Sowing a seed: new Wroxham church plant
 The weekend of May 15th and 16th saw the launch of a new church plant in North Norfolk. Broadgrace is a new café-style church with a vision for spreading across the Broadland area.
Surrey Chapel in Norwich has a history of planting churches in both the city and surrounding rural areas. One goal for Pastor Tom Chapman in coming to the church in 2002 was to see this work revived. “The need for new congregations expressing the truth and love of Jesus in Norwich and Norfolk is greater than ever” he reflects, “and we had identified the Wroxham area as key opportunity. However, as time passed it became apparent that as a church we had the calling and the people but we did not have the leaders with the gifts, experience and vision to carry it through – so the Lord sent leaders with gifts, experience and vision!”
In a remarkable convergence of vision, John and Flick Hindley, previously planting churches in Manchester and regularly visiting family in Norfolk, perceived that area is underserved by evangelical churches. They felt called by God to initiate a new ministry and approached local churches. Discovering that Surrey Chapel shared that vision, they arrived in autumn 2009 and began to form a team. The fruit of their preparatory work was seen at the launch weekend, with a full Saturday afternoon event for supporters and a Sunday afternoon service for local people who we hope will actually come to the church in the future.
While the core team is small, this is not seen as a disadvantage – the Kingdom of God is like a tiny seed that grows to become a great tree! It means meetings can be flexible, friendly and family orientated, building a community from scratch. They take place on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm, usually at the Broadlands Community Centre in Hoveton, following a café church format for all ages. The longer term goal is for new small congregations to bud off and take root across the area.
Please pray for this new venture, for the glory of God and the extension of his Kingdom and the salvation of souls, through Broadgrace.
Pictured above: the Broadgrace team
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