07534 305384
Staff and Leadership
Rev
Lydia M Gaston
Vicar
Rev Julie Heathcote
Curate
Odilla kesterton
Administrator
Margaret Hill
Organist
ANGELLA HENRY
Churchwarden
Joy Evans
Churchwarden
Sarah Darwood
Treasurer
What is a Pastoral Cluster at Christ Church?
Simple Answer: “A way of caring for one another”
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35
As Christians we all have a responsibility of care for one another. The care of the Church family is often seen as the role of the Vicar but is in fact the duty of us all. Each one of us is called to love our neighbour and this will include those we see in Church week by week. In a large family it becomes more difficult to ensure that everyone’s concerns and needs are met. We know that many are already doing a wonderful job caring for and valuing others; we wish to build on this and make sure that nobody is missed or forgotten.
With this in mind we have some ‘pastoral clusters’ of about half a dozen people in each cluster, and each has one or two people who will act as ‘linchpin’. The vision is that within your cluster you can be more aware of one another, look out for one another and pray for one another.
Each month we will pray for a different Pastoral Cluster.
Pastoral Clusters:
January - Shepherds Wood
February - Shalom
March - Tisungani (Helping each other)
April - Tender Hearts
May - Togetherness
June - The Seekers
July - Early Birds
August - Followers
September - Ambassadors for Christ
October - Explorers
November - Compassion
December - Peacemakers
Church History
'A small country Church in the Town'
Local landowner, Squire John Taylor, laid the first stone of Christ Church on April 14th 1848. He and his sister Sarah, who lived in Moseley, were generous benefactors, enabling the building of the church at a cost of £1550.
Stones used in the construction came from an old manor house in Bromsgrove, and were transported by local farmers by horse and cart. The Church was built in a traditional English style, in the shape of a cross.
The new parish church was dedicated to 'Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' and was consecrated on 28th March 1849 by the Lord Bishop of Worcester, the Rt. Revd. Henry Philpot. The first vicar of the parish was Alfred Clifton, and the lychgate and pulpit were erected to his memory in 1880.
A very old Church Magazine article states that the church was 'without colour or ornament' at the time of the consecration, and stained glass windows, heating, lighting, vestments and vessels were all offered as gifts.
The church clock and bell were completed in 1896. The brass lectern was given in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. There was no chancel in the original building and the sanctuary was enlarged in 1910, to look much as it does today. In 1923, a further nine acres of land was purchased to provide more space for burials.
The picture above shows the interior of the church sometime between 1896 and 1910.
Originally, Christ Church served a mainly rural community. The stables and paddock adjacent to the Vicarage provided churchgoers with somewhere to tether their horses. The development of industry, railways and canals, brought significant change, with houses being built in the area. The City of Birmingham was expanding at a rapid pace.
The old Vicarage was demolished in around 1970, and a new Church Centre and Vicarage were built on the site. The old Church Hall in Ravenshill Road, which had opened in 1938, was demolished and the land sold for housing.
As part of the 150th Anniversary Celebrations in 1999, the Church Clock, which hadn't worked for many years, was refurbished. With the new clock keeping perfect time and the bell ringing the hours, Christ Church worshipped God and welcomed the new Millennium.
In 2005 work was undertaken to reconstruct the chancel step and to level the floor in the Lady Chapel, the Baptistery and at the front of the nave. This was made possible by a bequest from the Tamagni family.
In 2015 work was undertaken to renew the church lighting. This was made possible by bequests from the estates of Mary Mortiboys and John Picton.
Christ Church gives a focal point to the community, with many local families recognising it as a place where significant occasions such as baptisms, weddings and funerals take place. The congregation is strong, and the welcome is warm, and the building and its environs still provide the look of a small country church in the town.
VICARS of CHRIST CHURCH
YARDLEY WOOD
Alfred Clifton 1849 - 1878
John A Williams 1878 - 1882
Charles E. Beeby 1882 - 1904
Edward P. Bennett 1904 - 1913
Isa Rees-Jones 1913 - 1951
David M. Paton 1952 - 1956
Stephen A. Shorthouse 1957 - 1975
Richard H. Postill 1976 - 1986
Michael C. Freeman 1986 - 1990
David W. James 1990 - 1995
John G. Richards 1996 - 2013
Lydia M. Gaston 2014 -
Eco Church
Coming Soon