A lighter load, a stronger faith

For two Regents students, their first year has brought unexpected healing, growth and spiritual clarity.

When students arrive at Regents Theological College, they bring more than just books and laptops. They carry everything life has already handed them—hopes, hurts, faith, fear. They come with what Ellie describes as a “backpack full of stuff.”

“There’s good stuff and bad stuff,” she explains. “Jesus doesn’t empty out the whole backpack—but He does take a bit of the weight off, and then puts in different things. And sometimes things have to be removed to make space for something better.”

For both Ellie and Lydia, it was within the unique environment of Regents—through study, worship, friendship and challenge—that God began to do something new.

“You realise you’ve got things in you that you didn’t even know were there,” says Lydia. “Until you’re in a place like this, you don’t see them. But God starts pointing things out and saying, ‘Excuse me…’ And that’s when growth really begins.”

Their first year has already brought unexpected transformation. Things they carried silently for years are being gently unpacked. Burdens are being lifted. Identity is being reshaped in Christ.

“It’s good growth,” Ellie reflects. “And I know there’s more to come.”

That’s the good news: real change is happening. Not always flashy or loud, but slow, steady and life-deep. For these students, Regents isn’t just a place of learning—it’s become a place where God is actively at work in who they are becoming.

This article was first published in the Your Elim newsletter. You can read the newsletter here, and sign up to the newsletter here.