Café at centre of reinvented Norwich church
The closure of a Norwich city centre church for three years because of a huge crack in the chancel wall led to it reinventing itself as a hub for a mission of hospitality, focused upon a very successful church café. Keith Morris reports.
In May 2009, on the day that incumbent Rev Madeline Light was due to be installed as its priest-in-charge, a large bang was heard in the church and the crack appeared, caused by a burst water main. The church was closed for three years, but today, 15 years later, the redeveloped church has become a hub for a mission of hospitality to the community, as the church engages with those around them in ways they could never have expected.
The church café is at the heart of that mission, hosting and financing the church’s outreach ministries. In an era when many people have no contact with church, the café encourages the people of Norwich to come through the inviting big glass doors to eat, volunteer and take part in the life of the church.
At the time, the new Chapelfield shopping centre had recently opened near the church meaning that up to 10,000 people a day passed its doors – an opportunity which they recognised and used. Curate Rev Ian Fifield said: “We had a beautiful medieval grade one listed building in the centre of Norwich. It would have been appalling stewardship to have it open on a Sunday only. Before the crack when the shopping centre was being built and the churchyard developed, the church put hospitality and visibility at the heart of their plans starting with replacing the large oak west doors with glass, making it easier to see inside. It was their way of showing the community that they wanted the church to be open to them.
The congregation bought into the vision and gave generously and by 2012 the new purpose built coffee centre was open for two hours daily.
When new café manager Beckie Ward arrived in 2014, she imagined a café that would be a place of grace in the community. Customers were invited to pay what they could afford for the food and drink on offer, so some paid less than the guide price and others paid more to be generous to their neighbours. It was billed as “Eat, drink, share, pay what you know is fair.”
“It was something that God put on my heart,” said Beckie. “I wanted to see the outworking of what grace could look like in a church café.”
The Norwich community responded positively to a very different model of commerce in the city centre, with hundreds visiting regularly.
This was just the start and in 2019 the church aimed to help address loneliness through Café Friends – volunteers whose role is to engage with customers who would like to talk.
A small paid team manage between 20 and 30 volunteers, including people outside the church, prison leavers and the unemployed.
Amidst a fast-food culture, St Stephens Café has a distinctive commitment to slow, wholesome food, with home-baked cakes, sausage rolls and soup among its most popular offerings.
“I think people appreciate that the café is not like Starbucks. You don’t have to worry if you want to spend a couple of hours with a pot of tea – that is absolutely fine,” said Ian.
Appointing community worker Clare Melia was another step in reaching out to the deeper needs of its customers. She makes informal connections with people needing help with housing, addictions, debt and more. “When a need arose, as individuals came into the café, I knew who to call or where to signpost them,” said Clare. Today she advocates for clients with statutory agencies and even in court and she has helped many café patrons find long-term housing.
The church is inspired in its entrepreneurial mission by the theology of John McGinley who argues that the church of tomorrow will be entrepreneurial in its culture, following where the Spirit of God leads.
The church believes that it is not just there for the benefit of its congregation but for those outside its walls as well – and the Gospel is at the heart of its mission.
Prison leavers charity Community Chaplaincy Norfolk is based in the café and its manager Mel Wheeler said: “We’ve had several clients who have become attenders on a Sunday. They know they are going to see some familiar faces and several tables are left in their café position during services to make people feel more at home.”
There are many stories of café customers from the edge of the community who have become part of church life, people like homeless man ‘Simon’ who found help and friendship, then a place to live and joined an Alpha course.
Prayer and worship are everyday features of café life – and prayer is one of the most important ministries with those seeking hope in the café.
A booklet telling the story of the church and café and everything that has gone into making it such a success, has been written by Naomi Jacobs and Rev Madeline Light and recently published by Grove Books.
Madeline said: “This booklet represents years of work by so many people, including Rev Hereward Cooke who imagined the church as it is now in 2004, and a fund raising effort by Rev Pat Atkinson in the 1990s. Not to mention the people who have worked tirelessly in recent years. We seek to be a kingdom presence for the people around us, without pressure to join us.
“I am delighted that Naomi has helped us describe all that has happened so well. My hope is that people will see beyond the particular circumstances we found ourselves in and identify the particular kingdom principles that can encourage thriving.
“I look forward to seeing more churches valued for their positive contribution to society which in previous years has often been unseen and unnoticed.”
The booklet is available to buy in St Stephen's for £3.50. It is also available online at Grove Books and Amazon.
www.grovebooks.co.uk
www.ststephensnorwich.org
Pictured above are Beckie Ward, left, Rev Madeline Light and Clare Melia. Picture by St Stephen's.