Hello, my name is Joyce Malins.  I have been working in the church office since 1986 and the job and demands have changed enormously since then!  During this time I have had the privilege of working with 3 vicars and 3 curates and, somehow, have managed to survive in a busy part-time role.

 

  I have been married to John for 35 years and have two adult sons, Paul and Matthew . They are both married to Sharon and Catherine, respectively, and live nearby, and am so grateful to say that all of my immediate family are Christians and take an active role in the life of Christ Church.  I now have a grand-daughter, aged 9, who was adopted by Paul and Sharon almost 3 years ago.

  I was brought up in Evesham, Worcestershire and moved to Shrewsbury 24 years ago, when John was promoted in retail management.  At the early age of 3, I was sent to Sunday School at the local Mission Church and at the age of 10 dedicated my life to Christ.  I have been privileged to have been taught the scriptures from an early age and have had dear Christian friends who took an interest in me over many years.  

 As a result of this, I have spent many years teaching in Sunday School.  My heart is that children will have the opportunity to learn about God and know Him as Saviour and Lord as I did, and that parents will be able to share my joy in seeing their own children come to faith and follow in His way.

 In addition to spending time as Church Administrator,  I am a member of our Pastoral Care Team – I just love people, particularly the elderly, and delight in regularly visiting folks.  I also participate in our Missionary Action Group and love to pray for our link missionaries.

 As for relaxation ….. much of this time is spent in the garden.  We have almost 1/3^rd of an acre.  We grow a lot of our own fruit and vegetables, I enjoy my 3 greenhouses, delight in taking cuttings and watching for the end results – not always successful, but very rewarding.  I enjoy cycling, too, but that is mainly restricted to holiday time.

 A favourite scripture verse is “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”  I don’t do change very readily and don’t strive for more than contentment in doing God’s will.  Hence my faith, family and friends are of utmost importance to me.