cancer

Thank You For Your Patience!

/ Steve Petch / Leave a comment

This is my first blog post since January, when I shared news of my cancer diagnosis and upcoming treatment. You can read that post here.

I’ve been out of circulation for a while due to surgery and recovery, but I’m delighted to say that I’m now beginning a gradual return to my role at Welcome Church. I even spent some time back in the office this week. It was great to be with the team and to be with several new staff members who started during my absence.

In terms of my health…

I’m pleased to say that I’m slowly recovering, and I can see progress from week to week. I’m currently nine weeks post-surgery, and the physiotherapist estimates that I’ve regained about 90% of the movement in my arm—so now I’m working on that final 10%.

I’m still using painkillers fairly regularly and need to be careful not to overdo things. I’ve been told that the minimum healing time for this kind of surgery is around three months, and possibly up to 18 months. I’m aiming for the lower end of that range, and life is gradually returning to a new kind of normal.

I want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to my wife, Jo. She has been absolutely incredible throughout this whole journey—patient, kind, and endlessly supportive. From the early days of diagnosis, through surgery, and into recovery, she has cared for me so faithfully and sacrificially. I’m deeply grateful for her love, strength, and encouragement, and I honestly couldn’t have got through this season in the way I have without her.

I also want to say a sincere thank you to everyone in the church who has looked out for me and the family during this time. So many of you have been incredibly kind—through your prayers, messages, encouragement, and practical support. It has meant more than I can properly express. I’ve felt very cared for and upheld, and I’m deeply grateful to be part of such a loving church family.

Looking ahead, I’ll have another MRI scan in late August to check on my progress. If all is well, I expect to be fully discharged from the Royal Marsden Hospital’s care in September. The Sarcoma Team have been superb, by the way—it’s such a privilege to receive this level of care through our NHS.

Returning to my role

I’m delighted to have been back in the office for three mornings this week.

In discussion with Occupational Health, I’ll be undertaking a “phased return” over the next few weeks. This means working reduced hours and days while I continue to recover physically. I’m looking forward to being back at full strength, but in the meantime — thank you for your patience.

This season also gives a good opportunity to reflect on what I should pick up again and what is best left with others who have so faithfully covered things during my absence. One thing I’m especially looking forward to is preaching again. My first Sunday back will be on 26th April, when I’ll be speaking from Acts 2 as part of our new series on Acts. Christopher has designed the series, and I’m really looking forward to it.

In my absence

The Welcome Church team have done an outstanding job during my time away, and I want to say a heartfelt thank you to them all.

While I’ve been out, they’ve completed the development of Church Gate, opened the Community Grocery, welcomed four new staff members, reorganised the church offices, moved the children’s and youth work into Church Gate, run a fantastic Alpha Course, recorded the highest-ever Sunday attendance in our 147-year history (more than 1,400 people on Easter Sunday!), and changed our Sunday meeting times—a shift that’s already made a significant difference.

Hopefully, there are still a few things left for me to do!

The most noticeable change on my return, though, was when I sat down at my desk. Christopher had been using it in my absence, and—after a few moments of wondering why it felt “different”—I realised he’d lowered it to what I can only describe as “child height.” Now, if I can just find the right Allen key…

See you on Sunday!

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Trusting God Despite A Difficult Diagnosis

/ Steve Petch / 2 Comments

If you missed the news I shared during my talk on Sunday at Welcome Church, I wanted to take a moment to explain a little more fully what we are currently walking through as a family.

I have cancer

That’s not a sentence I expected to be writing in a church blog. The good news — and there really is good news here — is that this is a very low-grade form of cancer and it is not considered life-threatening. Even so, it does mean surgery, and it does mean a season that will require prayer, patience, and trust.

Here’s what’s going on

Back in September, I found a lump under my right arm, on the side of my chest. It was painful, and after seeing my GP I was sent for an ultrasound scan and then an MRI. In November, the consultant in Guildford referred me to the Sarcoma Team at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

On December 16th, I had a biopsy to determine whether the lump was benign or a type of low-grade cancer called an ALT (Atypical Lipomatous Tumour). I received the results on January 22nd, and it has been confirmed as an ALT.

This was not the outcome Jo and I had hoped or prayed for. That said, there is genuine reassurance in the diagnosis. The tumour is well-differentiated, which means it is slow-growing and very unlikely to spread elsewhere in the body, unless left untreated long term. This is not the kind of cancer that normally shortens life expectancy — something we are deeply grateful for, especially after walking through a lot of uncertainty during the autumn and the run up to Christmas.

The challenge is that, left untreated, the tumour will simply continue to grow — and it’s already quite large. Because of its location, that growth would cause increasing physical problems over time — and it’s already painful. Also if left long term it could spread, so for these reasons, surgery is necessary.

What happens next?

I’m scheduled for surgery at The Royal Marsden in early March. The aim is to remove the tumour completely.

I’ve been warned that the surgery may not be straightforward.

The lump I can feel is only part of it. The tumour extends into my shoulder and has grown around the brachial artery (the main artery supplying the arm), as well as several important nerves that affect movement and sensation. Because of that, the surgeon has been very open that this is very risky surgery, with a possibility of lasting weakness, numbness, or restricted movement in my arm or shoulder.

Even so, it does need to come out, and they need to make sure they get all of it.

The surgery will be done under general anaesthetic, I’ll be in hospital for several days, and there will be a period of recovery afterwards. This isn’t how we imagined the start of this year — but we remain thankful that the situation is not far more serious. It’s low-grade. It hasn’t spread. And we’re receiving excellent care.

Please Pray

We would really value your prayers in the weeks ahead:

  • For us and our family, as we navigate what has been an emotionally demanding season
  • For wisdom and skill for the surgeons and medical team
  • For no delays in treatment
  • For a successful operation with no lasting damage

And yes — please also pray boldly. Pray for God’s healing. Pray for his intervention. We believe God is able, and we are asking him to do what only He can do, even as we place our trust in the care we’ve been given.

Walking this road with faith

I committed my life to Jesus as a child more than forty years ago. That commitment hasn’t insulated us from difficult situations, but it does mean we don’t walk through it alone.

As I shared on Sunday, while preaching from Genesis 39, faithfulness is often forged in disappointment. We don’t yet know exactly how this will unfold, but we do know who holds us — and that is enough for today.

In case you missed the talk, here’s a link: https://www.welcomechurch.uk/sermons/genesis-39-disappointment-god-meant-it-for-good

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