Who is it for? ▪ Speakers ▪ Programme ▪ Seminars ▪ Offering ▪ Booking and volunteering ▪ FAQs
Thrive 2027
Our annual gathering, equipping us to build thriving churches that advance the kingdom.
Thrive is the annual gathering for the Salt & Light Advance family of churches. Gathering together as a wider family of churches is important! We catch sight of a bigger picture. We see that he’s called us to be a movement, together impacting our part of the world. We are inspired, taught and equipped and filled afresh with the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity to deepen old friendships and create new ones. We eat, pray and worship together.
If you’re considering coming to Thrive for the first time, why not check out resources from previous years to get a feel for what we do?
Who is Thrive for?
Thrive is our annual gathering for all those keen to play their part in building thriving churches that advance the kingdom.
That includes people leading within the church, and people leading beyond the church, as well as people without formal leadership roles yet keen to play their part.
Speakers and hosts
Jon Norman
Jon and Chantel are Senior Pastors of Jon's childhood church, formerly Norwich Family Life Centre, now SOUL Church. The church has experienced huge growth, an expanding building and impact in the town. outreach. Jon is the Chaplain of Norwich City Football Club and has written two books, Unmasked and Above All Else.
Jo Hargreaves
is a a psychotherapist, writer and speaker, with an approach to therapy that integrates theology and therapy together. She loves working with people, viewing everyone holistically – spirit, soul and body. She is a Location Pastor at Alive Church, a multisite church in and around Lincoln, and is online as The Faith Filled Therapist.
Event hosts:
Rich and Anna Ellwood
Team leaders for the Salt & Light Advance family of churches, Rich and Anna spent many years in Brussels establishing a thriving and multicultural local church. They now lead our family of churches, as well as Witney Community Church.
Programme
Friday 19th February
10.00am Doors open, refreshments*
10.30am Morning session
12.30pm Lunch*
2.00pm Salt & Light Advance vision and updates
3.00pm Choice of seminars and other sessions
4.00pm Refreshments*
4.30pm Choice of seminars and other sessions
5.30pm Break
5:45pm Dinner* - opportunity to connect with old friends and new, over a spacious, excellent meal
7.00pm Delegate arrivals for evening session
7.30pm Evening session
9.30pm End
Saturday 20th February
9.30am Doors open
9.45am Morning session, with mid-morning refreshments*:
12.30pm Lunch*
1.45pm Choice of seminars
3.00pm Closing session
4.30pm End
*All refreshments are included in the conference ticket.
Seminars
Seminars have yet to be confirmed, information for each session will be made available here nearer the event.
Friday 3.00pm
Friday 4.30pm
Saturday 1.45pm
Offering
God has initiated a new season in our family of churches - a season of working together more closely and more intentionally with a variety of joint initiatives and projects as we seek to journey together with shared vision and purpose. God is calling us into a fresh season of fruitfulness and thriving!
Please could you pray and reflect on how you could generously contribute to this? We will take an offering during Thrive to help us train leaders, disciple young people, support churches, impact other nations and see our towns and villages touched with the love of God.
Although each church gives regularly to help cover everyday costs, this fresh season of building together needs further finances to really give it a boost. Please consider giving generously and joyfully to this offering.
Booking
Volunteers: Thrive 2027 will rely on a good team of volunteers. Would you like to get involved behind the scenes, with a team, and benefit from a discount? Volunteers will serve drinks and food, clear venues and manage the car park. Full training given.
We ask you to volunteer for part of the time, as well as giving you space to attend some sessions. First, tell us you’re interested, and then we’ll reach out to you to discuss what you’d like to do, and how much.
Youth: We welcome Y12/Y13 youth to book, free of charge, to participate in Thrive. Other than nursing babies, we ask that children are not brought to Thrive. More on this below.
Car parking: There is an adequate amount of free car parking on-site, as long as we all maximize our occupancy by car-sharing. More on this below.
Booking deadlines:
FAQs
-
We are a group of smaller churches in which Sunday gatherings often rely on key leaders, so we plan our annual 2-day conference to avoid Sundays.
-
Thrive is one of our four main annual events. We welcome children and youth to the two Celebrations and to Wildfires, but unfortunately it is not feasible for us to offer childcare at Thrive, and we ask that children (other than nursing babies or Y12/13 youth) are not brought to the event.
-
With 94 spaces on-site we anticipate adequate onsite parking for delegates, however, this is dependent on effective car-sharing. Please help your fellow delegates by car-sharing if at all possible.
Outside of Mon-Fri 8.00am-6.30pm there is also some on-street parking.
-
All rooms being used for the event are acccessible by wheelchair, please let us know if you are likely to need to use the lift.
The prayer room (upstairs, also accessible by lift) will be available as a quieter space and there are a range of seating options throughout the building.
If you have differing capacity or needs which you would like support with please email events@advancechurches.uk
-
For general terms and conditions, including discounts and accessibility, please visit https://advancechurches.uk/event-tc
For event-specific T&C please see the ChurchSuite sign up page.
We have suggested travel information here. Please be aware on road parking is not suitable Monday-Friday as it can only be used for 2 hours.
Comms pack for churches
Check here for the comms pack