34 min
Restoring Lives. Erik Castenskiold & Helen Bradley Unshakeable Stories Unshakeable Truths
-
- Christianity
Helen
Helen, a non-churchgoer, was a very reluctant participant of the Restored Lives Course in January 2011 after her marriage to her childhood sweetheart ended abruptly in 2009. Still struggling with the emotional and practical fallout of her breakup she was persuaded by a Christian friend to try Restored Lives. Expecting to be judged and feeling like a failure Helen went along to the first night of the course. To her surprise, she was met with a type of Christian grace she had never encountered before. The course leaders and helpers just gently came alongside her as she soaked up the course content and made new friends, many of whom are still some of her greatest cheerleaders. It was a turning point lifting her out of a dark time and setting her back on her feet. It was also a turning point in her Christian journey because it ignited her curiosity about a faith she had put aside since childhood. She went on to do the Alpha course and revived her relationship with God.
She has been volunteering ever since and almost 2 years ago started working part-time managing marketing and comms for the charity. She continues to volunteer too either in Bournemouth or for Restored Lives at Home - the online version of the course. She is passionate about Churches using the course to come alongside people of all faiths and none.
Erik
Erik and Karen met and were active together in church activities for 4 years before getting married but, after 5 years of marriage, it sadly ended in a painful divorce. This caused a period of isolation, depression and many questions at which time Erik is eternally grateful to four people who came alongside him to help him navigate through this “category 5 hurricane”. These people were literally “lifesavers” and helped him slowly recover from this major life crisis.
Whilst initially slightly reluctant to start helping others in this area, a job loss gave him some time to help develop an existing course together with a group of professionals including Family Law Solicitors, Mediators, a Judge, Counsellors, and Parenting Specialists. Seeing the transformation that can happen in people’s lives, from being in a valley of darkness into a journey of restoration, has been infectious and addictive and has meant that he is now passionate to help others recover successfully.
He runs the charity, Restored Lives, and leads the online course and the face to face course at HTB London three times a year. Through this ministry, he offers support to over 40 leaders who are running the course in the UK as well as overseas where the course has been run in many locations such as France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, and the Czech Republic whilst the Restored Lives book, which he wrote, has also now been translated into Japanese.
He is currently a full-time finance director in the UK and was previously the communications director of a listed public company.
Helen
Helen, a non-churchgoer, was a very reluctant participant of the Restored Lives Course in January 2011 after her marriage to her childhood sweetheart ended abruptly in 2009. Still struggling with the emotional and practical fallout of her breakup she was persuaded by a Christian friend to try Restored Lives. Expecting to be judged and feeling like a failure Helen went along to the first night of the course. To her surprise, she was met with a type of Christian grace she had never encountered before. The course leaders and helpers just gently came alongside her as she soaked up the course content and made new friends, many of whom are still some of her greatest cheerleaders. It was a turning point lifting her out of a dark time and setting her back on her feet. It was also a turning point in her Christian journey because it ignited her curiosity about a faith she had put aside since childhood. She went on to do the Alpha course and revived her relationship with God.
She has been volunteering ever since and almost 2 years ago started working part-time managing marketing and comms for the charity. She continues to volunteer too either in Bournemouth or for Restored Lives at Home - the online version of the course. She is passionate about Churches using the course to come alongside people of all faiths and none.
Erik
Erik and Karen met and were active together in church activities for 4 years before getting married but, after 5 years of marriage, it sadly ended in a painful divorce. This caused a period of isolation, depression and many questions at which time Erik is eternally grateful to four people who came alongside him to help him navigate through this “category 5 hurricane”. These people were literally “lifesavers” and helped him slowly recover from this major life crisis.
Whilst initially slightly reluctant to start helping others in this area, a job loss gave him some time to help develop an existing course together with a group of professionals including Family Law Solicitors, Mediators, a Judge, Counsellors, and Parenting Specialists. Seeing the transformation that can happen in people’s lives, from being in a valley of darkness into a journey of restoration, has been infectious and addictive and has meant that he is now passionate to help others recover successfully.
He runs the charity, Restored Lives, and leads the online course and the face to face course at HTB London three times a year. Through this ministry, he offers support to over 40 leaders who are running the course in the UK as well as overseas where the course has been run in many locations such as France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, and the Czech Republic whilst the Restored Lives book, which he wrote, has also now been translated into Japanese.
He is currently a full-time finance director in the UK and was previously the communications director of a listed public company.
34 min