building a more welcoming and united city.