Despite having spent her entire life in or nearby Gorleston, it was not until September 2024 that Shannon Bartram first stepped foot in the town’s St Mary Magdalene church.
Initially crossing the threshold to access the local food bank, it took several months before she felt able to attend a service.
Despite deeply rooted uncertainties about whether the church was the place for her, it was the warmth of welcome provided by the team at St Mary Magdalene which convinced Shannon to set these misgivings aside.
She has never looked back. “I felt relief, I felt free, and I felt like I was at peace,” she explains, reflecting on her decision to attend a Sunday service. So significant was the experience that she remembers the exact date: 6 April 2025.
Fast forward 12 months and Shannon, who was baptised in the North Sea by the Bishop of Thetford last October, is now an integral member of the congregation and a passionate volunteer for the wide range of community groups run by the church.
Shannon’s volunteering has now become her ministry; she has given up more and more time to support activities such as the food bank and weekly Open House community sessions, and has even trained as a barista to all visitors receive not only a warm welcome but also a delicious hot drink!