I am starting to look at extending my Worship Leaders course qualification into a Local Preacher qualification and part of that is to present my testimony as a recording or a blog post. So I thought I would actually write it as a post!!
I have always had a faith. It wasn’t something which dawned on me in a flash of light, but has always been there and has grown as I have. When I was 3 months old I was Christened into the Methodist Church where my mom and uncle had been christened but I didn’t really start going regularly until I was 3. My mom or dad would take me and as I got older, they dropped me off and left me in the Sunday School.
In our church, the Sunday School (which was called Junior Church at the time) and the Senior church were all in the service together at the start. After the call to worship, one of the groups from the Junior church stood up at the front of the church and presented something from their group sessions. We call this ‘opening church’. This was on a rota and the content varied from a talky bit through to full blown skits and activities. This was the start of me standing up in front of a church full of people and discussing my faith.
This continued through my teenage years and I was 14 when I wrote and presented my first service. I did it with the rest of the teenage group and I was so nervous! Then the group leader was ill and couldn’t make it and it was all on me. I really understood then what ‘church family’ meant as everyone helped us along and carried the service.
When I was 16, I agreed to take over one of the older leaders opening church. I didn’t have a group so I roped in as many of the members of the congregation and Junior church each time I got up. This enabled me to set my style and I became good at engaging the congregation. The leader I took over from gave me a poem which is below and it really kick started my relationship with God.
GUIDANCE: GOD, YOU AND I DANCE
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing ” dance” at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn’t flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw “G” I thought of God, followed by “u” and “i”.
“God, “u” and “i” dance.”
God, you, and I dance.”
Credit unknown
When I was 20, I took on a group in what had been renamed from Junior church to JClub. The children in the group were a nightmare to teach but I loved every minute and I learned how to answer their questions and pass the Word onto a different age bracket. I still have this group but the children are different! It has been 18 years since that first round of children! During this time, I joined the course my church was running to become a member of the church. I was so excited but when I had just turned 21, my dad passed away having suffered with lymphoma. His cancer has left him very weak and it was only a week before he passed that he was able to come and see me be accepted as a member into my church. This was a turning point for me. You can go one of two ways in faith when a loved one dies – you can rant and rave at God and lose it or you can trust that it is part of the plan. I went with the latter and my faith blossomed.
From this I then started to help write our anniversary services with my mom. This enabled me to explore my own faith and start getting it down in words in a way that was accessible and fun for the congregation. I now write all the carol services, advent and lent liturgies and anniversaries for our JClub and this has lead me to complete my worship leaders course.
My calling was a quiet voice so I telling me that I could go deeper when I was writing the anniversary 2022. I ignored it, thinking that I was doing just fine. Then one of my congregation members asked if I’d thought about preaching. I laughed it off saying that I was too busy. Then God gave me a break and sent me a new contractor for my business which meant I had more time. I still ignored it but God can’t be ignored. I heard that a Worship Leaders course was going to be started and low and behold, the Q&A session was on a day that I was free. I still ignored it! By now God was over being subtle! One of my friends at the church told me to go and see what it was all about. She practically forced me! And when I got to the church it was like I was meant to be there. I had no questions, everything was explained perfectly and everyone was so lovely. I finally listened to God and here I am!
To enable me to explore my faith, my relationship with God and the way I can express that and bring my own ‘Hannah style’ to worship, I am excited about doing the Local Preacher qualification next. I will keep you posted!!!
The Busy Mommy UK 