Hello everyone!

Only 20 days to go!

Twenty days until what I hear you say? Until the Treehouse Weekend Away. It’s not too late to book – but it soon could be. So don’t hang around! We go to Grange-over-Sands and enjoy a fun, tasty, faith-growing weekend. Scroll down the weekly news email for more info.

I shook hands with royalty yesterday. Want to know more? Ask me about it tomorrow when you’re at Church! We have services at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

Tomorrow night is our next Sanctuary Youth Gathering for those in school years 7 and above. We’ll play games and eat food. It’s the Community Centre Hall after the Treehouse service.

On Thursday Christ Church is popping into Thornton House Care Home to bring them a Harvest Service. We’d love to take a mini-congregation. If you can come, please speak to Dawn Bradbury.

In the last ten days we’ve had three weddings! Each one was beautiful, different, and full of joy and faith. Congragulations to Brian and Elaine, Ian and Barbara, and Steve and Emma…

Ian and Barbara were proclaimed husband and wife on Thursday. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Merrick! They’re enjoying their honeymoon now but will be back in a couple of weeks to tell us all about their big day!

Well done to everyone who came to Walk Through The Bible (New Testament) today! Keep going over those actions and phrases – they will stay with you for a lifetime and help firmly plant in your heart and mind the storyline of the Bible.

Open the Book (OtB) is an exciting storytelling project where Bible stories are shared with children in a way that is fun, interactive and memorable. As invited guests in school, storytelling teams use the Open the Book programme to prepare and present a 10–15-minute scripted Bible story to a school assembly, involving the children as much as possible.

Did you know Christ Church now has its own Open the Book team! (The photo above isn’t our team but from elsewhere in the UK). We are now going into Thornton Primary School monthly to share a Bible story in their assembly. Our next date is Thursday. Please pray for the team, the children and the staff: that the Bible story presentations will communicate God’s love and care in a meaningful way.

For more information please speak to Carolyn Walmsley.

On Sunday 4th October at 6:00 PM at St. Peter’s Church Fleetwood will be a Deanery Choral Evensong.

Tomorrow we have services at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM (first Sunday) 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 at Treasurehouse 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, 11:00 AM, and 3:00 PM 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: Acts 16:11-34 and Matthew 28.16-20.

Gentlemen! Get this date in your diary! The next Men United (nothing to do with football – it’s just men eating food and enjoying each other’s company) is on Friday 9th October, 7:30 PM at the Bay Horse. Please see, call or email John Hearnshaw to book your place.

A special evening with Rev Rico Tice is taking place on Thursday 15th October at Singleton Lodge Country Hotel. Rico is the founder and presenter of the widely used Christianity Explored course. After dinner Rico will address the question Why bother with Jesus? and there will be time for questions as well, so it is perhaps an ideal opportunity to bring a guest.  

The cost is £37.50 per person for a 3 course dinner (4 options for each course), including welcome drink and coffee. To book please telephone David Gascoigne on 07768 303462 or email davidpgascoigne@gmail.com. The event is an invitation from St Chad’s Church, Poulton-Le-Fylde.

Taking place in the Community Centre Hall and starting in November, is Silver Service – a place of friendship, faith and fun. Starting on Tuesday 10th November from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. For more information please speak to Dawn Bradbury.

We’re delighted to be partnering with the local and brilliant Thornton-Cleveleys Brass Band to host a Christmas Cracker of a concert. It will be on Saturday 12th December at 7:30 PM. The cost is £8 per person, payable on the door on the night.

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 in the corridor
• 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.

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 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.

• 019 | Tuesday 6th October | Do the unborn, babies, and young children go to heaven?
• 020 | Tuesday 13th October | Is the story of Noah and the Ark a true story?

All the seminars take place on a Tuesday lunchtime from 12:00 PM to 1:00 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 6th October.

Every time we shop we’re voting with our wallet. When we buy from brands that have a positive impact it’s like voting for a better world. By carefully choosing what we buy, and looking behind the brands, we can choose products that have a positive impact on people, the planet and animals. How about visiting https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ to explore the ethical ratings of over 40,000 products and brands?

An invitation from Bishop Joe Kennedy, Bishop of Burnley…

“Five hundred years ago, in 1526, William Tyndale printed the first New Testament in English. Copies were printed in exile at Worms, and then were smuggled back into England in bales of cloth. Tyndale’s passion for making God’s Word accessible to everyone transformed countless lives and changed history – and today when we read the Bible in English, we are reading translations that have been shaped by his work. As part of its centenary celebrations, Blackburn Cathedral is marking the Tyndale anniversary in three different events, and I am writing today to commend these events to you and to invite you to promote them…”

To mark the 500 year anniversary of William Tyndale’s English New Testament first being printed, Blackburn Cathedral are hosting a special exhibition from September to the 20th November. First printed in 1526, it was a decisive moment in the story of English Christianity, public worship, and the English language itself.

Displaying an original edition of the first Bible to be printed in English, on loan from the British Library, the exhibition focuses on translation and Tyndale’s use of technology. This will be the only copy on public display anywhere in our region. Alongside the Bible will be a fascinating exhibition, designed by the Cathedral, showcasing Tyndale’s life, his impact on the English language and on Christianity today. Entry is by donation. More information available on this link HERE.

An event entitled The Bible Changes Lives is taking place on Tuesday 14th October, 7:00 PM at Blackburn Cathedral. It will be an evening with Bishop Graham Tomlin, music from the Cathedral’s Youth Choir, and interviews with people whose lives the Bible has changed. It is free and everyone is welcome. For more information and to book your FREE tickets use this link HERE.

Cover to Cover – from midday on Sunday 4th October until 5:00 PM on Wednesday 7th October, the whole Bible will be read aloud (using the NIV translation) from the Sanctuary steps of Blackburn Cathedral. Genesis to Revelation, without a break, through three full nights. The daytime reading is divided into 150 slots of fifteen minutes each. Would you like to go? You can – just turn up! Would you like to take part? You can! To sign up for a slot, use this link HERE.

Bowl & Chat is back on Mondays from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM in the Community Centre.

Playhouse!is on Monday to Thursday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the Community Centre Hall.

Brickhouse! is on Tuesdays from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM in the Community Centre Hall.

Lighthouse! is on Wednesdays from 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM in the Community Centre Hall.

Cookhouse! is on Fridays from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the Community Centre Hall. Book HERE for the next one taking place on Friday 9th October.

Treasurehouse! is on Sundays from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM in the Community Centre Hall.

Treehouse! is on Sundays from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the Community Centre, Church & Chapel.

Clubhouse!is on Sundays from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM in the Community Centre.

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 4th October can be listened to in advance using this Spotify playlist on this link HERE.

Our next Pantivity is… On the Bethlehem Beat. It’s about angels, shepherds and missing wallets! Big city cop Sgt. Barton has been reassigned to the sleepy town of Bethlehem – but with census crowds, a thief at large and a conspiracy surrounding a new king, it won’t be a silent night!

There will be much more to say about that in the coming weeks. For now, put the date in your diary: Monday 7th December at 6:30 PM.

And, put in your diary now…

Closed Case, Open Tomb will cause us to ponder just what did happen on that first Easter. Weren’t the soldiers supposed to be guarding the tomb? Were they not watching? How on earth are they going to explain this to their superiors?!

“It wasn’t our fault sir. We watched it all night sir – honest sir – we did sir!”

Taking place during the season of Easter, on Sunday 25th April at 10:00 AM, this unique and special production will be a huge collaboration involving many of the church family.

We are looking for ALL age groups to be involved. We need:

• Scenery makers and painters
• Costume designers and makers
• Dressers
• Prompts
• Scene shifters
• Backstage crew
• Sound and light technicians
• Front of house crew
• Musicians
• And of course…actors!

Apart from saving the date of Sunday 25th April in your diary, we’d love you to know how you can participate…

There is a gathering for an hour each Monday in Church (or as many Mondays as possible) for anyone who would like to be involved. If you’d like to be involved and think you could help, no matter how small, you are most welcome to come along. Bring your skills, ideas, or bring an eagerness to learn.

The coordinators of Closed Case, Open Tomb are Sally Johnson (sally@christchurchthornton.uk) and Angela Roberts. Chat to them for more info (especially if you want to be involved but might find a Monday evening difficult to attend).

p.s. Children are most welcome – and needed – but must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. We always place their safety as our highest priority!

Monday 5th October

• 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 & Lunch in the Community Centre
• 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bowl & Chat in the Community Centre
• 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM – Easter Production Prep Meeting in Church
• 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM – Growth Groupon Mondays

Tuesday 6th October

• 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 Church4:30 PM to 5:30 PM – Brickhouse (children’s group) in the Community Centre
• 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM – Prayer for Growth in the Chapel

Wednesday 7th October

• 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 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 3:30 PM – Mothers’ Union in Church and the Community Centre
• 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 8th October

• 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
• 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM – Alpha Course in the Community Centre

Friday 9th October

• 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 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)
• 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM – Move & Chat in the Community Centre
• 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM – ‘Cookhouse’ Family Teatime Cookery Class in the Community Centre
• 7:30 PM – Men United at the Bay Horse

Saturday 10th October

• Put your feet up, eat a chip butty, have a rest!