Our Vision
Bolnore Village is one of various new developments to the south of Haywards Heath where there has been a lack of churches. In establishing Grace Church, our vision has been to grow a church for the Haywards Heath area centred on Bolnore, and shaped in all we do by four particular values:
1) Treasuring Christ and so serving him wholeheartedly.
2) Prioritising Church as the caring community from which this service flows.
3) Embracing Truth in applying the Bible to every sphere of life.
4) Living Mission by reflecting and sharing Christ in all we do.
People who join us comment that they appreciate the warmth of our welcome, our concern to include those of all ages in everything we do, our not being too big a church to be a genuine family, and our teaching of the Bible at all levels.
Wherever you are from, we would love to see you, and especially if you live in or near Bolnore.
ELDERS
"Elder" is a title from the Bible for those who oversee the life of the church.
Jon Hobbs
Jon is married to Bethan with three children. He is our minister and so one of our elders and our safeguarding trustee. Jon has particular responsibility for teaching, for overseeing the word ministries of the church, and supporting those with more complex pastoral needs. Jon also leads one of our Wednesday evening growth groups. Click here to learn more about Jon.
Luke Thomas
Luke is married to Claire with five children. He works in business, and alongside his general role as an elder and trustee he has particular responsibility for overseeing the financial matters of Grace Church and assists in the leading of our Monday evening growth group.
Tom Burstow
Tom is married to Vicky with three children. He works in the charity sector, and alongside his general role as an elder and trustee he leads one of our Wednesday evening men's growth group.
DEACONS
"Deacon" is a title from the Bible for those who serve in other leadership roles which free the elders up for their work.
Claire Thomas
Claire is married to Luke with five children. She serves as our part time women's worker co-ordinating the ministry of women and ministry to women within the church, whilst ministering to women herself with Bible teaching, care, and prayer.
Paul Huxley
Paul works for Christian Concern and serves as our Musical Worship co-ordinator.
Sally Bannister
Sally works in business and is our treasurer, co-ordinating financial matters. She is also a trustee.
Sarah Schnellmann-Smith
Sarah is a children's nurse and mother who serves as our safeguarding co-ordinator.
OTHERS
These are other key roles.
Katie Guthrie
Katie leads our Monday afternoon women's zoom growth group.
Ben Read
Ben is married to Ceri. He is our trainee minister and a trustee, studying for ministry one day a week whilst working for the church with the rest of his time. He is involved in all aspects of church life but particularly in co-ordinating our youth work. He also helps in the running of children and youth Camps. From January 2026 he led our church plant in Burgess Hill, for which he is an elder.
Ceri Read
Ceri is a speech therapist, is married to Ben, and serves as our deputy safeguarding co-ordinator.
Bethan Hobbs
Bethan is married to Jon,
and leads the Wednesday morning women's growth group.
Vicky Burstow
Vicky is married to Tom, and leads our Friday afternoon women's growth group. She also hosts and helps lead our youth group.
Bob Bannister
Bob works in business and is married to Sally. He leads our Monday evening growth group.
MORE ABOUT OUR MINISTER
Jon is married to Bethan. They have three children and live in Bolnore Village.
Having worked in business and as a Policeman, Jon spent five years working with students for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) before training for ministry at Oak Hill Theological College in London. He then served in church leadership for nine years before becoming minister of Grace Church in 2012, combining this with serving for two days each week as the Sussex Gospel Partnership's Associate Trainer.
Outside of local church life Jon is a member of the Pastors' Network of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. He sits on the steering committee of the Sussex Gospel Partnership, for which he acts as champion for church planting and revitalization. In his capacity as Associate Trainer he also lectures on the Sussex Ministry Training Courses. And he is a trustee for the Christian band "Lion of Judah."
Jon enjoys films, the outdoors, and his family - but not in that order! His greatest desire, however, is to see people come to know Christ and have his teaching inform and transform every sphere of their lives. He is therefore particularly keen to develop Grace Church in a way that is accessible to those unused to church, that engages families and young people and that might promote Christ in the wider Haywards Heath area.