Secretary’s Chat
Happy New Year to you all. Ok how many of you made a New Year Resolution? How many of you ditched it after two days. Oh, just me then!! I think we all start off with good intentions then life gets in the way. We spend so much time in preparation that sometimes we forget what we are planning for. Time waits for no man or woman.
Christmas 2025 has well and truly gone. The Decorations have all been packed away for another year. Everything is returning to normal. I must admit I do miss the houses that were lit up with Christmas Lights. The roads seem so dark now. A big thank you to all who came along to our Christmas services your support was much appreciated. I know there are a few of you still suffering with the coughs and colds that seem to linger forever. Stay warm and drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. Summer will soon be with us!
What’s happening in our church?
Well as most of you already know we were without a minister but GOOD NEWS. We have declared the Vacancy and a candidate has come forward. The Vacancy Committee which consists of three Elders from the three churches have met with the candidate. The three churches are Vicars Cross, Blacon and Upton. These churches form the Chester North Pastorate which means we are able to apply for shared ministry.
The candidate has been invited to Preach with a View on the weekend of 17th and 18th January. The church members of the three churches will vote on whether or not the candidate has been successful. The plans have been made all the preparations have been done. We can do no more.
News update
I am delighted to inform you that all the plans and preparations have proved successful. The churches have all voted and the answer is a resounding YES. We are no longer in vacancy we have our minister. It will still be a few months before Simon picks up the reigns, but our thoughts and prayers are with him as he takes this big step towards what we do pray will be a wonderful fulfilling partnership.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all as we go together into 2026. May God bless you and guide you and keep you safe in his warm embrace.
Sheila
"We implement a Safeguarding Policy in our church which covers both children and vulnerable adults.
We have a safeguarding Officer. Cecilia Powell
The United Reformed Church (URC) is committed to safeguarding in every area of its life and ministry. Safeguarding is the action taken to promote and protect the well-being and human rights of individuals.
This means we will:
• Do all we can to create and maintain a safe and caring environment for all people
• Respond promptly and effectively to any form of abuse and neglect, including reporting abuse to statutory agencies when necessary
• Seek to prevent abuse in any form from occurring. We will seek to identify individuals who may pose a risk to others and take necessary actions to minimise risk whilst supporting these individuals in our communities when safe to do so.
If you wish to discuss a safeguarding concern, please contact
Cecilia Powell 07964693577 Church Safeguarding Coordinator/Pastorate Safeguarding Coordinator
or Synod Safeguarding Officer. 01517226590/07376053044
For information on safeguarding in the URC Synod of Mersey please click here safeguarding@urcmerseysynod.org.uk
For a full statement on the URC’s approach to Safeguarding, click here:
To view Good Practice 6, the URC’s Safeguarding Guidance document please click here .
“We believe in inclusive church – a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.
We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.
We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ
LOOKING BACK ON THE HISTORY OF QUEEN STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND THE FORMATION OF VICARS CROSS UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
Sometimes in life it is good to look back where possible to where you come from in order to move forward. This occurs in many parts of The Bible.
The history of our present church dates to the beginning of Non – Conformity in 1662.
In 1700 the celebrated Presbyterian minister, Matthew Henry brought together the four dissenting congregations in the city in his church in Crook Street.
By 1770 services for the congregation of three to four hundred, was being held
in various rooms ending up on the south side of Common Hall Street. With
further growth in numbers a new larger building was required.
The foundation stone was laid in 1776 on the site
of a medieval tithing croft in Queen Street for a more extensive church
building. This church was ready for worship in 1777. The early church always
held the view to help children and in 1803 the independent Sabbath school had
60 children and 10 teachers.
In 1833 the building was increased in size with the
present facade plus the new lecture rooms and school rooms for the 181 children
and 20 teachers. The main church could then seat a 1,000 strong congregation. A
large garden and graveyard were also added with boiler rooms and the care
taker’s house to increase the footprint to half an acre in the centre of town.
In 1836 church deacon Mr William Cross became the
first mayor of Chester and was buried in the church graveyard.
The Queen Street Church became the Mother Church to
four new churches in the new suburbs. Upton Church built in 1858, Boughton
Heath School Chapel in 1866, Handbridge Church in 1879 and Hoole Church in
1887.
During WW2 the church played an important role in
using the Sunday School Rooms for the armed forces to use as a canteen. The
caretaker organised the Free Churches in Chester to man the canteen on a rota
basis. The stage in the School Rooms was also used for various theatrical
events.
The membership declined in the 60’s leaving the 110 remaining members trying to keep the 1,000 person chapel going. It all ended sadly on the 24th January 1963 when a fire broke out in the boiler room destroying the school building and damaging the church. At the time of the fire the church was supplying water from their larger frost-free pipes to all the adjoining houses as their pipes had frozen.
Members voted in favour to sell the whole property
with the proceeds being used for a new “Queen Street Memorial Church” which has
now become Vicars Cross URC.
The new church opened on the Sat 26th June 1965 as the Vicars Cross Congregational
Church (Queen Street Memorial).
The name changed in 1972 to become Vicars Cross URC
and the rest is history.
Ian L.H. Cook