Toni

Toni worships at Christ Church, Bridlington and joined Stepping Up in April 2023.

My Early Life 

I grew up on a council estate in Bridlington within a chaotic broken family home. I was always cared for and loved very much by my family and we always laughed together (the Miles’s have got a great sense of humour 😊). However, there was many problems in the lives of my parents and siblings that I grew up witnessing, we were lost and broken and tried everything for many years to solve problems 

I was 18 years old when my mum sat me down at our kitchen table and said “Toni, I’ve always said there isn’t a God, well I was wrong, there is and His name is Jesus” and from that moment, I don’t know what it was but I just believed. I always think it was because it was my mum telling me this that I just had no doubts, it was the person I trust the most so I just believed. 

 
Over the next 12 years or so I would be in and out of Church and on and off with Jesus, I still looked for love and acceptance in the wrong places and my life became quite dark at times, I would look to other things when life got tough like substance abuse and relationships, somehow thinking that it would be the answer yet ultimately it would leave me more broken than ever. 

Purpose and Belonging 

In 2015 I found myself back amongst my Church family, my daughter started pre-school at Christ Church and Easter time 2016 I began volunteering at Christ Church, serving at the food bank and finding my purpose and belonging. God has gently and lovingly brought me back to life. Today I am the team leader of the pantry (food bank) I once volunteered for and God has grown not only me but a whole community of people who all have their own testimonies, people who were once lost and broken and now found freedom in Jesus. 

I truly believe God has given me this position because of the things I have experienced in my own life. And it is an absolute honour and a privilege. 

  
Stepping Up and Leadership 

When I was asked if I would like to take part in Stepping Up I had been doing my job at Christ Church for some time. It was a great opportunity to learn and grow and that is exactly what it did for me, I learnt in more depth the importance of listening to God, others and myself, as humans we often struggle with all of these areas.  

Stepping Up also gave me the opportunity to meet new people with amazing stories of their own, but it also had me on this amazing journey with some of my nearest and dearest church family, it has given me so much joy to walk besides these people and I am so happy I took part in Stepping Up.  

 
Since doing Stepping Up I have also taken part in a Lead course which has helped me a great deal and equipped me in what I need to do within my role as a leader. There is always more to learn every day, I am not where I was yesterday, today I stand as a leader with much more confidence and tomorrow, I know is in His hands. Jesus is the key. All glory to Him.