This week at Alpha our topic was ‘How and Why Should I Read The Bible?’, and this Sunday is Bible Sunday. We’re very fortunate at Christ Church to have a fantastic bookshop that has a whole variety of Bibles, study guides and more to help you get stuck into God’s world. And not only that, there are a whole host of free and paid apps for your phone that can help you get into a habit of daily reading. These include:
- YouVersion – An app with lots of translations of the whole Bible
- Dwell – An app for listening to scripture
- The Bible in One Year – Daily readings and commentary.
- Lectio 365 – Daily prayer and bible readings
- Daily Prayer – The Church of England’s daily prayer and bible reading app
What does your pattern of regular Bible reading look like? When is the best time of day for you to read or listen to the Bible?
Aside from encouragement to read the Bible, this issue of the newsletter is packed with information about lots of events happening this term and beyond. It also has details about some regular activities that are taking a pause either for half-term (this coming week) or in some cases after half-term. Please do read this edition especially carefully so that you know what’s on and what’s not.
And finally, if you are planning to book on to the Liverpool Coach Trip on Friday 1st December and haven’t yet booked, please book now, especially if you are planning to invite a friend. There’s only a handful of seats on the coach left and when it’s full, it’s full. See below for more details.
Andrew
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SUNDAY SERVICES
The services and activities on Sunday 22nd October are:
- 9:00 AM Traditional (Book of Common Prayer) Service of Holy Communion (with refreshments afterwards)
- 10:00 AM Meadows Books open (until 10:45 AM)
- 10:00 AM Core Catechism Classes (until 10:45 AM)
- 11:00 AM Contemporary Service of Holy Communion LIVE streamed (with refreshments afterwards)
- 12:15 PM Meadows Books’ open (until 12:45 PM)
- 5:00 PM Treehouse Informal Family Service (with refreshments)
- 6:00 PM Meadows Books open (until 6:15 PM)
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WATCHING ONLINE
If you’re unable to attend due to health and mobility, our livestream can be viewed on our YouTube channel HERE and our Facebook channel HERE.
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BIBLE READINGS
Our focus in the Sunday morning services is on the Bible reading, Matthew 22.15–22 (Church Bible page 827). You can read it online HERE.
At Treehouse we will be continuing to work through the Gospel Story Bible. This week’s story is Story 39 and our reading is Numbers 12. You can read the ESV version online HERE or on page 120 of the Church Bibles.
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ORDER OF SERVICE
For the 11:00 AM service is available HERE.
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TOMORROW: AWAY MATCH
The men’s 11-a-side football team are having their very first away match on Saturday 21st October, in the Manchester area, kick-off at 10:30 AM. They will be playing the People’s Church from Partington in Manchester. Do please pray for a safe and pleasant match, played with a great attitude.
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NEXT SATURDAY: HARVEST SUPPER AND CEILIDH
Put on your dancing shoes and eating shirt for the Christ Church Harvest Supper and Ceilidh on Saturday 28th October 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Featuring live music from the Preston-based ‘Old School Band’ along with a tasty harvest supper of Home-made Lamb Hot Pot and Chocolate Fudge Cake with Cream (bring your own drinks).
Tickets must be purchased on advance and cost £10 per adult and £5 per child. Please book and pay by card HERE.
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NEXT SUNDAY: HARVEST FESTIVAL
Our Harvest Festival service will be on Sunday 29th October at 10:00 AM. The morning services will be combined. Treehouse at 5:00 PM will still take place. Please invite family, friends, neighbours, as we gather to give thanks to God for all his goodness. Please also start to think about what food products you can bring on the day, all of which will be help keep our Food Pantry stocked to serve the local community and beyond.
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NEXT SUNDAY: LIGHTHOUSE HEROES PARTY & SANCTUARY
Children, young people and their families are invited to the annual Lighthouse Heroes Party on Sunday 29th October at 5:00 PM. Come dressed as your favourite Hero, but please no spooky costumes!
As next Sunday is the last Sunday of the month, Sanctuary Youth Group will run as normal at 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM in the hall.
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HALF-TERM: SOME ACTIVITIES PAUSED
Various activities are paused for or after half term. These are:
Tuesday Night Growth Groups will be paused for two weeks and will not run on 24th and 31st October. Tuesday Night Growth Group will resume on 7th November 7:45 PM – 9:00 PM. Monday Night and Wednesday Morning Growth Groups continue as normal.
Playhouse @ Thornton Cleveleys Football Club will run during half term, but will not run on Tuesday 31st October. It will resume as normal 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM on Tuesday 7th November. KICK Academy and Playhouse at Christ Church will continue to run as normal. Please do continue to pray for the activities in Burn Naze as we seen new people come along each week.
Flourish Women’s Bible Study is taking a break and will resume on Tuesday 14th November, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM at Chris Hartley’s house. The group will be looking at a selection of Psalms in the run up to Christmas.
Alpha and Lighthouse are taking a half-term break and will both resume on Wednesday 1st November.
Move & Chat is running today (20th October) and then paused until Friday 1st December.
Family Teatime Cookery Classes will not run on Friday 27th October, but will resume the following week on Friday 3rd November 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. Book for that session HERE, or future sessions HERE.
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CORE CATECHISM CLASSES
Getting to grips with why we believe what we believe!
Core Catechism Classes have started!
Core Catechism Classes run in-between the Sunday morning services from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM, enabling people attending from either morning congregation to come. They run in the Community Centre Hall with tea and coffee available on arrival.
Topics will include: Church History, Creation, Creeds, 39 Articles, Bible Overview, Heresies, Baptism, Holy Communion, The Holy Spirit, Spiritual Gifts, Reliability of the Bible.
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GOLD AWARD
Congratulations to 9 children/young people who have received their Gold Award at Treehouse!
This means they have attended Church at least 44 times in the last year! As a special thank you to them and to say well done, the children and youth leaders and Damian and Andrew will be taking them for a day out to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It will take place on Saturday 4th November, leaving Church at 9:30 AM and returning at 6:30 PM. Parents are also welcome to come on the trip.
Mums and Dads – if your child has received their Silver Award and is close to reaching their Gold Award – there is still time for them to collect more house stickers to reach Gold Award and get booked onto the trip. Keep coming to Church!
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
You are invited to join an evening of prayer to mark the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday 5 November between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM in the Community Centre. We will be listening to a live event which includes stories from Nigeria, Nicaragua and imprisoned believers and have the opportunity to pray together for Christians who courageously risk everything to follow Jesus. Please come and join us – you don’t need to pray aloud.
There will be members of other Churches joining us and refreshments will be served on arrival. If you can’t attend but like to watch the event please register on line at opendoorsuk.org/idop
If you require further information please contact Martin.
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CHORAL EVENSONG
We’ll be welcoming the Chapel Choir of Rossall School for Choral Evensong on Monday 13th November at 7:00 PM in Church.
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ADVENT CONCERT
We’re looking forward to hosting an Advent Concert on Thursday 30th November at 7:30 PM. We’ll be hosting once again Christian singer-songwriters Yvonne Lyon, Gareth Davies-Jones and David Lyon as they bring you an evening of live acoustic seasonal music.
Please book tickets in advance, costing £7.50 adult, £4.00 child. Click HERE to book.
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LAST FEW SEATS AVAILABLE: COACH TRIP TO LIVERPOOL
Damian is running a coach trip to Liverpool – would you like to come too? It’s on Friday 1st December and costs only £15! 44 people are booked on the trip, meaning the coach will soon be full.
There will be an opportunity to explore Liverpool at your own leisure and do some Christmas shopping. You could also visit one of Liverpool’s Cathedrals.
The coach will be setting off from Christ Church Thornton at 8:30 AM, arriving in Liverpool just around 10:00 AM. The coach will leave Liverpool at 4:00 PM, arriving back at Christ Church around 6:00 PM, traffic dependent.
As an optional extra, you can also enjoy a 50-minute ferry ‘cross the Mersey to see one of the greatest waterfronts in the world! The cruise will be followed by a bus tour of Liverpool. The route provides the opportunity to see some of the city’s most famous landmarks. The cost for this is an extra £16 (£31 total).
Book your tickets and pay online HERE.
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CHRISTMAS DAY COMMUNITY DINNER 2023
Delicious Food,Friendship, and Joy
We are looking forward to hosting a joy filled afternoon on Monday 25th December from 1:00 PM onwards in the Community Centre Hall. The meal is for anyone who might benefit from having company on Christmas Day. Enjoy a proper Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings, followed of course by pudding, cake, and cheese and biscuits! There will be a quiz and live music.
There is no charge for any of the food or the activities. God gave the generous gift of Jesus at the first Christmas. We believe in sharing the generous love of God with anyone who would like to receive it.
Booking is essential. Please sign up HERE.
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CHRISTMAS PAN-TIVITY: HERALD OF HEROD
The one who is born to be king, in Bethlehem of Judea? “Oh no he isn’t!” says Herod. “Oh yes he is!” The Three peculiar Magi have appeared in the Royal Palace, talking of the birth of a potential rival King! The cruel King Herod is keen to unravel this mystery. For Harry the humble Herald, this is the chance of a lifetime… to embark upon an epic quest and be noticed by the King!
Join us 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM on Monday 4th December for our Panto-Nativity (Pantivity) presented by 4Front Theatre. Bring your family, invite your friends, and come and join the fun!
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VOLUNTEER WELCOMERS NEEDED
We see hundreds of people coming through the Church doors each week. We strive to give each person a personal welcome. On a Friday this isn’t possible. Can you help? from 9:45 AM to 12:45 PM (or whatever you manage between those times).
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BOOSTER SEATS
We’re looking to keep a stock of spare booster seats (for cars) at Church for times when a family may come to an activity by public transport but then find it isn’t on and may need help with transport back home. If you can help, please get in touch.
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VOLUNTEERS WANTED: THE CHOSEN SCREENINGS
The Chosen is a groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus, seen through the eyes of those who knew Him. There are currently 24 episodes (3 seasons) of varying length normally between 30-60 minutes, all of which are available to watch for free at watch.thechosen.tv
Starting in January we plan to screen the Chosen (starting at season 1, episode 1) on Wednesday evenings in term time from 6pm. Coming to watch The Chosen is a great follow-up for those who have attended Alpha this term, and others are also welcome to join in.
Andrew is looking for a keen volunteer or team of volunteers who could take charge of running the screenings of The Chosen episodes. You would need to welcome guests, play the video, and co-ordinate refreshments. Email andrew@christchurchthornton.uk or speak to Andrew to find out more.
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FIRST AID TRAINING
Christ Church is hosting First Aid Training on the evening of Friday 26th April 2024 (Time TBC). This two hour training session covers basic first aid and is recommended to be refreshed every year. The session is open to anybody who wants to book and costs £26 per person (including £1 booking fee). The session is limited to 16 people, but we can arrange addition sessions if we fill up.
BOOK HERE.
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FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PAUL
A few church members are planning to go on a McCabe Pilgrimage. It’s a cruise and stay starting from Athens, and sailing around the Greek islands, following in the footsteps of St.Paul
It takes place 3-13th October 2024 costs from £2999. It has some interesting guest speakers, including Paul Jones ( Manfred Mann) and Pam Rhodes (Songs of Praise). For more information please get in touch or speak to Ann Hearnshaw who can put you in touch with McCabe Travel to obtain a brochure.
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TREEHOUSE WEEKEND AWAY
We’re very pleased to announce the third Treehouse Weekend Away, which take place from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th October 2024. It will be at Thornleigh Christian Hotel at Grange-over-Sands. We hope to have all the accommodation at the Hotel in use just for the Treehouse congregation, with many families enjoying a weekend away growing in faith through worship, prayer, Bible teaching, alongside great food, walks out, and fun times together. A letter with more information will be available in due course. For now, keep those dates free if you’re interested in going.
For members of other congregations, a three-day stay at Thornleigh Hotel is also being planned for 2024. More details to follow when they are available.
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PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND
In recognition of the suffering taking place on all sides, we will not be publishing for the time being any more information about the proposed 2025 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
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AUTUMN, ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS
We have been planning our worship, special activities and events for Autumn, Advent and Christmas. For a preview of what’s taking place, please click HERE (with corrections since its last issue). Printed leaflets will be made available and will be distributed in Church, the Community Centre and to homes around the Parish.
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GIVING TO GOD
There are numerous ways to give to God and contribute to the mission and ministry of Christ Church:
- Bank transfer – details available HERE
- By dated giving envelopes (on request)
- By contactless machine at the back of Church (or sometimes positioned in the Pilgrim’s Rest or the Community Centre)
- Online giving – you can give online HERE
- Text message – simply text SUNDAY to 70460 to donate £10. Texts cost £10 plus one standard rate message which will be added to your mobile phone bill
- Cash in the collection plate (positioned on the font)
Bank transfer or standing order is the preferred method of giving as they do not have any processing fees attached. Tax payers can add Gift Aid to their gift. More information about this can be found on the website HERE.
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SERVING IN CHURCH
There’s always lots of opportunities to get involved in the mission and ministry of the church and all our activities throughout the week, on evenings, and on Sundays are dependent on volunteers to operate. Volunteers help to set up and tidy up, provide refreshments, assist with (and in many cases run) activities, and keep our churchyard mowed and tidy.
Serving on a team is also a great way to get to know other members of the church family. If you don’t currently serve on a team at church and would like to, please do contact Damian or Andrew for a chat about where you might best fit.
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DIARY OF ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES
Below is a comprehensive list of all that’s taking place in the week ahead. You can also visit out online diary on the church website HERE.
Monday 23rd October
- 9:00 AM to 9:25 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 12:00 PM to 1:45 PM – Lyrics and Lunch in the Community Centre and Church
- 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bowl & Chat in the Community Centre
- 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM – Monday night Growth Group in the Community Centre
Tuesday 24th October
- 9:00 AM to 9:25 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Craft & Chat in Church
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – Lunch in the Community Centre
- 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) at Thornton Cleveleys Football Club on Gamble Road
- 3:45 PM to 4:45 PM – KICK Academy at Thornton Cleveleys Football Club on Gamble Road
Wednesday 25th October
- 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM – Fridaymen volunteers in the Churchyard and Church
- 9:00 AM to 9:25 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM – Wednesday morning Growth Group in Church
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 11:15 AM to 12:00 PM – Traditional (BCP) service of Holy Communion in Church
- 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – Lunches for Seniors in the Community Centre
- 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM – Musical Worship Team Rehearsal in Church
Thursday 26th October
- 9:00 AM to 9:25 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 12:00 PM to 1:45 PM – Lyrics and Lunch in the Community Centre and Church
- 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bat & Chat in the Community Centre
Friday 27th October
- 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM – Fridaymen volunteers in the Churchyard and Church
- 9:00 AM to 9:25 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
- 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM – Craft & Chat in Church
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
- 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
Saturday 28th October
- 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
- TIME TBC – CCFC football match against Bridge Church Bolton
Not sure what to come to? Not sure if a service or activity is suited to you or not? Please don’t hesitate to get in touch and ask.
Spot n e erroz inn r weakqly newz – dew lettuce no sow we kan corectt vem!
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With blessings,
Damian & Andrew
