A Cafe in Norfolk, supported by members of the parish church, is proving to be a popular community hub and focal point for local people, 18 months after it began as a church plant.
The church members from St Nicholas Church in Dersingham see the café as a form of hospitality and outreach. Their aim is to grow community in the surrounding area.
‘The Well’ in Ingoldisthorpe in North West Norfolk is run in the Church Hall. Ingoldisthorpe is a village in rural Norfolk, almost 10 miles from the town of King’s Lynn. Its original name means ‘outlying farmstead’.
Inside The Well Café, there is a barista evangelist serving quality barista coffee and cakes. The café is open to everyone on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 12.30pm. As well as this, there is a Café Church on the 4th Sunday of every month as part of the church’s mission plan.
Revd Mark Capron is the vicar. He says:
“The Well is our Church plant and seeks to provide an open and accessible space to come and ‘drink deep’ from the living water of Jesus Christ. ‘Café Church at The Well’ offers a different approach to conventional church. It’s a relaxed, informal style, set in a café environment and open to all, but with a special focus on newcomers and those who are curious about the Christian faith. Pop in and find out more, everyone is very welcome.”
The Church Hall has toilets, free Wi-fi, parking and an accessibility ramp into the building. Alongside providing good company, games and a refreshing place to stop for walkers, there are additional community services. One of these includes a mobile post office van visiting every Monday.
Lisa is the post office van driver serving 17 villages in the area. She says:
“90% of our regulars are older people. People say to me ‘what a lifeline you are and what would we do without you?’ A lot of people come in for their pension.”
The mobile post office van offers cash withdrawals, cash and cheque deposits as well as a parcel service and even a dry cleaning service. Afterwards, you can always go inside the cafe for a quality coffee and a friendly chat.
Find out more about The Well here: The Well – Ingoldisthorpe Coffee (atthewell.org.uk)
St Nicholas Church, Dersingham: St. Nicholas church Dersingham, Norfolk (stnicholasdersingham.org.uk)
Exploring Norfolk Churches: Exploring Norfolk Churches