Church Leadership

Please find below an introduction to our church leadership.

Elders

Dave Rushbrook - Pastor		David Brice - Assistant Pastor
pastor@gracerendlesham.org		assistantpastor@gracerendlesham.org

Dave Rushbrook was born in Wetherden (Suffolk!) more years ago than he cares to remember. After graduating from Bristol University in 1987 he worked for the Scientific Research and Development Wing of the MoD for 18 years, based in Farnborough but travelling around the country. He left the MoD in 2005 and started training for ministry whilst working as a Pastoral Assistant at a Church in Farnham (Surrey). In the summer of 2009, David was invited to become Pastor of Sudbourne and Tunstall Baptist Churches which later became Grace Church. Dave’s hope is that everyone in this area might have a chance to hear about Jesus from someone who loves Him and values them! Dave is married to Charys, who leads a village school in Suffolk and they have 4 children – Florrie, Alice, Will and Beth, three of whom are now living in far flung places like Reading, Sheffield and Bristol. They also share Tilly, a rather poor excuse for a dog. David would love to chat to you further about the church and the Christian faith.		David was appointed Assistant Pastor at Grace Church in Sept 2022. He was born and raised in Hampshire, briefly worked in Medicine and graduated from Moorlands Bible College in 2021. David is married to Jenny and they had their first child (Stephen) in early 2023. They are both new to Suffolk and really looking forward to exploring the area together, whilst sharing the good news of Jesus!


Matt Oliver - Elder & Church Administrator		Gavin Oliver - Elder & Treasurer
mattoliver@gracerendlesham.org		gavinoliver@gracerendlesham.org

Matt serves on the Eldership at Grace Church as well as being the Administrator. He is married to Laura, and has two children, Florence and Edie. He is a local lad raised in Aldeburgh and moved to Rendlesham in 2005. Matt became a Christian when he was fifteen and is keen for others to know who Jesus is and why He is worth following. For work, he is based at Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station, a small cog helping to keep the lights on. He enjoys going for walks and watching Rugby Union.		Gavin is part of the Eldership team at Grace Church Rendlesham and has performed the role of Church Treasurer since 2011. He became a Christian at the age of eighteen and says that "being a Christian doesn’t change what you deal with, it changes how you deal with it". He is married to Sally and has two grown up daughters who have provided him with grandchildren to tease and spoil. Gavin has been involved in the motor industry all his working life and can’t seem to find his way out. In his spare time he enjoys walks - countryside or coastal preferably concluding with a pint of local ale.


Stuart Whayman - Elder
stuartwhayman@gracerendlesham.org

Stuart joined Grace Church in 2020 having returned to Suffolk with his wife Nicola after a couple of decades in Surrey. He is excited that God values every part of our lives and that the good news of Jesus both makes us right with God but also transforms the way we approach our day to day activities and relationships. He enjoys dog walks in the country, is a long-suffering ITFC supporter and enjoys the cross-cultural nature of working in an international business.


Deacons


Chris Blight - Finance & CIO		Rob Blight - Technology
chrisblight@gracerendlesham.org		robblight@gracerendlesham.org




Ali Foreman - Administration		David Foreman - Buildings & Maintenance
aliforeman@gracerendlesham.org




Sally Oliver - Hospitality

If you need to contact the Church then please visit the Contact Us page.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 10am, before the service begins. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Livewires (3-7 years)
Encounter (7-11 years)
Katalyst (11-15 years)
Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Night Shelter
Foodbank

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)