We should also never stop encouraging others in their journey of faith, said the Revd Jane Day (pictured), Yorkshire Baptist Association regional minister for mission, who gave the address after communion.

Taking Hebrews 11: 1 -16 as her text, she wanted to pose a particular question: 'How do we, as God's people, live in the light of what we hope for and what we cannot yet fully see?'

One way was by telling the stories of people who have gone before us.

Although the text mentions Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham, Jane said this wasn't a trip down memory lane, more an examination of 'the faith of Christian people who can challenge us to go beyond'.'All these people lived by faith,' Jane said. And while they are 'way back' in our history, 'they are there on the journey of faith. They are part of our story.'

Telling stories of people who have gone before us will 'motivate us in our faith to be a people that moves forward, takes risks and pioneers,' Jane said. 'Stories inspire and give us hope.'

Secondly, Jane said, we might also recall our own stories, because we are the story of faith. 'We become the story, we live the story, we are the story of faith.'
 

She went to explain that faith looks towards the future, trusting that God will keep the promises made to those who believe. 'Faith is courageous.  Faith is being focused.  Faith sees what others cannot see.  It delights in the reality of future things.'

And because we have benefited from what has gone before, we have a responsibility to the future: we need to both practice and encourage.

'Whatever we do let's never stop encouraging people on the journey of faith,' Jane said.

'My experience is that we need to be a people that practices faith and be intentional about building faith in others as we seek to live it.  It doesn't just happen.'