As we emerged from a second year of Coronavirus restrictions into 2022 it was apparent that the Omicron variant, though more easily passed on to others, was less severe in its effects particularly for those who had been vaccinated.

On the 6th of February we joined with our friends in Union Street, Crewe, to enjoy the company of our missionary friend, Judy Cook. Over tea and cake she told us more about her ongoing work at Hope Home in Thailand.

As Easter approached the three churches in Audlem came together for an in-person Lent Course - the first time that had been possible since 2019. Some of our number actually caught Covid during those six weeks, but everyone recovered and tested negative within the normal period of time. Indeed by then everyone in the UK was proficient at using Lateral Flow Tests regularly.

On the 24th of February Russia invaded Ukraine capturing several important towns in the east. As a result many Ukrainians fled the country. In early April we were approached by the family of Viktor Pyishnyi, a sixty five year old man who had been travelling from Kharkiv with his wife so that they could come to Crewe to live with their daughter and son-in-law. Sadly, the stress of the journey meant that he died en route. You can read more of this sad story here.

Later in April we held a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Ann Cowen. She died on 11th April 2020 right at the start of the pandemic just when restrictions on funeral gatherings had been introduced. It had always been the intention that once restrictions were lifted there would be a service to which all the family and friends could be invited. It was a wonderful service led by Rev Andrew Funnell; the church was almost full and afterwards there was a special lunch at the newly decorated Public Hall.

The family wanted to create a permanent memorial in the church garden and provided a lovely bench. The church garden was planted with new flowers; many overgrown bushes were removed; four of the nine gravestones in the garden were stabilised and cleaned and some of the grass was re-seeded.

On 25th June we finally managed to have a Garden Party once again - the first for three years. This is the Garden Party that is jointly organised by our church and our friends at Union Street in Crewe. The weather was 'almost' perfect and we raised a record amount for Judy Cook, our missionary in Thailand.

2022 was the year that the church building was finally removed from English Heritage's 'Buildings At Risk Register' in recognition of the work that we started before the pandemic and which is almost complete. The register for Cheshire contains a number of at-risk buildings - all with historic importance - but it is lovely to know that Audlem Baptist Church is now no longer among them! Furthermore, thanks to a small grant from the Baptist Union we were able to commission a 'Quinquennial Review' by a professional architect. This is a comprehensive document that provides a snapshot in time of the state of the building and informs us of how we can go forward in future. One of the most satisfying opinions expressed was: "Audlem Baptist Church is a pleasantly modest building and an increasingly rare surviving example of a small church of its kind still in use."

Like everyone in Britain we were all saddened by the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September but rejoiced to see and be part of the outpouring of love and thanksgiving as people from around the world mourned her passing. Our prayer was that many people would take note of the reality of her faith and question whether their own faith (or lack of it) should give them pause for thought. In the months since there is evidence that that indeed has happened.

As a church we continue to hold services every week; we have many good friends who help us in this and we have even had the joy of welcoming a few new faces to lead services this year. We are so grateful to everyone who supports us. We have also been thrilled this year to welcome new people into the congregation.

The online services have also continued and have been a valued resource for those who have not been able to get out and about due to ill health. They have also become a substitute for mid-week meetings for those who, due to their Sunday commitments, have sometimes not been able to be in church in person. Over the year we have used services from two churches in Britain and one in California and worked our way through seven different sermon series.

In November we joined with the other churches in the village for a five week 'Autumn Course' titled 'Pilgrim', exploring Christian faith today. Only a few weeks after that we enjoyed the whole-village Carol Service in the Parish Church - something that we had not been able to do (in person) since 2019. Sadly, however, 2022 was not the year that we were able to return to Leighton Hospital to sing carols around the wards. As the year drew to a close the NHS became overwhelmed with flu and Covid cases so it was impractical to expect them to cope with carol singers on top of everything else. Maybe 2023 will be the year?

As it happens, several of our congregation found themselves in hospital in November and December and we re-discovered the importance and the power of praying for one another. Mercifully all the surgical operations were successful and, after what seems to have been a tumultuous year with a war, two monarchs and three prime ministers, we look forward to 2023 with faith, joy and hope.