Our church building is closed for a while but we are still very much Christ Church. We are praying and doing our best to support and care for each other. God of love, passionate and strong, tender and careful: watch over us and hold us, look after and protect us and our families, especially at this time. Amen
The Lights of Love Tree will be lit on Friday 6th December at 7:00 pm. People can dedicate a light to someone special they would like to remember. It will shine throughout December. At the switching on ceremony there will be mulled wine and seasonal refreshments. The Pendle Community Orchestra will perform. It is a wonderful evening. Please come and share it with us as we lead into our Christmas Tree Festival.
If you would like to dedicate a light to someone special, for a small charge of three pounds, we will send a handwritten card to let them know you are thinking of them where ever they may be in the world.
Our wonderful cascade of poppies was up in the church for our Remembrance Sunday Service. Each poppy is different, individually created representing the unique and brave people who sacrificed so much for us all. People came in, took time and remembered. The effect was stunning. Thank you so much to all who created each poppy. A true labour of love. A special person remembered each time a poppy was made.
After their Easter Service in the church, the children of Christ Church Primary School kindly left their amazing art work. One beautiful collage showed Jesus washing his disciples’ feet before the last supper. A series of paintings led us through Stations of the Cross. Thank you so much to the children for helping us on our journey through Holy Week.
Our Mothering Sunday service was a fun family event. We heard the story of a young mother who protected her child at the cost of her life and remembered Mary who stayed with her son until the end at the foot of the cross. Amazing examples of the extraordinary love a mother can have for her child.
The children made flower pot gifts, decorated gift bags and iced biscuits. A few of the biscuits survived and were given to the Mums as presents! In addition the children distributed beautiful bunches of daffodils to the ladies.
A highlight was having a church family with all three mothers and four generations all present at once. We had the privilege of a visit from a mother who was christened in the church in 1929.
It is wonderful to know God’s love for us is as a mother’s love for her child, unconditional and unending.
A huge thank you to Pat Ormerod. For over 25 years Pat has created some extraordinary flower displays at Christ Church for weekly services and special events. She has designed amazing displays for Harvest, Remembrance Sunday, Easter, Christmas and many more. She has produced stunning backdrops and unique memories for couples on their wedding day. Along the way Pat has led and trained a great team of helpers. She has run fun workshops to make us all feel we can do it too! She is stepping down now. We are very grateful for all she has given us over the …
Early in the new year we celebrate Candlemas, when forty days after his birth, Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple. At Christ Church each year we have a special service where families can renew their baptismal promises. It is a service for all with the opportunity to especially invite families, godparents and friends of children recently baptised. The children relight the baptismal candle given to them on their christening day to remind them that God has promised to be with them and to care for them always.We sing favourite hymns and take time in the service to decorate …
Christingle at Christ Church is a regular with many families in the area. A time to get together to remember the extraordinary story of the birth of Jesus before they head into the fun of Christmas Day. The church looked amazing. We read the Christmas story, lit our Christingle candles and sung carols by candlelight. With the magic of candlelight we were able to experience the wonder of that first Christmas, when God came to earth as a tiny baby. We had two services and over 500 people came to enjoy this special time.
Our all age Nativity was a fun time. With little or no rehearsal our cast came together to tell the story of that first Christmas. The narrators did a great job of keeping everyone nearly on track! Children and adults transformed into Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, kings and inn keepers. In a slightly haphazard way they all actually arrived at Bethlehem. The singing was beautiful. The musicians did a great job.
The church is beginning to look very beautiful as the Christmas trees begin to arrive and are decorated in preparation for the Christmas Tree Festival this week-end. Here are our Christmas Services and you all very welcome to join us at this wonderful time of the Year, we look forward to seeing you.
