Testimonies of hope and faith at St Helen’s Stapleford

‘I want to live my life according to Jesus’ teachings and help everyone I can along the way’

It was such an encouraging evening at St Helen’s on Sunday 26th January as 7 candidates were confirmed by Bishop Paul in a special confirmation service.

In front of a packed congregation, each person being confirmed stepped forward to share their moving testimonies of faith. In one of the stories, a candidate shared:

‘I am appreciating more and more the enormity of God’s mighty power, his enduring love and his amazing grace. He has spoken to me, he has answered my prayers, and I am proud to call myself one of his disciples’

In his sermon Bishop Paul spoke on Philippians 2 ‘Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky’ and reflected on the light Christ has placed inside of each one of us. As he started his message, Bishop Paul passed around to all of the candidates a star ornament to keep, symbolising this gift of light. His sermon centred around the key word in verse 12 ‘continue’ – the importance for us all to continue in our journey of faith, knowing God is with us every step of the way. Bishop Paul concluded his message by sharing: I pray that as you shine for Jesus, others will be drawn to Him. They will come to know his love for them, and be drawn into his family.’

Confirmations are an invitation for people to renew their baptism vows, receive prayer for a fresh indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and to profess their faith publicly, often with family and friends there to support. 

Please join us in praying for all those who have been confirmed this Sunday, that their faith will grow day by day as they live and share in the living hope of Christ. 

If you would like to be confirmed or maybe explore faith for the very first time, use the link to find a church near you https://southwell.anglican.org/find-a-church/