Members of St Paul's, Beckenham have been sharing how their faith is expressed in their day-to-day life and work, as part of the national #EverydayFaith campaign.
Everyday Faith is an initiative across the Church of England to enable the whole people of God to live out the Good News of Jesus confidently in all of life, Sunday to Saturday.
For Hazel Koungoue, conversation is a big part of both faith and life.
‘I work with elderly people,’ she says. ‘I offer care to the community. Everyone is within walking distance from where I live. It’s because of my faith that I started my job.'
She continues:
‘I’ve sat with families as people pass away, when a granddaughter has passed her GCSEs, when a child is getting married. I feel incredibly privileged to be doing this.
'I talk to people about faith all the time, and to their families, because I sense that God has sent me there. They are under no illusions about who I am, or whose I am. I talk about how God orders my steps, how he makes the load a whole lot lighter.
'The people of St Paul’s are the real strength, the real ambassadors.'
Says Simon Couper, who has been the vicar at St Paul’s Beckenham for nearly three years.
'It’s about how they can take the message out into the week. I’m trying to make people more confident.’
He continues:
'I’m keen to encourage people to see that they’re already really well connected – as much as you should see the church as family, it shouldn’t be your only contact. I encourage people to pursue other interests.
'They’re already in the business of being an ambassador for Jesus, it’s just a matter of being conscious of it.’
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