Living Hope Stories

"I'm one of God's children - He's always got me in His hands."  Sophie sat down with us to share her story of experiencing God’s love and care throughout her life. Sophie has grown up going to church, but often found it a boring place to be. When she started secondary school, she found herself often getting into trouble, but began to pray and ask God to help her. When Sophie went to a Christian summer camp, she felt inspired to

“Jesus was calling me, and I chose to follow him.” It was so special to sit down with Jill and hear the story of how she first encountered and decided to follow Jesus. As a little girl she had gone to Sunday school, but it wasn’t until a trip to New Zealand later in life that she found faith and had an extraordinary encounter with Jesus. Returning home, Jill found an Alpha flyer on her doorstep, leading her to feel

“All I know is that I just love God.” It was such a joy to sit down with Emilie as she shared with us all the stories she’s been learning about Jesus in church and at school. Emilie first learnt about who God is when she went on a trip with her class to the local church, and after discovering more about who Jesus is, she decided to get baptised. Emilie loves learning about Jesus the light of the world, and

“I feel like I’m at the top of the iceberg - there’s so much more to discover.” Chatting to Nicola was such a joy, as she described her journey of faith. Nicola went to the toddler group at her local church and found it so warm and welcoming. Over time she became friends with one of the leaders, who then invited her to come along to a Sunday service. During the service, describing faith, the vicar spoke about a party

“I now see my neurodivergence as an unconventional blessing.” It was such a gift to sit down with Jack and hear his story of faith. From a young age Jack believed in God, but during his teenage years he became angry at God as he noticed his neurodivergence making him different to others at school. Everything began to shift when he reflected on Jesus’ words in John 9, spoken about a man born blind: “This happened so that the works of God

“Come, see and explore - see where it takes you.” Di’s understanding of faith growing up was of a God who should be feared. Over the last few years she’s experienced the devastation of cancer in her family, but often found herself turning to prayer. Di shared the story of encountering a loving God who cares intimately, through the words and support of the local vicar when planning her mum’s funeral. This set Di on a journey of discovering the

“I was once hopeless, but Jesus has brought me hope." It was amazing to hear Dave's story of a powerful encounter. Dave was an atheist, but when his dad died he found himself wondering if there was more to life. Whilst along at home, he had a vision of the cross which turned fear into hope. He's since been welcomed into church community, and faith has transformed his life, so much so that those around him cannot help but be curious

“The first time I walked into church I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being back home.” Sitting down with Laura and hearing her story of returning to her childhood faith was such a joy. Laura stopped going to church in her university years, but when her daughter was born she felt a pull back. Instantly she felt she had returned home. As she began to get more involved, Laura sensed God inviting her to serve in a new way. She

“Since Jesus came into my life, I’ve found peace.” Maria first encountered God in prayer during a difficult birth with her first daughter. After trying different churches and settling at St Leo’s with her children, she now daily experiences the comfort of the Holy Spirit’s presence with her through prayer and reading the Bible. Watch the video below to hear her story. https://youtu.be/tFTZvpHx5Ig Use this link to follow @storiesoflivinghope on Instagram to watch more inspiring and encouraging stories from across the diocese. We

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it…” Daniel 3:17 (NIV) It was amazing to sit down with Clare and hear her story of God speaking hope into her battle with lung disease, through Scripture and song. Just like in the story of Daniel in the Bible, Clare was reminded to trust in God even when life is scary, and that He promises to be present with her in hard