Rachel Swann's Testimony

When I was very young I attended this church with my family. I was taught about God from a young age and
whilst I always believed in God and accepted that what it says in the Bible is true, I did not understand what it
meant to be a Christian, and though I continued to go to church regularly for many years, genuinely wanting to
be a Christian, in reality I wasn’t one.

What followed was a long period of knowing I should be living one way, but living another, eventually falling
away from attending church regularly. I would try to struggle back on to the right path, whilst living much like
the non-Christians around me, repeating the same mistakes, feeling guilty and a failure and becoming
depressed.

Attempts to relieve my overwhelming anxiety with other things like work, or exercise, or Pinot Grigio, failed
completely. During this time I would pray intermittently, more at some times than others, and I would try to read
my Bible but without really knowing where to start or being able to focus, and with nothing really sinking in.
Then one day at a particularly low moment, when I prayed, I told God that I was not able to live how I was
supposed to nor to stop making the same mistakes again and again and asked him to help me. From that day,
things started to turn around gradually. I prayed more honestly. I listened to sermons and found podcasts and
programmes to help me read the Bible. I began to understand more and more what I was reading and listening
to. I became less anxious and reactive and felt much more at peace.

I had been attending church again at times, but knew that I needed to attend regularly and just over a year ago
returned to this church, this time with a real faith and a relationship with Jesus Christ.
 
Rachel Swann