Newfrontiers changes reflected across Norfolk

After 20 years serving as Lead Elder at King's Community Church in Norwich, Goff Hope is switching places with Toby Skipper. Goff will continue to serve as an Elder at King's while spending more time working with other church leaders and churches, both regionally and   internationally.

 

Newfrontiers has over 800 churches in more than 60 nations around the world. Growth and vision is rooted in personal relationship and mentoring among leaders. It was until recently, headed by a leadership team led by Terry Virgo, a well known speaker at Spring Harvest. Now, men who have matured in ministries of an apostolic nature are being released to develop teams and 'spheres of influence' in their own regions in the UK, and around the world. 

 

Here in East Anglia, there is a developing team led by Mike Betts of Lowestoft Community Church. In a note to a Newfrontiers gathering, Mike wrote: "Rarely in church history has such a daring attempt been made to recreate the essence of New Testament apostolic mission."

 

King's Church in Norwich, regularly gathers 500 on Sundays and is now based in two locations,. The first is the old Lad's Club building on King Street where, since the purchase in the summer of 1997, a multi-faceted ministry has developed including year round conferencing for business and the community, and weekend facilities   serving the homeless. 

 

The second location is at the Norman Centre, in Mile Cross where a Sunday meeting is held and soon another building, King's Venue, will be up and running to serve that community.

Recently, the church held a 'Switch' weekend in which, on the Saturday evening, about 300 members gathered for a dinner celebrating 25 years of church family life. A video was shown spanning the years, and photos and   stories were swapped and told. 

 

A number of special guests, who had helped steer the church to maturity, were also present. Each spoke in turn of their recollections, the challenges, and their confidence that God was right at the heart of all that was happening. A presentation and an emotional standing ovation lasting several minutes confirmed Goff and Angie Hope's place in the hearts of the church family.

 

Then Sunday morning saw the 'Switch' of the lead elder role. Goff Hope and Toby Skipper were prayed for and prophesied over, as was the whole of the eldership team.

 

The weekend was a landmark occasion for the church, and one member observed: "the combination of the 25 year celebration looking back, followed immediately by the leadership switch was a stroke of genius on the part of the elders."

 

Toby Skipper says: "Looking back and seeing what God has done in past years helps fuel our faith and encourages us to move forward with confidence into the future, knowing Jesus is in charge and He's promised to build His church - good news indeed!"