Thornbury URC

Location

The church is located on the corner of Chapel Street and Rock Street.  Car parks in St Mary's Street and Rock Street are in close proximity to the church

Where would you like to go?

• Services
• Activities
• Mission
• Theme
• History
• The Buildings
• The Pastorate

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Services

Sundays

• Family Sevice 11.00 am
• Second Sunday Hospital Service 7.00pm (Thornbury Hospital)
• Third Sunday All age Communion during Family Service

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Activities

• Wednesdays:- House Group 7.15 pm
• Thursdays:- United Ladies Guild 2.30 pm meet in the Methodist Church
• Fridays:- TIME FOR GOD (Prayer Group) 9.30 am
• Saturdays:- 10.00am till 12 noon Tea, Coffee, Traidcraft Goods and TCT Book Stall

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Mission

The Church's Mission is to :-  "Show and tell the love of God in Jesus Christ,  by building a relationship with God,  with one another and with the wider community."

Theme

The general theme of the church is reflected by:-

• Friendship
• Peace
• Calm atmosphere
• Quiet Teaching

History

Whilst the present building is dated 1826,  worship and witness has been carried on,  at or near,  the current site since 1662.  Originally as the Dissenter's or Independent Chapel,  which later became known as Congregationalist in the early 1900's.  The church became URC in 1972 with the uniting of the Congregational and PresbyterianChurches.  The current building is Grade 2 listed,  and is within the proposed Thornbury Conservation area.  The surrounding walls, some parts of which are medieval,  are older than the building and are again listed.  Handel Cossham who bought the old Methodist Church in Chapel Street, (now known as Cossham Hall) for use by the people of Thornbury,  was a member of the Independant Chapel.

This month's gleanings from the Minute Books: 

Hymn books

It will not surprise those at the recent Worship Group and Church meetings to hear that in November 1910 a committee consisting of the Pastor, Secretary and Organist was appointed to consider the question of a new Hymn Book. This was agreed in May 1911 to be Worship Songs with chants and anthems, and a Special Notice was given out. It would be used from the first Sunday in September.
In August 1911 there was a question about using sung Amens, and this was agreed. In case you feel that this all sounds very avant-garde, you will be reassured that in the same year they agreed the purchase of 3 dozen new Sankey hymn-books for Crossways Chapel.

The admirable Rev William Johnstone

The church called Mr Johnstone to be its minister in 1910. It was his first pastorate, as he had just completed his ministerial training at Lancashire College. We have a copy of his Ordination Service on Thursday 17^th November 1910 at 3pm, followed by Tea in the schoolroom at 5 o'clock and a Public Recognition Meeting (with 7 speakers) at 6.30. The Charge to the Church was the following Sunday, at 6pm. He seems to have been instrumental in various developments in the life of the church- e.g. new hymn-books, as above,
and a new Baptismal Font to be purchased in 1913. On 30^th September 1914 he announced that he had considered it his duty in view of the great National Crisis to offer himself as a member of the Bristol City Battalion of Lord Kitchener's Army. He expected to be away from his duties for a twelve month period.

The Church Building