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Due to the increasing amount of news and updates coming to our website, we will no longer be adding to this particular page after 16th November 2018. All future news can be found at the link below.
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New Rear Entrance Doors – Installation complete!
It’s taken a very long time to get to this point, therefore it is newsworthy. This week our very tired old fire doors at the rear entrance have finally been replaced with new doors making this rear entrance much more welcoming and also safer for those exiting the building as there are clear glass panels within the new design. See these photos taken on Tuesday evening after the completion of this work.
Due to the complexity of the process involved in making changes to this Grade II listed building, we felt it only appropriate to give a public ‘Thank you!’ to Dudley for handling this for us. You’ve done a great job for which we’re very grateful. Thanks also to Dave for handling the next stage of decorating in the days ahead now that this install is complete.
Thanks also to Churchview Joinery in Wimborne for an excellent product. Quality craftsmanship as always!
14th November 2018
20 Years in Millhams Street and Remembrance Sunday 2018
On Sunday 11th November we had two significant events fall on the same weekend. The first being the 20th anniversary of Christchurch Elim’s move from a small building in Jumpers Road to this large project building in Millhams Street in the town centre, and the second being 100 years since the end of the First World War. This meant that our anniversary celebrations were to be shared with the significant moment of a Two Minute Silence at 11am on the 11/11/2018 as we remembered those who gave their lives for our freedom. We will never forget!
It’s now twenty years since we moved here and the building purchased for only £1 has undergone a huge amount of repair and restoration at significant financial cost to the church and has been restored and transformed from a leaking, broken building to one with life, fresh activity, now massively improved and equipped for the modern days we live in. All of this without borrowing a single pound from anyone; nothing short of a miracle for the small congregation that has managed this project over the years since 1998.
Although the building has been greatly improved (not entirely as there is still work to do), there are still signs pointing to times past; a town centre church built in 1867 once a vibrant hub within the community here in Christchurch, but also a church that felt the pain of the First World War. In our building there is a plaque dedicated to men who gave their lives during the war for our freedom and we decided it was only fitting to take a moment to remember them specifically during our service.
The first half of our service was dedicated to this remembrance and it was significant for us all. Following this time of remembrance, we moved on into a time of celebration of all that God has done for us as a church over the past 20 years at Millhams Street. The significant section of this second part of our service was Pastor Dave’s message on the purpose of Elim in Christchurch – ‘Restoration’. Yes a building restored, but the restoration he believes God is calling us to focus on even more as we move forward is the restoration of lives. To proclaim, heal, transform and build – Restoration! Why not listen to Pastor Dave’s message right here:
Restoration: Proclaim; Heal; Transform; Build
It was a special day with visitors from the past joining us, and also new friends enjoying snippets of this great testimony of faith and God’s faithfulness. A small booklet sharing the detail of this great testimony has been put together by Peter Hannam and Ray Adkins with help from the former Pastor Ralph Winter-Smith who retired in 2015. If you’re interested in reading more, let us know as we still have a few copies available.
Yes a building restored, but the restoration he believes God is calling us to focus on even more as we move forward is the restoration of lives. To proclaim, heal, transform and build – Restoration!
We’re so grateful to all who helped make the weekend a special one. Thank you!
If you joined us, we hope you had a great time at CCC. Don’t forget, we are open every week with a whole variety of activities that you are welcome to attend. In particular, you are always welcome on a Sunday at either of our services which start at 10:30am and 6:30pm weekly. All ages are welcome at CCC. To find out more about what happens on a Sunday at CCC, click here.
14th November 2018
New Boiler installed! Thank you!
Following our recent appeal, we are pleased to say that the new hall boiler has finally been installed. Thank you so much to all who gave financially towards this need. Thanks to your generosity we now have a new, safe, economical boiler with enough capacity to heat the rooms upstairs when we reach that phase of improvements at some point in the near future.
Thanks also to Ross Davies of Ross Davies Heating Ltd in Verwood for an excellent installation!
27th July 2018
90 years of Elim in Christchurch
On the 12th & 13th May we celebrated 90 years of Elim in Christchurch. In 1928 two young ladies held a mission in the dance hall in Christchurch town centre (Now the Regent Centre). It was from this mission that a new Elim Church was planted and has continued to this day.
We had a fantastic weekend which included an afternoon tea on the Saturday followed by an evening celebration looking back at snippets of the church history and it was great to see some old faces come back and join us for the weekend.
On the Sunday morning, Ralph Winter-Smith, Christchurch Elim’s longest serving Pastor of 37 years, shared God’s word with us and encouraged us as a church before we shared lunch together. In the evening Pastor Dave Sharpe then looked to the future and shared some of his thoughts about where we are heading now as we move past this 90 year mark together.
Thank you everyone who worked so hard to research the history of the church and all of the work in presenting it to us. Well done! Also a huge thank you to all those who helped run the various events and meetings during the weekend; we couldn’t have done it without you.
And finally, thank you to all who came along.
If you joined us at any of the above events, we hope you had a great time with us. Don’t forget, we are open every week with a whole variety of activities that you are welcome to attend. In particular, you are always welcome on a Sunday at either of our services which start at 10:30am and 6:30pm weekly. All ages are welcome at CCC. To find out more about what happens on a Sunday at CCC, click here.
4th June 2018
Watoto Children’s Choir – Signs and Wonders Tour 2018
What a fantastic event this was! We were so pleased to accept a last minute request to host Watoto’s visit to the area after there was an issue preventing the event from taking place at another venue in Ferndown. Needless to say we were very excited to open our doors and make room for them to perform at the church again having had them here at CCC a number of years ago.
The evening was an evening full of energy from the most amazing group of children, all having come through such difficult circumstances.
If you were there we’re sure you too found it to be a fantastic evening out. Our hope is that they can come back next year! Watch this space!
If you joined us at the above event, we hope you had a great time with us. Don’t forget, we are open every week with a whole variety of activities that you are welcome to attend. In particular, you are always welcome on a Sunday at either of our services which start at 10:30am and 6:30pm weekly. All ages are welcome at CCC. To find out more about what happens on a Sunday at CCC, click here.
18th March 2018
Christmas Events 2017
We had a fantastic time in December with a whole variety of events leading up to Christmas 2017.
Our monthly daytime event called ‘OASIS‘ for retired folk met for the last time after several successful years. They have done a fantastic job providing a huge variety of entertainment and activities for many lonely folk in our community. Rex & Margaret felt it was time to bring this to an end as it has become a huge undertaking for them both, and we are extremely grateful to them for all of their hard work over the years. Things have their time and last for a season, and it was a long successful season that must now come to an end. Well done to them both and to all involved in that group. If you miss Oasis, why not come along to The Meeting Place on a Monday morning for a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake. If you find you have time on your hands each week, you can also listen to some of our messages recorded on a Sunday at CCC. Click here to go to that page and have a listen.
A first for us at CCC this year was to have a visit from Mark Greenwood as we hosted one of his ‘Comedy at Christmas’ events. This was a great social time for the church and a great opportunity to meet new people who came along for the night. We’ll be doing that again next year so watch this space!
This year, Pastor Dave preached at the joint churches community carol event in Saxon Square. It was well attended and a great witness to the town. It’s always a privilege to be involved in such events that remind people what Christmas is all about. Thank you to all the churches who organised the event and showed their support this year.
We also had a fun time at ‘The Meeting Place‘ (Our Monday coffee morning) annual carols with a mixed variety of music and a Christmas message. Well done to those who stepped in to help with that.
And then we had our two main Christmas events, our morning All Age Service followed by our evening Carol Service. These were fantastic events which included carols, a nativity, a drama, a contemporary dance, some youth brass and woodwind accompaniment our Christmas messages by Pastor Dave and Pastor Peter and more. Something for all ages and very well attended. Well done to all who helped with those.
To conclude Christmas at CCC for 2017, we had our Christmas Day Celebration which is always a great time to take a moment and remember the true meaning of Christmas.
If you joined us at any of the above events, thank you for coming, we hope you had a great time with us. Don’t forget, we are open every week with a whole variety of activities that you are welcome to attend. In particular, you are always welcome on a Sunday at either of our services which start at 10:30am and 6:30pm weekly. All ages are welcome at CCC. To find out more about what happens on a Sunday at CCC, click here.
If you didn’t manage to join us this year, don’t wait until next December, come along this Sunday and say hello, we’d love to meet you.
3rd January 2018
Colours and Lights Children’s Party – Light Painting
We had a fantastic turnout for our children’s party yesterday which was full of fun. It was great to see all of the children and parents who made it along. We do hope you enjoyed it. One of our favourite moments has to be watching the children tackle the doughnuts on string, and even some of the parents too!
This year we introduced a new activity called light painting, run by Pastor Dave using long shutter speeds on his digital camera. Dave is a keen and gifted photographer, and when Matthew suggested this idea we couldn’t resist but give it a try. The children seemed to really enjoy it. Well done to all of the children for taking part. We wanted you to see your pictures and have added a number of the images below. We hope you like them. Well done!
Click on an image to enlarge it, and use the arrows to flick through them.
A huge thank you to the team involved and also to the children for making it so much fun!
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NEXT EVENT – ALL AGES
The BIG Christchurch Christian Centre BAKE OFF
30th October 2016
New Senior Pastor Appointed
We are delighted to announce the date for the induction of our new minister at CCC. Pastor Dave, his wife Beth and their lovely children Eva & Noah will be relocating to Christchurch over the summer months and Dave will be officially appointed as the senior minister here at a special service on Saturday 3rd September 2016 – 2pm.
Currently serving as Families Pastor at Dewsbury Elim, it is a huge step for Dave and his family to relocate down south, but we are quite sure they will enjoy life and developing the ministry here on the South Coast.
Please come along to the induction service and show your support for them if you can.
Refreshments will be served after the service in the rear hall.
Venue: Christchurch Christian Centre
Speaker: Simon Foster (New Regional Leader)
1st July 2016
Results from Sponsored Walk
Swings for Burkina Faso Children’s work
In September 2015 a group of our Sunday School children did a sponsored walk to help raise money towards equipment for the children’s work of Fulani Ministries in Burkina Faso. Full details of the original walk can be seen further down this news feed.
The children raised £170 and the leadership matched this amount making it a total of £340 which has been used to purchase additional swings for use at the centre in Burkina.
The swings on the right hand side are those purchased with the money raised by the children at CCC
We are so proud of the children for their desire to get involved in supporting mission in a practical way and also for something they can identify with. Well done!
7th June 2016
Chris Cartwright Appointed Elim’s General Superintendent
This year the Leaders Summit is significant for Elim with a change of leadership for the NLT. Today, John Glass stepped down as General Superintendent, handing over to Chris Cartwright, formerly our regional leader.
He gave an interview to Premier about his new appointment which can be heard here.
Here is a quote from Premier’s site:
“Chris Cartwright elected Elim General Superintendent
Following nomination by the Elim’s National Leadership Team and a subsequent postal ballot by the Elim Conference, Chris Cartwright has been elected to lead the Elim Movement as General Superintendent.
The Elim Movement here in the UK is made up of nearly 600 churches.
Chris began his ministry in the late 1980’s at Kensington Temple as a Worship Pastor, was ordained in 1993, became the senior pastor of the City Temple in Cardiff in 1997 and in 2010 he became the Regional Leader for Wales and the Southern Region.”
We look forward to working with Chris in the years ahead.
18th May 2016
New Pastor Appointed at CCC
This morning we were very pleased to announce that after interviews and much prayer we have a new Pastor coming to CCC.
Pastor Dave Sharpe and his wife Beth and their two children will be relocating here soon, and we are very much looking forward to all that God has in store for them and for the church here as we move ahead together.
Please pray for them, especially that God would help them in the process of relocating to Christchurch and meet all of their needs especially moving home and finding a suitable home to buy in the area. This can be very complicated, but our prayer is that this will all fall into place and go smoothly for them.
The expected start date is towards the end of August or early September.
Exciting times ahead at CCC
8th May 2016
Just Looking!
After three years it’s time for change!
After much careful thought and consideration, in April 2016 we decided to stop the first format of ‘Just Looking’, after three years of running monthly events on the 1st Sunday morning of each month at 11:15 a.m. The usual church service met at the earlier time of 10 a.m. on that Sunday and all our families and visitors with children came along at 11:15 and enjoyed some food and coffee, and whilst the children had their activities upstairs, the adults had ‘Just a Look’ at one aspect of the Christian faith.
We really enjoyed these meeting, especially building some great new friendships and connections with a few families from the local area.
That was the first season BUT watch this space! Just Looking is not finished, it’s only just begun!
We are planning some great new family events and activities both inside and outside the church and ‘Just Looking’ will now come in more formats than before!
Thanks to all those who supported us over the last three years. We’re very excited about what’s coming next!
This means that the services on the 1st Sunday of each month now return to the usual time of 10:30 a.m. We have however realised that we enjoyed the social side of Just Looking and will miss it on a Sunday morning, so instead we will be serving refreshments on the 1st Sunday of each month after the morning service. Who knows, when we have some additional Barista candidates we could make this a more frequent thing!
A huge thank you to Matthew, Charlotte and the rest of the team for your commitment to Just Looking over the last three years! We can’t wait to hear what you have planned for this next.
If you have been coming to Just Looking, you feel like part of the family here now and you’re always welcome. Come along to one of our services and see us soon.
18th April 2016
We’re now on Instagram
One of the challenges of having a traditional building as our meeting point is to communicate what goes on inside with all of you outside. The church of course is the people not the facility, and as a forward thinking church, our activities and worship styles are far from the style that could be imagined from the exterior bricks and mortar. We live in 2016 and our facility has been updated and equipped to become a multi purpose facility suitable for a wide variety of events that can connect in this modern digital age.
One way we can communicate this to you is through the media available to us. We already have a website and are very active on Facebook and twitter but now we are on Instagram where we can bring you inside the church facility to see more of what goes on. Don’t let the building fool you…there’s a lot more on offer here than you may have first thought!
Come and see our Instagram feed, follow us and engage with us and if you have some good photos, tag them with the hashtag below so that we can give them a like and look at your lovely pics 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/christchurch_christian_centre
We look forward to connecting with you. Why not come along and see for yourself!
#CCCxch
16th February 2016
Equipping for the future – Coffee Machine
Three years ago, a part of the vision for reaching our town was shared along with some methods for doing so. At this time we received a very generous donation for us to purchase a proffessional coffee machine that would enable us to fulfill a part of this vision. Over many years our culture has changed greatly and as younger generations, families and proffessional people stand in the queues at the coffee shops that line our High Street, this is clearly something that now attracts people and will assist us greatly in our efforts to sit down with them and share our faith.
We have looked at pursuing this several times since the donation was given and each time it seemed the timing wasn’t quite right, until this month when everything came together and the machine is now in place. We are grateful to God for His provision and we are excited about the future as we discuss ways to use this with small groups to begin with.
It was great for a small team to receive some barista training to go with the La Spaziale machine and especially grateful to Peter the ‘Master Barista’ for offering to come and spend the time with us. You’re always welcome to pop in and visit us Peter 😀
5th February 2016
Christmas 2015 – CCC in Christchurch, Dorset
Christmas 2015 was a success! So many events planned and so many people involved, all keeping Christ at the centre of Christmas and all so well attended.
It was a privilege to be a part of the joint churches Community Carols event in Saxon Square on the 19th December and so good to see churches coming together to celebrate Christmas in the open-air, with a good number of people attending and a few shoppers joining in too. Our part was small, but we must say a big WELL DONE to all those from the other churches especially CBC who worked so hard to organise the event.
Our Carol Service on the 20th December was one of the best yet. We were amazed at such a good turnout this year for our service which included traditional carols and brass, our children reading with some taking nativity roles, a ballet performance, a trumpet solo and a message about Christ’s purpose for coming. Seeing some respond to the message too was so good to see. Well done to all those involved especially the children and young people.
On Christmas Day we enjoyed meeting together for a short service and again the numbers for a Christmas Day gathering were greater this year than some previous years. Meeting new faces and seeing the children share some of their gifts was a really special time. With Dudley sharing about the significance of the ‘Star’ we left feeling encouraged and closer together.
These were the main Christmas events, but there were others too with Oasis, The Meeting Place, Sunday School and more. We would just like to thank everyone for making CCC’s Christmas 2015 such a success and hope your Christmas time was a time of joy and comfort.
We meet every Sunday at 10:30 and 18:30 and would encourage you to come and join us any time. You are very welcome at all times of the year, not just at Christmas. For other special events, keep an eye on this page.
#CCCxch
7th January 2016
New Midweek Meeting Announced
On Wednesday 18th November we are starting our new midweek meeting called the ‘Midweek Connection’ in place of our Life Groups and Central Prayer. For a time, we feel it is important that we bring the church together to unite in prayer, study and fellowship as we seek to further develop the work here at CCC.
Click here for more information
9th November 2015
Repairs to Rear of Building
The major repairs to the rear of our building have been underway over the last week. You may recall that in July of this year a lorry reversed into the rear wall and caused substantial damage to the external brickwork and also internally in the kitchen area. This is now being put right although with much disruption. The large fridge freezers, ovens and kitchen units have all had to be removed so that the internal walls can be repaired and re-plastered which meant The Meeting Place had to be cancelled today. The rear entrance and pathway outside have also been partially blocked which is unavoidable. Access to our building is currently only possible via the front entrance in Millhams Street.
We apologies for any inconvenience caused by the barriers that will be in place for the duration of the repairs.
A big thank you to Paul Belton Construction for their help and consideration. We are very grateful to you. Your men are doing a great job as can be seen in the photo on the right!
2nd November 2015
Pastor Adam, Lisa & Judah
Moving on from CCC – Update
As announced at our morning service on the 18th October, Pastor Adam, Lisa and Judah have now moved on from their roles at CCC with Adam finishing after the morning service yesterday (1st November). We wish them the very best for their future and trust God will lead them on to what He has for them very soon. For now, they are returning to their home town in Blackpool to be closer to family and friends.
As assistant, Pastor Dudley will be overseeing the ministry along with Mark, and together with the rest of the leaders as a team we will lead the church forward. We already have some plans to further develop the ministry and will update you with details in due course. We are already in discussions with the NLT regarding the stationing of a new Pastor at Christchurch Christian Centre which will take place soon. We will keep you informed.
1st November 2015
The CCC Crew – Children’s Dance
Congratulations to our young ‘Dance Crew’ from our Sunday School. They put on a fantastic dance at our Sunday morning service today, choreographed on their own and showing real teamwork. Aged from 6 to 12 we were so impressed with such talent before our eyes! You worked so hard for several months and it really paid off.
We love the T-Shirts too and can’t wait for your next one! A huge WELL DONE!
We have a feeling requests for ‘CCC Crew’ T-shirts will be flowing in!
11th October 2015
Sunday School Sponsored Walk
Raising money to benefit the children’s work of a mission in Burkina Faso
We are very proud of our Sunday School kids who completed a 4+ mile walk yesterday at Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth raising money for a community missions project in Burkina specifically for children! Amazing! Well done to all who took part.
It will take several weeks before we know the final total raised, but the church leaders have promised to match what they raise, up to £300, as we feel it is such a good thing both for our church young people and also those out in Burkina Faso who will directly benefit.
It’s not too late to sponsor them if you didn’t know about it at would like to support.
You can follow this link and click on ‘Missions’
We are seriously impressed with what they have done! Great job!
26th September 2015
Stonework restoration complete
The replacement and restoration of the stonework and glazing has now been completed. We are pleased with the result and grateful to Mark Lillywhite from Dorset Stonecarving for all of his hard work. Thanks to Dudley for overseeing the project and working with all involved.
We are very pleased to put another part of this building project behind us so that we can focus on more important parts of the work of the church in our community.
22nd August 2015
Restoration of Stone Work – July 2015
The next phase of the restoration to our building has begun.
Mark Lillywhite from ‘Dorset Stonecarving‘ has been working hard behind the scenes for us once again, preparing and carving new stone for the next window and for the section above the main entrance.
The scaffolding is now up and ready for him to start work. This essential work should only take a few weeks and will hopefully not cause any inconvenience.
Even when this section is completed, there’s more to be done! For a little more information on the history and restoration of our premises, please visit our restoration page here.
4th July 2015
Our blog has moved
As part of the update to our website, we have created a new home for our blog which can now be found integrated into this website. The old blog posts are still accessible here should you wish to look at some previous content.
Watch this space!
19th June 2015
New Website | Smartphone & Tablet Friendly
We have improved our online presence once again by fully re-developing our website to improve performance, future content and most importantly so that it adapts to whichever device is being used by our site visitors.
We hope you like it!
19th June 2015
31st January 2015
Change in Leadership after 37 years
Thank you to Pastor Ralph & Terri for leading us so faithfully
After 37 years as Senior Pastor of Christchurch Elim Church (now known as Christchurch Christian Centre), it is with mixed feelings we announce that Pastor Ralph & Terri Winter-Smith stepped down from their roles and handed responsibility over on the 31st January.
During our AGM in November 2014, Ralph announced that he felt the time was right to step aside and make room for a new pastor to lead the church into the next season of growth and ministry.
Acting in conjunction with Elim’s national leadership, the church leadership appointed a new pastor who is now responsible and assumed the position of Senior Pastor on 1st February.
This is a huge change for us here in Christchurch but we know God has great things ahead both for them and for us as a church. We support Ralph and Terri in their decision.
We are very grateful to God that with a new Senior Pastor leading us forward, it will be upon the deep foundations that God has been preparing over these last few years. We believe this is all part of and in readiness for the growth that we are expecting here at CCC. The Lord Jesus Christ is building His Church.
We would like to say a very big thank you to Ralph and Terri for their sacrifice, love, support and the ministry that they have faithfully given to so many over the years.
Welcome to Pastor Adam & Lisa Lee
Following on from the above, we are pleased to announce that Pastor Adam & Lisa Lee and their son Judah had their induction service on Saturday 31st January and have begun their new journey here in Christchurch, with their first full Sunday on 1st February 2015.
Pastor Adam and family moved down from Blackpool where he had been serving as Assistant Pastor at ‘The Gatehouse’ Elim Church for several years. Adam has now taken over from at CCC as Senior Pastor.
We are pleased they have joined us and pray that God will greatly bless them in their future ministry here.
In all this; past, present and future, we give glory to God. It is His will and His alone that we seek.
Modernisation of main venue
To maximise the use of our facility and after much planning with the local authorities, work has now been completed on the main sanctuary where our services are all held. The sub floors have all been repaired, replaced, levelled and carpeted creating one large level open area that can now be used for a wide variety of events. The central heating has been modified with the installation of modern radiators, and our sound system has been updated and re-installed to suit the new layout. The new seating has now been purchased and we now have a much more welcoming, comfortable and flexible venue for church use.
If you haven’t yet seen the end result then come along one Sunday service and have a look.
21st January 2014
December 2014
Repairs to Stonework
Our stonemason will be back again in the Spring 2015 to begin work on another window so desperately in need of repair, carving and installing new stonework and glazing in the process.
The scaffolding will go up just prior to this and work will then commence. This will last for several weeks due to the amount of work involved. For more information on the restoration click here.
December 2012
Church Name Change
For those still searching for us as Christchurch Elim or Millhams Street Elim, in December 2012 the decision was made to change the name of the Church.
We have been blessed with a wonderful facility and central location that is now being used more more throughout each week. We have been holding many more events that connect us with the community and we felt that the name should reflect these changes. This was only a name change and we remain a part of the UK’s Elim Pentecostal Church Denomination with over 500 churches in the UK alone.
Previously known as Millhams Street Elim Church or Christchurch Elim Church but now ‘Christchurch Christian Centre’
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Charity Info
An Elim Pentecostal Church. Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance.
Registered Charity 251549 (England & Wales) SC037754 (Scotland)
