Jenny found, as an adult in her thirties, that the Easter story spoke to her
Meet the Family
Christine Deverell
I was born and brought up in South London, close to the film studios where they make one of my favourite TV shows, The Bill!
I started going to my local Congregational Church when I was 5.
I wanted to go to Sunday School like the other kids in my street, and this church was only 10 minutes away - we could walk there and back unsupervised, such was life.
I loved this church and got involved in everything - Brownies, the choir, the Sunday school Bible exams every year and music and craft festivals. It was like a family and I felt comfortable there. I even played in the church cricket team!
I got to know Christians in other churches too and was baptised by immersion in a nearby Baptist Church. I got involved with their young people's group - in my church most of the young people had lost interest and drifted away but I was by this time a very serious and committed Christian. As a result of this move I met Richard, the man I was to marry.
We moved from London to Dorset, had three children and in 1986 we came to Bath. We have throughout the years, wherever we found ourselves, always been members of a church, but all my life I had never been well, and following two bereavements I reached a point when I realised that I was indeed very sick in my body, very troubled in my mind with feelings of disappointment and shattered dreams, and determined that this had to change.
Having made this decision I believe God then sent me the people who could help me, and I took the first steps on what was to be a long and painful journey of healing past hurts. One Easter day Richard and I went on impulse to the service at St. Luke's. I instantly sensed that here was a safe place where I could progress at my own pace, with no pressure to get involved or do anything I didn't want to. I could get to know people and be known by them when I was ready.
After a lifetime spent in churches which had their origins in breakaway groups, albeit centuries ago, I found it quite amusing that we settled so quickly into St. Luke's, and into the Church of England as a whole. I question lots of things about the established church, as I did about all the other churches that I've experienced, but it has never been an option for me NOT to be part of a local church.
This community of believers is God's family, and we need each other. It is vital for our life, day by day, to worship God together, to learn together from His Word, to pray together for each other and for the needs of the world, to work together to see God's kingdom come and encourage each other to grow into the people God intends that we should be.