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Christian unity is alive in East Norfolk

Christian unity is alive in East Norfolk

Celebrating  Christian Unity: A Visit to the Church in the Community Group for the District of Great Yarmouth

By Dr Ian Watson County Ecumenical Officer for Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney
 
It was a joy to recently visit the Church in the Community Group for the District of Great Yarmouth. As County Ecumenical Officer, I was concerned that the once well-established Churches Together group in Great Yarmouth was no longer in existence.  Over the last year, I had hoped that the ministers and pastors in the area would look to reinstate such a historically successful collaboration.  Unfortunately, this has not yet happened, so it was with some trepidation that I visited to hear about how ecumenism was going in this area of East Norfolk

I need not have worried.  What I witnessed at the Church in the Community Group meeting was something quite extraordinary: a vibrant, Christ-centred network of amazing people, grounded in love for God, each other, and the wider community.  I found the visit incredibly uplifting, and it was a great joy to experience the transformative power of Christian collaboration, run and sustained by the laity of the Church

Since 2016, this group has grown into a hub of dynamic partnerships and faithful friendships. Regular members represent around 18 churches and Christian charities across the district. Each one brings a unique gift to the table in the form of prayer, social action, pastoral care, and practical service. Visitors and guest speakers often attend, drawn by the group’s reputation for meaningful engagement and warm hospitality.  The convenor of the group is Anna Heydon, the development worker from Imagine Norfolk Together, she helps ensure that members receive regular training and sharing sessions - her commitment to them is clearly a blessing

What makes this group so strong is not just what they do but how they do it. The glue holding them together is a shared vision rooted in the love of Jesus and the quality of the relationships built over years of prayer, action, and mutual support. They are not just a committee but a community in the truest sense. In conversations throughout my visit, I heard stories of resilience and encouragement. I found it moving that the Group members have supported one another through personal hardships, family challenges, and ministry trials

The Directory of Services produced by the Church in the Community Group is impressive and nothing short of a lifeline for many in the communities they serve, especially as Great Yarmouth has the most shocking number of homeless (c.40 at the last official count) and those other souls without permanent accommodation. The Directory captures the breadth of Gospel-inspired service across the Great Yarmouth area, from crisis food support and mental health drop-ins to craft clubs, community meals, and youth clubs.  Some highlights include:

• Crisis Support & Essentials Provision
  From the friendly community supermarket at Sally’s Store to the foodbanks at the Salvation Army, Caister, and Bradwell, churches are making sure that no one goes hungry or unsupported. Many of these venues also offer signposting, drop-in advice, and a hot drink and chat
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
  Groups like Oasis and the Parish Nurse Service provide safe, compassionate spaces where people can rest, reflect, and receive one-to-one or group support. These ministries are a lifeline for those struggling with anxiety, loneliness, or complex challenges
• Creative Skills & Social Inclusion
  Whether it's woodwork at the Community Workshop, bellringing in Bradwell, or the needlecraft group at St Nicholas Church, these are places where people can discover new skills, build friendships, and experience belonging
• Children, Youth and Families
  With groups like Little Stars, Magpies, and Mags Youth Club, local churches are creating nurturing environments where children and young people can thrive, play, and encounter the love of Jesus through trusted relationships
• Warmth and Welcome
  There are so many social spaces offering food, conversation, and care—from Place of Welcome to the Bridge Community Lunch and Kingsgate Community Lunch. These are places of sanctuary, joy, and neighbourly love

Click this link to access the Directory of Services online.

One of the most encouraging signs of their work has been the informal partnerships that have blossomed through the group. Many of their most effective projects started as informal conversations, where someone simply dared to ask What if we tried this together? Whether it is shared referral pathways, joint events, or mutual volunteering, the synergy is real and it is clearly bearing fruit

What I witnessed was a beautiful embodiment of Corinthians 1:12 - the Body of Christ, many parts working together, each indispensable, each honoured. The Church in the Community Group demonstrates how the presence of Jesus is not limited to worship, but flows through social action - warm spaces, meals served, conversations held, and other collaborative community initiatives

Every volunteer in the group carried a spark of joy that comes from living out one’s calling in the service of others. The work they do is practical, relational, and deeply spiritual. As Churches Together in Norfolk and Waveney, we can learn so much from this model of faithful presence. It reminds us that real transformation doesn’t come from one-off projects or flashy campaigns, but from building relationships, having a long-term commitment, a genuine love of each other as the people of God, and a willingness to work across individual church boundaries

To everyone involved in the Church in the Community Group thank you for showing us what it means to be the Church: alive, connected, responsive, and rooted in Christ. Your witness is a light not only to Great Yarmouth, but to all of us striving to follow Jesus more faithfully in our own communities. In continuing our shared mission, as brothers and sisters in Christ may we do so with the same spirit of unity, creativity, and compassion that so clearly shines through this remarkable and inspiring group

For more information about Church in the Community please contact Anna Heydon, 07471357072, anna.heydon@togethernorfolk.org.uk

Article by Dr Ian Watson