“My time at Elmvale Community Church has shaped me in a way that will stay with me for the rest of my life. From the very beginning, I realised that it is a church that burns for Jesus. Their passion is so obvious and contagious that you can’t help but be drawn into it. Seeing how the pastors Steve and Charlotte wholeheartedly dedicate their lives to serving Jesus has really inspired me. Not just in how and what they preach but in how they live. Their faith isn’t just something they talk about on Sunday morning, it is the foundation of their everyday live.
Over the course of the past year, ECC became a place where I really felt valued and seen. A place where I experienced how strangers can become family and how God’s love is reflected in the way we love and serve one another. This church didn’t just impact me for a year, it shaped how I want to live my faith for the rest of my life. It taught me: When we follow God’s plan, we don’t just make an impact on the people around us – they definitly impact us too.
One of the biggest ways I’ve grown is in my understanding of what it truly means to live missionally. I used to think of mission as something people go and do. Something big and intentional in a place far away. But I realized that mission starts in the everyday life right where we are. It’s not just about planned moments of ministry but about being available for God in the small things, walking through life with open eyes, and trusting that He has placed us exactly where we are for a reason.I have learned that when we allow God to use us, He will. And when we trust Him to provide the nutrients we need – like strength, wisdom, perseverance – we can bloom exactly where He has planted us. That’s something I want to carry with me beyond this year. Living a missional life wherever God places me.”