“For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.”

What a profound statement that is! We say it week-in-week-out at Church as part of the Nicene Creed – our confession of faith. Jesus Christ, “for our sake” was crucified. It wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t God’s Plan B. It was “for our sake.” Jesus died for YOU.

It’s our 11th week going the Nicene Creed. Tomorrow, Rev’d Derek will bringing us God’s Word on the next line of the creed. As we consider the crucifixion of Jesus, it prepares us well as we soon approach Holy Week and Easter.

With that in mind, please note that bookings for the ‘Christ in the Passover Presentation with Seder Meal’ on Good Friday at 6:00 PM are coming in thick and fast! If you haven’t booked yet, do please do so soon. During the evening, the symbols of the Passover meal will be explained to show they tell the story of God’s redemptive plan. We 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! Please book your place using this link here.

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Children everywhere!

What a week it’s been! Children at Treehouse, children at Playhouse, children at Walking Wednesday, children at Cookhouse, and children coming into Church for the Royles Brook School Easter Performance. A huge well done to the Year 3 and Year 4 pupils at Royles Brook on their special performances on Thursday afternoon and Thursday evening. There was a touching moment during the afternoon performance when the sun shone brightly through the West Window in Church right onto the children as they sang the words “hallelujah” during their final song.

Praise God for the gift of the children in the life of our church and the local community. Let us continue to be welcoming, encouraging, and a blessing to all the children and families that visit.

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Sunday Services

The services and activities on Sunday 6th April 2025 are:

• 9:00 AM Traditional (The Book of Common Prayer) Service of Holy Communion (with refreshments afterwards)
• 10:00 AM Meadows Books open (until 10:45 AM)
• 11:00 AM Contemporary Communion Service (livestreamed with refreshments afterwards)
• 12:15 PM Meadows Books’ open (until 12:45 PM)
• 3:00 PM Traditional Service of Evening Prayer
• 5:00 PM Treehouse Family Communion (with refreshments)
• 6:00 PM Sanctuary Youth Gathering
• 6:00 PM Meadows Books open (until 6:15 PM)

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Watching Online, Bible Reading and Order of Service

Our livestream can be viewed on our YouTube channel here and our Facebook channel here. In our services we will be looking at the following Bible readings: Isaiah 53.1-12 and Matthew 27.1-2 & 15-26. The 11:00 AM order of service is available here.

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Lent Course from Bishop Philip

Bishop Philip’s video-based Lent course continues on Tuesday evening. Come along to the Prayer for Growth at 7:45 PM for the fourth of the series entitled ‘Communal Prayer (Esther).’

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Cookhouse

Yesterday evening the children made some beautiful and edible Easter Gardens at Cookhouse. Thank you to the tremendous team of volunteers who enable Cookhouse to take place – you do an amazing job!

Cookhouse is now embarking on a break for the rest of spring and into the summer. It will return on Friday evenings in September (with the exact date to be confirmed nearer the time).

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Funerals

The funeral of Raymond Turner is taking place on Tuesday 8th April at 2:15 PM at Christ Church Thornton, with the service continuing at Carleton Crematorium at 3:30 PM.

The funeral of Stephen Parker is taking place on Friday 11th April at 1:30 PM at Christ Church Thornton, with the service continuing at 2:45 PM at Carleton Crematorium. All are welcome to the service in Church, and at the Crematorium, and afterwards at the Community Centre Hall back at Christ Church.

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Men United

The next gathering for men will be on Friday 11th April, 7:30 PM at the Bay Horse in Thornton. Please liaise with John Hearnshaw to book your place.

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Spring Clean

On Saturday 12th April from 9:00 AM to Noon we will be having a spring clean of the Church and Community Centre Hall. These occasional cleaning days are essential in seeking to keep the building clean and getting ready for the great Easter celebration.

If you can come, please just turn up. For more information, speak to the Churchwardens Judith Murphy and John Hearnshaw.

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Special guest at Easter

Over the Easter weekend we’ll be welcoming Ziggy Rogoff to Christ Church Thornton. 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.”

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.

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

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Traditional Seder

On Friday 18th April at 6:00 PM (Good Friday), Ziggy Rogoff will speak to us about the Passover (פֶּסַח) and 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.

To ensure enough places are set out in advance, please book your place using this link here.

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Services for Holy Week and Easter…

Thursday 17th April (Maundy Thursday)

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

Friday 18th 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!)
• 6:00 PM – Presentation: ‘Christ in the Passover Banquet’ – with a Seder. With special guest Ziggy Rogoff. Book here.

Saturday 19th April (Holy Saturday)

• 10:00 AM – Presentation: ‘Gospel of Grace to the Nations’ by Ziggy Rogoff

Sunday 20th 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
• 7:00 PM – Presentation: ‘John 2 – the Significance of the Resurrection’ by Ziggy Rogoff. 

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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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New Electoral Roll

The Church Electoral Roll is the register of electors for Christ Church Thornton. It is the list of those qualified to attend and to vote at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting in the elections for the Parochial Church Council and the parish representatives on the Deanery Synod.  In 2025 and every six years thereafter, the electoral roll is renewed. In a year of renewal (this year), no names are carried over from the old roll, and everyone must apply for inclusion in the new roll.

The deadline to apply to be on the electoral roll is the 5th May 2025. The forms will be available from Sunday 13th April.

Being on the electoral roll has other benefits too, especially for those who live outside of the parish – such as burial, marriage and baptism eligibility. However, if you live outside the parish boundary and want to come onto the electoral roll, you have to have been worshipping at Christ Church for a minimum period of six months.

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Annual Parochial Church Meeting

Our 2025 APCM will be on the evening of Thursday 29th May 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 2024. 

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. Nomination forms are available to download and print here: 

• A nomination Form for Election to the PCC 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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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 instuctions 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 7th April

• 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 1:45 PM – Lyrics and Lunch in the Community Centre and Church
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM – Bowl & Chat in the Community Centre
• 7:45 PM to 9:15 PM – Growth Group in the Community Centre

Tuesday 8th April

• 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 – Lunch in the Community Centre
• 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Quiet Hour in Church
• 2:15 PM – Funeral Service for Raymond Turner in church
• 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM – Prayer for Growth in the Community Centre

Wednesday 9th April

• 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 10:45 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
• 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM – Worship Team Rehearsal in Church

Thursday 10th April

• 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM – Morning Prayer in the Bookshop
• 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 1:45 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

Friday 11th April

• 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 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop
• 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Food Pantry available (emergency food support)
• 11:30 AM – Funeral Service for Doris Bentham in Church
• 1:30 PM – Funeral Service for Stephen Parker in Church followed by refreshments in the Community Centre
• 7:30 PM – Men United meal out at the Bay Horse, Station Road, Thornton

Saturday 12th April

• 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – The Meadows Bookshop and Giftshop

Sunday 13th April – Palm Sunday

• 9:00 AM – Traditional (The Book of Common Prayer) Service of Holy Communion (with refreshments afterwards)
• 10:00 AM – Meadows Books open (until 10:45 AM)
• 11:00 AM – Contemporary Communion Service (livestreamed and with refreshments afterwards)
• 12:15 PM – Meadows Books’ open (until 12:45 PM)
• 5:00 PM – Treehouse Family Worship (with refreshments)
• 6:00 PM – Meadows Books open (until 6:15 PM)

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With blessings,

Damian