New Soul Church Norwich building opens in Heartsease Lane

The new Soul Church building in Heartsease Lane also has a cafe, soft play area and a social supermarket to serve 3,000 people.

There were even a few famous faces in the crowd as thousands of people from all over the world across four church services throughout the day on Sunday. 

"This is a place anyone can call home," said Jon Norman, who is pastor alongside his wife Chantel.

"We want this to be a beacon of hope for the lonely and those in need.

The auditorium can seat over 1,000 people (Image: SOUL Church)

Pastors of Soul Church in Norwich, Chantel and Jon Norman (Image: Soul Church)

"We have plans to increase our help and support to those in the local area, with more capacity within our supermarket, job clubs, money and parenting classes, community groups and more."

The facilities at the £7m church and community centre also include a 110-place nursery and a sensory room.

The new building sits on the site of the former Norwich Family Life Church, which was destroyed by a fire at the Mount Zion Family Life Centre in February 2006.

Norfolk-born Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas was among those in attendance on Sunday and posted on his Instagram that it had been a "very special day".

He continued: "Although we don’t live in Norwich (yet); it’s the place where I was born and where my family live now. Soul Church and our friends @Jon and Chantel who lead the church have been an incredible support to us as a family over the last few years."

This is a place anyone can call home, said Pastor Jon Norman (Image: SOUL Church)

The former Blue Peter presented added: "Out of the ashes of something awful has risen something incredible."

READ MORE: Let there be light! Church gets go-ahead for large illuminated cross

Some of the Church's other patrons include former Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber, TV presenter Jake Humphrey and the former Bishop of Norwich, Graham James.

Soul Church welcomed 5,000 people across its services on its opening day at its new Heartsease Lane site (Image: Soul Church)

SOUL Church has opened a new building in Heartsease Lane (Image: SOUL Church)

There is car parking, with 242 spaces, including 13 spaces for the disabled and 32 cycle parking spaces.

A 5m-tall illuminated cross features on the building, which was part of the planning permission secured for the building from Norwich City Council.