In 2001, Paula Vouris had a list of things she needed in her life, which included finding “spirituality”.

She didn’t know what to look for, so had explored New Age philosophies and read self-help books to no avail. It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with severe postnatal depression and hospitalised after the birth of her first child that visits from a chaplain and Bible reading put her on the path toward faith in Christ.

“I got out of hospital and tried to look for a church to go to, but because I’d never been to church I found it really frightening,” she says.

For weeks Vouris sat in her car in front of a local church, praying someone would come out during the service, see her and invite her in. Eventually, a friend from mothers’ group invited her to Bible study but what she really wanted was to go to church, so when the friend couldn’t take her on the appointed Sunday, Vouris took her courage in both hands and walked in alone.

“I was so nervous I felt sick, but I said to her, ‘Give me the address - I have to go to church today’,” she recalls.

As it happened, the church was running a series of evangelistic sermons and by the end of the first one Vouris was Christian. A year later her husband, spurred on by her changed life, had also put his faith in Jesus.

Now she is one of the diocese’s Connect09 ambassadors, which involves motivating others in her church to reach out to their local community in a more meaningful way.

“People need to know how amazing it is that God can change you and transform you, and I know God is using me to encourage people to share their faith,” she says. “Think of all the people who are suffering right now, nowhere to go, no sense of community and don’t even know they need God.”Θ