Sarah Kelly, a Reader at Emmanuel Network Church, describes her journey of faith as one in which God has continually reached out to her, often in the most unexpected moments.
Raised in a non-Christian family, Sarah first encountered God through a primary school teacher who introduced her to the Bible and the idea that prayer could bring a personal relationship with God.
One of her earliest prayers was for a red inflatable walrus she had spotted in a toy shop in Gloucester.
“I prayed to God for this walrus and, within the next week, my father unexpectedly decided to take a day off work and take us all to Weston-super-Mare. On the way, we stopped at a toy shop in Gloucester. I stood outside Fletcher’s and there, in the shop, was the very red walrus I had prayed for. I said, ‘That’s what I want’ – and that’s what I got!
“Through that experience, I sensed God’s care and presence in a way that was deeply convincing to me.
“My parents had next to no income. We lived very simply, and things like that just didn’t happen. So, for me, there was no explaining away what had happened. I knew God was real. It really spoke of the generosity and indulgence of God to listen when I made this childish request.”
At fifteen, having fallen in love with Scripture through studying Religious Education in school, Sarah attended an evangelistic meeting with a friend and gave her life to Jesus. However, family commitments to her athletics career meant she was unable to attend church. Despite this, her faith remained, but she faced years of isolation, a difficult family environment and a deeply damaging understanding of love and self-worth.
One evening, when she was 21 and working alone in the college art department, a combination of isolation, low self worth and a grinding sense of the futility of life led her to a very low place. “I was in an absolute mess and life seemed not viable. I said out loud, “Oh God, help me.”
She returned to her flat where another girl, a Christian, lived. They were not particularly friendly. The girl knocked on her door and told her that God had told her give an important message. She told me, ‘you are loved. Just as you are. You are loveable’. We then went down to the kitchen and she told me all about Jesus.
“I had been brought up believing that I had to be perfect to be loved. But hearing those words, and then hearing about Jesus and what he had done for us, changed something in me.”
The following morning, Sarah experienced what she describes as a moment of profound decision: to continue as before or to take a chance on Jesus.
Sarah said: “I woke up and I just felt different. I put my hand on my door handle to leave my bedroom, and I felt this extraordinary heat down my back. It was as though God was offering me a choice: I could choose Jesus and walk through that door a different person, or I could say no and everything would remain the same. I questioned whether it was all true, but eventually I thought, ‘Right, I’ll just try it. I’ll give it a go.’ I put my hand on that door, and I never looked back.”
Sarah’s faith became the foundation of everything. She developed a deep love of Scripture, spending hours studying the Bible and even teaching herself Hebrew and Greek to understand it more fully. Although her journey through church life was not always straightforward, she eventually found a welcome at Emmanuel Network Church.
“While I was performing as a musician in 2019, I sensed God asking me whether performing was really all I wanted. I realised my deepest desire was to help others discover Jesus and the freedom, hope and potential found in knowing him. What I really want is to tell people that they can be empowered and become the people they are meant to be in God. I love encouraging people to come and meet Jesus and discover what their lives could be like.”
This prompted her to approach the diocesan vocations team and explore whether God was leading her somewhere new. After a period of discernment and training, she began her journey towards Reader ministry.
Her journey has included significant challenges, not least a life-threatening brain haemorrhage or stroke, which temporarily halted her training. Yet, through the prayers and support of others, she survived and was eventually able to continue.
“My journey of faith has really come down to God reaching out to me wherever I am, and guiding me through.”
If this has prompted you to think about your vocation, do have a conversation with your parish priest or a local church leader.
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