A small rural church in a Norfolk village is enjoying growth in its numbers thanks to its intentional culture and welcome from happy smiling faces.
Revd Ian Dyble has been the Rector of All Saints Church in Weybourne for five years. He moved to the coast during the Covid lockdown and held online services each week. When the church reopened, a congregation had already built up and kept growing.
On 31 August 2025, 23 people were baptised, confirmed or reaffirmed in their faith and it all took place on Weybourne beach, known locally as Weybourne Hope. Nineteen people were baptised by full immersion in the sea. Revd Ian said;
“The joy of the baptism was just incredible. It was a highlight of my Christian life and I’ve been a Christian for 40 years. To baptise nineteen people in the sea, in a little Norfolk village, it was just so special.“
The Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Dr Jane Steen was there on the day and got fully stuck in, wading into the sea to help baptise people, along with the Associate Vicar Revd Adrian Wolton.
Revd Adrian joined the team 16 months ago with a particular focus on Children, Youth and Families. There are now youth in services every Sunday with 25% of the congregation under 18.
“Local relations were already made when I arrived. Messy Church had been running for 15 years, as well as Open the Book. But we have been much more intentional about how we gather youth together and the accessibility for families and children. Being present in a primary school has made a big difference and we jumped on the back of relationships already made. The youth now sit together on Sundays in the services.”
Paul Jolley has been Churchwarden for 14 years and has seen a dramatic change in the church community.
“It’s changed for the better, I do enjoy it. When Ian started, we had about 18 people and no children. The only things that went on were fundraising events. At our Easter service in 2025, we had almost 170 people attend. Everybody starts somewhere.”
A year ago, Zoe visited the church for the first time as she had recently moved to the village with her son. She had never been to Weybourne before and had been fleeing a very difficult situation.
“The first thing I saw was the church. My Grandad was a vicar and I remember going to his services when I was little. He was always smiling and happy. I didn’t understand it, but I knew if something was wrong, I would find a church and sit in it. On that Sunday, we decided to come in.
For me, what kept me coming in was Paul, the Churchwarden, smiling at the door. There’s always someone at the door with a big smile and it makes such a difference. Coming into the Church and finding a faith in Jesus has saved my life. Without this encounter, I would not be here.”
When 70 people from the church attended ‘Focus’ an annual holiday for the HTB network of churches, Zoe was invited and joined in.
“Focus is definitely where God spoke to me. I heard him to say to me Rest, Worthy and Joy. After that I kept going to church and I haven’t looked back. I was baptised on 31 August.”
Teodóra Berkin moved to the UK from Hungary just over a year ago. She grew up under Communism and had never attended a church. She was drawn to Weybourne church due to her interest in its ruins.
“I thought, this is a lovely church building, but I didn’t think there was life in here at all. Then Adrian came up to me and started chatting. I found myself feeling really comfortable here. Later, the Alpha course started, I was part of a small group and really learned a lot. It was an opportunity and a safe space to talk about the big questions. And then I started coming to the Sunday services. On 31 August I was baptised. I had my doubts, but if you think you want to walk with Jesus, that’s the step on the journey. I had this picture of my faith, it was black and white and then the colours start to appear. There are more colours to come.”
Revd Adrian continues to build relationships with children, youth and families across the six parishes in the benefice. He said;
“If you’re intentional and create a Jesus centered culture, people will come. We’re either a loving community or we’re nothing. Most young people are on a team, so they are part of the church. I’d rather a noisy church than a dead church.”
All Saints Church, Weybourne website: Weybourne Group
