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Our Mission Statement: "To enable everyone to be maturing followers of Christ, who experience and live out God’s love in every part of their lives." |
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Sunday 15th May 2022
Fifth Sunday of Easter
9am Holy Communion - Love for all (John 13:31-35) - John Bell
10.30am Morning Worship with baptism – as above
Welcome to Rory and Flora Oliver, their family and godparents as they are welcomed into God’s family through their baptism and christening.
** The 10.30am All-Age service will be livestreamed via the Christ Church Bedford YouTube channel **
4.30pm Wild Church at Leslie Sell Activity Centre, Bromham
6pm Prayer Meeting – in Room 4 for approx. 40 minutes
7pm Sundays@Seven – I am with you (Acts 18) – Alan Cottenden |
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Services in the coming week
Wednesday 18th May
10am - Holy Communion
Friday 20th May
3pm - Service of thanksgiving for the life of Margaret Doughty
Sunday 22nd May
9am - Morning Worship – Peace for all (John 14:23-29) – Michael Bishop
10.30am - Holy Communion – as above
6pm - Prayer Meeting – in Room 4 for approx. 40 minutes
7pm Sundays@Seven – Baptisms and Riots (Acts 19) – Sue Marshall
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Church Family News
Margaret Doughty - Following a private family funeral there will be a service of thanksgiving for Margaret’s life at Christ Church at 3pm Friday 20th May. All welcome. Please continue to pray for Alan and the family.
Peter Alley - It is with great sadness that we bring the news that Peter died in the early hours of Saturday 7th May. Following a private family funeral there will be a service of thanksgiving for Peter’s life at Christ Church at 3pm Wednesday 25 th May. All welcome. Our prayers are with Christine and all her family at this difficult time.
Thy Kingdom come 2022 - Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer initiative which takes place each year between Ascension Day and Pentecost. During this time, you are encouraged to pray for 5 people that you long to come to Christ. Three official resources, designed to help you join in with the ten days of global prayer from 26 May to 5 June 2022, are available for you to collect in church from a table in the Hub.
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The Novena booklet offers nine days of reflections on the book of 1 Peter, written by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
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The Prayer Journal will help you focus your personal prayers throughout Thy Kingdom Come, with short Bible verses, reflections, responses and prayers.
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To help younger readers grow in faith, the Cheeky Pandas return this year in an exciting Jubilee-themed adventure.
The Platinum Jubilee – Books honouring our Queen - Christ Church have obtained copies of a delightful giveaway book, featuring rarely-seen prayers the Queen prayed as she prepared for her Coronation. This beautifully illustrated book is an ideal gift to help people appreciate and understand the Queen’s faith. Why not pick up a copy for yourself and a friend, neighbour, or family member – perhaps one you have been praying for to come to know Jesus. The books would normally cost £5 for a single copy but we have been able to get these at a reduced cost of just over £1 per copy. If you would like to make a donation to help cover the costs of the books then this would be greatly appreciated but please don’t feel you have to, we would love you to have a copy as our gift to you.
Also available are copies of the Happyland Platinum Jubilee book designed to help under-5’s engage with the celebrations of our Queen and her Christian faith too.
Ukrainian Refugees – Project Sunflower
Good News – the first Ukrainian has arrived to stay with her host and it has been great to see her engaging with church activities this week. Please do pray for her and those arriving very shortly, as they settle into life in Bedford. Thank you to the many people who have generously given to Project Sunflower and for the creative ways in which people are supporting this project.
More news of the best ways we can provide help & support once the guests have settled in.
Thank you - John, Kathy, Kay and Andrew
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Wardens' Update
Thank you to those who came and helped move the gravel to the back of the Vicarage. The area where there used to be a shed is now looking tidy again. Thanks also to the gardeners who are keeping on top of the spring weeds and trimming the lawn edges.
Thank you to those who helped with the painting in the Vicarage last Saturday and during the week. It has been a great time of fellowship as we have worked together and got to know one another a little better.
Vicarage Working Parties - help wanted this Saturday
The last painting session before the interviews will be this Saturday from 9.30am so do come along if you are free. Contact Kay Berrington (07812 988025) to find out what needs doing.
Interviews for our new Vicar are on Thursday 19th May - The day we have been waiting for is nearly here. Thank you so much for your prayers over recent months and especially as we have prepared and planned for the interview day. Thursday will be a day of discernment for both the interviewing panel and the candidates themselves. Just as we are looking for the right person for Christ Church, so the candidates will be looking to see if Christ Church is the right place for them to minister. Thankfully we have a Father who knows exactly who should be our next Vicar. Please do pray that He will makes this absolutely clear to everyone involved.
Our Next Vicar: Praying for the Interviews - On Wednesday 18 th and Thursday 19 th May we will be holding two days of prayer for the discernment and interviews for the next vicar of Christ Church. We want to encourage you to sign up for a 30-minute slot (or more) on the day before and/or the day of the interviews at a time that suits you between 9am and 9pm. Topics to guide your prayer will be sent out in Tuesday’s email and will be available to collect from the office from Tuesday afternoon.
There will be Prayer Days on Wednesday and Thursday 9am-9pm, please do sign up online or see Cheryl Grint on Sunday. Thank you.
We are Recruiting: Youth and Young Adults’ Minister – Job Adverts have again been placed for a full-time Youth and Young Adults’ Minister. If you know of anyone who might be interested in the role please direct them to our website www.ccbedford.org where details of the job and application form can be found [ https://ccbedford.org/Groups/354343/Vacancy.aspx]. Closing date 29 th May.
Thank you for your continuing prayers, encouragement and support. Kay and Andrew
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For your prayers this week
Give thanks:
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For God’s grace in our church and our community.
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For all those supporting our ministry during the vacancy.
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For all those who have helped prepare the Vicarage prior to the interviews.
Pray for:
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All those impacted by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, for God’s peace to reign in the region, & for all those responding to the refugee crisis.
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Our own response with Project Sunflower, and for those refugees who have already arrived to join members of our congregation.
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Those invited to interview for the post of our next vicar, for those involved in the day, and for God’s chosen candidate to be appointed. Pray also for courage not to appoint if this is the right decision to make.
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John (our curate), along with Rebecca, Sophie and Daniel, as he seeks God's will for the next steps in his ministry.
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The person God has chosen to be our next Youth and Young Adults’ Minister, that they may discern his call as the post is readvertised.
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All who are ill at this time and all who mourn.
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Each other, as we consider our own roles in the next steps for our church and how we are being called to give of our time, talents, and finances during this time.
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For God’s kingdom to come, His will to be done, in Bedford as in Heaven.
Prayer for Fifth Sunday of Easter: Risen Christ, your wounds declare your love for the world and the wonder of your risen life: give us compassion and courage to risk ourselves for those we serve, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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What is happening at Christ Church and beyond?
Recital As a farewell and thank you to her church family of 25 years, Min-Min Peaker invites you to an hour entitled 'What happens when we die?: a song recital on the theme of life after death'. From questions raised by Billy Joel and Eric Clapton, we hear of the Christian hope expressed in Handel’s Messiah and our own Alex Mnatzaganian. Other composers include Gluck, Schubert, Parry and Morricone.
Sunday walk Sunday 15th May meet at 2.30pm in the Dudley Street car park, for our Sunday walk and return 3.45pm to church, for cake, tea/coffee and chat. All are welcome.
First Aid Training We are planning to run an Emergency First Aid At Work course in Christ Church Halls and we have a few places still available. If you are a volunteer for any of the Church's activities, we would particularly like to hear from you. The course will run on Saturday 25th June starting at 9.00 am (registration 8.45 am) and runs until 4.30 pm. Please contact the office or email Dawn at centre@ccbedford.org for more information or to register your interest.
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Children's Ministry and Events
This Week:
SUNDAY 15th MAY
Sunday Groups
Please register your child before the service at the desk in the hub. This will be available from 10:15AM.
Daring Disciples: Daring Disciples: A group for ages 0-7. This week the theme is The Catch of Fishes (John 21:1-14). Parents with children under 3 are welcome to stay in the group with their children.
Passports: Passports: A group for ages 7-10. We will be starting in the main service this week. This week we are looking at 'Man of the Promise: Noah' and thinking about God's promises.
Wild Church: Starting at 4.30PM at Leslie Sell Activity Centre, Molivers Lane, Bromham. Our theme this week is Jesus: The way, the truth and the life. Please share with families, especially those who can't come to Sunday morning services.
WEDNESDAY 18th MAY
Rise and Shine: Wednesdays at 10am in the vicarage garden. Songs, prayers and devotions for preschoolers and their carers.
Little Fishes: Wednesdays 1:30-2:30PM. For babies and their carers - 0-12 months. A session of sensory activities, rhymes and supportive chat. We have space to welcome more babies but please contact us if you are interested in coming along.
FRIDAY 20th MAY
Morning Out: A stay and play time for pre-schoolers on Friday at 9:30-11:00. This week the theme is 'God made butterflies'.
Forge: An after school drop in for Yr 5+6s Fridays 3:30pm-4:45pm. This week we are watching Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and our question is 'How can you stop the green monster of Jealousy? If you know of a child who would like to come, please share the consent form with the carer: https://forms.gle/3vCEbzPa2rdLfFoHA.
For more details about any of our Children's events please contact the Children's Minister : Ruth Hulme
Youth Ministry and Events
Friday Night Youth - Tonight Friday 13th May fun, games, chat - join us from 7.30pm to 9pm.
J-Team - for school years 7-9+ Sunday, 15th May, during the 10.30am service in Room 7.
For more information on the above, please look to WhatsApp group or contact the Church Office.
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Volunteers Wanted
Halls Maintenance: Our new halls are somewhat larger than the previous halls and contain many extra useful features. This means that there is more routine maintenance to be organised on a continuous cycle by the Building Impact Group (BIG). We are looking for several church members to volunteer to take on arranging the servicing of one (or more) item each e.g. boilers, automatic doors, etc. If you could help with this, please contact Pat Davies (member of BIG) who can discuss it and provide details.
AV team: We need new people to join the AV team, putting up the slides during the 10.30am Sunday services which enable the congregation to take part in worship. It really isn't difficult and training will be given. If you can't commit to the occasional Sunday, it would also be helpful to have more people able to help prepare the AV material for services, which takes about an hour and can be done at a time of your choice (as long as it's before Sunday morning!). Once again, training will be given. If you are interested, please contact David Currie or John Betteley to learn more. There are also opportunities to serve with the sound team and live streaming team.
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Bedford Foodbank - We welcome appropriate items for FOODBANK – most needed food items at the moment are: cup-a-soup, fruit juice (longlife), tinned spaghetti, tomatoes, potatoes (large) and fruit, coffee (100g), teabags (40/80), hotdogs (jumbo), tinned meat in sauce (e.g. chilli, curry), jars of curry sauce, and non-food items: washing up liquid, anti-bac spray. Collection basket in the Hub.
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