Bradford North Circuit

Here we are, still in the same place as last time with Church services by Zoom or YouTube, but we can still make time for each other in many ways.  Once again Lent began and displays were arranged in the Church window for everyone to see. Items were added each week which retold the Easter Story. People were asked to decorate their own tree with leaves and we added people’s names who we were praying for and also things we were thankful for on them. They were then displayed in their house windows.  We did have a Church service for Palm Sunday, which was wonderful to meet up and see people again. On Easter day, the cross was arranged with flowers to celebrate new life & the risen Christ. The church family were all given an Easter bag with lots of goodies inside, which included a CD of Easter hymns, readings and reflections. Also a booklet telling the Easter story, a chocolate egg and a special card wishing everyone Easter Blessings. The children also were given their own East...

Like everyone else, we are all trying to get on with life but at times it is not easy and not meeting with all our Church family can be difficult and lonely. Just before Christmas we were having services twice a month but not all people were able to attend which was very sad but we all kept in touch by text/phone it is not quite the same but it is good to talk. During Advent we put a display in the porch window of the Christmas story, adding different characters each week until all figures were assembled around the baby for the community of Thornton to see. All our children in Sunday School received an Advent calendar to let them know we were all thinking of them. We also had a Christingle service but this was very different from previous years. Masks were worn, tables set out at the required social distance and hand sanitizers available in lots of areas. People made their own Christingles from packs but instead of using fruits, wrapped fruit lollipops did the job just fine. Rev. Chris...

We began this year’s events by hosting our popular Poems & Pancakes evening. Again, we had a wonderful time with delicious food and great entertainment. The weather was not the best with wind, rain and even snow flurries but the local community and also from other Churches came along to join in the fun. We had such an amazing range of poems that made us reflect on the past, think about the future and some that just made you laugh and feel so much better for it. We heard poems written by famous poets and other poems penned by people from our Church. The evening was a great success and the savoury & sweet pancakes were not to be missed they were just delicious. Win reading a very moving poem about the War  This is the third year we had hosted this event and judging by the attendance and entertainment we had I am sure it will not be the last. Elaine B, Thornton

Pancakes and Poems, what a great evening we had on 13th February (Shrove Tuesday), in aid of 2nd Mile Project. People were invited to come along for tea/supper and enjoy a variety of pancakes both savoury and sweet. The selection was most tempting with fillings such as chilli. chicken and avocado, mushroom or cheese and onion. The sweet fillings were too many to mention, but my favourite was fresh fruits with ice cream – yum, yum. Throughout the evening, many people had brought poems to read to everyone. The genre of this was amazing with funny, romantic, knowledgeable and even a little bit naughty. It was good to be together with laughter and smiles all round. A special thank you to everyone who came and all who helped. Elaine B, Thornton

We got into the spirit of Christmas early here at Thornton by holding a Frost Fair on 18 th November. It was a great success; people from other churches and the community called in to see what was on offer. There were lots of opportunities to buy that special Christmas present and also stalls to win a prize every time. The cake stall was a hive of activity and the café was very busy with snacks and lunches. The children’s colouring competition was also in full swing. A great day was had by everyone and a big thank you to Sharon Pilkington for all her hard work. Our ‘ Jingle Jamboree ’ of entertainment weekend was a great success with fun and laughter all the way. There was a variety of acts which included our own Fairy Godmother, performed by Irene who kept us entertained. Win sang ‘ There was an Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly ’ and got the audience to join in with the verses. Sharon and her elves were up to mischief and persuaded certain people to dec...

We held an evening of musical entertainment on 7th October by The Masters of Nonne. This is a local band with two of the artists being church stewards. They played a variety of songs to get feet tapping and hands clapping. It was a great success with a good attendance and a delicious supper provided by Sharon with soft drinks available. All money raised went to The 2nd Mile Project. Elaine B, Thornton

On Saturday 16th September, we began the weekend with a coffee morning but one with a difference. We had a display of harvest gifts and also a display of talents. People were asked to bring something they had made: this could be a painting, sewing/knitting, card making, jams/preserves or poems /stories. It could be something they had made years ago or something they have just finished making. It was amazing!!! The talents of people were marvellous and we had a variety of items on display for everyone to admire. It was a great success and the display celebrated the talents of our congregation. The café was in full swing as Sharon & Carol were kept busy offering a selection of snacks, endless cups of tea and delicious bacon sandwiches. On the Sunday, Geoff B led us in worship and traditional harvest hymns were sung. He talked about the talents of people and this showed in our display and also about using our gifts for God’s purpose. The congregation joined in by writing prayers...

We celebrated the Sunday School Anniversary by having a Craft Fair on Saturday 1 st July. There were a variety of stalls and food was available throughout the event.     On Sunday 2 nd July, the Sunday School led us in worship. The children, led by Sharon P, did a wonderful job. The theme was ‘Joy’ and the activities and hymns reflected this. All the children were given prizes which this year were musical instruments and we look forward to the children using them in future services. This was followed by a luncheon provided by the Sunday School. Many of the congregation stayed and enjoyed the proceedings. Many thanks to Sharon and Carol for gathering the Church Family together and enabling us to spend time with each other. Elaine B, Thornton -->

On Saturday 4th March at Thornton, we enjoyed an evening of musical entertainment by ‘The Masters of Nonne’. This is a local band with two of the members being stewards at our church. One of the stewards, Alun, is the Deputy Lord Mayor. The evening was a great success and we enjoyed a delicious supper organised by Sharon Mason and her team. It was well attended by the community and all proceeds went to The Lord Mayor’s Appeal ‘Young Minds’ . Elaine B, Thornton

On Sunday 15 th May, our service was an own arrangement conducted by Geoff B. His service was about Christian Aid and he gave a very interesting talk about the work that they carry out, which gave us all an insight into the work of Christian Aid. This was followed by a delicious lunch organised by Patricia Francis and Margaret Allan with the proceeds going to Christian Aid. Elaine B, Thornton

We started off our 30 th Anniversary celebrations in style with the Rev. Christine Crabtree welcoming the Lord Mayor of Bradford to open the celebrations. Cllr Joanne Dodds said she was very happy to be here and spoke about how wonderful it was to attend local events. She then duly pronounced the event open. There was lots information about how the church came to be here on this site. Plans of the original building were displayed and how the building of our present church took place. There were lots of photographs which brought back memories of times gone by. The Art Group which uses the church during the week displayed some of their painting and artefacts. Also the Antiquarian Society had a most interesting display about Thornton and the surrounding area. The Flower Festival was a great success and all the arra...

ThorntonMethodist Church had a pantomime called The Cat, the Rat and the Pirates. It ran over two nights and was well attended by the community. There were lots of laughs and audience participation and everyone had a most enjoyable time. (Oh no, they didn’t, Oh yes, we did, haha!) Elaine B

The annual Nativity service at Thornton Church took place on Sunday 13th December. The children took turns to read the Christmas Story and the congregation joined in with the carols. This was followed by a Faith Lunch and a party. All the children got a present and the annual 'Santa Awards' were given to the cast and production team of the pantomime. Elaine B , Thornton

At Thornton Methodist Church , a Craft Fair was held in July. This was an opportunity for the community to get together and enjoy a wonderful day. There were lots of stalls, including cards, hand-made goods and home grown produce. Refreshments were available throughout the day and lunch was also on offer. Elaine B, Thornton