A wonderful service took place recently (14-16th March 2025) to celebrate 200 years of worship at St Andrew's URC Douglas. The Mersey Synod Moderator, Revd Geoff Felton, and Revd Catherine McFie visited the Isle of Man to join with St. Andrews Church in Douglas to celebrate their 200th Anniversary. The congregation was also joined by Victoria James, Chief Operating Officer of the URC, and Revd Dawn Mather, the most recent minister of the church. The service was led by Theunis Bassage and Richard Karran.

Sometimes it is the simple changes that can make a difference to mission. This is proven through Serpentine Road Family Church’s use of a Synod Mission Fund Grant to purchase new tables and chairs. This assisted the Church in providing a comfortable and presentable offering for the many groups that use their facilities.

Revd Keith Hulse was first inducted as a URC Minister 28 years ago and is now leading Blundellsands & Crosby URC in ministry, with one of his first events raising £1,000 for the Church’s Community Garden.

St Andrew's URC Meols has made use of the Synod Mission Fund to host successful events bringing more people into the church.

Christ Church Haydock URC stepped up to set up a donation point for those affected by flooding in the area this month. Neil Fairhurst, secretary at Christ Church Haydock URC, told the St Helen’s Star, “We got the call from St Helens Council on New Year's Day to see if we could open the church as a hub and of course we said yes. The Christian faith is about being there for our community and we are happy to be doing just that…“It’s awful that people are going through this but the kindness from others offering help has been good to see.”

St John's URC Warrington’s Causeway Community Garden has gained another Level 5 Outstanding Award Certificate from the RHS. Part of the Northwest in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme, the awards are for bringing members local communities together to make a positive change. This year, the Garden also received two grant payments from the Co-op Local Community Fund through the customers’ loyalty cards scheme.

A number of environmental initiatives have led to an Eco Church Bronze Award for St Andrew’s Meols URC. The Award recognised the Church’s efforts to care for God’s earth in Worship and Teaching, Management of Buildings and Land Community and Global Engagement Lifestyle. Initiatives included a monthly community recycling project, regular eco communications, use of the community garden, the wide-spread use of LED lights, extensive double glazing and new heating in the main church.

Volunteers from the St Helens URC network of churches came together on Tuesday 29th October to run a half term fun day for primary age children. Based at Ormskirk Street URC and led by Steven Mitchell, Synod Children and Youth Development Officer (CYDO), children and adults had a fun packed day.

Ladies Day at St. David’s URC Eastham brought in women at all stages of Christian faith to a day of creative worship where they could relax, enjoy and participate in each other’s company. They left with a renewed sense of love, hope and mission as they shared the Good News with others, responding to human need by loving service.  A day of creative worship and praise.

Parkgate and Neston URC’s whole sanctuary within the church is made special by the Wall Panels beneath a rose window on the front wall. The five decorative panels were designed for the wall by Kay Andrews, an artist who has exhibited at the Royal Academy and is a member of the congregation. The idea was to provide a ‘thin place’. These are places where you feel closer to God – usually places where the wonder of creation, its awesomeness, grips you and you realise that there isn’t much distance between you and your Creator.

Chester Road URC has created a church community garden, with missional opportunities including connecting people to the church and providing outreach to the wider community in Whitby, Ellesmere Port. The Church used a Synod Mission Grant to purchase materials and tools and to cover some ongoing costs once the garden is established. 

‘Snapshots’ Holiday Club, which took place at Allerton URC this summer using a Synod Mission Grant, proved to be a successful demonstration of church love at its best, with so many people giving their time freely to make it happen and doing so with such goodwill. Fifty children took part across the week.

The World Harvest Festival held at Macclesfield and Bollington URC this September celebrated the town’s multicultural identity, bringing the local community together.

A Fun and Friendship Day, recently held at Macclesfield & Bollington URC and supported by a Mersey Synod Mission Grant, met mission outcomes and proved a successful and busy event. Mission outcomes included “Tending” and “Teaching”, as many non- members of the church experienced God’s liberating love outside of a church service.

Rainford URC is seeing growth and community engagement improve since taking part in Leading Your Church into Growth and setting up a new task group. Futures Group at Rainford URC emerged through the “Leading Your Church into Growth” project and it meets around every eight weeks to try to bring to fruition ideas that may eventually bring more people through our doors.

The first baptism at Uniting Church in Garden Lane for more than ten years took place during Morning Worship led by the Minister Reverend Ceri Gardner on Sunday 11th August. Edward (Teddy) Austin Hoult was baptised by Revd Ceri Gardner in a service attended by friends and family along with members of the regular worshiping congregation at Garden Lane.

Two churches in the Warrington Pastorate, Thomas Risley and St John's URC Warrington, have achieved a Silver Award in the Arocha Eco Church Scheme.

Oakvale United Reformed Church held a Service of Thanksgiving on Saturday 3rd August.

On Sunday 11th August, Mersey Synod and Northwestern Synod came together for a special service as Wilmslow URC officially moved Synods into Mersey. The service was marked by thanksgiving for the past and a feeling of hope as the church looked forward to its new future with Mersey Synod.

A Mersey Synod Mission Fund Small Grant for Ramsey Methodist and United Reformed Church (RMURC), with Scripture Union Ministries Trust (SUMT) is helping young people to understand that faith is within their reach.