Sunday 23rd February 


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."
 

Saturday 22nd February


9-10.30am - Men's Breakfast


Sunday 23rd February


The Second Sunday before Lent

9am - Morning Worship  – Body of Christ: How do we do this? (Repentance) Col 3: 12-14 – David Thomas

          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 – As above – Vikki Thomas
 

Services in the coming week


Wednesday 26th February
10am -  Holy Communion – followed by refreshments

Sunday 2nd March
9am - Holy Communion – David Thomas
          10.05am - Prayer Meeting – in Room 4 for approx. 20 minutes
10.30am - All Age Worship – Finding the Gold – Julie Bradshaw
7pm - Sundays@Seven –   Holy Communion – David Thomas
 

Church Family News


Christine Harrison: Christine died on Monday 10th February and went to be with her saviour. We mourn her passing but rejoice that she is free and at peace. Her funeral will be at Christ Church on Friday 14th March at 3.30pm. Please continue to keep her family and friends in your prayers.

Lent: The beginning of Lent is fast approaching; this will begin with our Ash Wednesday service on 5th March at 8pm. The following weeks we will be gathering in church at 8pm on Wednesdays for our Lent Course: Relationships Matter. On Sundays in Lent we will be looking at Prayer.

Electoral Roll: This year we have to create a completely new electoral roll.  Look out for further details and the forms to complete coming soon.  The electoral roll is the formal list of our church members, those who delight to be at Christ Church and support our aims and values. Membership allows you to stand for PCC and vote at our 2025 Annual Meeting (Wednesday, 30th April, 8pm). Any questions to electoralroll@ccbedford.org
 

Thoughts from the Vicar


Parish Share, hands up who knows what this is about? To understand this we need for a moment to remember that the Church of England is divided up geographically into parishes, those parishes are grouped into deaneries, those deaneries are grouped into dioceses.

We are the Parish of Christ Church Bedford, a part of the Bedford Deanery, a part of the Diocese of St Albans. 

The premise of the Parish Share system is that those with a lot help those with little. Which as you might expect is quite a biblical idea. We could all probably think of a whole bunch of verses which encourage us to be generous, serve others, help the poor, weak and vulnerable. That's what the Parish Share does. We who have a lot, give so that other churches are able to have priests, do good works, and keep the mission of Christ alive in areas which otherwise not be able to afford it. 

What a privilege it is for us, to give generously to those who are in need. The reality is that Parish Share is approximately half our yearly expenditure. However, you could view our Parish Share as missional giving! As it is written in Acts 20:35 - "It is better to give than receive."
 

For your prayers this week

 
Prayer for The Second Sunday before Lent: Almighty God give us reverence for all creation and respect for every person, that we may mirror your likeness in Christ our Lord. Amen
 
Please pray for:
  • Teachers, staff and children as they head back to school.
  • Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia, that peace and justice would abound.
  • Bedford MS Therapy Centre, for all the staff and patients and families.
  • Those who cannot find work, that they would get the support they need while they are job hunting.
 
Children's Ministry and Events

 
THIS SUNDAY AT 10.30am (23rd February):

 
COMING UP THIS WEEK:
 
 
 
COMING UP SOON
 
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


 
COMING UP VERY SOON:
Hope Youth: Friday 28th February for ages 11-18 at All Nations Church, Bedford from 7pm. A Bedford-wide youth event. £2 entry. More details from Hannah – Youth Minister.
 
 



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
 

 

Go4GoldSocial: 2-3.15pm Friday 28th February in the Hub. All are welcome for chat and refreshments - no booking needed, just turn up.

Ladies Elevenses




World Day of Prayer: is a women led, global, ecumenical movement and this year's service has been written by the women of the Cook Islands, with the theme "I made you wonderful". Everyone is welcome to come to the Bedford Service at St Mary's, Goldington, Church Lane, MK41 0AP for this service of readings, songs and prayers at 2pm on Friday 7th March, followed by refreshments in the church hall. We look forward to seeing you there.


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 one of our forthcoming newcomers’ meals. Details are above; please let us know if you are coming.

Save the date: Plant sale ðŸŒ»ðŸŒ±ðŸŒ·ðŸª´  24th  May 2025. Please start taking your cuttings and planting your seeds ready to sell them in May. We had a wonderful time last year so let’s make it even better this year. Thanks in advance for all your contributions.
 
Coming up later in 2025 – Bookings now open

2025 Church coach holiday Monday 2nd -Friday 6th June: open to all, staying at the Holiday Inn in Portsmouth (with a complimentary swimming pool, Jacuzzi and gym).

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 and booking forms for both these events are now available from The Hub, or download (CCH / LWA) or contact Rachel Bennett. Early booking will secure your place.

 
Bedford Foodbank: The most needed food items at the moment are: UHT or powdered milk, tinned meat, cup-a-soup, long-life fruit juice, chocolate (we would really welcome Easter Eggs to give families facing hardship a treat) and Bags for Life.

If you wish to donate toiletries to Bedford Foodbank, current needs are: deodorant, toilet rolls, disposable razors, shaving foam/gel, sanitary wear, household cleaning sprays and washing up liquid. Many thanks for your generosity.
 

 

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: