Christ Church is a liberal, catholic church which aims to offer a spiritual “free space” for anyone to come to worship and explore their faith. We believe in the need for openness and freedom of thought, and the necessity to remain fully engaged with the rest of the worldwide Church, as well as with those of other faiths or of no faith. We have a proud history of supporting inter-faith dialogue, and enjoy good relationships and joint activities with our Roman Catholic neighbours. We were among the first churches in the diocese to establish a Local Ministry Group, with our Anglican neighbours, and enjoy a developing relationship with them.

Christ Church welcomes people from all walks of life, backgrounds and beliefs, and we believe strongly in allowing all those who profess faith in Christ Jesus to participate in communion. We are staunch supporters of the ordination of women and the consecration of women as bishops.

One of the primary strengths of Christ Church is the willingness of its people to contribute to all aspects of church life. We welcome all people to participate as fully as they feel able to. We believe in allowing all people to feel accepted for who they are and what they believe. Many of our congregation have come from far and wide to find their spiritual home.

Worship is at the centre of life within the Christ Church community. We aim to be a thinking church, with carefully planned liturgy, which is stimulating to the mind and uplifting to the spirit. Music plays an important role too. We have a large, successful choir, and an excellent organ and many of our services are accompanied by choral music.

We place an emphasis on lay participation in the liturgy, with the congregation playing a central part in our services through serving as chalice assistants, leading intercessions and reading, including reading the gospel. We aim to provide a safe and encouraging community within which people can question, debate and express their faith, as well as participate in worship and other activities to affirm our faith and bring us closer together. This “room to think” and the willingness of the congregation to engage can lead to friendly debate, sometimes on matters which can be considered central to the Christian faith. Because of this, Christ Church is a welcoming, friendly and inclusive place.

Bird's eye view

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