St Paul's Wokingham

"I experienced a slow awakening of my faith," says John Foster. "My family were not practising Christians and I had not been baptised as an infant or child. I felt a terrible loss on the death of my mother in 2001 and could not really express my feelings, or explain what had happened to her to my two-year old daughter Alice.

"About four years later, in November 2005, an offer of the travelling crib came home with Alice from Rainbows. There was also a telephone number to find out more about the Christian faith. I phoned the number and later had a long chat with the Reverend Jo about the faith and how my desire to be closer to God could be achieved.

"I explained to Jo that it felt as if I had a map in my head with where I was and where I wanted to be clearly marked, but all the landmarks and distinguishing features erased. Around this time, a fellow commuter and worshipper at St Nicholas let me know about ‘back to Church day’ in November. In my case, it should have been called ‘to Church day’!

"We were welcomed warmly at St Paul’s, Wokingham on Sunday 20 November and have not looked back.

"I have since been baptised. The day of my baptism started the same way as any other working day, with the commute to London. I left quite early and started to feel a little nervous about the service that evening. Fortunately I met with my sponsor on the way home that evening. We had run through the service with Father John on Saturday evening and had been shown where to stand as we were presented, but there still seemed to be an awful lot to keep on my ‘to do’ list.

"Arriving home that evening, I started to feel excited about the start of my Christian journey and that I would become part of the family of the church, being reborn to a new life through Jesus Christ. I started to think about the significance of baptism and wondered what it must have been like when John baptised Jesus in the River Jordan.

"At Saint Paul’s that evening, there were so many friends and familiar faces, which was a real comfort. Father John introduced us all to Bishop Stephen and we busied ourselves with the practicalities of towels and changes of clothes, before taking our places at the front of the Church. By this time my excitement had turned to nervousness, which I was desperately trying not to show to Alice and Emily.

"As the Mass got underway, I felt comforted by the familiar words of the Eucharist and was able to relax a little. When I was signed with the cross, I thought, ‘This will never leave me now, I will always wear this mark.’ The baptism itself was a wonderful, uplifting moment. To be completely immersed and rise up full of a new life in Christ filled me with a sense of elation. It was especially powerful for me as Bishop Stephen allowed me to remain in the font as Alice and Emily were baptised.

"After a quick change of clothes in the porch, I joined the other confirmation candidates to be presented. When I heard my sponsor say ‘This is John’ I knew that another step on my faith journey was commencing. Karen and I were confirmed side by side, which was really special.

"We had joked in confirmation class about being clumsy when taking first communion and it was now that my nervousness came back. However I managed not to drop the chalice, or make any other silly mistake. The post communion hymn  Jesu my Lord, my God my all, holds a special place in my heart and I was feeling emotional again as we sang it.

"At the end of the service, there were so many people to catch up with. Friends from St Paul’s and other churches and family had come to the service. Our younger daughter was feeling very tired by this time, however, so it was time to bid our farewells to St Paul’s for the night.

"The phrase ‘life changing’ is often used in advertising and the media, to such an extent it has become a cliché. My baptism and confirmation was truly life changing, a day I will treasure forever. But it might never have happened if we hadn’t been encouraged ‘back to church’.

John Foster now worships at St Paul’s Wokingham