A Vicar's Life

This episode introduces three vicars - Matthew, in a small Shropshire market town, Ruth, in the cathedral city of Hereford, and Nicholas, in the scattered hill farming communities of the Black Mountains. These vicars have to take every opportunity they can to bring people into church, and they don't get better than a good summer wedding. Matthew has twisted the arm of local hairdresser Mel and her fiance Stu, a fireman, to get married in church. Now he has to pull out all the stops to impress them. Ruth has a very different challenge - caring for her terminally ill churchwarden as she faces the end of life. Nicholas has to face up to the fact that churches are not sacred spaces to everyone as he deals with a break in and theft of priceless church records.

The church may be struggling, but there are signs of hope. New life, new ideas and new vicars will help it to survive and prosper in future. We meet Matthew Cashmore, a trainee. He has turned his back on a successful executive lifestyle and is moving with his family to Hereford to start a new life in the clergy. But first, he has to be ordained, at a grand ceremony in Hereford Cathedral. In the Black Mountains, Revd Nicholas Lowton believes his churches will have to adapt or die, so he has come up with a plan of action that will bring in radical change. In one tiny remote church, he has seen an opportunity to offer champing, or 'camping at church'. Now he needs to test it out. In the idyllic surroundings of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, Matthew Stafford is welcoming new life into the church by baptising twins, Ollie and Charlie. He needs to speak up - they are in excellent voice.

Filled with fire in his belly after his ordination, new curate Father Matthew is determined to make an impression in his new parish. Dressed in his new cassock - which he plans to wear at all times - he hits the streets, introducing himself to the people of All Saints. In the Black Mountains, Nicholas is there to support others who are struggling in these tough times, as farmer Steve and his wife Joyce have no choice but to sell their cattle and vacate their farm. Rev Matthew Stafford recalls helping a troubled young man who once slept in his shed, which remains in his garden as a tribute to him after he sadly died. But his most pressing issue right now is a visit from the Bishop to bless his new church roof. How will Bishop Richard feel about Matthew's plan to send him up in a cherry picker?

It is harvest season, a busy time for the rural church. In the village of Breinton, the ladies of the church are creating a spectacular display for the harvest festival. On the surface it is a picture of a healthy village church, but to new deacon Matthew Cashmore it is clear that they need to attract newcomers to the village. He is determined to bring something of Breinton's harvest to help the homeless and needy much further afield, but they are people who many are wary of. In the Black Mountains, Vicar Nicholas is sowing rather than reaping, hoping that the young couple getting married in his church - and their congregation - will be touched by the experience. Back in Breinton, Matthew's colleague Ruth believes that if people are not coming to church, the church needs to go to them. The village Bonfire Night proves to be the ideal occasion.

In Shropshire, Fr Matthew Stafford is determined to meet the needs of an increasingly ageing population and finds time to visit a couple struggling with dementia. In Hereford, Fr Matthew Cashmore ministers to the other end of the age spectrum in Hereford, joining the local team of street pastors who take care those needing help after a heavy night out. In the Black Mountains, vicar Nicholas Lowton keeps a check on the elderly in his scattered parish and visits a local lunch club initiative that has made a real difference to people's lives. Narrated by Jan Ravens.

The festive season is a busy time for clergy in Hereford Diocese, which is covered in an early blanket of snow. Vicar Ruth Hulse visits a local training centre for young people who have struggled in mainstream education. Matthew Stafford is lending his support to a local farm, run by a member of his choir, that helps young people with special needs. Vicar Nicholas is snowed in.