‘Our calling is sometimes more easily spotted by others’
Stephen Ramshaw writes about how he became an evangelist with Church Army
When we are equipped with understanding we are in a position to act on that knowledge, making positive steps forward. Our calling is sometimes more easily spotted by others who can see what we might become. Discovering our purpose and the God who calls can help us make sense of who we are, and who we are called to be.
‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last.’ (John 15:16)
When I first became a Christian back in 1998, at the age of 36, my whole life changed in a huge way. I had just had Jesus explained to me for the first time, and I just kept thinking why has no one told me this before?
How has it taken 36 years of my life till someone has actually explained to me who Jesus really is? From that moment on I had a passion for ordinary, everyday people to hear the Good News of Jesus.
When I became a Christian I was working in the construction industry, an industry I still worked in until five years ago. I was just an ordinary bloke working in a very ordinary job with not one academic qualification to my name. I was brought up on a council estate; I was still living on a council estate. I went to a comprehensive school which I left the first chance I got, and had various run-ins with the law in my younger years.
I used to look about at the blokes I worked with, the people on the estates where I lived, and had a real sense of God wanting me to take his love to those people and places, the places and people who were in real need of Jesus, but the Church seemed to have overlooked.
It used to, and still does, tear at my heart and fill my belly with fire and a passion to reach out with the love of Jesus. I started getting more and more involved with the life of my local Church, but I always had a feeling, you could say a calling, I should be out in the wider community.
I did all I could in the Church I was at, I dabbled with the idea of going into full time ministry, But I kept thinking I had no skills or education what could I offer? Who would want me?
Then one cold snowy night there was a knock on the door, our new vicar was standing there looking all sheepish.
I invited him in, and said to him “spit it out, what’s on your mind?”
He just said “Stephen I’ve never said this to anyone before, but I feel God’s calling you to be an evangelist with Church Army.”
“Is he really?” I responded jokingly.
He said think about it, and pray about it and see where it goes.
So I prayed, and listened to God, I knew a lot of other people were praying too, it felt right to apply. Just filling in the application was a job in itself, never mind the selection panels, but Jesus was beside me and helped me through it all.
Now after four years of training, which was brilliant, I am now doing something which I absolutely love.
Living and working in an area of North Tyneside that has some very real social problems and is in the bottom 10% of areas of deprivation in the country, I know that God loves this community where I am at, and he wants them to have the very best lives possible. I want them to know that, and for our community to thrive not just survive. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else
Praise the Lord.
- Stephen Ramshaw
Are you where you need to be? #CofECalling