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SoulChurchGroundBreakingOct21x
Norwich church begins work on 1,200-seat centre

Last night,  almost 16 years after Mount Zion Family Life church at Heartsease in Norwich burnt to the ground, 1,000 people from its successor, Soul Church, gathered to break ground on a new 1,200-seat church and community centre on the site.

The large crowd gathered under the stars on Sunday October 31 to mark the historic occasion on the Heartsease Lane site.  This is the same site on which the former Mount Zion church burnt to the ground in February 2006. The evening included worship and individual prayers from all the age groups who make up Soul Church,  and finished with fireworks to celebrate the occasion.

“We’ve been eagerly anticipating this moment for a long time, and today marks history in the making as we build a new Church and Community Centre on the site of the former Family Life Centre.  We believe the Church will be a place of hope and refuge for the city of Norwich.” said Jon Norman, Senior Pastor, Soul Church

The new Church and Community Centre will be a welcoming home for the people of Norwich, with a 1,200-seater auditorium, nursery, community café, play areas, counselling and therapy rooms and much more.   
 
The centre will also be home to Soul Foundation, which is making a huge difference in the community with over 2.8 million meals  being provided to families in Norwich since the pandemic began.   It’s set to open in Easter 2023. The church plans to partner with existing local organisations to address problems in the community, such as unemployment, isolation and lack of social mobility.
 
Back in 2017 the initial cost of the new project was put at £7m – read our report here.
 
If you’d like to find out more about the building and community asset, or to make a donation, please visit www.soulchurch.com. And to give to the local and global initiatives, please visit www.soulfoundation.org.uk.
 
Read our report on the fire in 2006.

Pictured above are Soul Church senior pastors Jon and Chantel (centre) with their children and members of the project team.
 

Keith Morris, 01/11/2021

Keith Morris
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