Norman

Hello, I am Norman and am a stand-in for the Archbishop of Canterbury for when organisations cannot afford the usual appearance fee!

I first set foot in Emmanuel with my family on Christmas Day 1995 and found a family-friendly set-up where we would be happy. We are still there! There is a great variety of people in Emmanuel from all sorts of backgrounds, which we find enriching and get to know well through attending house groups and other activities.

God gives me much-needed direction in my life and has given me various jobs to share in. For many years it has been the tackling of poverty in the big wide world through organisations like World Development Movement and Christian Aid. More recently I have taken on the job of Stewardship Secretary, managing a major part of Emmanuel’s income, particularly claiming back the tax. I am particularly impressed by the congregation’s generous, no-fuss, approach to giving.

How does God give me direction? Well of course there is always Bible teaching, but on a more personal level I have a general, if often vague, feeling of what I should be doing. This is occasionally punctuated by some very close encounters with God that show he is pulling the strings unseen in the background. He remains mysterious, so there is always more to discover and surprise.