A Life of Faith, Faithfulness, and Community
My name is Linda Wanstall, and I have lived in Redcar all my life - nearly 77 years now. I’ve been part of my church family for over fifty years, and looking back, I can see how God has gently and faithfully led me through every season of my life.
Growing up and a loose connection with church
I went to church as a child simply because that’s what people did. I never really got much from it at the time. I often felt cold and disconnected, and it was an old Anglican church where faith didn’t yet feel personal to me.
As I grew older, I drifted away. There wasn’t a dramatic moment of leaving—it was just life moving on. I was part of groups like the Girls Brigade, but my connection to church was still very loose.
Then life changed. I trained as a nurse when I was young, though I left before qualifying and always regretted that for a time. Later, I got married in 1972, and life became very different again.
The moment everything changed
It was in my mid-twenties that things began to shift. I started attending church with my husband’s family, who were Christians. At first, I only went occasionally, mainly at Christmas when they visited from Nottingham.
But one Sunday, something happened that I will never forget.
There was a moment in the service where I felt as though everything else faded away. The message was simple, but it reached me deeply: God needs you.
It felt like a personal invitation. I went forward for prayer during the altar call, and there I met a lovely couple who prayed with me and gave me a Bible. They also connected me with Christians back in Redcar.
Not long after that—around 1974 or 1975—I began attending church regularly at what is now part of our church family, Park Avenue Church (Redcar Baptist Church). Because the church was small at the time, visitors were noticed immediately, and I was made to feel very welcome.
That sense of belonging made all the difference.
Faith becoming family life
My life was very full at that point. I already had a young son, and soon after I began attending church, I became pregnant with my daughter.
Church became part of our family life. My children grew up here, and this church became our home.
My husband wasn’t a Christian at that time, but over the next three years, he came to faith as well. His journey was different to mine—quieter, more reflective—but very real. He never made a fuss about his faith, but it shaped him deeply, especially later in life when he faced cancer. The way he trusted God through that time was one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever seen.
My daughter has remained strong in faith and is still involved in church life today. My son, however, doesn’t attend church now, though he has a lovely family. Like many families, our journey has had different paths, but faith has always been part of our story.
Seeing God’s hand in everyday life
Over the years, I’ve seen God’s hand in very practical ways.
One moment I will never forget was when we moved house. We bought a home that was really beyond what we could afford, but we both knew it was the right one the moment we walked in.
Not long after, interest rates rose to 15%. It was impossible on paper. We honestly didn’t know how we would manage.
But that same year, nurses received an unexpected 14% pay rise. It matched our mortgage increase almost exactly. I can’t explain that away. For me, that was God’s provision.
Another time, I reached what I thought was my dream position in nursing. But after about 15 months, I realised it was taking everything from me—my family, my health, and my faith.
I believe God simply said to me, “Walk away.”
So I did—without another job to go to. And yet, I never felt the loss in the way I expected. Later, I found a role I loved, with better balance, and gradually everything I had stepped away from was restored in a way I could never have planned.
Those moments have shaped my faith more than anything else. God has always been faithful.
A church through every season
I have seen this church go through many seasons—times of growth, times of challenge, and everything in between.
We’ve run youth work, Alpha courses, catering, community events, and even murder mystery evenings. Some seasons have been full and vibrant, others quieter. That’s life, and that’s church.
But through it all, there has always been a faithful core of people who love God and keep going.
For me, what matters most is that we keep our focus outward—on people. Jesus didn’t call us to look inward, but to care for the downcast, the lonely, the poor, and the needy. I believe we are still learning that, but I also believe we are moving in that direction.
A welcoming church
One of the things I love most is that this church is a place where people can come as they are.
My own sister doesn’t have faith, but she often comes to the café with me. She once said she expected something very different—a small urn and a few biscuits—but instead walked into a place full of warmth and beauty.
Now she happily comes in for coffee whenever she visits. You never know what moments like that might lead to.
We’ve also seen people walk in and suddenly be moved by the presence of God in ways that can’t be manufactured. That’s not something we create, it’s something God does when we simply make space.
Looking back with gratitude
Now, as I look back over nearly 50 years of church life, I don’t see perfection. I see growth, change, mistakes, grace, and a lot of learning.
I’ve served in every kind of role you can imagine—from cleaning to leadership—and I wouldn’t change it. There have been tiring seasons and wilderness moments, but I’ve never regretted staying faithful.
I still believe God is at work in this church. I believe He has been faithful in every season of my life, and I trust Him with whatever comes next.
Final reflection
I often think the church is not built on perfect people, but on ordinary people who keep saying yes to God over time.
That’s been my story. And I’m grateful—for the journey, for the people, and for the faithfulness of God through it all.
Lord God,
thank You for Your faithfulness through every season of life.
We thank You for Linda’s story—for the years of trust, steady service, and deep-rooted faith. Thank You for the ways You have guided her, provided for her, and remained close in both joy and challenge.
We praise You that You meet us in ordinary moments as well as extraordinary ones, and that no life is hidden from Your care or purpose.
We ask that You would continue to bless Linda, strengthening her in this season of life. Surround her with joy, peace, and a deep sense of Your presence. May she continue to see the fruit of her faithfulness in the lives of others, and know the encouragement of Your love day by day.
We also pray for our church family—that we would be a community marked by welcome, integrity, and compassion, reflecting Your heart to those around us.
May we continue to be people who trust You with the small things and the big things, just as Linda has shared from her own journey.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
