Chloe is a busy mum with three young boys and works part-time as an early years teacher. She has been along to a couple of Activate weekends and always finds them inspiring.
She recently shared a story with me that I feel exemplifies Activate’s purpose: helping women share their faith in a way that feels natural to them and aligns with their own passions and gifts.
Chloe started in a new job last September, and during the first term, the Head Teacher had a conversation with her about her goals for her own professional development. Chloe had been used to being told what these ought to be, but this was a different conversation.
Remembering how Chloe had referenced faith in her job application, the Head Teacher asked her if she would consider making one of her goals ‘the improvement and redevelopment of a rather sad and drab courtyard as an area for reflection and prayer’.
Chloe’s own classroom had already begun to reflect her creativity and her love of the natural world. She adores gardening. Over the Christmas holidays, she made an improvement plan for this courtyard. She was delighted when the Head Teacher gave all of the plans a green light, and when the local Anglican Church stepped up to provide some funding to make it all happen.
Over the past few months, the courtyard has undergone a transformation. Not only has Jesus been repainted (by Chloe herself at home – imagine strapping a statue of the Risen Christ into your car!), but Bible verses and prayer stations and beautiful planting have been added.
The crowning moment in this project was the day when the local Anglican priest came back to ‘bless the prayer space’. In fact, he allowed the children to bless the space. He blessed boxes of blow bubble bottles, which he then gave to each child to take into the courtyard and blow blessings over their new space.
Sometimes, when it comes to sharing our faith, we think that God is asking us to do something which is way beyond our comfort zone. Chloe’s story reminds us that God calls us to be who we are and to share our faith naturally using the gifts and passions he has given us. The fruitfulness of this project is naturally hard to quantify, but Chloe’s willingness and faithfulness will have a ripple effect in the school for both staff and pupils.