Church of Christ the King

Church of Christ the King (CCK), Brighton, is an evangelical charismatic church, situated in the city of Brighton, East Sussex, in the United Kingdom. CCK belongs to the Newfrontiers family of churches and is currently led by Joel Virgo, one of the sons of Terry Virgo who founded Newfrontiers.
Meeting times and location
Church of Christ of the King serves Brighton & Hove and the surrounding area. It is located on New England street which is in the northern part of central Brighton, near Brighton station.
The church currently runs two services on a Sunday, one at 10am and one at 6.30pm. The morning service is family orientated and provides groups and activities for young children to attend, while the evening meetings tend to attract mainly young adults and students, with the service being styled to appeal to that demographic. Because of the growing number of people attending the services, the church has plans to implement a third service during the autumn of 2009.
History
Church of Christ the King was formed in 1978, although the church was originally called Brighton & Hove Christian Fellowship (BHCF). The church started with 38 people holding services at the Connaught School, in Hove. Brighton & Hove Christian Fellowship was led by Henry Tyler and overseen by Terry Virgo. The church changed its name to Clarendon Church when it relocated to the Mission Hall in Clarendon Villas, Hove.
By 1984 the congregation had outgrown the Clarendon Villas venue, and the church resorted to holing services in five separate locations around the area. In an effort to reunite the congregation for Sunday meetings, the church began using the Odeon Cinema in Brighton (1988-90).
In 1991 the church began the purchase of a commercial property in New England Street, Brighton, where the church still meets today. Moving away from the Clarendon Villas prompted another name change and the name Church of Christ the King was chosen.
Leadership
Church of Christ the King is led by a team of male elders. At the head of the eldership team is Joel Virgo.
Church Life - Small Groups and Zones
Outside of the Sunday services, church life is split into geographical “zones” that cover the Brighton & Hove area. Members of the church usually meet each week in a small group, consisting of around eight to fifteen people and is set up within a geographic zone. Once a month the small groups of each zone come together for a “Zone Meeting”. Small group meetings typically involve times of worship, prayer and Bible discussion, as well as social activities.
As well as being split into geographical groups, church life is also broken down into ministries that are appropriate to life stages or demographics, such as Youth, Students, Internationals, New Horizons (for seniors) and Lighthouse (adults with learning difficulties). Some of these ministries run their own small groups outside of the zone structure.
Social action
CCK is actively involved in community service in Brighton & Hove and runs a number of social action projects:
Friends First, a service which holds a weekly evening drop-in for the homeless and runs a Supported Housing Unit.

Alternatives, a crisis pregnancy support centre.

Citylight, a support service for women who are working in the sex industry (either by choice or trafficking).

CCK has also run annual local community service projects during the summer. These projects focus on the greater Brighton & Hove area, sometimes featuring free community festivals.
Worship at CCK
The worship of God is emphasised in all Newfrontiers churches, and this is reflected in the Sunday meetings at CCK. In general the church tends to steer away from traditional hymns and instead focuses on more contemporary worship music.
CCK is internationally renowned in the Christian music world for its worship songwriters, such as Phatfish, David Fellingham, Paul Oakley, Kate Simmonds, Simon Brading, and Stuart Townend (who wrote the hymn 'In Christ Alone' with Keith Getty).
Newfrontiers
Newfrontiers (previously New Frontiers International) is a network of evangelical, charismatic churches. Over the years, CCK has been instrumental in the growth of Newfrontiers churches, having sent people to help establish new churches in more than 20 countries, including India, Japan, Ghana, the USA, Cyprus, Australia, South Africa and Botswana.

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