Easter Weekend at St Christopher's
Good Friday (April 3rd)
Service at St Christopher's (10am)
A Reflection on Good Friday will be led by Melissa Wearden at 10am in church. There will be children’s activities in the village hall. Both to be followed by hot cross buns!
Good Friday Walk (after the service)
Join us for a walk and a picnic after the morning service. Bring your own bite to eat and we'll enjoy it together in the beautiful Pott Shrigley countryside.
Curry at The Viceroy (5.30pm meet, 6pm eat)
Selection of curries, rice & naan bread at the Viceroy, 22 Ingersley Road, Bollington. Everyone welcome! Booking essential – limited places (first come, first served).
Prices: Adults £20, Children £13. Please contact Caroline Booth (07962 020892, email sbooth752@ btinternet.com) by Palm Sunday (March 29th). Payment on booking please – cash only.
Easter Day (April 5th)
Come and help us celebrate the wonderful news of Jesus’s resurrection.
Holy Communion (8.30am)
Family Communion (10.45am) followed by an Easter Egg Hunt.
Dear friends,
Lynn's letter
As I thought about what might help us during this very uncertain period, my thoughts went to Psalm 130, a real psalm for our times:
‘Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand?
as a child involved exuberant singing. My favourite song was: ‘Trust in the Lord and don’t despair, He is a friend so true. Sing, through the darkest night…’ Aged five, I had little experience of the dark night of the soul, especially when holding my bucket and spade ready for the beach, but the words return to me now when needed.
Rev. Lynn Caudwell
But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.’
The Sunday school coach trips to Alnmouth I enjoyed
Pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem would have sung Psalm 130 and, rather like our Sunday school trip, the deeper meanings of crying out to God could be rehearsed from a young age, preparing for the inevitable challenges of adulthood.
The psalms are full of emotional outbursts, the two overarching emotions that recur within the psalms being those of longing for, and fear of, God. Paradoxically we often want to avoid what we fear, but poetry enables us to hold our intense longing for, and fear of, God together.
What of longing?
Medieval monks saw evidence of longing throughout the Old Testament. Nothing is airbrushed away: we see here unresolved hope, failure, futile and cruel disappointments, the need for continual forgiveness, and yet this does not prevent people longing after God amid the real messiness of life.
Immediately in Psalm 130, the psalmist grabs God’s attention: ‘Lord, hear my voice, let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.’ We don’t know if this person is facing prolonged suffering or just having a frustrating day. But self-pity is avoided as they shout out their complaint, not to an unfortunate spouse or neighbour, but to God Himself, without reserve, wanting
only to know that He has heard them.
We see this clearly in verses five and six, which can be translated as: ‘My whole self waits tensely. And to His word I look expectantly, more than watchmen for the morning. ’When God seems unaccountably missing in action, this person does not revert to self-reliance, rather they become more active in their shouting and watchful in their waiting.
Patience, seen as a virtue in early Christian thinking, is not passive.
In Hebrew, the word ‘wait’ indicates someone being stretched taut between two points. And the word ‘soul’ means the throat through which I breathe, drink and eat; used dozens of times in the Bible, it always indicates the whole self. We 21st century Westerners rely heavily on our minds to show us the way, but here we see the psalmist’s body, spirit, guts, even breath, waiting intensely. And what are they waiting for? They wait in hope for God’s word to have its effect.
Why should we fear God?
Whilst the psalm stirs up this feeling of longing, or waiting with patience, it also contains the other main emotion expressed throughout the Old Testament, namely the fear of God. A translation of verse four reads: ‘If you would keep track of wrongdoing, my Lord who could stand, yet with you is forgiveness so you may be feared.’ Why should we fear God, who is the source of forgiveness?
Throughout the Bible the fear of God is not seen as a negative emotion but denotes a healthy state of mind and heart, exemplifying true faith and the beginning of wisdom. Fearing God, as it is represented in the Bible, is the antithesis of human arrogance. Honesty and humility are needed to admit you
are not the creator of your own life (or anyone else’s for that matter) and courage is needed to entrust yourself wholly to our powerful God.
The good news is that when we fear God aright, we gain absolute freedom because we have nothing or no one else to fear. We fear God because paradoxically we know He is the only one who can redeem us from the messes we get ourselves into. We fear God not in a crippling way, where we try to hide things from Him, but because we know He is the only one who can forgive us totally.
The current generation’s inability to fear God resembles Pharaoh being unwilling to acknowledge God even whilst his world was crumbling around him. The human race has acted like God, but we are not God, and the current global crisis highlights this incorrect perception. Significant changes are needed and, as already acknowledged, behavioural changes need to affect us emotionally for them to take root; as a Christian community we can model this right fear of God.
Imagine ourselves going in a procession to Jerusalem
As we near the end of this important psalm the tone changes from the voice of an individual cry to God, to a voice crying out on behalf of others. As the pilgrims journeyed along the road to Jerusalem, different people took turns to lead the singing, helping the others to rise up in faith and hope. There is comfort in the fellowship of others, for the times when we cannot lift our own heads and need to rely upon fellow travellers to claim the vast mercy of God for us. This is why it is important to worship together, either in church or online, during these
challenging days. Can we be faith-filled companions to each other in the myriad of tough situations we encounter? I hope we can.
And so, as we have explored this psalm we have come full circle: from trusting God enough to cry out with longing, to waiting with expectation for His word, to fearing Him enough to confess our need for forgiveness, and finally, along with our fellow travellers, to land back safe in the arms of God. For the love of God begins in fear, and the fear of God ends in love.
With love and prayers, Lynn.
Worshipping together
Pharoah oppressing the Israelites
Cover story: Peter betrays Jesus
Our front cover this month portrays a painted wooden sculpture of Peter kneeling in front of Jesus with a cockerel in the background. Each figure was carved from a single piece of wood, except for Peter’s head, which incorporates a real human skull.
Kath Matheson
We came across it in the museum which forms part of the complex of the San Francisco Convent in the UNESCO world heritage site of the old town in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Construction of the San Francisco complex began in the mid-1500s, shortly after the Spanish conquest, and continued until around 1650, which makes it one of the earliest architectural projects in South America. Although designed by Spanish architects, indigenous labourers and artisans contributed much to the building and its ornamentation, making it an early and lasting symbol of cultural fusion.
Stepping into the convent from the bustle of Plaza San Francisco, we immediately felt a sense of peace. Alongside the main church, a stunning example of Quito Baroque architecture, sit serene courtyards with centuries-old gardens and fountains. Forgoing the opportunity to visit the ancient brewery, where friars once brewed their own beer, we entered the museum. This houses the largest collection of 'Escuela Quiteña' or 'Quito School' art, a movement founded by two Flemish missionary priests, Fray Jodoco Ricke and Fray Pedro Gocial, both of whom played a pivotal role in the evangelisation of the Andean region during the Spanish colonial period. As patrons of education and the arts, the priests fostered a rich intellectual
and artistic environment within the convent and taught arts and trade to the indigenous people. Operating from the 16th century to the first quarter of the 19th century, the Escuela Quiteña gained rapid recognition in the colonies as well as in Europe. It consists of paintings and sculptures, mainly of religious themes, and it’s one of these that features on our front cover.
Peter’s denial of Christ as he waits in the courtyard of the High Priest whilst Jesus is being questioned is well known. In the sculpture on the front cover Bernardo de Legarda (c.1700 to 1 June 1773) shows Peter pleading in prayer before Christ, who is graphically depicted standing battered and bruised and tied to a post. The cockerel stands accusingly between them. Although the two figures are not looking at each other, Christ’s hands are reaching out towards Peter.
Legardo was of mixed indigenous and Spanish descent and is one of the most talented and multifaceted artists of the Escuela Quiteña. Legardo only produced art in the school’s Baroque style, and he always chose sacred subjects, irrespective of whether he was cabinetmaking, painting, book printing, silversmithing, or carving altarpieces and religious images.
Convent of San Francisco, Quito
His most famous work is the Lady of the Immaculate Conception, otherwise known as the Winged Virgin of Quito. The original forms part of the altar of the church at the convent, but multiple copies of the piece have been made over the ensuing centuries, and are seen and venerated throughout the area of the Royal Audencia of Quito, the large country from which present-day Ecuador, southern Columbia and northern Peru were formed. Perhaps the most famous copy is the statue, the Winged Virgin of Quito, which dominates the city, sited as it is at the top of the 656-foot-high El Panecillo, a loaf-shaped hill in central Quito. With a height of 135 feet, this aluminium statue is the highest in Ecuador and one of the tallest in South America, being even taller than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. Designed and built in Spain, the statue comprises 7,400 pieces of aluminium. With each piece clearly numbered, the statue was then disassembled, shipped to Ecuador, and assembled again at the top of the hill.
But what of Peter and his denial of Jesus? The sculpture Legato produced is harsh: it shows in very graphic detail the physical suffering Christ endured on the cross, and in His face something of the sorrow and mental anguish He bore too. Christ looks sorrowful, but this reassures me that
because He experienced such suffering, He understands our sufferings too, He is our companion in sorrow, walking alongside us when we are facing difficult times. And Peter? He wept when he realised that he had betrayed Jesus, he had sinned, as we all do – but he asked for forgiveness, and Christ reached out His hands and restored him. Peter went on to bring many to Christ, and to be the rock on which the Church was founded. We too can be forgiven and restored, all we have to do is ask.
Courtyard in San Francisco Convent, Quito
Winged Virgin of Quito statue on top of El Panecillo
In the Shadow of the Cross
Behind the cross, a lonely child was shaking his young head.
Was his friend, Jesus, really there – was He really dead?
Nobody saw this crying child, crouched behind the cross.
Nobody saw his suffering or knew his heartfelt loss.
For nailed on some wood, there hung a man who this child knew was Kind and yet had such authority that He could heal the mind.
This child had seen another child, possessed once by a demon, released from his poor miserable jail, into a world of freedom.
He’d watched a blind man see again. He’d seen a lame man walk.
He’d followed Jesus day by day. He’d listened to Him talk.
Though everyone was taller, and this child could hardly see,
He’d heard Jesus say unto the crowd: ‘Let the children come to me.’
And so they ran with arms outstretched. They wanted to hear more.
Some just wanted to sit on His lap. Others sat on the floor.
Some just needed to be quite near – they didn’t understand.
They just felt very happy when they held onto His hand.
That hand that gently held a child of maybe only seven,
And said unless you were like this, you’d never get to heaven.
That hand it was so gentle. That hand it was so kind.
‘Was it now nailed on a hard wooden cross?’ asked the child crouching behind. This child thought Jesus ought to have a crown upon His head.
So why were people cruel enough to use sharp thorns instead?
This child knew others felt this way – he couldn’t understand why Jesus was made to suffer – it felt like it was planned.
This child; he felt like screaming: ‘Why is Jesus here with thieves?
I know He is quite innocent; how come no one else believes?’
He crouched there, all bewildered. Feeling sad inside.
Feeling that he’d lost so much if his friend,
Jesus on the cross
Jesus, died…
‘Twas some days later that he heard the news that spread around, that Jesus was missing from the tomb – His body could not be found. And then he’d heard others saying that this man was no longer dead; That He went to the cross to die for our sins and now was alive instead.
‘I knew Jesus was special,’ the child cried out with glee.
‘I remember Him saying often: ‘Get up and follow me.”
“Get up and follow me” He said with kindness in His eyes, And so I followed Him to the cross – the place where a sinner dies.
Nobody noticed a child suffer too. Nobody knew my loss.
“He’s only young,” I hear them say. “He cannot understand”’
But I sat at His feet. I touched Him. I often held His hand.
Was I too young to look in His eyes? Too young to gaze at His face?
Too young to know here was a king, not a sinner in disgrace?
Was I too young to hear the love that poured out from His voice?
Too young to hear Him talk of His Father?
Too young to make my choice?
When He was talking to me, I always understood.
He showed me His Father in a way only a loved son could.
I suppose I understand the words that Jesus said that day:
“Come to Him, just as a child. There is no other way.”’ by Maggie Dolbear, Easter 1990.
‘And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed Them.’
Mark:10 13-16.
Thank you to Jean Ferguson for sending this poem to HotPott.
Empty tomb
Jesus with children
Your Vote Your Council
Highways
New/Updated/Completed
Potholes at Needygate: the blocked drain causing a pothole at Needygate has been filled again, but water is still running from it. The clerk will report it again. The pothole and the water flowing on the other side of the road and the drainage problem outside Needygate has now been reported.
Jo Hadfield
Jackson Brow steps: John Goodman has asked East Cheshire Ramblers whether they would help with keeping the steps clear of vegetation.
Road/pavement sweeping from Bollington to Pott Shrigley: All the roads except those the clerk asked to be swept have been swept! On a return visit, the road was swept but not the pavement.
Pending
Dates when issues were first raised with Cheshire East Council (CEC) Highways appear in brackets.
• Repair of collapsed wall on Bakestonedale Road (July 22)
• Improvements to bend at Brookbank: these will be included in the ‘Minor improvement Scheme’ (Nov 2024)
• Culvert/wall on the west side of Shrigley Road. (Nov. 2024)
• Poynton Relief Road: no further information about a proposed meeting regarding traffic mitigation measures.
• Gullies not emptied on Spuley Lane & Bakestonedale Road: no further response. (Sept. 2025)
• Damage at Normans Hall grass triangle
(1): awaiting review. (Nov 2025)
• Damage at Normans Hall grass triangle (2): awaiting review. (Nov 2025)
Adlington New Town
The task and finish group meeting on 25th February was attended by Cllrs Boulton and Basford. The socio-economic consultancy advice note had been circulated previously, and a scoping report will be funded by Bollington, Poynton, Pott Shrigley and Prestbury Parish Councils. More reports are to be published soon.
Lillian Burns has provided a copy of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England’s (CPRE) very detailed report on Adlington New Town, which was distributed to each councillor. A lot of work has gone into this excellent report and the council would like to thank her for her efforts on this.
The repaired lychgate
Applications invited for position of parish clerk
The applications received were discussed and two candidates invited to interview.
Lychgate
Work has started to repair the lychgate; it is due to be completed on 12th March. The PCC has taken this opportunity to remove the memorial stones for renovation.
Jumber Clough
No further information has been received from Peak Park about the possible removal of a wall and other stone from Jumber Clough.
Flagpole
A replacement will be ordered by Cllr Wray.
Lack of hard standing at bus stop on Brookledge Lane
No further information has been received about this, the clerk has contacted the relevant official to ask why no one has been in touch about this matter.
Village Spring Clean
All volunteers are very welcome to help with the annual clean up. Please meet at 10am on 11th April on the cobbles outside church. All necessary equipment will be provided.
Peak Cluster CCS pipeline.
A letter will be written objecting to Peak Cluster’s application to build a highpressure pipeline.
Planning
Pending
26/0686/FUL Shrigley Hall Hotel, SK10 5SB. Removal of the existing omni antennae and support pole; installation of a new 7m high wall.
Mounted flagpole supporting three antennas; installation of six remote radio units on new wall-mounted support pole; removal of one existing BTS3900A cabinet; installation of one new AIRI equipment cabinet; installation of Ericsson radio systems (ERS), baseband unit (BBU) and a GPS node, plus associated apparatus and ancillary works. continued →
6/0687/LBC Listed building consent for proposal above.
25/4528/HOUS Church View Cottage, SK10 5SA
Re-roof the property and install energy saving materials and solar panels.
Decision
NP/CEC/1025/1086 Keepers Cottage, SK10 5RZ
Replacement dwelling: Refused
The proposal would result in the total loss of a non-designated heritage asset and would result in less than substantial harm to the setting of Lyme Park (Grade II* Park and Garden) and Lyme Park Conservation
Area. The proposal would have an unacceptable design and would harm the character and appearance of the site, its setting and the wider landscape, contrary to Core Strategy Policies GSP1, GSP3 and L1; and Development Management Policies DMC3 and DMH9.
Enforcement
Brookbank Farm, SK12 1TF
Cheshire East Council will investigate possible breaches of planning regulations.
Next meeting
The next council meeting will take place at 8pm on Monday 13th April 2026.
Church/Chat in the Pub: a Lenten Journey Together
‘I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word.’
(From the Service of Ash Wednesday, Book of Common Prayer)
Anne Murphy
On the last Wednesday in February, our Church/Chat in the Pub gathered to talk about Lent, the gentle, searching season as we make our way towards Easter.
10 of us from different churches around Bollington, and some from none, began by sharing what Lent might look like for each of us this year. Rev. Nancy told us she had given up alcohol from Ash Wednesday to Easter morning. Someone else had bravely given up chocolate, although confessed they had already given up on giving it up! I shared that instead of giving something up, I’ve set myself the challenge of reading
The Greatest Story Ever Told by Bear Grylls, taking something up as a way of engaging more deeply with the story of faith.
Our conversation soon turned to the length of Lent. It’s often described as forty days, yet if you count from Ash Wednesday to Easter, it’s longer. The reason for this is that Sundays aren’t included as they are thought of as a little celebration of Easter, a feast day celebrating Christ's victory over
death. When they’re set aside, we are left with 40 days. In the sixth century, Pope Gregory I shifted the start of Lent from the first Sunday to Ash Wednesday to ensure exactly 40 days of fasting, as Sunday fasting was forbidden.
And 40 is such a meaningful number in the Bible:
40 days and nights of rain in the time of Noah,
40 years of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness,
40 days on the mountain for Moses, 40 days in the wilderness for Jesus. Again and again, 40 marks a time of waiting, testing, growth and transformation.
We also reflected that 40 weeks is about the length of a pregnancy, a time of waiting that leads to birth. Perhaps Lent is something like that: a season of patient preparation that leads us towards the new life of Easter.
We ended our evening by looking through the Macclesfield Express newspaper and choosing a couple of local issues to hold in prayer. It felt important to connect our Lenten reflections with the real concerns of our own community. We prayed for our town, for those facing difficulty or uncertainty, for wisdom and compassion in local decision-making, and for our own friends and families.
It was a simple, thoughtful evening, full of honest conversation, shared faith and ending with quiet prayer. Lent can sometimes feel like a private discipline, but gathering together reminded us that it is also a shared journey as we prepare our hearts — and our community — for the hope of Easter.
Church/Chat in the Pub �� meets in The Cotton Tree, Bollington, on the last Wednesday of every month, 8 – 9.30pm.
Everyone is warmly invited to come along, grab a drink and enjoy a relaxed chat about just about anything.
Thanks to Jayne, Christina and the team at The Cotton Tree for making us so welcome each month.
To find out more, please speak to Anne Murphy (07891 953919).
Getachew & Gezashign, our Wycliffe Ethiopia mission partners
We are delighted to introduce St Christopher’s newest mission partners, Getachew and Gezashign. Serving in Bible translation in Ethiopia for over 20 years, they and their family are well known to Rev. Lynn and myself, and we commend them to you as the St Christopher’s church family commit to support and pray for them over the coming years.
Simon Caudwell
Lots to tell, but far better that you hear their story in Getachew’s own words:
‘Who are we?
My name is Getachew Yohannes, and my wife is Gezashign Fisehatsion. We have been married for 21 years. Looking back, we see clearly that ours has not just been a marriage but a shared calling. We have walked side by side, serving God, learning together, praying together, and trusting God together.
The Lord has blessed us with four precious children: Enku (20), Yonathan (16), and our twins, Mihret and Cherinet (10). Enku is now in his second year of college in the USA, a milestone that still feels surreal to us. Yonathan is in Year 12. The twins, full
of energy and curiosity, are in Year 5 and keep our home lively.
What do we do?
We both work for Wycliffe Ethiopia. Gezashign serves as coordinator for the scripture engagement department, and I serve as a translation director and translation consultant. I also assist the Wycliffe Ethiopia director as his deputy, although much of my time still goes to translation consultancy and training translators.
The back story: rural Basketo, SW Ethiopia
In 2002, immediately after graduating from Bible college, I joined the Basketo Bible translation team. I had no idea then how deeply that decision would shape the next decades of our lives. I served as the team leader of the Basketo New Testament translation project for the next eight years, during which time, by God’s grace, we completed the New Testament. But translation was only part of the story.
Geza and Getachew
Geza & Getachew with Enku, Yonathan, Mihret & Cherinet Family photo
In the 1990s, Simon and Lynn Caudwell and their two young children had gone to Basketo, studied the language, and were helping to develop the Basketo writing system before beginning Bible translation. Building on that foundation, we produced primers and reading materials to help the Basketo people learn to read and write in their own language. Our literacy materials intentionally included Scripture passages and Bible stories. As learners formed their first written words, they also encountered the Word of God.
We ran literacy programs in 38 villages across the Basketo area. The impact was so significant that the local government adopted our literacy program and introduced Basketo as a subject in all government primary schools in the area. We helped adapt our literacy primers for formal education and trained government schoolteachers. A Year One and Two Basketo textbook was printed, and 28 schools began using it in a pilot program. The results were so strong that the government assumed responsibility for producing additional textbooks, including a published Basketo dictionary. Today, Basketo is taught through to Year Four in every government school in the region.
At the same time, we continued producing
Scripture materials for the churches. We also participated in recording the New Testament and producing the Jesus Film in Basketo. Many came to faith during those film screenings.
In addition to the work noted above, during those eight years, by the grace of God, the team recorded the Basketo New Testament audio recording, published eight literacy and Scripture-related books, and collected approximately 3,000 words toward the Basketo dictionary, which has now been published with the help of linguists from our close partner, SIL Ethiopia. It was a season of intense labour and profound joy.
A new chapter in the capital, Addis Ababa
After completing the New Testament, I became a consultant-in-training at SIL Ethiopia's head office in Addis Ababa so our entire family relocated there; SIL describes itself as a global community of organisations that walk alongside minority language communities to help them use their languages to flourish. Gezashign left her government job, and we later both joined Wycliffe Ethiopia as missionaries, one of the most significant decisions we have ever made. This transition required sacrifice. Unlike our previous employment, this new path required us to raise personal support, an idea unfamiliar in our context and not easy. Yet we were clear that this was the direction the Lord was leading us.
When we stepped into full-time missionary service as a family, it felt like launching into uncharted waters. With four children and growing responsibilities, there were seasons when the financial pressure was real. Raising support locally was especially difficult because the model was new and not widely understood. It is still the same today. After about seven years, as the strain
Map of Basketo in Ethiopia
increased, Wycliffe Ethiopia stepped in to provide salary support while we continued fundraising. That support was a great encouragement to us. Through every season, uncertainty, sacrifice, and growth, God has proven faithful. He has sustained our family and the ministry. While serving, I earned a master’s degree in translation studies and was appointed as a translation consultant. Since then I have trained and mentored translation teams in minority-language communities, often in remote and challenging areas of Ethiopia. Last month, by the grace of God, I completed my doctoral studies in Bible translation at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, with help from an internship programme provided by Wycliffe USA.
Gezashign’s ministry
Gezashign’s role has grown remarkably over the years. She received training in Scripture engagement through SIL and recently completed a masters in sociology with an internship from Wycliffe Ethiopia. She now leads the scripture engagement department.
Her work brings the translated Scriptures into real-life situations. She works with refugees from Sudan, Eritrea, and Yemen, as well as from internally displaced communities within Ethiopia. She partners with churches to provide Bible-based trauma-healing, oral Bible storytelling, and children’s Scripture-based activities. In many ways, our ministries complement each other. I help bring the Word of God
* * *
into new languages; she helps people receive, understand, and use the translated Scriptures.
Gezashign and I continue serving communities across Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa, and even in Yemen. The work is not finished. Much remains to be done. But we are grateful to still be in the race. We are sincerely thankful to St Christopher’s Church for prayerfully considering support for our family and ministry. May God bless the church and its leadership. We are so blessed to have the church standing with us, and this gives us great encouragement as we continue to serve God. Thank you, and may God bless you all.’
Getachew & Gezashign.
A schoolteacher asked her students to each bring in an object that represented their religion.
The first student got up and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David." The second student got up and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Catholic and this is a Rosary." The third student got up and said, "My name is Tommy. I am a Baptist, and this is a casserole."
Poor Thomas – between Sundays
I’m lost and bewildered, All hope is now gone. I cannot imagine How life can go on.
My mind’s in a turmoil, I can’t understand How this could have happened To so good a man.
I’m tortured by thoughts of Him hung on that tree; The thorns and the nails; In His face – agony.
It happened so quickly, I still can’t believe He’s dead and He’s buried, What did that achieve?
My friends are now saying That Jesus has risen, ‘We’ve seen Him and heard Him, He’s out of death’s prison!’
I’d like to believe them, I’m sure you would too, But claims like they’re making Just cannot be true.
Whilst no-one likes losing A valuable friend, There’s no point pretending The end’s not the end.
They think they have met Him, But senses deceive; Come. Show me His wounds, then Perhaps I’d believe.
By Howard Webber
Prayer Walk Around the Nab
‘For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’ Matthew 18:20
Anne Murphy
Three of us met at the newly refurbished lychgate at St Christopher’s to prayerfully begin our March prayer walk. With Yvonne leading we set off just after 10:30am, walking through the churchyard to join Shrigley Road and turning left towards Shrigley Hall Hotel before turning left again along Long Lane. Yvonne had come prepared with a rucksack lined with a plastic bag and as we walked eagleeyed Sally picked up litter and soon had Yvonne’s rucksack filling up.
We stopped at the first banner we saw protesting against the proposed Adlington housing development and brought the situation before God in prayer.
We decided to continue walking and praying until we reached a bench on Long Lane. Although the cloud was quite low, we had good views across to Alderley Edge and beyond. We spotted some buzzards circling overhead and admired the beauty of the spring countryside, with the glorious yellow of the daffodils. We also took time to listen to the birdsong.
After praying for the Lord to bless the surrounding land, the people, their homes, and all who travel through the area by car, train or plane, we continued to the footpath leading to Cocksheadhey Road. The field was extremely muddy, and home to some impressive cattle, including a substantial bull, which we made sure to give a wide berth to! As we crossed the pasture we remembered those who may need help and support and prayed for the pastoral work of the church.
Once on Cocksheadhey Road we headed up the Nab. As we struggled with the steepness of the climb, we brought before God those we know who are finding life difficult. We enjoyed wonderful views over Bollington from the trig point at the top, and Yvonne reminded us of the
Yvonne, Anne & Sally
Banner against Adlington development
verse from Matthew 17:5: ‘…a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice from the cloud said: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”’
Once we had caught our breath, we headed back down. Our final stop was at the corner of Nab Lane and Shrigley Road, from where I headed down the hill to home while Yvonne and Sally walked the last half mile back to St Christopher’s.
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View from path to the Nab
What a blessing it was to walk, chat and pray together, prompted by the things we saw and the thoughts that arose in conversation. Thank you, Lord! And thank you to Yvonne and Sally for your prayers, company and conversation.
Saturday 7th March 2026.
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To find out more about prayer walking, please contact Yvonne on 07842 428 496.
The Coffee Tavern
Fully License(\
Shrigley Road, Pott Shrigley, Macclesfield 01625 576'90
Setving Daily, Breakfust, Main Meals, Snacks etc
Available (or Functions etc.
OPEN 10qm to 6pm - Thursday to Sunday
A speeding motorist was caught by radar from a police helicopter in the sky. An officer pulled him over and began to issue a traffic ticket. "How did you know I was speeding?" the frustrated driver asked.
The police officer pointed soberly toward the sky. "You mean," asked the motorist, in awed confusion, "that now even God has installed speed cameras?"
Across
1 Relating to the whole universe (6)
4 The disciple who made the remark in 8 Across (John 20:24) (6)
8 ‘Unless I see the nail marks — — hands, I will not believe it’ (John 20:25) (2,3)
9 He urged King Jehoiakim not to burn the scroll containing Jeremiah’s message (Jeremiah 36:25) (7)
10 Baptist minister and controversial founder of America’s Moral Majority, Jerry — (7)
11 ‘Look, here is — . Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ (Acts 8:36) (5)
12 Repossessed (Genesis 14:16) (9)
Coffee Break
17 Port from which Paul sailed on his last journey to Rome (Acts 27:3–4) (5)
19 ‘Moses was not aware that his face was — because he had spoken with the Lord’ (Exodus 34:29) (7)
21 Roonwit, C.S. Lewis’s half-man, halfhorse (7)
22 Grill (Luke 24:42) (5)
23 ‘The lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the — apostles’ (Acts 1:26) (6)
24 ‘I was sick and you looked after me, I was in — and you came to visit me’ (Matthew 25:36) (6)
Down
1 Coastal rockfaces (Psalm 141:6) (6)
2 Academic (1 Corinthians 1:20) (7)
3 Publish (Daniel 6:26) (5)
5 For example, the Crusades (4,3)
6 11 Across is certainly this (5)
7 He reps (anag.) (6)
9 Liberator (Psalm 18:2) (9)
13 Man who asked the question in 11 Across was in charge of all her treasury (Acts 8:27) (7)
14 They must be ‘worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine’ (1 Timothy 3:8) (7)
15 The human mind or soul (6)
16 ‘O Lord, while precious children starve, the tools of war increase; their bread is — ’ (Graham Kendrick) (6)
18 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not — ’ (Matthew 11:17) (5)
20 Bared (anag.) (5)
Pott Shrigley C of E Primary School
Are you looking for small class sizes for your child?
One of the oldest schools in Cheshire, nestled between Bollington and Poynton in the foothills of the Peak District.
All classes fewer than 15 pupils, throughout the school
Warm, nurturing provision, with a family-like feel
Weekly farm-based forest school
Specialised sports provision
Call for a personalised tour 01625 573 260
World Book Day!
This month we celebrated World Book Day in school. After a fabulous catwalk to show off all the wonderful costumes, we sat down to enjoy a whole school shared read – Michael Rosen’s Goldilocks and the Three Crocodiles.
Class 3
It was lovely to see all the children working and learning together. Their imaginations ran riot as they retold the story and decided on new endings and characters. We also enjoyed the first of the spring sunshine and had a reading adventure outside. What a fantastic and inspiring day!
A New York traffic expert says that some London taxi drivers are refreshingly different –and witty – compared to those in New York. He tells the story of the London taxi driver who screeched to a halt when a tourist bolted into the road, and then stopped, looking around in confusion. Leaning out of the window the taxi driver asked very politely: “I say, sir, may I ask, what are your immediate plans?”
The middle-aged curate shuffled along, bent over at the waist, as his wife helped him into the doctor’s waiting room. He groaned at every step, and the receptionist eyed the scene with sympathy. “Arthritis in the back with complications?” she finally ventured. The wife shook her head briskly. “Do-it-yourself in the garden,” she replied, “with concrete blocks.”
Introducing OpenDoors
Having been invited to join the tithing committee at St Christopher’s last August I was interested in understanding the various charities and causes we support as a church, and how our financial and prayerful support can make a very real difference to many people at home and abroad. OpenDoors is one of the charities we support, and I consider it an honour to act as the liaison person between them and St Christopher’s.
Matt Bird
The ministry of OpenDoors has its origins in 1955 Cold War-era Europe where a young Dutchman went to Warsaw and discovered the existence of a persecuted church. He became known as Brother Andrew (aka God’s Smuggler), and from 1955 to 1967 he travelled throughout
Eastern Europe, delivering Scriptures, encouraging persecuted believers and recruiting others to help him. From this an organisation was conceived and grew to support fellow Christians in countries where they are persecuted, unable to practise or, in many instances, openly declare their faith.
OpenDoors strives to spread awareness of the persecution of Christians and to support them in various ways. In more than 70 countries, OpenDoors supplies Bibles, provides emergency relief and helps persecuted believers stand strong for the long term. In the UK and Ireland, OpenDoors helps the Church to pray, donate and speak out for those who share our faith but not our freedom.
Each year OpenDoors compiles and submits its World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where Christians
face the most extreme persecution. The 2026 list was published and launched in the UK parliament on 14th January; testimonies of persecution were shared and recommendations on how to respond discussed. This key annual event aims to engage policy makers and the public in supporting persecuted Christians.
There are numerous ways to support OpenDoors. On their website they have
prayer diaries, newsletters and webinar prayer events to inform our prayers, and financial donations can be made via the website too. In addition, OpenDoors hold events to publicise their work and will even facilitate Christians to write to a persecuted Christian as a means of connecting with and encouraging them, so they know that they are in our thoughts and prayers. Having spoken with several people who work for OpenDoors, their desire to spread awareness and cultivate spiritual support for those Christians that are oppressed in this world comes across very strongly
For more information on OpenDoors please do visit their website http://www. opendoorsuk.org/ or don’t hesitate to come and speak with me after the 10:45am Sunday service.
St Christopher’s Pastoral Ministry
For pastoral support, a listening ear, a home visit, Holy Communion at home, prayer support or if you have a baptism enquiry
please contact the pastoral ministry care team via Anne Murphy.
pastoralteam@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk telephone: 07891 953919
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five- and sixyear-olds. After explaining the commandment to "honour thy father and thy mother," she asked: "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
1st April - I Swear
Biographical
6th May - The Choral
3rd June - H is for Hawk
Biographical Drama starring Claire Foy
Missionary Matters
Johnny and Ann McClean in Thailand have recently returned from a trip to Udon where they are moving to in June. They enjoyed getting to know the missionary and school staff they will be working with, and they had a lovely morning of
Kath Matheson
fellowship at Udon City Church where they were warmly welcomed. Johnny and Ann were able to join two community Bible studies over the weekend and were encouraged by how the young missionary and teacher teams are working together lovingly. They looked at more than 12 houses (Sounds exhausting!) and decided which location would be best for them. Unfortunately, they were unable to sign a contract on a house so will need to make a second trip at the beginning of April. Please pray that the Lord will lead them to the right house in the right location for life and ministry.
They met a teacher from the International Community School (ICS) in Udon where Ann will be teaching and were delighted to discover her grandparents live in Manorom, where the McCleans lived from 2008 to 2010, and that she used to attend Sunday School there, meaning Ann most likely taught her at some point. They also know her dad, who is a pastor and involved in Langham in Bangkok.
Ann and Johnny are now back in Bangkok, though Johnny has had a trip to Malaysia for Langham training for church leaders followed by a visit to Singapore for four days of Langham training at a local Bible college. He also planned to catch up with Thai friends who are studying in the city
and to reconnect with local pastors he knows. Please pray for energy, safety in travel and God-given opportunities for Johnny to encourage, spur on and help Asian brothers and sisters as he travels around the region.
Helen Fazakerley in Malawi has been reflecting on how we are constantly being challenged in our journey of faith. Her current musings relate to the struggles she and her husband Megumi have experienced over the years with obtaining enough funding for their missionary work. In 1989 Helen graduated from Bible College, was accepted by the mission, allocated to Malawi, and began raising her support requirement. A year later, she married and had son Joshua whilst continuing to raise support. By March 1993, they only had 75% of their necessary funding but took a leap of faith: Megumi resigned from his job, they said goodbye to family, friends and churches, and bought flight tickets to Malawi. In their last week of packing in May 1993, their support level had reached 100%. They were even more deeply challenged financially in 2000 when their original missionary
continued →
Johnny and Ann at Udon Thani airport
society merged into the larger mission SIM, and they found they only had 53% of the funding required by the new system. So, they prepared to leave the mission field before going on home assignment: how could they possibly raise the necessary additional 47% support in their six-month leave? Well, God did it, and back they went to Malawi! But now they are back in the same boat, with their support level at 80%, which is an £8,000 shortfall and money has been taken out of their personal contingency account. With the example of the Old Testament figure Job before them, and despite their concern about increasing debt as they conclude their time in Malawi, Helen and Megumi are determined to finish their time as missionaries well, and to be faithful, praying and watching expectantly how God is going to provide. And if you’d like to support them – please see the SIM UK website for how to do this. In preparation for leaving, Helen has started to share her work knowledge with other members of the team; please pray for her as she prepares material for this and pray for those who already have a heavy workload as they take on more. Please continue to pray for Helen as she
sells the possessions they are not bringing home, that there will be buyers. Many cannot afford extras to the basic needs in life, so she sets the prices low, or even gives the things away.
Megumi is back working on his study guide to Revelation, which he aims to finish before this year’s Spiritual Life Conference (annual retreat) in July. Despite frequent power cuts the Fazakerleys try to live as normally as possible, so their care group continues to meet for Bible study even in the dark, at which times the benefit of Bible apps on their phones is appreciated.
From the Registers
Funeral
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of: 4th March Sue Barratt
Care group by phone light in Malawi
Pott Shrigley Village Hall Bar
2nd Friday of every month, 6.30 'til 10.00pm
10thApril 8thMay
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Recipe of the Month: Battenburg Trifle
The Dairy Diary, which contains lovely recipes and useful household hints, has been popular for many years. Caroline and her sisters were given a copy of the diary by their grandma each year, and this delicious Battenburg trifle is always a great favourite when the family get together –particularly the marzipan part! It was a big hit at the Antarctic evening we did in January too.
Caroline Booth & the 2003 Dairy Diary
Ingredients:
10 mini Battenburg cakes
150ml (5fl oz) orange juice
4 tablespoons lemon curd 350g (12oz) raspberries
500ml (16fl oz) homemade/carton of cool custard
500ml (16fl oz) double cream, whipped 2 tablespoons toasted flaked almonds
Method:
Slice the cakes into cubes then place into the bottom of a large glass serving dish. Pour over the orange juice and spoon over the lemon curd.
Scatter over a few raspberries, then pour over the custard. Top with spoonfuls of the whipped cream.
Scatter over the remaining raspberries and toasted almonds.
Chill for at least an hour before serving. Serves 6.
3rd April Good Friday.
Services
10.00am Service of Reflection
5th April Easter Sunday
8.30am 10.45am Holy Communion Family Communion**
12th April
8.30am 10.45am Holy Communion Morning Worship‡** †
19th April.
8.30am 10.45am Holy Communion Morning Worship‡**
26th April.
8.30am 10.45am Holy Communion Morning Worship
3rd May.
Acts 10 v 34-45 Matthew 28 v 1-10
Melissa Wearden
Lynn Caudwell
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
John 20:19-31
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Luke 24:13-35
Lynn Caudwell
Lynn Caudwell
Acts 2:42-47 John 10:1-10 Lynne Bowden
8.30am 10.45am Holy Communion Holy Communion ‡** TBC Lynn Caudwell
• All services underlined in blue will be streamed live on our Facebook Page & YouTube channel
• A recording of each live-streamed service will be available from the services page of the church website: ‡ Junior Church **Youth Church (at 10.45am) † Refresh Youth Group (at 7.00pm)
5th April Reg Ferguson & Jean Ferguson Simon Caudwell Jim Curtis Reg & Jean Ferguson The Malyan family
12th April
19th April
26th April
Mike Akerman & Sharon McMullen
Tony Witkowski & Judy Keeling
Rebecca Roth-Biester & Paul Bowden
3rd May TBC
Melissa Wearden
Sally Winstanley
David Garton
Jenny Miles & Annie Smith
Mike & Sue Akerman
Clare Chasty Joy & David Whitehead
Frances & Meg
Gill & Victoria
Annie Palace Ian Malyan Joy & David
TBC TBC
TBC
Caroline & Steve
Rota Readers Prayers Sidesmen at 8.30 Sidesmen at 10.45 Coffee
Directory
Priest-in-charge: Rev. Lynn Caudwell vicar@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk
Assistant Priest Rev. Lynne Bowden a.curate@btinternet.com
(please prefix numbers with 01625)
Ordinand Melissa Wearden, melissa.wearden@emmanueltc.org.uk
Licensed Pastoral Worker Anne Murphy, 14 Silver Street, Bollington, SK10 5QL
Churchwardens: Andy Phillips, 26 Hurst Lane, Bollington, SK10 5LP
andyphillips@totalise.co.uk
Jean Ferguson , 17, Poplar Grove, Bollington, Macclesfield, SK10 5LS
jeanfergusonuk@msn.com
Verger: Situation Vacant
PCC Secretary: Rebecca Roth-Biester, beccacourtney@gmail.com
PCC Treasurer: Peter Kennedy, kennedyp@tuckerssolicitors.com
Gift Aid & Planned Giving: Sally Winstanley, 3 Green Close Cottages, Pott Shrigley, SK10 5SG
sjwinstanley.ps@gmail.com
Organists: Mary Currell, 61 Crossfield Road, Bollington, SK10 5EA 573735 marycurrell61@btinternet.com
David Garton, davidgarton2020@gmail.com
Andy Phillips, as above
Weekly Bulletin: Annie Palace, anniepalace04@gmail.com
Electoral Roll officer Kath Matheson, Church View Cottage, Pott Shrigley, SK10 5SA
kmmpott@yahoo.co.uk
Safeguarding officer: Kath Matheson, safeguarding@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk
Tower Captain: Duncan Matheson, Church View Cottage, Pott Shrigley, SK10 5SA
07854 884145 dmmpott@yahoo.co.uk
Pastoral Ministry: Anne Murphy, pastoralteam@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk
Children's Ministry
Melissa Wearden, melissa.wearden@emmanueltc.org.uk
Youth Ministry: Melissa Wearden, as above
Parish Council Clerk: Joyce Burton, clerk@pottshrigley-pc.gov.uk
Wedding Coordinator: Pam Cooke, weddings@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk
07891 953919
Head Teacher: Mr Henaghan, Pott Shrigley Church School, SK10 5RT 573260 head@pottshrigley.cheshire.sch.uk
Website: Tess Phillips, 26 Hurst Lane, Bollington, SK10 5LP info@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk
Duncan Matheson, Sally Winstanley, Peter Kennedy, Jean Ferguson, Andy Phillips, Pam Cooke, Mary Currell, Mike Akerman, Ang Davies, Simon Caudwell
PCC Members:
Rebecca Roth-Biester, Sheila Garton, David Garton, David Gem, Annie Palace, Kath Matheson, Reg Ferguson, Anne Murphy. This directory was updated on 7th February 2026. Please give corrections and additions to magazine@pottshrigleychurch.org.uk