I grew up as a Baptist in a small town in South-East Derbyshire , not the picturesque Peak District part but the slightly run-down former mining town part. The church I grew up in was not thriving but neither was it dead. It was a small congregation with a few mothers and their children and a few older grandmothers and grandfathers. There was a big gap between the young people (me at 15) and the next generation (my mum at 45), which in many ways created an enabling community for interested teenagers. At 15 I was really into my faith and started a Sunday night discussion group for the other teenagers in our church with the help of the ministers wife. Later that same year I was baptised (Baptists do not baptise infants) and believe that was when I made my first real commitment to Jesus .
My parents had sent me to Catholic secondary school as it was the only Christian school in the area and I loved every minute of it. St John Houghton school was a faith-filled encouraging environment where every year group had the opportunity to go on retreat to the diocesan centre. I went every year and eventually took my gap year there as part of the team. It was here I developed a love for the Mass and for making liturgy alive and active. Just before I joined the team at the centre I was received into the Catholic Church. I had met my future husband at the centre a year previously at the tender age of 17 and through falling in love with him, I also fell in love with the Catholic Church. I spent many hours reading and meditating on John chapter 6 and could only understand it in the way that Catholics understand the Eucharist. It was a transforming moment.
Since then I have done many things and my faith and love of God has been the motivating factor for all of them. I’m now a member of the Sion Community ( www.sioncommunity.org.uk ) and have found a way of life that enables me to spend quality time with Jesus and to build Church and community in a really tangible way.
I stay in love with the Lord through spending time with him and through loving my husband and all those I meet. It’s not always easy but I’m always inspired by Jesus ’ commandment, “love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognise you as my disciples.” ( John 13:34-35)
Peace be with you
Sarah Beresford
Director of Training
Sion Community