On Sunday 27th May – Pentecost Sunday, we are moving back to St. Stephen’s Church!

It has been three years since the wall cracked at the East end of the church which led to our moving our services out to the Chantry Hall whilst the church was repaired. Although not completely finished yet – we can move back into St. Stephen’s with new heating, a new floor, new toilet facilities and a meeting room. We will be planning and working over the next months to install a kitchen, an office and to paint the interior walls. 

There will be an opportunity to see something of  our ‘story’ of the past three years in an exhibition at the church of photographs of the extensive restoration works. The exhibition will be open 10am – 2pm most weekdays in June. Admission Free. 

Our first service will be on Sunday 27th at 10am click here for further details.

Welcome to St. Stephens in May…

This month sees us moving back into St. Stephens! 

On Pentecost Sunday 27th May we will start to hold our Sunday services in St. Stephen’s again.

It has been three years since the wall cracked at the East end of the church which led to our moving our services out to the Chantry Hall whilst the church was repaired. Although not completely finished yet – we can move back into St. Stephen’s with new heating, a new floor, new toilet facilities and a meeting room. We will be planning and working over the next months to install a kitchen, an office and to paint the interior walls. 

There will be an opportunity to see something of  our ‘story’ of the past three years in an exhibition at the church of photographs of the extensive restoration works. The exhibition will be open 10am – 2pm most weekdays in June. Admission Free. 

Our services  will continue to be held at the Chantry Hall, Chantry Road Norwich (next to the Assembly Rooms) NR2 1QZ, with the last services there on Sunday 20th May.

Our weekly Sunday services are at 10.00am with our original service pattern using Common Worship 11.30am an All-age Worship service with worship songs, teaching, prayer and ministry time, with provision for children and at 4pm ‘Gathering’ a time of worship, fellowship and friendship.

• 6 May 

10.00am:  Service of the Word (5th of Easter)

Readings:Acts 8: 28-end & John 15: 1-8

11.30am: Beginning with coffee at 11am… All-age Worship – with worship songs, teaching, prayer and ministry-time and provision for children. Service finishes at 12.30pm. Looking at Acts 15

4.00pm: Gathering – an informal time for worship, fellowship and friendship. Looking at Luke 16: 19-31 The Good Samaritan & Holy Communion

• May 13

10.00am: Holy Communion (6th of Easter)

Readings: Acts 10: 44-end & John 15: 9-17

11.30am: Beginning with coffee at 11am… All-age Worship – with worship songs, teaching, prayer and ministry-time and provision for children. Service finishes at 12.30pm. Looking at Acts 16.

4.00pm: Gathering – an informal time for worship, fellowship and friendship. “From here to there, now where?” Review and plan for the future

• May 20

10.00am: Morning Prayer with Healing (7th of Easter, Sunday after Ascension)

Readings: Acts 1: 15-17, 21-end & John 17: 6-19

11.30am  All-age Worship – with worship songs, teaching, prayer and ministry-time and provision for children. Service finishes at 12.30pm. Looking at Acts 17 &  Holy Communion

4.00pm: Gathering – an informal time for worship, fellowship and friendship. Looking at Matthew 25: 14-30 “Three servants are given talents”

• May 27 BACK IN ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH 

10.00am Holy Communion (Pentecost Sunday)

Readings: Acts 2: 1-21 & John 15: 26,27, 16: 4b-15

11.30am: Beginning with coffee at 11am… All-age Worship – with worship songs, teaching, prayer and ministry-time and provision for children. Service finishes at 12.30pm. Looking at Acts 2: 1-21

4pm: Gathering – an informal time for worship, fellowship and friendship. “Our new home”

• And also on Sunday 27th May @ 6.00pm at St. Stephen’s Church: Global Day of Prayer Event in conjunction with House of Prayer and Hope Church.

OTHER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES…

Our office telephone number is: 07887 472 678

Men’s and Women’s Prayer Breakfasts continue this month on May 5th.  Both groups meet at 8.00am. Men’s group at St. Edmund’s, Fishergate ( new HQ of ‘Call to Prayer’) . Women’s group at 12, The Crescent, Norwich. Further details from:07887 472 678 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

Thursday Lunchtime Bible Study Meeting at 9, Kingsley Road, Norwich, from 12 noon for 12.30 start. Study focus:  the Lord’s Prayer. Further details from: 07887 472 68 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

Tuesday Evening Fellowship group meet at 14, The Crescent. 7.45 – 9.30pm. Further details from: 07887 472 68 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

A new Tuesday evening fellowship group meet at 25, Newmarket Road at 6.30pm Further details from:  07887 472 68 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

Wednesday Evening Fellowship group meet at 17, Trory St. at 7.30pm. Further details from:  07887 472 68 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

Thursday evening fellowship group meet at 9, St. Stephens Square, from 7.30-9.15pm. Contact: 07887 472 678 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com for more information.

Youth Bible Study group for 14-18yr old meets on Thursdays at 4.30pm at 12, The Crescent.

The Tuesday Coffee Group meets from 10.00am at Wilkinsons, on St. Stephen’s Street, Norwich. All welcome for coffee and chat.More details on 07887 472 678 or email: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

Starting in May….

A new Wednesday morning small group looking at - ’The Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren  from Wednesday 9 May 10am-12noon meeting at 12, The Crescent.

For more details: tel: 07887 472 678 or e mail: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

The Freedom in Christ Discipleship Course – this 13 week course begins on Thursday 24 May

 On Thursday evenings 6.30pm – 9.30pm at 12, The Crescent, Chapelfield Road, Norwich.

For futher details contact our office 07887 472 678 or email: ststephensnorwich@googlemail.com

Madeline Light writes…”Prayer underpins all that we are and all that we do at St Stephen’s. Intercessory prayer continues throughout the week, by ourselves, in groups, on Sundays before the first service and in services.

A number of us feel that it would be good to have an opportunity for as many as possible in the Church to get together, once a month…..we have gone for a Tuesday evening (specifically, the last Tuesday in the month) from 7.45 (prompt) to 8.45 (prompt), to be followed by a cup of tea/coffee for those who can stay and chat, finishing perhaps by 9.30.”

• Each month St. Stephen’s has a charity which benefits from St. Stephen’s giving. The  May charity is the Church Missionary Society.

In October 2009 St. Stephen’s congregation had to move out of St. Stephen’s Church for major structural repairs – this is the story of what’s been happening …

May 2009 … the chancel of the church (altar end) cracked from floor to ceiling making the East wall (adjacent to M&S) unstable

October 2009… the congregation moved out and services are held in Chantry Hall (next to the Assembly Rooms)

November & December 2009… restoration work commences … the church is protected and the East window removed … an archaeological dig takes place prior to restoration work

January, February & March 2010… deep excavations to place concrete blocks under foundations

April, May & June 2010… concrete piles are put in – some up to 18m deep to stabilize the church. Crack stops ‘moving’ after 1 year

July & August 2010… mending the crack begins and ‘tying’ the walls together

September & October 2010… securing ties are put into the wall at the top of the crack just under the roof & inside the church

November & December 2010...  new doorway is made from the ‘old’ vestry to the chancel and a floor laid

January, February, March & April 2011… – the new toilet area begins to take shape and clear glazing of the East window prior to re-installation of stained glass the exterior scaffolding is removed and repaired stonework cleaned

May, June, July & August 2011…    (photos L to R) doorway emerging, plastering and window replacement at the East (altar) end

                                                                                                      

and…. new floor with underfloor heating at the altar end

Winter 2011

The reredos and nave ledgers are  re-installed

… and ground works commence for underfloor heating installed early 2012

April 2012…

The new ‘Ancaster’ stone floor takes shape  

and… re-opening in May 27 2012 

Although not completely finished yet – we can move back into St. Stephen’s with new heating, a new floor, new toilet facilities and a meeting room. We will be planning and working over the next months to install a kitchen, an office, to paint the interior walls and to re-install the East end window stained glass.

Further images of St. Stephen’s restoration – click on an image to enlarge