A return to the
book of Acts.
Radical Church is a Pentecostal community of believers in Norwich who simply love Jesus, and who believe He still turns broken lives around.
It started with a new wineskin.
In 2013, Matt Richards felt the Lord say to him, "Start a church with a new wineskin." What he understood by that was a church for the marginalised: people who, for whatever reason, don't fit into a "normal" church.
The vision was a return to the book of Acts. A church where the Holy Spirit moves, where lives are genuinely changed, and where nobody is too far gone.
"God is into broken, messed-up people."
From the beginning, God put certain people on our hearts:
Looking ahead, we dream of small houses where people can live, be mentored and find freedom in a supportive, rehab-style setting. We also want to create enterprise and real jobs for people who find it hard to get work.
We're not perfect and we're not trendy. But we believe God has called us to this city, and we're going for it.
Could you pray 10 minutes a week?
We are looking for intercessors: people who will commit to praying for Radical Church one day a week, for ten minutes (minimum). Prayer is the engine room of everything we do.
Sign me up to prayWe may be Radical, but our theology is old-fashioned.
We stand on the Bible as the infallible Word of God. Here's what that looks like for us.
01God and His Word
- The Bible is the infallible Word of God.
- God created the universe and everything in it.
- Heaven and Hell are real.
- All humanity was created male or female, in the image of God.
- All human life is from God. It begins at conception and is sacred until death.
- God loves all people.
- Sexual intimacy is blessed by God only within marriage between a man and a woman.
02People
- Everyone has sinned.
- The gospel is the answer to the problem of sin and has the power to transform lives.
- We believe in conviction of sin, repentance and sanctification.
03The church and its people
- The message of the cross and the blood Jesus shed should be preached.
- Baptism by full immersion.
- Being filled with the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The despised and rejected can be restored into the five-fold ministry.
- Loving people enough to help them get free from the cycle of sin and addiction.
- Hard-core discipleship, visiting people and pastoring.
- Holiness, and being different from the world.
- Being family: raising up sons, daughters and warriors for the Kingdom.
04Ministry and the Holy Spirit
- We are Pentecostal and not ashamed.
- The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today.
- Laying on of hands, with signs following.
- Healing and casting out demons.
- Prayer and fasting, and body ministry.
- The presence and anointing of the Holy Ghost.
- We don't do flaky. We test everything and look for character and fruit.
- God blesses us materially so that we can be a blessing to others.
05Our city
- Lifting up Jesus and making Him famous in Norwich.
- Taking it outside the church: to the supermarkets, the streets and the clubs.
- Being a blessing to the other churches in Norwich.
- It's all about Jesus, and we will see revival in our generation.
- With faith, greater things can be done in this city.
We aren't perfect, we aren't trendy, but we definitely don't believe in average.
Pastor Matt & team