Churches Together in Cambridgeshire
Northstowe Church Partnership Celebration
On Sunday 20th October a joyful occasion marked the commissioning by the three partnership denominations (Baptists, Church of England and United Reformed Church) of Beth Cope as minister of the Local Ecumenical Partnership church. The Methodist and Quaker support was also celebrated.
The afternoon featured all-age learning options and a bonfire lit from the Easter candle - and of course cake!
Ecumenical Conference
In September three representatives from Churches Together in Cambridgeshire took part in the Churches Together in England conference held in September at the Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire. It was a valuable opportunity to form relationships with others working to support Christians working together . It was especially enriching to listen to Rev Dr Susan Durber, the World Council of Churches president for Europe.
Celebration of Chaplaincy
Gale Richards, Chair of Churches Together in Cambridgeshire, spoke at the Celebration of Chaplaincy service in Ely Cathedral on Saturday 6th July.
Gale is a patron of Cambridge Workplace Chaplaincy as CTC is very supportive of their ministry. There are close links between our two organisations. The service was open to everyone from all denominations as it was very much an ecumenical event.
Click here to watch the service on YouTube. Gale's sermon starts at 0:44:24.
Ecumenical Churches Lunch
We shared our first gathering of LEP church leaders over Pizza on 15th May 2024 at Lighthouse Church, Ely (thanks to them for their hospitality).
It is an important part of our work to support churches where Christians of various denominations are worshipping and serving together. Meeting together in this way led to lots of useful conversations and learning from each other.
First Service at Marleigh
On Sunday 28th April 2024 the first service of worship took place in the new Marleigh estate in Cambridge with over 90 people attending. Local Anglican and Baptist churches supported the local residents as they seek to establish a worshipping Christian community on the site.
Mark Burleigh, our Ecumenical Officer, attended and said, "It was great to see local Christians working so well together for the sake of all the residents in the new homes. The Spirit of God is moving!"
Promoting Church Unity
Churches Together in Cambridgeshire promotes the visible unity of God’s Church within the Cambridgeshire.
Local Churches
Supporting Local Ecumenical Partnerships (LEPs) and Emerging Partnerships
We support local churches with ecumenical partnerships. Some of these are formal agreements, called Local Ecumenical Partnerships (LEPs).
Others utilise a newer framework called 'A Flexible Framework for Local Unity.'
We are especially excited to support emerging partnerships in new housing areas, like Northstowe Church Network.
Learn about all of these partnerships --- and how you can start your own! --- at the link below.
Churches Together
Celebrating Local Unity Movements
Churches Together in Cambridgeshire is a bridge. We form a link between the national ecumenical movement and local ecumenical movements. The national link brings expertise. The local links keep national ecumenism real.
A number of local Churches Together groups meet in the area that we cover. We celebrate, support, and encourage these groups as part of their ecumenical journey.
Global Partnership
Mission and Unity are two sides of the same coin.
Churches Together in Cambridgeshire celebrates 30+ years of mutual learning and friendship with the Vellore Diocese in the Church of South India.