Norman was born in Stotfold, Bedfordshire in 1947. After completing secondary school he was apprenticed to auto-transmission maker Borg-Warner Ltd in Letchworth, Herts., and went on to spend 27years in industry.
A move to Essex came in 1977 when he joined Ford Tractor Division in Basildon as a design engineer and later in 1986 became part of their Product Management team.
The move to Essex also led to him becoming a Christian in 1979 and then some years later being asked to lead a small independent Christian fellowship called “the Vine”. Around this time he was baptised by a close friend in the river Blackwater.
While pastoring “the Vine” Norman continued to work in Product Management convinced that it kept him in touch with the pressures and stresses of “normal everyday life”, but also of the potential of Business and Mission together.
However, the baptism experience had ignited a real passion for World Mission, which eventually resulted in the giant step to join World Horizons in 1991 and respond to the call to Cambodia. But first came two years of humbling and breaking preparation before Cambodia could happen.
At last, the relocation to Phnom Penh occurred on 5th November 1993 and with it the discovery that nothing is ever wasted in God’s Kingdom. Old engineering and business experience became invaluable in discipling young people as he worked, sometimes with a bible in one hand and a hacksaw in the other, passing on skills and establishing projects and small companies to empower the poor. Several of these continue today and in particular, the craft exporting business eventually transformed to become “Care for Cambodia” a fully registered charity, caring for children and young people.
Norman retains close links with Cambodia and his adopted family although he returned to Essex in 2017.
August 1, 2018 in news & events by andrew
Sorry if you were hoping to visit us on Sunday 26 August, but we like to give our Sunday Support Teams a well-earned rest over the August bank holiday.
We will be meeting again on Sunday 2 September and will be at the usual time and place: 10.30 am at the Delphi Centre, Sudbury. Meanwhile, we hope you are having a wonderful Summer whatever you are doing.
August 1, 2018 in event, news, news & events, news and events by andrew
You may have been around Christian people all your life or perhaps you have never even thought to set foot inside a church. Whoever you are, why not come and join us for coffee & chat?
Whether you are interested in Christianity or not, are keen to find out more about Christian faith or you simply want to pass the time of day, we would love to spend some time with you and get to know you better.
Coffee & Chat runs on the third Wednesday of the month from 10:30am-12:00pm. Tea, coffee and other soft drinks are available along with biscuits and friendly conversation. If you have young children, feel free to bring them with you. Whoever you are and whatever you want to talk about, all are welcome.
For venue details and directions call the office on 01787 377 670 or email
August 1, 2018 in event, news & events by andrew
A time for men to connect!
We know that weekends are a valuable time for men, so we meet on the 1st Saturday of each month, from 9am finishing around 10am. This means there’s still time to wash the car, cut the lawn, go on that obligatory shopping trip, plus those other Saturday duties that befall us blokes.
Our next breakfast is on Saturday 4 August.
Our next breakfast will be at the Grover & Alan (Wetherspoon’s), North Street, Sudbury. Over the next few months, we will be trying different restaurants for our new venue so do come back to find out where we are gathering next, or pick up a Grapevine for details.
Feel free to invite a friend.
If you have never been before or new to the church, we would love to see you.
Dads feel free to bring your children.
See you there!
July 16, 2018 in news & events by andrew
You may think we are a bit nuts advertising for Christmas already, but its only 173 sleeps away so we thought we’d better get cracking.
We are super excited about Project Christmas Angel, the plan is to get a whole host of angels knitted and crocheted, ready for the start of Advent so that we can give them away with a message of hope to bless someone in our community this Christmas.
To get the ball of wool rolling we are holding a knitting, crochet and felting workshop on Wednesday 25 July, 7:30pm at the Vineyard Centre.
You may be an accomplished knitter or a complete novice, whatever your knitting experience come along for a good old yarn and share your experience or learn something new.
We are also looking for donations of white wool and needles that are no longer needed, why not bless someone that could put them to good use at one of our Project Christmas Angel events.
Look forward to seeing you there!
July 5, 2018 in news & events by andrew
When Jesus was asked to sum up everything into one command, he said it was to love God and our neighbour as ourselves. But what if Jesus meant that we were actually to love our neighbours and it wasn’t a figure of speech? What difference would it make to our community or even our nation?
This series builds upon our recent series, Follow Me and The New Commandments, taking its inspiration from the popular The Art of Neighbouring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon. Could our biggest social problems be solved by simply being good neighbours? Let’s knock on the door and find out!
Go deeper into this series, pick up your copy of The Art of Neighbouring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon from the Welcome Point on Sunday.
June 11, 2018 in news & events by andrew
Hey girls, fancy a night out? Come and join us on Friday 29 June from 7:30pm, at Prado Lounge for an evening of drinks and laughter.
Feel free to invite friends and family!
Look forward to seeing you there!
June 10, 2018 in news & events by andrew
The warm weather has arrived, so it’s time to get ‘sun ready’ and join us for our summer family challenge night out at the Vineyard Centre.
Tickets cost £8, which provides a delicious curry cooked by Curry Leaf Catering and a pudding. Soft drinks are provided, but if you want anything stronger you will need to bring your own beer or wine.
Book your place by purchasing your ticket/s on Sunday at the Welcome Point or by dropping into the church office between 9-5.30, Monday to Friday.
Please note: last date for buying tickets is Sunday 1 July.
Look forward to seeing you, rain or shine!
June 10, 2018 in news & events by andrew
