I am a Church Warden for St Pancras, and have been on and off for longer than l can remember. My first experience of church was going along with my gran, joining in with a congregation of what seemed very elderly people. Later l was encouraged to go to a carol service at St Pancras with my family, I sat at the back, not really paying attention to what was going on. Mum and dad decided that they would like to continue so l was dragged along, not quite kicking and screaming.
It wasn't until I was about 14 that l really started to join in with Pathfinders, a group of teenagers that met regularly, as we grew older we grew together. It was when I was about 17 that my dad, who had been ill for some years, was taken into hospital and given hours to live that l really turned to God almost making deàls with him that if dad got through l would believe; dad did recover and was given a couple more years. At 18 l realised l could not go on living on the back of my parents’ faith without making my own commitment to God, which l did at one evening service. Dad died when l was 19 and l firmly believe that God gave me those extra years with him to strengthen my beliefs and bring me into a closer walk with him.
Life as a Christian has not been an easy walk, it has had its ups and downs but l now know that when l feel far from God it is me straying, not God. l have three grown up children, two sons and a daughter and three grandchildren, again two boys and a girl.