Sunday 14th September 


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 14th September


The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity
 
9am -  Morning Worship – 5 Marks of Mission – Teach (Acts 8:26-40) – 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 – Spirit, Soul & Body: What does it mean to honour God with our inner selves? (Rom 12:1-2) - Alan Cottenden
 

Services in the coming week


Wednesday 17th September

10am - Holy Communion – followed by refreshments

Sunday 21st September

9am - Holy Communion 5 Marks of Mission - Treasure – David Thomas

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

10.30am - Morning Worship – As above

7pm - Sundays@Seven – Taizé Service
 

Church Family News

 
Current Teaching Series: Our teaching series in September will be looking at the Five Marks of Mission in the mornings, and a practical look at how we engage with God with our Spirit, Soul & Bodies in the evening. All of which will lead into October being Mission Month! More on that later.


Taizé: On the 21st September we will be having our next Taizé service at 7pm. All are welcome to come along. If anyone would like to help with the music there will be a rehearsal on Sunday 14th September at 5.30pm for an hour: please speak to Revd Ben Williams.
 

Baptism & Confirmation: We are planning on having Baptisms on 19th  October at our 10.30am service, 26th October at our 7pm service (by full immersion), and Confirmation on Sunday 16th  November at 7pm with Bishop Richard. If anyone is interested, please speak to David Thomas or Ben Williams.

New Intern: We’re really excited to share that Sorcha Brown will be joining our team as an intern from 9th September for this academic year! She’ll be spending most of her time supporting our Youth & Student Ministry, and we can’t wait to see all that God will do in and through her during this season. She will be working with us on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Please do join us in giving her a warm welcome and praying for her as she begins this new chapter.

Thoughts from the Vicar

 
At our morning services we have begun looking at the Five Marks of Mission. Out of that first talk came the idea of loving our neighbour as ourselves, which I suspect will end up being a constant refrain over the coming weeks. A wise person said to me, if we don’t care for ourselves, if we don’t love ourselves, then we will struggle to love others. It reminded me that all of us are broken to one degree or another. And that sometimes it is right to pause and first seek our healing, whether that is in prayer, physicians or whatever.

Sitting now in the middle age of life, I have come to the realisation that I am not as strong as I used to be. This means that I have to care for this body God has blessed me with in a different way to my twenties. And in the same way that I need to look after my physical frame, I also need to attend to my mental and spiritual health. If I am truly to love my neighbour, I also need to make sure I am loving myself. Taking care of ourselves, so we can take care of others. Sometimes it is good to pause and reflect and see how things have changed, and figure out some changes that we might need to make, so that we can love our neighbours as ourselves. Amen.
 

For your prayers this week 

 
Prayer for Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity:
Almighty God, you search us and know us: may we rely on you in strength and rest on you in weakness, now and in all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
 
Please pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
our will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
 
Children's Ministry and Events
 
THIS SUNDAY 14th September
 


THIS WEEK:

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

 

 

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

 

What is happening at Christ Church and beyond

 
Men’s Survey: It would be appreciated if all the men of the church could kindly complete an online survey (paper copies available via John Betteley) regarding men’s ministry in Christ Church, irrespective of whether you have attended a men’s breakfast or social event.  Please contact the church office for the link. All information supplied is valuable to our future plans even if you feel you do not wish to attend.  The survey is fairly short and will not take long to complete. 

Go4Gold: Friday 19th September @ 1.45pm. Speaker: More Fitness Fun with Angharad Hughes. No booking is needed, just turn up on the day, refreshments provided. 

Community BBQ: Christ Church would like to invite all families of children and youth to our Community BBQ party, from 2-4pm on Saturday 20th September. Entry is free and there will be games, activities and food for all the family. If you live in the Castle Road or Devon Park area, we'd love to see you!
 

Welcoming new ‘Students’: The Pizza Feast for those aged 15-30 (student or not). In the halls, Sunday 21st September from 6-7pm before the Taizé service. Please contact Hannah Applegarth (Youth and Student Minister) if you need more information. 
 

Parenting course: The Teenage Years: Open to all parents with young people! Being run by Christ Church Bedford! Come along to meet and chat with other parents. Starts Thursday 25th September. For more details speak to Hannah Applegarth  or book a space here
 
 
The Bereavement Journey: Grief is hard.  The death of someone close to us can impact all of life. The Bereavement Journey provides a safe place to process loss with the support of others and will run this autumn starting on September 29th  between 7pm and 9pm. For more information about the Bereavement Journey, see our website or pick up a flyer in the Hub. Any questions or to book a place please contact the church office 01234 327150 / office@ccbedford.org or speak to Mary Davies 07811055099
 

Christmas Craft Day: We are considering holding a Christmas Craft Day on Saturday 29th November from 10am-3pm. Before we make detailed plans we are looking for expressions of interest to decide if this is something that people would be interested in.  Exact details for 2025 to be confirmed, but, we will provide a day of crafts, games, and refreshments (bring your own packed lunch) here at Christ Church Bedford for over 18s at less than £10 per head. If you are interested please let us know here.

Have you ever wanted to know what it is like to play a church organ? The Beds and Herts organists’ association have a bursary scheme for lessons for those aged 10-25; visit the young organists page of their website to apply. Over 25s can fill in their general form for enquiries. Our Youth Minister, Hannah, has more information.

 
 
Ladies and Men’s Weekends Away: Both at the Garden House, Stamford for fun, food, fellowship, teaching and worship. (Ladies) Friday 26th-Sunday 28th September contact Rachel Bennett. (Men’s) Friday 17th – Sunday 19th October contact John Betteley on mens.breakfast@ccbedford.org
 
Local Job Vacancies: The King's Arms Project has a number of different job vacancies at the moment:  Refugee Employability Specialist, Winter Nightshelter Daytime Operations Coordinator, Tenancy Support Officer and ESOL Creche Assistant (Fixed Term). For more details, job descriptions and application forms please see their website here

Diocesan Job Vacancies: The St Albans Diocese have several vacancies within the property team based at Holywell Lodge in St Albans. These include: Building Surveyor and Facilities Manager, and Asset and Development Manager. For more details, job descriptions and application forms, please see their website here.
 
Bedford Foodbank Shopping List: The most needed items at the moment are: tinned fish/fruit/potatoes, jars of coffee/pasta sauces, bars of chocolate, cup a soup, pot noodles, long-life fruit juice & laundry tablets. Many thanks for your generosity.
 
For the latest news from Bedford Foodbank click here
 

 

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: