A warm welcome to
The Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster
for Sunday 4th October 2026 The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity
Vicar: Revd Carol Backhouse 07857 449724
revcarolbackhouse@gmail.com 24 Wentworth Drive, Lancaster, LA1 3RJ
www.christchurchlancaster.org.uk Facebook:@ChristChurchLancaster
Everyone is welcome to join in prayer and worship this week:
Today – 4th October
8.30am Holy Communion
10.30am Parish Eucharist
6pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday
5pm Evening prayer via zoom
Wednesday
5.30pm Meditation and 6pm Evening Prayer
Friday
9.30am Holy Communion
Sunday – 11th October
8.30am Holy Communion
10.30am Parish Eucharist
6pm Evening Prayer
Gluten-free wafers available. Please ask the Stewards for directions and assistance.
Please send items for inclusion in this newsletter to Kim Robinson by Thursday lunchtime. Many thanks.
Prayer for this week
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us your gift of faith that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to that which is before, we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown of everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Children’s Church
welcomes primary-aged children during the 10.30am service during term time. Parents/guardians are welcome to join.
Creative Collective
Sunday 4th of October, 12-1pm in the Church hall. We’re making Bracelets and Pizza.
Scripture Readings for our Worship
Isaiah 5. 1-7
Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!
This the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Psalm 80. 9-17
Refrain- Turn us again, O God
9 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.
10 You made room around it,and when it had taken root, it filled the land.
11 The hills were covered with its shadow and the cedars of God by its boughs.
12 It stretched out its branches to the Sea and its tendrils to the River.
13 Why then have you broken down its wall, so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
14 The wild boar out of the wood tears it off, and all the insects of the field devour it.
15 Turn again, O God of hosts, look down from heaven and behold;
16 Cherish this vine which your right hand has planted, and the branch that you made so strong for yourself.
17 Let those who burnt it with fire, who cut it down, perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
Philippians 3. 4b-14
even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew 21. 33-end
Glory to you, O Lord.
‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Prayer after Communion:
We praise and thank you, O Christ, for this sacred feast: for here we receive you, here the memory of your passion is renewed, here our minds are filled with grace, and here a pledge of future glory is given, when we shall feast at that table where you reign with all your saints for ever. Amen
Please remember in your prayers:
Those who are sick:
Youngblood, Thomas, Yan, David, Ron, Ann, Christine, John, Freda, Martin, Ruby, Lou, Peter, Helen, Tony, Marie, Linda, Margaret, David
May God’s healing, wholeness and peace be with them
For those who have recently died, including:
Chris, Joan, Douglas, Trish, Philip, John
May they rest in peace and rise in glory
For those preparing for Baptism
Tommie-Beau and Delilah
May they shine as lights in the world
In our parish, we ask God to bless and provide:
For those who live and work in Bath Street, St Peter’s Road. For our Church Wardens and PCC Members.
May God’s loving kindness be found and shared.
Prayer for youth work
Lord, make your face shine upon our families, illuminate their gifts with your grace. Amen.
Meeting up
The clergy are available for pastoral support and spiritual direction, please don’t hesitate to be in in contact. If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time or is seriously ill, please let us know as soon as possible, to arrange prayers, home communion, a hospital visit, or anointing of the sick. If you would like us to pray for you, or for someone you know, for any reason, please email your request to revcarolbackhouse@gmail.com. Please ask the person’s permission if you’d like them included in the weekly notices.
Tuesday Evening Prayer
At 5pm most Tuesdays, the clergy say Evening Prayer over Zoom. If you’d like to join to give thanks for the day past, readings from the Scriptures and prayer, the details are:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81366929814?pwd=jTDuW7HO8lR7I0nQ9Jrm2BrMxjJqVS.1.
Community at Christ Church:
Eco-Group Thought/Action for the Week
When you tidy up your garden this autumn please do it with a light touch. Keep in mind all the wildlife that lives there and leave seed heads, some decaying plants and hollow stems intact for shelter. Rake leaves and stack logs in quiet corners and gather others up for compost.
Are you concerned about climate change, and caring for Creation? If so, contact joycelynch1946@gmail.com to find out if our active Eco Group is something you’d like to be part of – it meets every six weeks at a member’s home.
Bible Study Group
A new Bible study group will be starting on 4th October at 11.30am and continuing each Sunday until the end of November. Kingdom over Nation will look at how we can faithfully explore and respond to the rising tide of Christian Nationalism in our land. Please see the poster for details of each session.
Tree Pruning appeal
We need to professionally prune several apple trees in the Churchyard orchard. This is likely to cost around £450.00. If you feel able to make a donation towards this cost please use the yellow envelopes and mark them “Apple Tree pruning” Thank you!
Celebrations 2027
In 2027 Christ Church will be celebrating two big events. On the 3rd July, the Tour de France Peloton will go past our church. And on the 26th September, we’ll be marking 170 years since the church was consecrated.
We’d love to hear your ideas about how we might celebrate these special occasions – and share the events with our local community. Please pop your ideas on one of the forms and pop it in the green box at the back of church. If you’re able to help (eg baking a cake, designing a banner, local history research, social media) – please put your details down too!
Christmas Tree Festival – Sponsors needed
We are beginning to look for sponsors for our Christmas Tree Festival. If you are able to sponsor a tree, or know a business/organisation that might be willing to, please pop the details on the flyer enclosed (more at the back of church) and put it in the green box at the back. Thank you!
All Soul’s Memorial Service
Our All Soul’s Memorial Service will be held on Sunday 1st November at 6pm. If you wish for someone to be remembered in this service, please add their name to the list at the back of church.
In Other News…
Olive Branch Foodbank
The Olive Branch badly needs all kinds of long-life food and drink – please bring a tin or packet to church with you to leave in the collection crates. You can also give money for them to buy what people need: https://www.the-olivebranch.org.uk/donate/
Gardening Group
Our friendly gardening group meets on the first Friday of each month (6th November ) between 12noon and 2pm to keep our church garden looking lovely. New members welcome, for all or part of the time – contact lippittjane@gmail.com. Please bring gloves & secateurs if you have them.
Book Group
The church book group meets on the first Friday of each month (6th November) at 4 pm in the church hall. Anyone who enjoys reading and discussion is very welcome to join us. You can just turn up on the day, speak to Joyce, or send an email to joycelynch1946@gmail.com
Church Choir
Our Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7 to 8pm in church. Although small in number, we are enthusiastic and newcomers are made very welcome. We sing at services about once a month. Please contact jean.mccafferty@gmail.com if you’d like to know more.
Coffee with the Curate
Coffee with the Curate is held weekly on Mondays 10-12 at The Gregson Cafe. Meet new folk and have a chat over a brew. All are Welcome!
Confirmations 2026
On the 29th November, we will be welcoming Bishop Joe for a Confirmation Service at Christ Church. Confirmation is the next step on the journey of Christian faith, where the Bishop gives the gift of God’s Holy Spirit to help us follow Christ. For some, Confirmation is also the opportunity to receive Holy Communion for the first time. If you’d like to know more, please talk with Rev’d Carol, Rev’d Kaarina or Innes. Confirmation Group will be starting on the 4th October at 4.30pm in church, continuing on Sundays 11th, 18th October and 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd November. Snacks provided!
Join us for our new KS2 club, the Creative Collective!
Sessions run monthly in the church hall from 12-1pm where we will make your imagination a reality. Activities include comic making, stop motion, cooking, bracelet making, lego construction – the possibilities are endless! You dream it, we’ll make it together! Upcoming session dates:
Sunday 4th of October 12-1pm – Bracelet and Pizza making
Sunday 1st of November 12-1pm – All about Conkers and games we can play with them
Sunday 13th of December 12-1 – Stop Motion with a Christmassy twist
Come share the fruits of the spirit with us!
Supporting Christ Church
EasyFundraising
Did you know you can support Christ Church when you shop online? Register using https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/, and the brand’s commission will be donated to the church.
Fundraising – ideas, opportunities, and support needed!
We’re blessed to have received some generous grant funding for the work we need to do on the building, but we still need all the help we can get to raise the match funding we still need from our own resources. You’re welcome to send more ideas to buckleys@live.co.uk. if you’re able to send a financial contribution by using the QR code below, thank you. We’re getting closer to the target, so anything you can give would be much appreciated.
Supporting Christ Church – One-off Gifts
If you would like to make a one-off donation to the church as an offering, to pay a fee, or as a gift to regular funds, you can give through our ‘Give a little’ page: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/f63a0655-b270-4d05-bf35-3994747785d0 This will also give you the option to Gift Aid your donation (if you pay tax in the UK), enabling the church to get an extra 25p back from the taxman for every £1 you give.
Supporting Christ Church – Regularly
Christ Church is now taking part in the Parish Giving Scheme, which enables you to give regularly by Direct Debit, and to to easily review how much you give depending on circumstances. Online at www.parishgiving.org.uk Or by telephone 0333 002 1271 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. For any of these methods our PGS code 030603240 ensures that your gift goes to our church.
PCC
Our next PCC meeting will be held on 14th October. Please do talk to our PCC reps about any aspect of life at Christ Church. And pray for the PCC in its work this year.
You might want to use the following prayer:
Lord God, Together with you by our side, we can bring growth to our Church. Send your Holy Spirit to give us good planning, wise actions, joy in worship and our welcome, the right words when we speak to others. Help our Church grow in numbers, in Spiritual commitment to you, and in service to our local community, through Christ our Lord. Amen
Hall for Hire
Don’t forget that the Hall is available for hire, especially during the day and at weekends. £24/first hour and £12 for each subsequent hour/part-hour. Please contact Lorna on hall@christchurchlancaster.org.uk or 07808 76536 for more information.
Key contacts:
Vicar: … Rev’d Carol Backhouse revcarolbackhouse@gmail.com 07857 449724
Curate: … Rev’d Kaarina Leong curate@christchurchlancaster.org.uk 07749 489623
Children’s Ministry Leader… Innes Heron-Stamp children@christchurchlancaster.org.uk 07853791776
Church Warden: Greg Skelland churchwarden@christchurchlancaster.org.uk 07944 683847
Organist: Graham Toft grahamtoft1@aol.com
Parish Administrator: Ms Kim Robinson 07483936011 kimberly.robinson@blackburn.anglican.org
Parish Safeguarding Officer: … Mrs Emma Muckalt & Ms Debbie Steele safeguarding@christchurchlancaster.org 07547 717060
Parish Secretary: …Mrs Julie Buckley buckleys@live.co.uk 07717 824574
Hall Bookings: …hall@christchurchlancaster.org.uk 07808 765364
Christ Church School …Miss Emma Simpson 01524 60955
Promoting a Safer Church
Christ Church, Lancaster have adopted the House of Bishops’ ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ policy and the Parish Safeguarding Handbook. All those working with children and adults at risk have undergone safer recruitment and received safeguarding training. If you believe that someone is at risk of immediate harm please call emergency services on 999. Any safeguarding concerns in a parish should be brought to the attention of your Parish Safeguarding Officers, Debbie Steele and Emma Muckalt, who can be contacted as above. Concerns can also be raised directly with our Diocesan Team, Tel: 01254 503088 or email safeguarding@blackburn.anglican.org
Support our Family Ministry:
Volunteering to help Innes with family Ministry is a great way to go deeper in your own faith, while having a lot of fun. It is a privilege to pass on our Christian faith to the next generation, and contribute to our wider church family. Come help at Children’s Church or support an event! Speak to Innes to find out more, or sign up for the opportunity to make important memories for our families.
Ripley Supplementary Forms
Please speak to Rev’d Carol after any of the services to complete a Ripley Supplementary form for attendance. Following a recent change, Ripley School request that Rev’d Carol collects and delivers the forms to school before the October half term
Refreshments today!
All are welcome for refreshments after the service.
Receiving the notices by email
If you would like to receive these notices by email, please contact Kim Robinson on the above address.