Meet Sally and Shane

Sally and Shane, tell us about your family.

Our family includes us, our dog Fuji, and our cats Tuna and Sushi. We have some immediate family very close to us, who we love to see often, and some that are very far away in Wales that we try to see as often as we can.

What does a typical week look like for you?

We are both busy most weeks, with Sally working full time in the NSW government and Shane working as a support worker while studying counselling. We both enjoy our coffee, so a daily brew is a must. In between work and study, we love being active by going to the gym or taking our dog for a daily walk. We love our weekly growth group and serving on Sundays at church in fellowship and worship ministries. We try to make time on the weekends for rest and quality time together.

What do you enjoy doing together on a day off?

We enjoy spending quality time together, whatever that looks like. On low energy days, that could be resting at home, going for a walk, and ordering food in (and taking some naps in between). We also love spending time in the garden. On days with more energy, we love going out with our dog Fuji to the beach or river, or to a cafe or brewery we haven't been to before.

What are the things you appreciate the most about living in the Box Hill area? 

We live in a suburb close to Box Hill and are excited by the opportunity to get to know new people from very different walks of life—some of whom have travelled quite some distance to settle into the area. We’re looking forward to continuing to build on existing relationships and making new ones as we minister to the people of Box Hill and spend more time in the area.

How long have you been Christians, and who was it that first told you about Jesus?

We’ve both been Christians for similar periods of time—about ten years. We both came to faith in our early twenties, while we were dating, at a time in our lives when we weren’t looking for God but were seeking life and purpose and meaning in other things. Thankfully, God in his merciful and loving kindness revealed himself to us both by showing us that there was more to life and that Jesus was worth following.

Sally: I'm really thankful for my mum, who is now at home with Jesus. She was probably the first person to tell me about Jesus at a young age, and she continued to pray for me throughout my life that I would come to know him. 

Shane: When I started looking into Christianity around the same time as Sally, it was really the relationships that I had at church that showed me God's love. I'm thankful for the brothers in Christ that welcomed me straight away, showed me genuine care, and spoke the truth in love to me.

What has encouraged you from God’s word recently?

Sally: I've been encouraged from the book of Revelation to remember that, at the end of the day, and no matter what circumstance I am in or the state of this world, Jesus is sitting on the throne, and just as he was there at the beginning, he will also be there at the end. This has encouraged me to hold firm to the gospel and to live my life in the reality of eternity.

Shane: I always enjoy doing the Bible in One Year, which is a daily Bible reading plan that takes you through the Bible in a year. It reminds me that there is no book in the Bible more important than another, and that the entire Bible is God-breathed. I've also been reminded of God's enduring faithfulness to his people, from the promises he made in the Old Testament, to their fulfilment in Jesus in the New Testament. My God is a God that never falls short on his promises.

What are your hopes for your family and your children?

Our greatest hope is to see our friends and family know and trust in the real Jesus, who we have come to know and trust. We want our greatest joy to always be found in Jesus, and not in anything else; to know that he is sufficient whatever comes our way and to find contentment in him alone. We want to be able to sing in every blessing and in very trial the words from the hymn that ‘it is well with my soul’.

Is there an amusing fact about you that you’d be happy to share?

We are not too proud to admit that we are both avid Escape to the Country fans. For those that don't know, it’s a television program that helps people all over the UK to escape the city to the countryside. We adore the beautiful landscapes, the rolling green hills, the grazing sheep and cattle, the castles and historic buildings, the cute villages and pubs, the slowness of life, and, of course, the scones and the tea. 

______