Rachel’s Story

1. Give us a brief bio. 

Hello! My name is Rachel, I am in my early 20s, and I am an Occupational Therapist. I am originally South African but have lived in Ireland most of my life. I am an active leader in youth groups, love to dance and absolutely love Jesus!

2. What have you found to be the most encouraging aspect in belonging to a new local church plant? 

It has been so encouraging to see our little family grow and flourish over the last few years. We started during Covid 19 and to see how God has blessed us has been incredible. To see what each individual brings whether it’s a friendly welcome, a good cup of tea, involvement in tech, music, youth or ministry and the impact our unity under Christ has on others has been a gift. The encouragement from other local churches has been so supportive and to see God moving in our local communities is just a testament to how incredible he is and how much we need him.

3. Getting baptised as an adult is a significant public statement.  Can you explain why you’ve taken this decision now? 

I grew up in a Christian household and knew Jesus from a young age - I was very fortunate. Throughout my life I have had many ups and downs, and God has stood with me every step of the way. While most of the people in my life knew that I was a Christian, a question that began to pop up was “Have you been baptised and what was it like?” to which I didn’t have the answer. It got me thinking and reflecting and eventually I came to the conclusion that while in the past there had been obstacles, I didn’t have anything preventing me from getting baptised anymore. I wanted to be able to publicly declare my faith in Jesus, share my story of how amazing God has been and what a difference it has been in my life to be saved by Jesus (And dip my toes in the Irish sea). I will say it was the best decision I have ever made to date!

4.  What would you like prayer for as you continue to deepen in your dependency on Jesus? 

I would absolutely love prayer for the continued work of God in our community, especially within the younger generations, and that we will be able to recognise it. Prayer that he continues to strengthen and grow my faith and that he will be able to encourage others through me. I cannot give him enough thanks for what he has done, is doing, and will do, so help with that would also be appreciated!