Hello everyone! This Sunday is Mothering Sunday! Do join us on Sunday as we celebrate mothers, those present and those who have gone before us. Did you know that originally Mothering Sunday is when Christians returned home to their ‘mother church,’ to the church where they were grew up, were baptised and taught the Christian faith? It was an opportunity to give thanks to God for the influence of the mother church. Although Mothering Sunday has evolved, it is still an opportunity to be thankful for the churches and those who influenced our faith in our formative years. 

I’m looking forward to seeing lots and lots of you tomorrow at Church and through the week at the Community Centre activities.

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Sunday Services

At our services tomorrow we’ll be in the fifth week of a six week series exploring the call of Jesus on our lives and the implications of saying yes to Jesus:

1. The Invitation – the call of the first disciples 
2. The Cost – take up your cross and follow me
3. The Commitment – treasures in heaven, two masters 
4. The Character – salt and light 
5. The Community – love and fellowship
6. The Great Commission

Do come and hear more at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM. It can be very helpful to read and reflect on the Bible passages before coming to Church, to ensure some familiarity. You can read them using this link HERE and HERE or find them in your own Bible at home: Ephesians 4:1-6 and John 13:31-35. 

The services and activities on Sunday 15th March 2026 are:

• 9:00 AM – Traditional Service
• 11:00 AM – Contemporary Service
• 5:00 PM –  Treehouse Family Worship

There are refreshments in the Community Centre Hall after the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM services and before the 5:00 PM service. The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop is open after each service. Our live stream on Sunday at 11:00 AM can be viewed on our YouTube channel HERE. The 11:00 AM order of service is available HERE.

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Finance, Personnel and Grants Manager

Expressions of interest are welcome for a new employed role of Finance, Personnel and Grants Manager on-site here at Christ Church Thornton. The part-time post of 25 hours per week will be a significantly important staff member role, pivotal to the support of the leadership of Christ Church and the delivery of its vision. The role will include things such as inputting data into financial systems, preparing and paying invoices, preparing budgets, financial reporting, preparing staff contracts, appraisals, tracking annual leave, sickness pay and preparing grant applications.

A committed Christian with a heart for the mission and values of the church will thrive in this role. In due course the role will be formally advertised along with a job description and person specification. In the meantime expressions of interest are welcome by email to damian@christchurchthornton.uk 

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Worship song playlist

This week’s worship songs for our 11:00 AM service on the 15th March can be listended to advance using this link HERE. It’s a Spotify playlist. Listening to and singing along to worship songs can be so uplifting and spiritually refreshing. It’s yet another way to worship all through the week. The songs are great to play in the car and at home and will help you be familiar with what we sing each Sunday. When you click on the link it will open up for you the Spotify website or app on your mobile or laptop. If you already have Spotify you can listen straightaway. If you don’t, then the Spotify app is free to download following the instructions that come up.

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Choral Evensing with the Choir of Rossall Chapel

We’re delighted to be welcoming back the Chapel Choir of Rossall School to a Choral Evensong service at Christ Church on Sunday 22nd March at 3:00 PM. All are welcome.

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Side Aisle Support

On a Friday morning from 10:00 AM to 12 Noon, Sally Johnson will be stationed in the side aisle (north side) of Church with a table, some chairs and a smile. This is to provide support for benefits (eligibility and applications) and similar things. Sally can help with signposting people as well as form-filling. Do drop-in to speak to Sally if this might be useful.

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Funeral of Anne Brown

Anne’s funeral service is taking place on Tuesday 31st March at 1:45 PM at Christ Church Thornton followed by a Reception afterwards in the Community Centre Hall. The family welcome all those who would like to come to the service and Reception. They would find it helpful to know numbers attending to ensure the catering needs are met. Therefore please email damian@christchurchthornton.uk with a simple message to confirm attendance.

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‘Christ in the Passover Banquet’ – with a Seder

On Friday 4th April at 6:00 PM (Holy Saturday) special guest Ziggy Rogoff from Jews for Jesus will speak to us about the Passover (פֶּסַח). He’ll take us through a traditional Seder, weaving together the story of the Exodus, with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), our Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ). This promises to be fascinating, educational and spiritually enriching evening.

During the evening, the symbols of the Passover meal will be explained to show they tell the story of God’s redemptive plan. He will explain the unleavened bread, bitter herbs, cups, and then highlight the significance of the Passover symbols, both in ancient times and in Jewish homes today. The presentation shows how Jesus used the Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room to point to his own death and resurrection, and to insitute the Lord’s Supper/Communion/Eucharist. Your approach to Holy Communion might be significantly changed (in a positive way) having seen this presentation!

During the evening there will also be a meal, consisting of the types of food associated with Passover. On the night, donations are welcome towards the ministry of Jews for Jesus. Booking is essential for catering purposes. The cost for an adult ticket is £12 and for a child ticket £6. Please book your place using this link HERE. Bookings close at the end of Saturday 28th March. 

Ziggy comes to us in Thornton representing Jews for Jesus – an organisation that exists to support churches in exploring Jewish life with faith in Jesus. Those working for the organisation are Jews who are for Jesus. Many Jewish people have never heard that following Jesus can be a thriving expression of Jewish life. The events will give Christians the opportunity to further understand Jewish life and to help share our faith with Jewish people we meet.

Ziggy grew up in London in a traditional Jewish home and experienced the rigors of traditional Judaism from an early age. His family kept kosher, and Ziggy went to Hebrew classes three times weekly. His bar mitzvah, held at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, was a landmark moment in his life and summed up who he is: quintessentially Jewish. As an adult Ziggy started to investigate the claims of Jesus to discover if Jesus was the Messiah. Ziggy says: “I knew that the probability of the Messianic prophecies being fulfilled in one person was virtually zero. So when I realized that Jesus did fulfill these prophecies, it felt like comparing a fingerprint with a finger and getting an exact match.”

You can read more about Ziggy and the work of Jews for Jesus on this link HERE.

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Services for Holy Week and Easter…

Thursday 2nd April (Maundy Thursday)

• 7:00 PM – Book of Common Prayer Communion Service in Church

Friday 3rd April (Good Friday)

• 10:00 AM – Easter Explained! Come to a fun event where families can enjoy time together and explore the true meaning of Easter. With crafts, games and food. Why not come to find out why Good Friday is so good and to discover the wonderful surprise of the first Easter! (Community Centre Hall).
• 11:30 AM – Walk of Witness (from Christ Church to Four Lane Ends) followed by Churches Together in Thornton Service.
• 12:00 PM – Churches Together in Thornton Service (outside the Little Theatre at Four Land Ends), followed by a walk back to Church.
• 1:00 PM – Picnic in the Community Centre Hall/Outside Church if good weather (bring your own lunch and drinks – ice cream provided!)
• 2:00 PM – Reflections on the last words of Jesus in Church.

Saturday 4th April (Holy Saturday)

• 6:00 PM – Christ in the Passover Banquet (Traditional Seder Meal) with Ziggy Rogoff (booking required)

Sunday 5th April (Easter Day)

• 6:00 AM – Sunrise Service & Breakfast (The Book of Common Prayer Communion Service)
• 9:00 AM – Family Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt
• 10:00 AM – Easter Day Celebration Service (Church & Community Centre Hall) see the info below

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Easter Day Celebration

The Easter Day Celebration is an opportunity to bring all the congregations together as one big church family. It will be carefully planned so as to incorporate aspects familiar to each congregation. There will be a mix of traditional and contemporary hymns. There will be liturgy from The Book of Common Prayer and modern sources. There will be some lovely refreshments on arrival in the Community Centre Hall, so as to give opportunity for coming together as a church family for conversation and deepening relationships with one another. Part-way during the service children of primary school age will be invited to attend their own age-appropriate teaching and activities. The service will culminate in remembering the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus as we receive holy communion together. After the service, there will be another opportunity for refreshments in the Community Centre Hall, if you have time to stay – however we appreciate some will need to be making tracks at this point.

The Easter Day Celebration starts at 10:00 AM in the Community Centre Hall.

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Starting soon… BRICKHOUSE!

Launching on Tuesday 21st April from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Book places HERE. 

A LEGO based midweek after-school family activity club on a Tuesday from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM. For families with primary-age kids (children must be accompanied by their parents and guardians at all times). Taking place in the Community Centre Hall, children and their grown-ups will get to build some cool creations from LEGO bricks based on a special Bible theme for that week. There will be snacks too. It is going to be AWESOME!

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Gold Award Congratulations to a further 15 children and young people over the last few years who have received their Gold Award at Treehouse (taking the total to 24 children). This means they have attended Church at least 44 times in the run-up to their Gold Award! As a special thank you to them and to say well done, myself along with members of the children and youth leaders team plan to take them for a day out to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The date provisionally pencilled in for this is Saturday 2nd May 2026, leaving Church at 9:30 AM and returning at 6:30 PM. Help from parents at this day will be appreciated.Please can the parents of the children and young people who would like to go email damian@christchurchthornton.uk to let me know whether this date will work. This Gold Award trip is for those who have received their Gold Award since the last trip in November 2023.

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Church Buildings Survey

We’re working hard to keep our buildings as warm as we can. It will really help us if you’ll consider filling out a survey for us, particularly as we look to reduce our carbon emissions down from around 40 tonnes to 10 tonnes in the coming years. 

The following link will take you to a survey (it only takes a few minutes to fill out): Christ Church Thornton Church Buildings Survey

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Eco Church

We’re also on the lookout for some people interested in helping Mr Dave Champness, a diocesan officer working with us, to work through the Eco Church survey. This link HERE explains more about what the Eco Church survey is. If you’d like to be involved in assisting Dave Champness, please email him on:  dave.champness@blackburn.anglican.org. Dave is the Dioceses of Blackburn & Carlisle Creation Care Senior Project Manager.

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A Big Day Out in Blackpool

In 2026 The Diocese of Blackburn celebrates its 100th anniversary! As part of a year of celebrations and special events, there will be a big day out on Saturday 16th May 2026 beginning at 11:00 AM. The day will take place in the centre of Blackpool; a place that has played such an important role in the history of the Diocese. There will be activities for children of all ages with games, crafts and stories. There will be sessions for teenagers and grown-ups from sport workshops to live music and more. In the afternoon, there will be a giant hog roast lunch at 1:00 PM before all coming together for an open air celebration service on St. John’s Square outside the Winter Gardens at 2:00 PM.

The Diocese of Blackburn would love as many people as possible to join in for this special day together. All the information you might need can be found on this link HERE. 

Booking is required! Why not start thinking about who you can invite, how you can share transport and what things you might book for.

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All for Jesus Seminars

Embracing the diocesan 2026 theme of All for Jesus, I am running a series of 45-minute seminars in the coming months to look at some interesting and sometimes controversial subjects.

Tuesday 17th March – Should we pray for the dead? BOOK HERE.
Tuesday 24th March – Do murderers and other bad people go to heaven?
Tuesday 31st March – Coming to Church on a Sunday – how often is ‘enough’?
Tuesday 14th April – Do Jews, Muslims, and Christians all worship the same God?
Tuesday 21st April – Should we pray to Mary?
Tuesday 28th April – Are our loves ones looking down on us?
Tuesday 5th May – Is it okay for Christians to gamble?
Tuesday 12th May – Do Mormons and JW’s believe in the same God we do?
Tuesday 19th May – Is purgatory real?
Tuesday 26th May – Is it okay to go shopping on a Sunday?
Tuesday 2nd June – Is the Church building a temple, a sacred space, or ordinary?

Future topics will include:

What happens when we die?
How can we have free will if God plans and knows everything?
Should we pray to the saints?

All the seminars will take place on a Tuesday lunchtime from 12:00 PM to 12:45 PM in the Community Centre Hall over a simple lunch of soup and a roll followed by cheese and biscuits. The cost is £5 to cover the cost of food. Booking in advance is required via the link published in the weekly news email the week before each event happens. Book HERE for Tuesday 17th March.

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Seminar for Parents – preparing yourself for the arrival of a teenager

Being a parent is precious and yet demanding. How can we best prioritise the spiritual needs of our children? How do we model worshipping God on a Sunday when our children’s sporting events are on a Sunday? How do we say “yes” to a birthday party and “yes” to Church at the same time? How do we encourage our children to follow Jesus in a world where following Jesus doesn’t seem to be a thing? How do we help our children foster important friendships and yet at the same time foster a friendship with Jesus? And what about mobile phones, snap chat, social media, sleepovers?! 

On Saturday 25th April, Damian and Lauren will be sharing some of their parenting experience for parents and guardians. Not because they’re the experts but because they’ve trodden the path twice already and know how important it is to think these issues through and support one another. The seminar is from 10:00 AM until 12noon in the Community Centre Hall. The event is free. Just turn up.

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Lighthouse

Our midweek children’s club ‘Lighthouse’ is on Wednesdays at 5:30 PM. The next Lighthouse is on Wednesday 18th March. This is for children of primary school age. Lighthouse is a weekly term-time Bible-based club for children, with snacks, songs, teaching, and craft. Parents are welcome to stay for coffee in the Chapel.

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Cookhouse 

Cookhouse is on Fridays at 5:00 PM. The next Cookhouse is on Friday 20th March.

Cookhouse is for families. Each family have their own little workstation in the Hall to use. We provide all the utensils, equipment and ingredients needed.

Cooking starts at 5:00 PM with a welcome drink and snack. Then there’s a short story explaining the theme of the evening. Families are then guided through preparing some food, after which they share a meal together which has been prepared and cooked earlier by the brilliant volunteers. Whatever was preparing during the cookery class can then be taken home to enjoy over the weekend.

We have space for 15 children plus their parents/carers. To book for Friday 20th March please book using this link HERE. Booking is essential! Please note that the volunteers purchase ingredients at 12 noon the day before (Thursday). Bookings will therefore close at 12 noon the Thursday before Cookhouse.

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Playhouse

Playhouse is our brilliant hour each morning (Monday to Thursday) for babies, toddlers and pre-school children with their adults/parents/carers. Each time there is a Christian story and songtime led by Lauren and ‘Banjo Bob.’ There’s toast and drinks for everyone. It takes place from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Monday to Thursday in the Community Centre Hall.

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Good Grief Support Group – finding hope whilst journeying through loss

An informal get together over coffee and cake centred on supporting those who are bereaved. Comfy sofas, fresh tea and coffee, scrumptious cakes, scripture readings, prayer, honest conversation. Tuesdays at 2:30 PM. Please note the support group isn’t providing professional bereavement counselling, rather it is an informal space to provide support and find hope whilst journeying through loss. For more information please speak to Dawn Bradbury.

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Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Our 2026 APCM will be on the evening of Thursday 14th May (Ascension Day) beginning at 5:30 PM. Please do attend if you can, as this is an important annual meeting giving an overview of the previous year and looking forward to the year to come. This APCM will be suitable for all ages, so do come along as a family. We will start with food, then worship, after which a representative from each congregation will share some highlights of the ministry and mission during 2025. 

The evening consists of two official meetings, firstly the Meeting of Parishioners (known as the ‘Vestry Meeting’ where Churchwardens are elected) and the APCM where the annual accounts and report are presented and members of the laity are elected to serve on the PCC and Deanery Synod.

At the APCM we have four places for a three-year term on the PCC and three places for a three-year term on the Deanery Synod. Nomination forms are available to download here (the forms are fillable forms which can be typed into): 

• A nomination Form for Election to the PCC can be downloaded using this link HERE.
• A nomination form Election to the Deanery Synod can be downloaded using this link HERE.

Nomination Forms must be submitted before or at the meeting. For more information about eligibility to serve on the PCC and Deanery Synod and the nominations and election process, please do get in touch with me. Please pray that God will equip and call people to these important roles to serve and lead His Church.

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Opportunities to Service

On Saturday 9th May at a wedding at 2:00 PM at Christ Church, some help is needed to make hot drinks in the Hall after the service and to oversee the distribution of some scones and muffins. If you can help, please do get in touch.

On Tuesday 2nd June, at 7:30 PM, Christ Church is the venue for the Primary Visitation – which is when Bishop Philip will install Churchwardens from the deaneries of Blackpool, Poulton, Kirkham, Lancaster and Morecambe. If you can help with the catering and other practical elements, please do get in touch. We will need musicians and welcomers in addition to help with catering. 

On Saturday 13th June, Christ Church is the venue for the Christ Church Blackburn whole-church awayday. If you can help with the catering and other practical elements, please do get in touch.

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Confirmation Classes

For those looking to be confirmed by Bishop Philip on Sunday 31st May, preparation classes are taking place from 7:15 PM to 8:45 PM on:

• Wednesday 22nd April
• Wednesday 29th April
• Wednesday 6th May
• Wednesday 13th May
• Wednesday 20th May (confirmation rehearsal)

The venues will vary from week to week, however for the first class it will be in the Community Centre Hall. Please email Damian to indicate if you would like to be confirmed. The preparation classes are a necessary step to being confirmed. However if you cannot attend them all because of illness or prior commitments, do let Damian know to see what alternatives are possible.

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2026 Treehouse Weekend Away

The Treehouse Weekend Away dates for 2026 are: Friday 23rd October to Sunday 25th October. Places can be secured by paying a deposit – details of how to do this to be released soon.



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Celebration of the Centenary of the Diocese of Blackburn

2026 is the Centenary Year of the Cathedral and Diocese of Blackburn. A year of celebration will culminate on Thursday November 12th, the exact date when the Diocese was formed out of the Diocese of Manchester one hundred years ago.

On that day representatives of the Diocese together with friends and partners will gather in Blackburn Cathedral for a celebration of the Eucharist commencing at 7:00 PM.  

Bishop Philip asks you to save the date in your diaries. A formal invitation will come from the Cathedral in the early part of the Summer. 

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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
• You can give by text with a smartphone.  Send a text to 07380 307 800 containing our keyword “CCTFY5”, followed by the word “give”, followed by the amount you wish to give.  For example “CCTFY5 give £10” to give £10. Step by step instructions HERE
• 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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Diary of Activities and Services

Monday 16th March

• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
• 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
• 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 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 12:00 Noon to 1:15 PM – Lyrics & Lunch in the Community Centre
• 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bowl & Chat in the Community Centre
• 7:45 PM to 9:30 PM – Growth Group in the Community Centre

Tuesday 17th March

• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
• 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
• 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)
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Craft & Chat in Church
• 12:00 Noon to 12:45 PM – All for Jesus Seminar & Lunch in the Community Centre
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 2:30 PM – Good Grief! Bereavement Support Group in the Community Centre
• 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM – Prayer for Growth in the Community Centre

Wednesday 18th March

• 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM – ‘Walking Wednesday’ Breakfast in the Community Centre
• 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Fridaymen volunteers in the Churchyard and Church
• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
• 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
• 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)
• 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Wednesday Morning Growth Group in Church
• 11:15 AM to 12:00 Noon – Traditional (BCP) service of Holy Communion in Church
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Lunches for Seniors in the Community Centre
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Mothers’ Union Quiet Afternoon in Church
• 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM – Lighthouse (children’s group) in the Community Centre
• 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM – Worship Team Rehearsal in Church

Thursday 19th March

• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in the Chapel
• 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM – Playhouse (parent, baby and toddlers) in the Community Centre
• 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)
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Craft & Chat in Church
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 12:00 Noon to 1:45 PM – Lyrics and Lunch in the Community Centre
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bat & Chat in the Community Centre
• 7:30 PM – The Alpha Course in the Community Centre

Friday 20th March

*please note that Move & Chat is not taking place in the Hall today*

• 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM – ‘Family Friday’ Breakfast in the Community Centre
• 8:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Fridaymen volunteers in the Churchyard and Church
• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – ‘Side Aisle Support’ in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – 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)
• 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM – ‘Cookhouse’ Family Teatime Cookery Class in the Community Centre

Sunday 22nd March

• 9:00 AM – Traditional (The Book of Common Prayer) Service of Holy Communion
• 11:00 AM – Contemporary Baptism Service
• 3:00 PM – Choral Evensong with the Chapel of Rossall School Choir
• 5:00 PM – Treehouse Family Worship Service

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