Sunday 13th April 


All our latest events, information and prayer needs
 
Our Vision: "We are a people being transformed by the unconditional love of God; seeking to bless our community, and longing for all to experience the hope we have in Jesus."
 

Sunday 13th April

Palm Sunday

9am - Morning Worship – Praising God for who he is Psalm 29, Luke 19:28-40 Ben Williams

          10.05am - Prayer Meeting – in Room 4 for approx. 20 minutes

10.30am - Holy Communion – As Above

          *The 10.30am service will be livestreamed via the Christ Church Bedford YouTube channel*

7pm - Sundays@Seven – Taizé Service – Ben Williams


Taizé Service: At our evening service (7pm) we will be sharing in a service inspired by the Taize community. All are welcome at this reflective service as we prepare our hearts for Easter.
 

Services in the coming week

 

Wednesday 16th April
10am -  Holy Communion – followed by refreshments
8pm - Lent Course: Same Sex Attraction (part 2) – In church


Sunday 20th April Easter Day
9am -  Holy Communion – David Thomas
          10.05am - Prayer Meeting – in Room 4 for approx. 20 minutes
10.30am - Family Communion – As above
7pm - Communion@Seven – As above
 

Church Family News

                                                                                                                                             
Our Lent Sermons are on Prayer : -
Prayer booklet: To accompany our Lent series looking at prayer,  our curate Ben Williams has put together a booklet with different suggestions of ways of praying. This includes both traditional structured methods of prayer (such as services of Morning Prayer), as well as more reflective practices such as examen. For those feeling more creative, the booklet also contains a selection of different ways of bringing creativity into your prayer life, including using bubbles, maps, and pipe cleaners.

To download the booklet please click here

Communicating with Christ Church: Our broadband and telephone is all working now. Thank you for your patience.

Electoral Roll: Thank you for the 229 of you who recently completed Electoral Roll forms. You can check your name on the list next to the church pigeonholes. 

Word for TodayCopies of UCB Word for Today for May - Jul are now available in the Hub.

Safety on Sundays: We request that no children (Year 6 and under) play upstairs.

Date for your Diary: Annual Parochial Church Meeting, Wednesday 30th April, 8pm. We will be electing four lay members to the Parochial Church Council and our Wardens. If you are interested in standing for either of these positions please have a chat with David Thomas. Nomination forms will be available next week.
 

Lent: The final session of our Lent Course “Relationships Matter”, is the second session on Same Sex Attraction from a different perspective on Wednesday 16th April at 8pm. Our purpose is to start a conversation about what the Bible says about marriage, singleness and same sex attraction: to listen to the Bible and to how different people have interpreted it. To make sure we hear different experiences and perspectives, there will be a variety of speakers with opportunity for feedback and discussion.

Thoughts from the Vicar


The Bible Society has published a report that suggests not only has church decline in England stopped but that there is in fact growth. Details can be found here - https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revival 

First of all, God Is Good! Can I get an amen?! Secondly, I wonder what this might mean for us - the growth identified is particularly with Gen Z (those currently aged 18-24) - how might we respond?

Here are a few things you might consider.

1. Pray. Sounds obvious but when was the last time you prayed for teenagers and young adults to find Jesus? (I've been challenged by this!)

2. Get involved. Could you volunteer to chaplain at the university? Could you host a home group? Could you host a one off event? Could you invite someone round for a meal? Could you be a mentor or a confidant? Could you help with the organisation of our 18-30s group?

3. Give. Laura Jewell our 18-30s Pioneer is stepping down at the end of the month, we are incredibly grateful for all that she has done. At present we have not seen an increase in Income Vs Expenditure, which therefore makes it quite difficult for us to justify employing someone new. The PCC will be discussing this next month, prayerfully considering what next.  

The take away for me is 'be encouraged', keep going, God is good and the small shoots of revival are there!                                                                   
 

For your prayers this week

 
Prayer for Palm Sunday: True and humble king, hailed by the crowd as Messiah: grant us the faith to know and love you, that we may be found beside you on the way of the cross, which is the path of glory. Amen.
 

Holy Week and Easter

 



 
Easter Monday Pilgrimage to St Albans Abbey: A group from Christ Church will be meeting in the Hub on Monday 21st April at 10.45am to car share down to St Albans for a walk in the local area.  Bring a picnic lunch and drink and then join with the Pilgrims gathering from all over the diocese for a procession at 2.30pm followed by a service in the Abbey at 3pm.  Contact Rachel Bennett for more details and please let her know if you would like to join the group.
 
Children's Ministry and Events
 
THIS SUNDAY AT 10.30am (13th April): 
 

THIS SUNDAY AT 4.45pm (13th April):
 

Click on the picture to book a place

COMING UP THIS WEEK
 
 
For more information about our regular groups please look on our website here or contact Ruth using: children@ccbedford.org or 07554 537757

Youth Ministry and Events


 


 
For more information about our regular groups please look on our website here or contact Hannah using: youth@ccbedford.org or 07384 295757

 
18-30s Ministry and Events


 
For more information contact Laura Jewell our 18-30s Pioneer at 18-30s@ccbedford.org
 

What is happening at Christ Church and beyond

 

Items wanted: please can you save any empty, clean, gravy/hot chocolate/custard powder etc. tubs with plastic lids that could be used for making money boxes at Morning Out.
 
Newcomers’ Meal: We love to welcome new people into our church, and so we are inviting all those new to Christ Church in the past year to come along to a meal. Newcomers are welcome to join us today, Sunday 13th April, for supper at 5.45pm.
 
 
You can also click on the picture to book (rather than using the QR code).
 
A Celebration: Saturday 10th May 7-10pm Celebrate 20 years of the Malawi Orphan Fund working with the Home of Hope. A fun evening of food for the stomach and for the mind. £20 (children £5). Tickets available this Sunday from Alex Mnatzaganian.

Plant sale:   Saturday 24th May 2025. Please continue to take cuttings and plant seeds ready for the sale, then come and buy other wonderful plants to make your garden look great. We had a great time last year, let's make it even better this year.
 
2025 Ladies Weekend Away: Friday 26th-Sunday 28th September staying at The Garden House in Stamford. Ladies can come for the weekend or for the day on Saturday 27th for fun, food, fellowship, teaching and worship. Brochures with booking form now available in the hub, or download LWA or contact Rachel Bennett on 07981918263.  Early booking will secure your place.

2025 Men’s Weekend Away: Friday 17th - Sunday19th October staying at The Garden House in Stamford. Green brochures with booking form now available in the hub, or download here or from John Betteley.  Twin or single en-suite rooms available.  Book early.
 
+ Foodbank Extra Request: Sun cream SPF50. Particularly for children (but needed for all).
 

 

Hello
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Our 9:00am service is traditional in style and lasts about 45 minutes.

Our main Sunday family service starts at 10:30am and runs for about 75 minutes, everyone gathers together at the beginning of the service. After a short time of worship together, we divide into different teaching and worship groups as children up to school year 11 leave.

At our all-age services (60 minutes), everyone stays together for the whole service. Our weekly notice-sheet gives details of all important events happening in the near future and some guidance on topics for prayer.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are served after the service where there is plenty of time to meet new people and ask more questions. We are proud to be a certified Fair Trade Church.

Our 7:00pm Sunday evening service runs for about 75 minutes and adopts a more contemporary style with a focus on deeper worship and teaching.   

 

What happens to the kids at church?

Children

We have a fantastic programme for the kids at the Church on Sunday mornings during our 10.30am service:

Imagine -  Our weekly group for babies to 3 year olds, parents are welcome to stay with their child, if they like.  They meet in the main hall 
Wonder - Our weekly group for those in school years R-3. They meet in Rooms 2-3
Marvel - Our weekly group for those in school years 4-6. They meet in Room 5 (upstairs)
Youth - Our weekly group for those in school years 7-13. They meet in Room 7 (upstairs). Please register at the desk in the hub


The children and youth stay with their parents at the start of the service as we worship together for the first part of the morning. Someone will announce when the children and youth should go to their groups. You will need to go with your children and register them, the first time they attend. 

For more information about what is currently happening in the children's work please visit the Children's Ministry page and for the youth work please visit the Youth Ministry page.

What about accessibility?

There are parking spaces next to the church halls but for the 10:30am service a larger car park is available at Castle Newman School (south site) just a few yards along Goldington Road. We have step free access from both Denmark street and Dudley street and there is space for buggies and wheelchairs in the Hub area of the new halls. There are baby changing and accessible toilet facilities and a lift to the first floor. Our sound system incorporates a hearing loop.

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries: