GOOD NEWS Newspaper

Page 2 I GOOD NEWS I May 2024
THE MUSIC OF HOPE
The faith of tutor and writer Emma Hide helped her through illness, as featured in our
January issue. Now she has taken another leap of faith – recording her first songs. Here
she tells Good News readers why she believes her music can change lives.
IN OCTOBER 2022, the UK faced a grim economic
milestone: annual inflation peaked
at 11.1%, the highest in 41 years. This surge,
which had been building steadily since
spring 2021, plunged the nation into the
throes of a crushing cost of living crisis.
Working at debt-counselling
charity Christians Against Poverty
(CAP), I witnessed a staggering
influx of calls as households struggled
with devastating debt. Former
clients, particularly those on low
incomes, became at risk of slipping
back into debt. Meanwhile
the charity sector faced significant
drops in donations.
At this time it could have been
easy to lose hope. Despite CAP’s
efforts and advocacy, millions of
families faced dire choices, such
as skipping meals, forgoing heating
and cutting back on essentials
– a situation that continues to
this day. The outlook, to put it
bluntly, was bleak.
Finding hope
In the midst of devastating circumstances,
I wanted to offer genuine
hope that transcended the
storms of economic hardship, social
upheaval and political turmoil.
In my search for genuine, dependable
and unshakable hope,
I was drawn deeper into my Christian
faith. Just a few years earlier
I had found myself in a personal
situation that felt completely
hopeless. When there was no clear
route forward, God answered
prayers, worked miracles, and
walked with me.
Most importantly, God led me
to an unshakable hope: the assurance
of eternal life, and his
unwavering promise to be with
us in our earthly struggles, giving
divine strength, guidance, love,
inexplicable peace and the reassurance
that all things can be
worked for good. This was the
best hope I had to offer, and I
knew I needed to share it.
Using music
Hoping to make sense of the
suffering I was seeing, I turned
to music and songwriting. I poured
out my heart to write ‘Dare to Hope’
– a song that captures the transformation
that happens when we
find light in the darkness. Writing
this song brought me back to a
place of hope for the nation and
households in crisis. Now I just
needed a means to share it.
Six months later I took a leap
of faith. Having never had any
vocal lessons or recording experience,
I embarked on recording
and releasing a debut EP – each
track a testament to the different
facets of hope and healing we
can find in God.
Over the following year I devoted
countless hours to composing
melodies and penning lyrics, and
began recording in a local studio.
Guided by musician and producer
Andy Lowe, before I knew it the
day had come for me to share my
first single, Waiting, on streaming
platforms in December 2023. The
response from friends, family and
contacts was one of overwhelming
support!
And now I am sharing perhaps
my proudest song, Dare to Hope.
My prayer is that this track sparks
hope for anyone facing difficult
circumstances, whether that be financial
insecurity or storms of a
different nature. Even if only one
person is encouraged, I will feel
it was a worthwhile endeavour. In
a world where each of us will face
hardship and loss, genuine hope
is a treasure that must be shared
as widely as possible! Where do
you find hope in times of crisis?
Dare to Hope release
You can listen to Dare to Hope by
Emma Hide on Spotify, YouTube, Apple
Music and Amazon Music.
MASSIVE NEW CHURCH OFFERS HOPE IN NORWICH
THE biggest church to be built in
Norfolk for 110 years has opened
its doors, welcoming 5,000
guests to four services over the
first weekend of March.
Soul Church has returned to its
spiritual home on the site where,
18 years earlier, its predecessor had
to leave following a devastating fire
in 2006 which destroyed the entire
former building, leaving only a 25 ft
metal cross intact.
NEW HOME: Soul Church’s new building in Norwich
That same cross now proudly
hangs on the front of a building
which houses a 1,250-seat auditorium
and a string of community facilities
including a nursery, social
supermarket, café and free play
area.
The message ‘Jesus – hope of the
world’ is lit up on the front of the
complex, which is as much a community
hub for local people as it is
a venue for large, enthusiastic
DEBUT: Emma Hide is a new voice on the music scene
By Keith Morris
church services attracting young
and old alike.
That message of hope in Jesus
embodies the entire ethos of the
church, which has been meeting
in a converted warehouse for the
last decade.
Pastor Jon Norman told the congregation:
“We are committed to
speaking a message of hope from
this pulpit. This building has been
just a structure for the past two
years, but from tonight it is now a
sanctuary, a safe space, a space
where you can dream to be the person
God has called you to be. It is
a gateway of hope and a place of
good news.
“The doors of hope lead onto the
street of community, a place where
relationships can be forged.
“We are facing
an epidemic of
loneliness in our
nation, county
and city. We have
intentionally built
a street as a gateway
to community.
Off that street
you will find a social
supermarket
to help those who
are struggling to
buy food, you will
find our community café and kids
free indoor play area, our jobs
club and debt recovery services,
a 110-place nursery, a youth club
on a Friday night, mental health
and well-being support groups,
provision for the disabled and
physically and sensory impaired.”
The church is believed to be the
third biggest in Norfolk, ranking
alongside the Anglican Cathedral
and St John the Baptist Catholic
Cathedral in the city. There was no
statutory funding for the multimillion
pound building which was
financed by the congregation,
businesses, large donors and
grant funding.
www.networknorfolk.co.uk