Hello everyone!

“Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” Not easy is it?

Which is easier, being forgiven or being the forgiver? Jesus calls us to forgive others on the foundation that we ourselves have been forgiven. Forgiveness comes at a cost. And what a cost it was to Jesus – he gave his life that we might be forgiven.

Come and explore more tomorrow at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM as we continue our series through the prayer Jesus taught us – The Lord’s Prayer.

Clear your diaries! Save the dates! Tell your friends! Invite your family!

• CONCERT on Friday 11th September at 7:30 PM
• BREAKFAST (for men) on Saturday 12th September at 9:30 AM
• AFTERNOON TEA (for women) on Saturday 12th September at 2:30 PM
• PERFORMANCE on Saturday 12th September at 7:30 PM
• PARTY on Sunday 13th September at 12:00 PM (12 noon)

Together with all Church of England churches across Lancashire/Diocese of Blackburn, we are holding a weekend of mission. What does that mean? It means we get inviting! We invite work colleagues, friends, neighbours, family members – to quality events with great hospitality so that more people can hear the amazing news of Jesus.

Singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones will be in concert on Friday 11th September, 7:30 PM. Tickets for those who part of the church community are £10 per person. You can bring an unlimited number of not-yet-church-community guests FREE of charge. But please also book a free ticket for each person you bring. Book HERE.

In June 2025 singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones walked from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral via St Oswald’s Way and The Way of Light (Northern Saints Trail). As Gareth walked he carried a small guitar on his back and performed concerts for local communities everywhere he stopped. The journey provided the inspiration and raw material for a new album of original songs called A Troubadour Journey.

The concert at Christ Church will gather together the stories and experiences woven into new music from his time walking through these beautiful parts of Northumberland and Durham. This special concert promises a vivid and entertaining musical encounter with the sights, sounds, history and contemporary heart of these Northern pilgrimage trails.

Gents, come on down for 9:30 AM on Saturday 12th September for a hearty Men’s Breakast! We’ll be joined by guest speaker, Reverend Philip Sowerbutts. He’ll be travelling from his home in Stafford to join us for the morning. He’s originally from Lancashire and is preparing to return to Lancashire in the future having just bought a bungalow in Thornton! He loves football and music. He’s a long suffering Blackburn Rovers supporter and is the proud owner of a retro vinyl juke box. Come and meet him and find out more! The title of his after-breakfast talk is “You cannot be serious.” He’ll be taking about life, death and everything in-between!

Tickets for those who part of the church community are £5 per person. You can bring not-yet-church-community guests FREE of charge. But please also book a free ticket for each person you bring. Book HERE. Please please please ensure you book – imagine running out of bacon! Unthinkable!

Ladies, arrive in style for 2:30 PM on Saturday 12th September for an elegant Afternoon Tea. After enjoying the tasty treats without a single crumb leftover, we’ll be joined by our very own Lauren Platt as the guest speaker. A hop, skip and a jump will be her commute to come and share inspirational stories of faith and hope.

Tickets for those who part of the church community are £5 per person. You can bring not-yet-church-community guests FREE of charge. But please also book a free ticket for each person you bring. Book HERE. Please please please ensure you book – imagine running out of cakes! Let’s not even go there!

Gentlemen, can you put on your best white shirt and bow-tie? It’s our job to serve the ladies! Please speak to Chris Fallone if you can help.

Actor Matt Britton will be giving a live performance of Mark’s Gospel on Saturday 11th September, 7:30 PM. Tickets for those who part of the church community are £10 per person. You can bring an unlimited number of not-yet-church-community guests FREE of charge. But please also book a free ticket for each person you bring. Book HERE.

Mark’s Gospel presented as a high-octane eye-witness account. Memorised from scripture, word for word, and told with urgency, excitement, and good old northern grit, this is a compelling ninety-minute rollercoaster of a ride through the speediest of gospels!

Scripture comes to life, as the written word is heard not read, in one flowing narrative, with no chapter breaks. Relive the healing of the man with a withered hand, the calming of the storm, and feeding of the 5000 as if you were there.

Seen and heard in one sitting, actor, Matt Britton, animates the stories of Mark as if eye-witness to it all. Alone on stage, no gimmickry, no elaborate staging or props, simply a storyteller armed with the greatest story ever told, this touring piece brings whole new meaning to ‘living epistle.’

Replacing all our usual services of worship, at 12 noon on Sunday 13th September will be our House Party Picnic! Doors open from 11:30 AM. Bring your own picnic! We will sit around tables in Church, enjoying food, worship, discussion and breaking bread together (holy communion).

There will be a bouncy castle for children to enjoy, and ‘house’ activities for people all ages – build something at the Brickhouse table, eat something at the Cookhouse table, make something at the Lighthouse table. All ages, all together, all for Jesus. No need to book – just turn up – and bring guests with you!

Book HERE for the Gareth Davies-Jones Concert on Friday 11th September at 7:30 PM

Book HERE for the Men’s Breakfast on Saturday 12th September at 9:30 AM

Book HERE for the Ladies Afternoon Tea on Saturday 12th September at 2:30 PM

Book HERE for the Matt Britton Performance on Saturday 12th September at 7:30 PM

Exciting news – Alpha is starting again. It’s on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM in the Community Centre Hall over the course of twelve weeks. It begins on Thursday 17th September. Book using this link HERE.

What is Alpha? Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith. 

Who’s it for? Alpha is for anyone who’s curious. The talks are designed to encourage conversation and explore the basics of the Christian faith in a friendly, open and informal environment. No question is out of bounds and you are free to discuss as much or as little as you wish. 

How does it work? Alpha is eleven sessions with a day away in the middle. Each session includes a short talk and a discussion at the end where you can share your thoughts. At any point, if you think Alpha isn’t for you, that’s not a problem. There’s no pressure, no follow up and no charge. 

How much is it? There’s no charge to do Alpha. There’s usually some complimentary delicious cakes too!

When is it? On Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM in the Community Centre Hall. Book for the whole course using this link HERE.

Who runs it? Derek Walmsley, Chris Fallone, Carolyn Walmsley.

What are the topics? Below is typically what is covered at Alpha…

• Is there more to life than this?
• Who is Jesus?
• Why did Jesus die?
• How can I have faith?
• Why and how do I pray?
• Why and how should I read the Bible?
• How does God guide us?
• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• What does the Holy Spirit Do?
• How can I be filled with the Spirit?
• How can I make the most of the rest of my life?
• How can I resist evil?
• Why and how should I tell others?
• Does God heal today?
• What about the Church?

How do I book? Book using this link HERE and then just turn up on Thursday at 7:30 PM! There’s no need to book for each week – just book once and that’s you booked in for the subsequent sessions. 

If I need more info? Do speak to Derek, Carolyn, Chris, or email me (Damian).

Across the various churches in Thornton will be a month of events to worship together. There’s something for everyone! Through the month is an afternoon tea, opportunities to play games and to sing together. It all starts with a treasure hunt on Saturday 19th September 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM here at Christ Church. Mums and Dads – get that date in your diaries now – kids are going to love it! All the details are above and in flyers available in the leaflt racks in the corridor at Church.

Tomorrow we have services at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 5:00 PM. Download the Order of Service for the 11:00 AM service HERE.

During the sermons at the 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM services, children of primary school age have their own time of teaching in the Community Centre Hall. The Chapel is available throughout the 11:00 AM service as a creche area for parents and their babies and toddlers with the service streamed to the TV screen. Children are welcome to all our services! We love to see them and hear them!

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.

It can be very helpful to read and reflect on the Bible passage(s) before coming to Church, to ensure some familiarity. You can read them HERE or find them in your own Bible at home: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 and Matthew 18:21-35.

We’ve been live streaming services since 26th March 2020. Did you know they are all available to watch on our YouTube channel?

We hope that by streaming the service live, anyone who faces restrictions because of mobility, health or other reasons, can benefit from tuning in on a Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. We know of some people who come to the 9:00 AM service and go home and enjoy the 11:00 AM live stream at home. And others who appreciate the opportunity to be in Church on a Sunday but to watch the sermon back again at home. Others like to worship through the week by joining in the worship songs. Here is the link you need to watch the live stream this Sunday and view any of the 750 videos available on our channel: https://www.youtube.com/ChristChurchThornton/

This week’s worship songs for our 11:00 AM service on the 30th August can be listened to in advance using this Spotify playlist on this link HERE.

Walk Through The Bible (New Testament) is taking place on Saturday 3rd October 2026. The next event will be a fun and encouraging way to consolidate prior Bible knowledge and help fill in gaps. An experienced presenter will lead the event with five one-hour sessions. The presenter will set up the room to explain the Biblical geography and how it impacts the story. There will be a specifically designed Workbook, accompanied by a PowerPoint, containing maps, charts and book summaries.

Use this link HERE to book for the next event. It will take you to the Walk Through the Bible website. Scroll down the list of events at different churches to find the Christ Church Thornton event and buy tickets from there. For any questions, further info or booking issues please speak to Chris Fallone.

Once again we’re driving up the M6 to Grange-over-Sands for the fifth Treehouse Weekend Away. It’s only an hour from door-to-door. We’ll be staying at the Thornleigh Christian Hotel.

The weekend will take place from Friday 23rd October to Sunday 25th October 2026. The weekend will be full board, including all meals in the hotel from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch, with plenty of coffee breaks and biscuits inbetween. We’ll enjoy a lovely walk out on the Saturday afternoon – to spot birds, spot trains, spot Blackpool Tower, play in the park, feed the ducks and visit the chocolate shop! 

The food at Thornleigh is always amazing!

The Treehouse Weekend Away is always a great opportunity to spend time together whilst growing deeper in our Christian faith.

How much? As a church we always try to subsidise the cost of the weekend for all who go, to ensure cost isn’t a barrier and to make things a little easier for families to budget, especially so close to Christmas. The price below is a subsidised price made possible by the generosity of church members and through raising funds or securing diocesan grants.

The price for the weekend is £170 per adult (17+). £40 for ages 3–5, £60 for ages 6–11, and £80 for ages 12–16. Children aged 0–2 are free of charge.

The booking link is now live HERE. 

The All for Jesus seminars return next week! The 45-minute seminars look at some interesting and sometimes controversial subjects. The purpose of these is to stretch our theological muscles and ponder some little discussed but important subjects. Each seminar is rooted in teaching from the holy scriptures with some history, theology – all within a prayerful and pastoral approach.

• 014 | Tuesday 1st September | How can we have free will if God plans and knows everything? Book HERE.
• 015 | Tuesday 8th September | Does God allow or cause suffering?
• 016 | Tuesday 15th September | Did God create the devil to be evil?
• 017 | Tuesday 22nd September | What will hell be like?
• 018 | Tuesday 29th September | Did Jesus go to hell before his resurrection?

All the seminars 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 1st September.

Thank you to Sacred Heart Church for their generous donation to the Food Pantry and to Wyre Council for their ongoing financial support to the Food Pantry. Thank you also to those who place food items in the donation trolley. Ann and the team are very grateful.

Our Harvest Festival will be on Sunday 27th September. That’s advance notice for you to start preparing boxes or bags of long-life foods to donated to the Food Pantry.

On Sunday 4th October at 6:00 PM at St. Peter’s Church Fleetwood will be a Deanery Choral Evensong. This is the first of its kind. Organised by Rev’d Andrew Downes, it is hoped this will be well attended by churches across the Deanery of Poulton (of which Christ Church is part).

There will be a Deanery Choir put together for this event. The rehearsals are on Friday evenings at 7:00 PM. If anyone is interested in part od the choir, please email John Pennington: organist@fleetwood.church

Volunteers are wanted to represent churches across the deanery with various things, including the Bible readings. Please email Andrew is interested: andrew@fleetwood.church

Did you know that as a church we have a newly formed Eco Group? Thank you to Sally and Carolyn for being willing to be part of it. We’re soon going to be awarded the Eco Church ‘Bronze Award’ – more news to follow on that in the weeks to come. Whilst we will be looking at ways to minimise the environmental footprint of our church, we’d also like to share some thoughts every now and again on how we can care for creation whilst we’re not at Christ Church.

 What is your personal carbon footprint?

The Christ Church Thornton carbon footprint, based on our energy use in 2025, was around 35 tonnes. Might you be willing to have a go at finding your own personal footprint in 5 minutes by answering questions on a website created by the Worldwide Fund for Nature: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/? My personal is around 9 tonnes, split relatively equally between the categories of: home, travel, food and ‘stuff’. What’s yours?

Please be aware there no activities/events/services taking place on Bank Holiday Monday. All the usual activities that take place on a Monday will not be taking place on Monday 31st August. It’s the last one of the year – finally!

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.

Monday 31st August

• Daytime Church and Community Centre Activities closed due to Bank Holiday
• Growth Group not taking place in the evening

Tuesday 1st September

• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in Church
• 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
• 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM – Prayer for Growth in the Chapel

Wednesday 2nd September

• 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 Church
• 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 – Growth Group on Wednesdays
• 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 4:00 PM – Mothers’ Union in Church & Community Centre
• 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM – Worship Team Rehearsal in Church

Thursday 3rd September

• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in Church
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Pilgrim’s Rest in Church
• 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 1:45 PM – Lyrics and Lunch in the Community Centre
• 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bat & Chat in the Community Centre

Friday 4th September

• 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 Community Centre
• 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon – Craft & Chat 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)
• (Move & Chat not taking place today)

Saturday 5th September

• Parochial Church Council Annual Awayday at Whalley Abbey