CPCC History

The original Cliff Park Middle had a very poorly designed hall. To access it there was one small awkwardly placed door from outside while a quarter of the hall space was taken up with storage of chairs, dining tables and gym equipment. But shortly before Cliff Park Community Church was launched major building improvements took place with the creation of a large welcoming foyer with double doors. A toilet was also included in the foyer area.

In the hall itself two large storage cupboards were added for the chairs and other equipment which enlarged the hall space. It was good for the school and perfect on Sunday mornings for the church which met in the middle school hall while also using the adjoining infant school hall for Kidzchurch and the kitchen for making and serving refreshments – fresh donuts bought from Morrisons supermarket seemed to feature a lot in the early days!

A vital element of the success of CPCC was the initial and continued support of school site manager Martin Steele for whom nothing is ever too much trouble. That even includes allowing the church to meet on Christmas Day.

The new venture opened in early December 1999 in time for Christmas and attracting plenty of publicity, including a film crew from Anglia TV, to what was dubbed ‘a new church for a new Millennium’.

CPCC with its motto of ‘To Live and Give the Good News’ was up and running with a large congregation and a clear mandate to reach out as a church for the unchurched, serving the community. It may have been very new but on the first Sunday of the Millennium the morning service was broadcast live on BBC Radio Norfolk.

From the outset there was a strong emphasis on work for young people; a crèche was created and ran alongside the successful and ground-breaking Kidzchurch.

Useful contacts with celebrities also helped establish the church. Diet and fitness guru Rosemary Conley was the first to appear, with a powerful gospel message which had a big impact; others included Fiona Castle, the widow of the multi-talented Roy Castle; Radio Two presenter Janey Lee Grace and her band and Blue Peter and later Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas.

The church has always been fortunate in having a strong team of worship leaders backed by many musicians and singers which has set the style for services. Lester Bullen and Jamie Wyllie helped to establish this and have remained central to it.

Home groups have been a vital part of the church life from the outset with a large number of church goers enjoying these weekly prayer and Bible study meetings in people’s houses. Regular prayer meetings have also been a strong feature and something established early on by Paddy.

Over the years the church has enjoyed a good relationship with the Infant and Junior schools (now merged into one) including being able to go into the buildings and pray for them on a regular basis. Dorothy McCabe was very much involved with all of this.

Paddy McGlinchey and his wife Helen moved to Belfast after three years having been called to a post at Queen’s University in Belfast.