Helen Prior Townsend, Evangelist at St Margaret's Church, Ipswich says
I came to faith around 13 years ago when I started going to church after the birth of my daughter. I hadn’t been to church apart from things like weddings, baptisms and funerals since I was at primary school, but when I was pregnant I started to think that there was much more to life.
A close friend of mine suggested I join her and her family at St Margaret’s church for their all age service as no one worried about any noise the children made - so I went along to see what it was all about.
I was blessed to meet so many welcoming and friendly people at church many of which I count as close friends now. I was soon asked if I would like to help out once a month when the congregation spilt in to small groups depending on age. I helped with the pre schoolers to start with and over time moved up to help with primary aged children. In these groups we usually read a Bible story and then took part in a craft based activity. I soon was asked to come along to planning meetings for the weekly all age service not just the monthly group sessions. I ended up helping at a holiday club in the summer, read in church, joined the PCC and more!
I had felt a calling to do more but I wasn’t sure of what. Then I saw information about Evangelist training and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I spoke to my Vicar who out me in touch with Andrew Payne who used to lead the training. After talking to Andrew I knew that it was the right thing for me and Andrew also thought that I would fit well with the training.
I completed my Evangelist training during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020-2021. We had out first training evening together (with full social distancing) in October 2020 but when restrictions came back into force we had to go online. Even though we weren’t together the group still built up a strong bond and we formed some great friendships.
I loved the 'Share' course – as it was known then (now 'Faith Empowered'). Sharing my faith with others on a similar path to mine was an enriching, confidence building and empowering experience. It was really useful to delve deeper into faith and also to learn about other people’s experiences and develop our calling to help others no matter where they are on their journey of faith explore this further.
Due to the Covid pandemic our licensed service was delayed from September 2021 to January 2022. I was really pleased to be licensed but it wasn’t until I arrived at the service that I totally realised how important this was to me! It was a beautiful and emotional service to be involved in
In July 2022 I was lucky to join a group of Evangelists and the Diocese Mission Enabler The Revd Phil Dykes on a weekend mission to Brandon. We worked alongside the Revd’s Sharron and Dennis Coburn and their team and it was a wonderful, faith affirming few days.
Since I have finished my training, I have been able to create our Advent and Lent bags project where we give bags with readings, a short reflection and activity for each week of Lent or Advent to all our congregation, encouraging them to share the bags with friends and family. We take the bags to our toddler group where many of the families who come along don’t attend church, we also give them to our school who have used them in their RE lessons.
I have trialled litter picks in our parish, which I hope will become more regular later on this year. I hope that alongside other more parish and community based (rather than church based) activities we will be able to spread God’s love to those in our local community. As part of this I am also setting up a Mission Working Group in my church where all types of outreach/missional events and activities can be discussed and prayerfully decided upon and planned.
Being an Evangelist is now really part of who I am. My faith is an integral part of me. I believe that everything I do shines with the light of Christ.
My journey of faith, like many others, hasn’t been a straight path, but all the loops and backs and forths have made me who I am.
I love speaking about faith to people – but I do ‘read the room’ first! If people can see that I am a genuine, caring, open person then they are much more likely to trust and open up to me when they feel they want to.
I hope I make a difference! I have been blessed with many supportive people in my life, and I hope I now give back to them and others. I feel that I help build people’s confidence in their faith, that they feel confident to tell people that they are a Christian, I ask questions about faith and ask people to serve our church using the gifts that God has given them. I want to be able to share mine and others gifts with our community and build networks of trust and compassion all underpinned with God’s love for all of us.