Meet Leonie, our speaker…from Wilmslow, Cheshire, where the high street has an Aston Martin dealership nestled between the Co-op and the Cancer Research shop! Colleen Rooney frequents the local Waitrose in our neighbouring village and various footballers live in the surrounding countryside. It has the appearance in the world’s eyes of “living your best life” but desperately needs to hear the offer of eternal life.

Can you tell us a little about yourself including your family, what you do etc?
I have been  married to Andrew for seven years. We don’t have any children and we are currently between dogs, which I hope is not going to be for long! I have been the youth, children and families worker at St John’s Lindow church for almost two years.

Andrew is a public rights of way inspector’s. Alongside that he has a great side-line in house-group leading with me and helping out with youth and children’s ministry – he plays a mean Pilate and recently played Barabbas at holiday club. Conversely, I often end up on forgotten footpaths “just to see where they lead to”.

What are some of the challenges and joys of being involved in gospel ministry?
Two snapshots of the last month sum up some of the joys and challenges of gospel work: I had a message recently from a member of the youth group who has been involved for the last 8 years. He’s not from a Christian home but has come faithfully since primary school to St John’s children and youth groups. He wrote “ I’m thankful for all the hard work you’ve put in for us but I have decided now is the right time for me to focus on other things. I hope you understand.” I’m heartbroken, does he know what he is turning his back on? I know if he is chosen he can’t escape God’s call but it is discouraging.

Yet we have been joined by 5 Chinese families in the last month – they sent their children to the holiday club, came to the holiday club special service and have stayed! 4 of the families are newly arrived in the UK, having decided to leave Hong Kong because of the political situation there. The other family have moved within the UK. Our Sunday school has doubled in size overnight and our church has suddenly become international, which are great problems to have.

What one thing has the Lord been teaching you about yourself and himself in recent times?
How important it is to live by faith and not by sight: believing that He will keep every promise He has made, that Jesus will return in glory as the judge God has appointed.I have found it hard when a global pandemic has not brought people to their knees to seek God but just to “hang on in there” til it’s safe to come out and then carry on as before.

Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite here – Tickets