Pathfinder Church is shaped both by our gatherings as an intergenerational community on Sundays and through our shared life with The Pathfinder Church of England Primary School. Explore either below — or keep scrolling to discover how they connect.
Embedded Files
Pathfinder Sundays
Pathfinder Sundays
A welcoming community for all ages, however you are feeling. Chat and chew over Bible passages—or simply listen and reflect. Dance in worship, create in reflection, or find quiet to pause, uncovering parts of your faith journey you didn’t know you needed.
“I find I’m talking to people at work about what we did on Sundays, thinking through different aspects as the week progresses. The focus of meetings is not on limitations - what we can’t, or shouldn’t, do - but on how knowing Jesus is the best, most liberating, gift the world offers. And at Pathfinder I feel like I’m being equipped and trusted to develop this relationship with Jesus myself.”
School Connections
School Connections
Our relationship with The Pathfinder School runs through the week: Growing Faith, Collective Worship, Worship Gang, chaplaincy, families and the shared adventure of putting down roots in a new town.
“The team have done exceptionally well in enabling the voice and leadership of young people to shape the development of their community. ”
Mandy Christopher, Growing Faith FoundationOne Pathfinder Church
One Pathfinder Church
Our Sunday gatherings and our relationship with The Pathfinder School are two connected strands of Pathfinder’s life, each shaping and enriching the other.
Our school connections are important to us, but the Pathfinder community reaches much wider than families connected with the school. We bring together people of all ages and stages of life who want to explore faith, build relationships and help Northstowe become an increasingly connected and flourishing place.
At the heart of both strands is the same hope: that church, school and households can help one another put down roots, follow the path and find the wings to fly — and that faith is lived out in the places where we actually spend our lives.
Whats On with Pathfinder Church
Whats On with Pathfinder Church
Pathfinder Church Club needs booking in advance, but otherwise there is always space to drop in to our regular gatherings, so you don’t need to book. But if it’s your first time, or if food is involved, it really helps us to know you’re coming.
What to expect when we gather on Sundays
What to expect when we gather on Sundays
We’re not following a blueprint for “how to plant a church”. We’re pioneering — praying, exploring and sharing together as we respond to what God is doing in this place.
Our worship style is growing in response to the gifts people bring, with deep roots in our different Christian traditions as we help people of all ages and stages of life grow in faith and discover what that might mean in the places where we already live, learn and work — the places God is calling each of us to make a difference.
Our gatherings are relaxed but deep, combining clear structure with multisensory ways to engage and plenty of freedom to move, make, listen, wonder or be still. Journalling Bibles, playdough, colouring and other creative resources are always available, but entirely optional.
So come as you are, walk with us for a while… experience church, but perhaps not as you know it.
Intergenerational
Intergenerational
Adults and children pray, explore and share together. We find that everyone’s experience is richer when different ages and stages of life learn alongside one another.
Multisensory
Multisensory
Colouring, journalling, modelling, books and other resources are always available for anyone who finds that doing something with their hands helps them listen, think or pray.
Encounter
Encounter
Our aim is to make space for unforced, authentic encounter — with one another and with God — as we walk together with The Pathfinder, Jesus Christ.
How a Pathfinder Sunday Gathering flows
How a Pathfinder Sunday Gathering flows
The kettle is usually on ten minutes before we begin, and refreshments remain available throughout. We start at 10am, then our praying, exploring, and sharing flows until 11.30am. Then everyone helps pack up the tabletop boxes, tables, chairs, and wash up and make sure everything is reset ready for school in the morning. We also share cake and more refreshments afterwards.
Read about how we're working to ensure everyone is fully included and welcomed, especially those who might not have found a welcome in group settings before. Read more on our Access page.
1. We begin around tables and activities connected with the theme of the day. You might chat with friends and soon-to-be-friends, colour, journal, explore something on the table, or simply take some quiet time.
After a little while we draw together from around the room to worship God — or, if all this is new to you, to explore what worship might mean.
2. From the stories and experiences we bring, we look for connections with the Bible and the lived experience of God’s people down the ages.
We use different Bible translations (we love to use THE VOICE bible translation alongside the NRSV,and our Church Journaling Bibles (Good News Translation) reminding us that whenever we read the Bible we read it in translation.) and may also draw on music, poetry, film, art, books and resources from across the Christian traditions.
Then people are free to explore in different ways: through conversation, interactive stations, creativity, reading or quiet reflection.
3. Exactly where this element happens might vary depending on the theme, but there will always be space to share important news from the church family, as well as opportunities to join in with the wider Northstowe Church Network or Northstowe Community
4. We gather back to share what we have been noticing.
Nobody is required to speak, but we love hearing from those who want to contribute. What emerges from our exploration helps shape our prayers and response.
On Communion Sundays, this leads naturally towards gathering around the Lord’s Table. We come from many different Christian traditions - and many of us are completely new to faith! So sharing in communion is both beautiful... and a little messy as we seek to honour each other well! We ask that all those taking part do so in line with their own position and heritage., and to be gracious to those whose traditions might be rather different! For those new to all this, we encourage you to talk this over with us, and we love to offer blessings to everyone!
5. This is not the end of the journey! We finish by asking what encouragement, challenge or discovery we might carry into the week ahead:
Where might our faith make a difference?
How might God sustain us?
What might God already have prepared for us to do?
But before we go, we are invited to stay for cake!
(Talk to Hannah M if you are interested in joining the hospitality team!)
+ What do we mean by intergenerational worship?
+ What do we mean by intergenerational worship?
Drawn from a helpful summary by The Methodist Church
Intergenerational worship IS about:
Intergenerational worship IS about:
building relationships—offering a key time for people to get to know each other better and build a sense of connection;
a time of worship and learning that is offered in a simplified and participatory way—simple does not mean shallow; rather it enables everyone to contribute and receive in a meaningful and appropriate way;
•providing an inclusive experience and a sense of belonging —helping everyone of all abilities to feel part of the body of Christ, whatever their experience;
being a bridge—not only between ages but also for those who are exploring what being part of a church means. This relaxed service style can provide a comfortable place for some to discover more about Christianity;
encouragement, nurture and inclusiveness—it is a means by which faith can grow and, in turn, inform life-making or life-changing decisions;
exploring vocation—an opportunity to discover and develop gifts and calling.
It ISN’T about:
It ISN’T about:
limiting the richness of resources used;
oversimplifying the message or adding a children’s talk into the ‘usual’ service;
unstructured and chaotic worship;
children having token responsibilities for roles and participation;
limiting potential to explore faith and discipleship together;
nuclear families exclusively worshipping together.
School Connections
School Connections
Part of the family at The Pathfinder School
Part of the family at The Pathfinder School
Our Sunday gatherings are only one part of our identity as Pathfinder Church.
Through the week, we share life with The Pathfinder Church of England Primary School, exploring together what it means to put down roots, follow the path and find the wings to fly.
Our relationship goes back to the earliest days of both church and school in Northstowe. We share a commitment to helping children, families and the wider community flourish as this new town continues to grow.
“In our growing new town, we are putting down roots as an establishing school and church. Together, we seek to journey along the path, intentionally supporting and encouraging one another, sharing the adventure.”
From our Church–School CovenantThe school and church each have their own life and responsibilities, but there is a rich overlap between them — in relationships, prayer, worship, learning, pastoral care and the life of the wider Northstowe community.
Why "Pathfinder"?
Why "Pathfinder"?
The name Pathfinder holds together two stories that are deeply rooted in this place.
A path through Northstowe’s history
A path through Northstowe’s history
Northstowe is being built on the former RAF Oakington airbase. During the Second World War, Pathfinder crews flew from here, going ahead and dropping flares to help other aircraft find their way.
That history has become part of the story of The Pathfinder School and of the developing town: a story about finding a way, learning, courage and helping others navigate unfamiliar territory.
We remember that history thoughtfully rather than uncritically. It is a story born out of war, and it is not the same story as the Christian one. But it gives the word Pathfinder a particularly local resonance.
The Way of Life
The Way of Life
There is another story hidden in plain sight in the school’s distinctive symbol. The winding line and empty cross are inspired by Jonathan Clarke’s The Way of Life, the great sculpture at the west end of Ely Cathedral.
The winding path evokes a journey or pilgrimage: not always straight, predictable or easy. The empty cross holds together the suffering of Good Friday with the hope of Easter — the conviction that suffering and darkness do not have the final word.
At The Pathfinder, the artwork has been reimagined in negative space, so that the changing sky itself becomes part of the image. Look at it one way and you may see a winding path towards a cross. Look another way and it can resemble a vapour trail leading towards an aircraft with its wings spread.
Those two readings help connect the Christian story with the particular story of this place.
Following The Pathfinder
Following The Pathfinder
For Pathfinder Church, the Christian story takes us further.
We call Jesus The Pathfinder not because we imagine him as a superhero who swoops in and fixes everything, but because Christians believe that in Jesus God has travelled the human road before us and travels it with us.
The path can be irregular. There are joyful stretches and difficult ones. Sometimes we know exactly where we are going; sometimes we are finding the way together.
So being Pathfinder Church is about learning to walk that way with Jesus and with one another — putting down roots, following the path and finding the wings to fly.
+ Church • School • Households: Growing Faith
+ Church • School • Households: Growing Faith
Our relationship with The Pathfinder School is part of the national Growing Faith movement, exploring what becomes possible when church, school and households learn from one another with children and young people at the heart of our shared life.
Our relationship with The Pathfinder School is part of the national Growing Faith movement, exploring what becomes possible when church, school and households learn from one another with children and young people at the heart of our shared life.
Northstowe is one of the Growing Faith Foundation’s Learning Hubs. But for us, being a Learning Hub is not primarily about running a programme. It means learning together.
Children, parents, teachers and church leaders have been praying, creating and asking big questions together: exploring the story behind the Pathfinder symbol, developing spaces for prayer and reflection, creating artwork, and discovering how our own stories might connect with the Christian story.
Children and young people are therefore not simply recipients of this work. Their questions, creativity and insights help shape what we are becoming.
Some of that learning has already helped give birth to Pathfinder Church Club. It is also flowing beyond the school gates, helping shape the developing vision for the Chapel by the Lake and its surrounding landscape.
Children as leaders:
Worship Gang and the Growing Faith Group
Children as leaders:
Worship Gang and the Growing Faith Group
Children’s voices are an important part of our Church–School relationship.
Children’s voices are an important part of our Church–School relationship.
Worship Gang is a changing group of older pupils who work with adults to reflect on, plan and help lead Collective Worship. Together with a wider group of childern in the Growing Faith Group, they ask questions, test ideas, create prayers and resources, and help us notice what connects — and what doesn’t — for children themselves. The Growing Faith group were even part of a recent national recruitment programme! Their leadership is real, while adults retain the responsibility appropriate to their roles.
They especailly enjoyed hosting Bishop Sarah in January 2026...
+ A day in the life of the church-school link team
+ A day in the life of the church-school link team
Did you know that Rachel, Revd Beth and Hannah spend Thursdays in and around The Pathfinder School on behalf of Pathfinder Church?
Did you know that Rachel, Revd Beth and Hannah spend Thursdays in and around The Pathfinder School on behalf of Pathfinder Church?
No two Thursdays are quite the same.
Church–school link days are joyful, relational and rooted in helping children explore life, faith and spirituality in ways that make sense to them, while being sensitive to the range of religious and non-religious worldviews within our school community.
On a typical Thursday you might find us:
🌅 welcoming younger children and their grown-ups at Little Explorers, making space for “time for you, your child and God” through stories, singing and multisensory play;
🌱 working with classes on our Rooted Stations — accessible spaces where children can explore prayer, spirituality, emotions and big questions through words, pictures, sound and touch;
🎙️ meeting with Worship Gang, where children help us reflect on, plan and lead Collective Worship;
✨ preparing Collective Worship with staff and children, often bringing together questions from science, everyday life and Christian faith;
🎨 gathering after school for Pathfinder Church Club, where children and families explore the Christian story through creativity, conversation, play and prayer;
💬 and, throughout all of that, talking with children, parents and staff — because some of the most important parts of church–school partnership happen in ordinary relationships and unexpected conversations.
It is less about the church coming into school to “deliver” something, and much more about learning, listening and growing together.
And the relationship stretches beyond Thursdays too: people from across the church and wider Network pray for the school, serve as governors and volunteers, support staff and families, and join in with significant moments across the school year.
Pathfinder Church Club
Pathfinder Church Club
Pathfinder Church Club is our after-school community for children and families connected with The Pathfinder School.
Pathfinder Church Club is our after-school community for children and families connected with The Pathfinder School.
It has grown out of what we have learned through Little Explorers, Worship Gang and our wider Growing Faith work, creating space for children and grown-ups to explore Christian faith together through stories, songs, creativity, games, discussion and reflection.
Some children come with a parent, carer or another trusted adult; a limited number may also attend independently. However people take part, the aim is the same: to create a community where children are not simply recipients of something adults provide, but can ask questions, contribute ideas and increasingly help shape what happens.
Church Club is a shared initiative of Pathfinder Church and The Pathfinder Church of England Primary School, with support from the Growing Faith Foundation, and forms part of our wider exploration of what can happen when church, school and households learn and grow together.
What might happen at Church Club?
What might happen at Church Club?
No two weeks are identical, but you can expect a mixture of:
Bible stories and big questions
craft, art and hands-on creativity
songs and music
games and play
conversation and wondering
moments of prayer and reflection
food, friendship and time to get to know one another
Pathfinder Church Club is free to attend (but we very much welcome donations to help cover the running costs!) We do not want cost to prevent a child or family from taking part.
One church, woven through the week
One church, woven through the week
By this point, you can probably see why we don't struggle to divide Pathfinder neatly into “Sunday church” and “school collaborations”. The same relationships, questions, prayer and learning flow between Sundays, school, households and the wider life of Northstowe. Pathfinder can therefore look quite different on different days: gathered around tables in the school hall; children helping shape Collective Worship; families creating together at Church Club; conversations at the school gate; or faith being carried into work, home and neighbourhood.
What holds all of this together is not a single format or activity, but a shared community learning to follow Jesus — praying, exploring and sharing as we go.
And that shared life doesn't stop at the edges of Pathfinder Church. We are ourselves part of something wider.
Part of the wider Northstowe Church Network
Part of the wider Northstowe Church Network
Pathfinder Church has its own character and community, but it does not stand alone.
We are one of the communities of hope that together make up the Northstowe Church Network, alongside Little Explorers, the Compline Community and other ways in which our shared life continues to grow.
Across the Network we share people, leadership, prayer and mission. We come together for Communion and the great Christian festivals, for community events and pilgrimages, and in working alongside our neighbours for the flourishing of Northstowe.
So you don’t have to decide which “bit” you belong to. You might mostly join Pathfinder on Sundays, come into contact with us through school, pray with Compline, bring a younger child to Little Explorers — or move naturally between several of these.
We are one Network, growing communities of hope for the life of Northstowe.
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