Green Pastures Christian Bookshop, the last remaining Christian bookshop in Norfolk and Suffolk, is expanding its ministry through a new development project aimed at serving churches, individuals and communities across the region.
Based in Dereham and operated by Helen Cockburn and Irena Humphrey, the shop is a vital Christian presence in the area.
Helen told Premier: “This is the most special job we could ever hope to do… Every step of this journey has been a God thing. We’re held together by prayer, we pray with our volunteers, with our customers, and before every trustees’ meeting.”
The three-part project includes a refreshed shopfront, a robust pop-up ministry across the region, and expanded stock to support group Bible studies and church needs.
Monthly pop-ups are already being held in Norwich, King’s Lynn and Bury St Edmunds, often in churches that no longer have access to local Christian resources.
Helen shared how she found the role after 30 years in teaching: “I just wandered into the bookshop and Irena had been praying for someone. God brought us together at the exact moment.”
Despite rising online competition, Green Pastures continues to offer what digital platforms cannot: personal recommendations, prayer, conversation and community.
“We get people who just tumble in off the street and say, ‘We don’t know what we’d do if you weren’t here,’” Helen added.
The shop recently won Best Bookshop of the Year at CRT 2025.
Supporters are invited to pray and donate.