I have absolutely no clue. I struggle to remember what I did yesterday, let alone when I was five.

But my mum remembers exactly what I was doing!

One day, when I was happily attending primary school, the local Anglican vicar, Rev Hugh Pollock, came in to take a school assembly – as vicars do!

Apparently, that day, I came home from school on a mission:
“I want to go to church.”

For two non-Christian parents, this was not exactly thrilling news. They assumed I’d forget all about it by the next morning and sleep it off!

Apparently I didn’t.

Instead I drove them slightly mad until they finally took me along that Sunday….mainly, I suspect, to shut me up!

But then something unexpected happened.

They stayed.
And they became Christians!!

Years later, I made a conscious decision for myself at age 11.

And then my brother became a Christian at 20 at uni.

All because one vicar walked into a primary school assembly hall and the Holy Spirit did his thing!

So what does this tell me?

1) If you’re involved in schools work, Sunday school or talking to younger ones – don’t stop! What feels routine, awkward or unnoticed may become the beginning of an extraordinary faith journey for a child.

2) The Holy Spirit can take our small offering and do immeasurably more with it. We bring what we have. He does the transforming thing.

3) Never underestimate the impact of ordinary faithfulness. Rev Hugh Pollock may never have realised that one school assembly would affect an entire family for generations……and that little 5 year old would go on into Baptist ministry! I never got the chance to tell Hugh, and he is sadly no longer with us! But remember, even though we may never know how what we do is received….God can use it!