ChristChurch London
Encyclopedia
ChristChurch London (also commonly known as ChristChurch; and shorthand CCL), founded 2004, is an evangelical
Christian
church located in the Mermaid Theatre
, London
, United Kingdom
. It is part of the Newfrontiers
global network of charismatic
churches.
ChristChurch London's vision is to serve and "make a difference in the heart of the nation". They have a strong focus on community, loving one another, evangelism
and mission work
.
ChristChurch believes in salvation
through faith
in Jesus Christ
alone, by the grace
of God
. They emphasise the importance of spiritual gift
s from the Holy Spirit
, including speaking in tongues
, prophecy and healing
. They also strongly believe in the believer's baptism
by full immersion and born again Christianity.
As part of their approach to evangelism
, ChristChurch hold a large number of social events throughout the year which allow members to invite non-Christian friends into the church community. These include football, curry
nights, picnic
s and other outings.
ChristChurch conveys a multicultural
community with attendees from over 19 different nations as of 2007.
, he felt God had asked him to plant
a church in the centre of London as "God loves cities". After a series of conversations in 2003 with Terry Virgo
, the founder of the Newfrontiers
network of churches, Stroud moved from Birmingham
to London
with his wife to set up ChristChurch. Stroud then recruited Adrian Holloway and Rhys Scott to be part of the church-planting team. The very first meeting was actually held in Birmingham
with approximately 20 to 30 attendees.
ChristChurch London officially launched in 2005 at the New Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden
, and since, has relocated twice before officially obtaining church status on the 22nd April 2007. On the same day, the church elders were appointed.
On the 7th February 2010, ChristChurch announced that they will be starting two services in the Autumn, a morning and afternoon service, due to the growth of the church. They also said they are looking to move to a slightly smaller venue, with more "hanging out" space, to accommodate for this change. This was confirmed on the 9th May 2010, and the move to the Mermaid Theatre
in Blackfriars, London was set for the 4th July 2010.
Services at ChristChurch were originally held at 4.30pm, but as of 29 April 2007, this was changed to the earlier time of 4pm to accommodate for families with young children. The addition of a further morning service at 11am, which occurred in September 2010, was likewise to improve access for the growing number of families attending ChristChurch, in addition to supporting the increasing congregation. The morning service lasts only 1.5 hours, half an hour shorter than the unchanged afternoon service.
On the 5th September 2009, ChristChurch London re-branded its logo and launched its first bimonthly publication "Broadcast Magazine".
The 28th February 2010 saw the official launch of "ChristChurch London: On The City", a virtual social networking service created by Zondervan
, aimed to enhance communication amongst the church community. ChristChurch London is the first church community in Europe
to trial the website.
, from 11-12.30pm and from 4-6pm.
The service often begins with an hour of worship
using largely contemporary Christian music
, including songs by artists such as Chris Tomlin
and Hillsong
, together with original songs written by members of the ChristChurch London Worship Team. This is then followed by approximately forty-five minutes of preaching, by a church elder
or guest speaker, with a sermon
centred on a passage of Biblical scripture
. The service then concludes with prayer
and worship. At the end of the service, members are sometimes given the opportunity to be prayed for and for healing
by the ChristChurch London Healing Team.
worldwide, come in to preach the main sermon.
a year. These tend to be more evangelistic events with themes chosen to be more accessible to the wider community. Themes in the past have included "Lost: A postmodern parable of our times...
" and "24: Can a man save the world in one day?
". In 2009, ChristChurch baptised 36 people over four baptismal services.
s at ChristChurch are held on two consecutive Sundays during the first two weeks of December. These have traditionally been very popular events, with many non-regular church-goers attending. December 2009 saw the highest ever Sunday attendance, with over 800 people gathering for the second Christmas Service. The service includes much carol singing
, followed by a seasonal sermon. Sunday services are not held for the latter two weeks of December due to the large number of church attendees who return home from London over the festive season.
stations all over London. Meetings, facilitated by two life group leaders, a male and a female, are used to discuss life, study the Bible
, reach out to others
and build community and friendships
. Life groups are also encouraged to pray
together, participate in Communion
and account
for one another.
, to have been baptised (preferably as an adult by full immersion) and a minimum of 10 weeks involvement in a life group. Membership at ChristChurch is a form of recognition of involvement and participation in church life. New members are then celebrated at church on "Membership Sundays".
three times a year (January, April and October) for non-Christians and Christian
s. The course runs on a Wednesday for nine consecutive weeks, including a weekend away. In 2009, an average of 115 guests attended each of the three courses. Since 2004, over 2000 people in total has attended the Alpha course at ChristChurch.
.
3 October 2007: Simon Thomas
, former Blue Peter
presenter.
5 October 2009: Patrick Dixon
, chairman of Global Change Ltd and founder of the international AIDS charity, ACET
.
7 October 2009: Alister McGrath
, author of the "The Dawkins Delusion?
".
20 January 2010: Jo Enright
, comedienne from shows such as "Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights
" and "I'm Alan Partridge
".
21 January 2010: Andy Duncan
, chief executive of Channel 4
.
19 April 2010: Baroness Cox
, founder and chief executive of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust.
4 October 2010: Dr. Ard Louis
, theoretical physicist at the University of Oxford
.
s from the nearby universities
, mainly from colleges of the University of London
. In 2008, ChristChurch London held student launches at Imperial College London
, University College London
, University of the Arts London
and the London School of Economics
. In the following year, new "freshers' life groups" were created in the South
, Central
and North
/Central
London.
The Student Team vision is to equip all their students to take the lead in bringing the Kingdom of God onto London’s university campuses. New students are "built in" as active members by the Student Team by one-on-one coffees and social student lunches. Furthermore, the team organises one-on-one discipleship
courses, prayer
and praise
evenings, apologetics training
, Christian Union
leaders Forums, student bible study
and student weekends away. In 2009, the student weekend away was attended by 58 students. They also take part in the annual Mobilise
conference with Newfrontiers
in Brighton
, UK, which was attended by 80 ChristChurch students in 2009.
Students often serve at ChristChurch on the various teams which keep the church running, as well as volunteering
in the local community and at Newfrontiers
events, such as the Newday
youth festival.
every Sunday. In 2006, there were 220 people who were actively serving on at least one of the ChristChurch teams.
Teams at ChristChurch London include:
and vulnerable as part of their service to God.
In 2009, they actively began to volunteer with charities in London, including "Football in the Community", "Romance Academy", "Dance Summer School", "Kids Company
" and "Food Bank
". They are also focusing on the areas of Westminster
, Lambeth
and Highbury
and Islington
.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
church located in the Mermaid Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is part of the Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
global network of charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
churches.
ChristChurch London's vision is to serve and "make a difference in the heart of the nation". They have a strong focus on community, loving one another, evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and mission work
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
.
ChristChurch believes in salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
through faith
Faith in Christianity
Faith, in Christianity, has been most commonly defined by the biblical formulation in the Letter to the Hebrews as "'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Most of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed this biblical formulation...
in Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
alone, by the grace
Divine grace
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
of God
God in Christianity
In Christianity, God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. God is believed by most Christians to be immanent , while others believe the plan of redemption show he will be immanent later...
. They emphasise the importance of spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
s from the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, including speaking in tongues
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
, prophecy and healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
. They also strongly believe in the believer's baptism
Believer's baptism
Believer's baptism is the Christian practice of baptism as this is understood by many Protestant churches, particularly those that descend from the Anabaptist tradition...
by full immersion and born again Christianity.
As part of their approach to evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, ChristChurch hold a large number of social events throughout the year which allow members to invite non-Christian friends into the church community. These include football, curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
nights, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
s and other outings.
ChristChurch conveys a multicultural
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
community with attendees from over 19 different nations as of 2007.
History
ChristChurch London was founded in October 2004 by David Stroud. In 1996, whilst having lunch in Leicester SquareLeicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
, he felt God had asked him to plant
Church planting
Church planting is a process that results in a new Christian church being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship centre or fresh expression is created that is integrated into an already established congregation...
a church in the centre of London as "God loves cities". After a series of conversations in 2003 with Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo
Terry Virgo is a prominent leader in the British New Church Movement, . He is the founder of the Newfrontiers family of neocharismatic evangelical churches, which has grown into an international apostolic network of over 700 churches in more than 60 nations. He is a leading Reformed Charismatic...
, the founder of the Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
network of churches, Stroud moved from Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with his wife to set up ChristChurch. Stroud then recruited Adrian Holloway and Rhys Scott to be part of the church-planting team. The very first meeting was actually held in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
with approximately 20 to 30 attendees.
ChristChurch London officially launched in 2005 at the New Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, and since, has relocated twice before officially obtaining church status on the 22nd April 2007. On the same day, the church elders were appointed.
On the 7th February 2010, ChristChurch announced that they will be starting two services in the Autumn, a morning and afternoon service, due to the growth of the church. They also said they are looking to move to a slightly smaller venue, with more "hanging out" space, to accommodate for this change. This was confirmed on the 9th May 2010, and the move to the Mermaid Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
in Blackfriars, London was set for the 4th July 2010.
| Years | Venue | Location | Congregation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2005 | International Students House | Great Portland Street Great Portland Street Great Portland Street is a street in the West End of London. Linking Oxford Street with Albany Street and the busy A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road, the road forms the boundary between Fitzrovia to the east and Marylebone to the west... |
30 approx. |
| 2005–2006 | New Connaught Rooms | Covent Garden Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as... |
240 approx. |
| 2006–2007 | Vinopolis Vinopolis Vinopolis is a London commercial visitor attraction operated by Wineworld London that presents the subject of wine and oenology through exhibits and wine tastings. It is located at Bankside, to the east of Southwark Bridge and close to London Bridge on the south side of the River Thames... |
South Bank South Bank South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as... |
300 approx. |
| 2007–2010 | Piccadilly Theatre Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, England.-Early years:Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A... |
Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly... |
500 approx. |
| 2010–Present | Mermaid Theatre Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare... |
Blackfriars | > 500 |
Services at ChristChurch were originally held at 4.30pm, but as of 29 April 2007, this was changed to the earlier time of 4pm to accommodate for families with young children. The addition of a further morning service at 11am, which occurred in September 2010, was likewise to improve access for the growing number of families attending ChristChurch, in addition to supporting the increasing congregation. The morning service lasts only 1.5 hours, half an hour shorter than the unchanged afternoon service.
On the 5th September 2009, ChristChurch London re-branded its logo and launched its first bimonthly publication "Broadcast Magazine".
The 28th February 2010 saw the official launch of "ChristChurch London: On The City", a virtual social networking service created by Zondervan
Zondervan
Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association .- History :...
, aimed to enhance communication amongst the church community. ChristChurch London is the first church community in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to trial the website.
Sundays
ChristChurch currently holds two weekly Sunday servicesChurch service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
, from 11-12.30pm and from 4-6pm.
The service often begins with an hour of worship
Christian worship
In Christianity, worship is adoration and contemplation of God.-Overview:Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has been primarily liturgical, characterized by prayers and hymns, with texts rooted in, or closely related to, the Scripture, particularly the Psalter;...
using largely contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
, including songs by artists such as Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin
Christopher Dwayne "Chris" Tomlin is an American Christian Contemporary Music artist, worship leader, and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. He is a former staff member at Austin Stone Community Church and is signed to EMI's sixstepsrecords. Tomlin also leads worship at many...
and Hillsong
Hillsong Music
Hillsong Music is Christian music produced by Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia as well as offshoot churches, Hillsong London and Hillsong Kiev...
, together with original songs written by members of the ChristChurch London Worship Team. This is then followed by approximately forty-five minutes of preaching, by a church elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
or guest speaker, with a sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
centred on a passage of Biblical scripture
Biblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
. The service then concludes with prayer
Prayer in Christianity
Prayer has been an essential part of Christianity since its earliest days. Prayer is an integral element of the Christian faith and permeates all forms of Christian worship...
and worship. At the end of the service, members are sometimes given the opportunity to be prayed for and for healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
by the ChristChurch London Healing Team.
Visiting speakers
ChristChurch frequently has guest speakers from other churches, often leaders from NewfrontiersNewfrontiers
Newfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
worldwide, come in to preach the main sermon.
Baptisms
ChristChurch holds several baptismal servicesBaptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
a year. These tend to be more evangelistic events with themes chosen to be more accessible to the wider community. Themes in the past have included "Lost: A postmodern parable of our times...
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
" and "24: Can a man save the world in one day?
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
". In 2009, ChristChurch baptised 36 people over four baptismal services.
Anniversaries
ChristChurch London traditionally celebrates its anniversary on the second Sunday of October.Carol services
Carol serviceCarol service
Most Churches in Britain hold Carol Services in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The service usually consists of Hymns about Christmas and readings from the gospels telling the Christmas story...
s at ChristChurch are held on two consecutive Sundays during the first two weeks of December. These have traditionally been very popular events, with many non-regular church-goers attending. December 2009 saw the highest ever Sunday attendance, with over 800 people gathering for the second Christmas Service. The service includes much carol singing
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
, followed by a seasonal sermon. Sunday services are not held for the latter two weeks of December due to the large number of church attendees who return home from London over the festive season.
Life groups
ChristChurch London has 45 life groups, as of 2009, each of about 10 members of ChristChurch hold weekly meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays to "do life together". Life groups are currently located near undergroundLondon Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
stations all over London. Meetings, facilitated by two life group leaders, a male and a female, are used to discuss life, study the Bible
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
, reach out to others
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and build community and friendships
Communion (Christian)
The term communion is derived from Latin communio . The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with...
. Life groups are also encouraged to pray
Prayer in Christianity
Prayer has been an essential part of Christianity since its earliest days. Prayer is an integral element of the Christian faith and permeates all forms of Christian worship...
together, participate in Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
and account
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
for one another.
Membership
Membership at ChristChurch London was launched on 22 April 2007. As of 2009, ChristChurch consisted of 326 members. Official membership requires approval from the church eldersElder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
, to have been baptised (preferably as an adult by full immersion) and a minimum of 10 weeks involvement in a life group. Membership at ChristChurch is a form of recognition of involvement and participation in church life. New members are then celebrated at church on "Membership Sundays".
Alpha course
ChristChurch hosts a free Alpha courseAlpha course
The Alpha course is a course which seeks to explore the basics of the Christian faith, described as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life" . Alpha courses are currently being run in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations...
three times a year (January, April and October) for non-Christians and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s. The course runs on a Wednesday for nine consecutive weeks, including a weekend away. In 2009, an average of 115 guests attended each of the three courses. Since 2004, over 2000 people in total has attended the Alpha course at ChristChurch.
Notable Alpha launches
ChristChurch London hosts two or three launches per Alpha course, which are also held at Sway Bar in Covent GardenCovent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
.
3 October 2007: Simon Thomas
Simon Thomas (television presenter)
Simon Thomas is a British television presenter, who worked on Blue Peter for six years.-Early life:Simon Thomas was born in Norwich, Norfolk to Andrew and Gill Thomas. He has two sisters called Hannah and Rebecca...
, former Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
presenter.
5 October 2009: Patrick Dixon
Patrick Dixon
Dr Patrick Dixon is an author and business consultant, often described as a futurist. In 2005 he was ranked as one of the 20 most influential business thinkers alive according to the Thinkers 50...
, chairman of Global Change Ltd and founder of the international AIDS charity, ACET
ACET (AIDS charity)
ACET International is a global network of independent agencies and church-based organisations seeking to encourage effective and compassionate responses to AIDS and related issues in every nation...
.
7 October 2009: Alister McGrath
Alister McGrath
Alister Edgar McGrath is an Anglican priest, theologian, and Christian apologist, currently Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at Kings College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture...
, author of the "The Dawkins Delusion?
The Dawkins Delusion?
The Dawkins Delusion?, subtitled Atheist fundamentalism and the denial of the divine, is a book by Christian theologian Alister McGrath and psychologist Joanna Collicutt McGrath. It is written from a Christian perspective as a response to arguments put forth in The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins...
".
20 January 2010: Jo Enright
Jo Enright
Jo Enright is an English stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared in a number of television and radio comedy programmes.-Biography:...
, comedienne from shows such as "Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights
Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights
Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights was a BAFTA-nominated English sitcom about The Phoenix Club, a working men's club in the northern English town of Farnworth, Greater Manchester. The show was written by Neil Fitzmaurice, Peter Kay and Dave Spikey, produced by Goodnight Vienna Productions and Ovation...
" and "I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
".
21 January 2010: Andy Duncan
Andy Duncan (executive)
Andy Duncan was chief executive of Britain's Channel 4 television channel from July 2004 to November 2009, the first not to have a background in programme making. He was previously director of marketing, communications and audiences at the BBC and the founding chairman of Freeview...
, chief executive of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
19 April 2010: Baroness Cox
Caroline Cox, Baroness Cox
Caroline Cox, Baroness Cox FRCN; born 6 July 1937) is a cross-bench member of the British House of Lords. She also is the founder and CEO of an organisation called the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust...
, founder and chief executive of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust.
4 October 2010: Dr. Ard Louis
Ard Louis
Ard A. Louis is a Reader in Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford, where he leads an interdisciplinary research group studying problems on the border between chemistry, physics and biology., and is also director of graduate studies in theoretical physics...
, theoretical physicist at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
Beta course
ChristChurch hosts three Beta courses alongside Alpha, intended as a "follow-on" course for those who have already completed the Alpha course. These similarly run for nine consecutive weeks. In 2009, a total of 81 people attended Beta.Men's Ministry
ChristChurch London's Men's Ministry, "Man by Choice", runs monthly Men's Training attended by approximately 30 men each session. In addition to training, two Men's days are also held each year, each event attended by about 50 men in 2009.Women's Ministry
The Women's Ministry at ChristChurch hold two Women's days a year, attended by approximately 100 women at each event in 2009.Students' Ministry
In 2009, the ChristChurch London Student Team identified and invited 105 new students to visit the church. Due to its location in the centre of London, ChristChurch has attracted many studentStudent
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s from the nearby universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, mainly from colleges of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. In 2008, ChristChurch London held student launches at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
, University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
and the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. In the following year, new "freshers' life groups" were created in the South
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, Central
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
and North
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
/Central
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
London.
The Student Team vision is to equip all their students to take the lead in bringing the Kingdom of God onto London’s university campuses. New students are "built in" as active members by the Student Team by one-on-one coffees and social student lunches. Furthermore, the team organises one-on-one discipleship
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
courses, prayer
Prayer in Christianity
Prayer has been an essential part of Christianity since its earliest days. Prayer is an integral element of the Christian faith and permeates all forms of Christian worship...
and praise
Christian worship
In Christianity, worship is adoration and contemplation of God.-Overview:Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has been primarily liturgical, characterized by prayers and hymns, with texts rooted in, or closely related to, the Scripture, particularly the Psalter;...
evenings, apologetics training
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
, Christian Union
Christian Union (students)
Christian Unions are evangelical Christian student groups. They exist in many countries and are often affiliated with either International Fellowship of Evangelical Students or Campus Crusade for Christ. Many Christian Unions are one of the societies affiliated to their universities' students'...
leaders Forums, student bible study
Bible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
and student weekends away. In 2009, the student weekend away was attended by 58 students. They also take part in the annual Mobilise
Mobilise
Mobilise runs Christian conferences, weekend retreats and provides resources for students and twenties. It is run by the Newfrontiers family of churches.-Mobilise Conference:...
conference with Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, UK, which was attended by 80 ChristChurch students in 2009.
Students often serve at ChristChurch on the various teams which keep the church running, as well as volunteering
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
in the local community and at Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
events, such as the Newday
Newday
Newday, established since August 2004, is an annual Christian youth festival organized by the Newfrontiers family of churches. The event is aimed at young people between the ages of 12 to 19, either Christian or non-Christian....
youth festival.
List of teams at ChristChurch
At ChristChurch London, there are a large number of people who serve and help the running of the serviceChurch service
In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be...
every Sunday. In 2006, there were 220 people who were actively serving on at least one of the ChristChurch teams.
Teams at ChristChurch London include:
- Welcome Team
- Worship Team
- Choir
- Production Team
- Sound Team
- Visuals Team
- Healing Team
- Events Team
- Alpha Team
- Beta Team
- Crèche
- Little Eagles (3-6)
- KidzKlub (7-11)
- Youth (11-18)
- Student Work
Everything Matters
ChristChurch London hold a number of forums and seminars each year aimed to equip members in specific aspects of daily living, including "Work Matters", "Leadership Matters" and "Money Matters".Social action
ChristChurch London believes in caring for the poorPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and vulnerable as part of their service to God.
In 2009, they actively began to volunteer with charities in London, including "Football in the Community", "Romance Academy", "Dance Summer School", "Kids Company
Kids Company
Kids Company is a charity organisation that works with young ex-offenders and disadvantaged children through inner-city schools in London, a drop-in centre in Camberwell, and the Urban Academy in Southwark...
" and "Food Bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
". They are also focusing on the areas of Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
and Highbury
Highbury
- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
and Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
.
Transform Everything
ChristChurch London have a focus on Cultural Transformation as part of their commitment to "loving one another". This has included termly Cultural Transformation breakfasts and talks including "Transform: Teaching", "Transform: Law" and "Transform: Media and the Arts".See also
- NewfrontiersNewfrontiersNewfrontiers is a neocharismatic apostolic ministry network of evangelical, charismatic churches founded by Terry Virgo. It forms part of the British New Church Movement, which began in the late 50s and 60s combining features of Pentecostalism with British evangelicalism...
- Churches which do not meet in traditional Church buildings