Emma Neve

My name is Emma Neve.

I have been a member of Wootton Bassett Community Church since its foundation when I was just 6 months old. In October 2009, I embarked upon a new and exciting journey with Christ. I started a 1 year, experience based, ‘learning through serving’ course at Riverside School of Performing Arts, Birmingham. This course combines a discipleship programme, which includes bible teaching, practical service and pastoral support, with a drama course which includes modules in dance, singing, community theatre, percussion and monologue work, ending in a 2 week mission tour at the end of the academic year.

I’ve been fortunate growing up within a Christian family and surrounded by such a loving and supportive church. It’s meant that I’ve always had firm guidance in my life and a place to seek comfort when I’ve needed it most. Having said this, I can’t claim to have known what it was like to have a personal relationship with Christ until I was 14 years old and I made my own decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Even then I was repeatedly falling away from the path God had set out for me. Deep down I felt like I was missing out on something, the attention my friends got from the opposite sex or the fun they had going out together in the evenings. I wanted to be a part of that, yet every Sunday I’d be brought back to the foot of the cross. The Holy Spirit would show me that I could never be fully satisfied with the things of the world. By the time I was 17, I’d matured a lot in my Christian faith and worked at repairing my relationship with God. He taught me so much through these early years, but even now I know that I still have a lot to learn.

WBCC has nurtured me over the years and still does. Through their words and through their fellowship God has blessed me richly. It means a lot to be able to say how each and every member of my church has witnessed to me either through word, deed or through example. WBCC is so rooted in Christ and this is reflected in their every action. The worship; the sharing of God’s word through teaching on a Sunday morning, in the youth group meetings and in the Sunday school sessions; the prayer meetings; the fellowship with one another; this all demonstrates God’s love for us and the love everyone committed to God’s church shares.

Moving away to Birmingham and leaving my home church - the family that they have become to me - is tough. But I’m eager to grow in my relationship with Christ and I hope to establish a deeper understanding of His Word while I’m away. The course that I am taking gives me no formal qualification, but combines my two passions: my passion for Christ - the discipleship programme will enable me to learn more of the fundamentals of the Christian faith as well as Biblical principles for everyday living; and my passion for performance - the drama course will allow me to progress in my love for acting and open up doors to various community projects, in which we will be taking the Christian faith to those who do not know God in a personal way.

I have so much to be grateful for over the past 20 years, and so much to be looking forward to over the next! I can’t wait to see where God leads me!

Here is a link to the Riverside School of Performing Arts.

Postscript

I have now completed my nine months at Riverside School of Performing Arts and am back home for the summer break. During my time away I learned so much more than I could ever have imagined! I was really stretched as a performer and God definitely stretched me in my faith. Most importantly I learned the true meaning of walking with God, trusting in Him and what a difference it can have on my life.

In September, 2010, I am joining Oddments Theatre Company in Yeovil. I'm really excited about this next step into my future and have been challenged by how God has led me through uncertainty to this point. Oddments is a Christian Theatre Company which has been running on a part-time basis for 29 years, but I will be joining their first full-time team. We will be performing in schools, churches and prisons as well as the possibility of producing radio programmes for Christian media.

I am sure there will be many highlights during the year which will be both fun and challenging! The year will culminate in producing a show to tour around S. England and hopefully a week in Europe. I can't wait to see where God takes me from here!