Spotlight on Tabita, our Impact Intern

We caught up with Tabita Pfaender, who is giving up a year to serve Hope Church as an Impact Intern. 

Tabita, can you tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and how did you come to know Jesus?

I’m from Steinen, a village near to the black forest, near to the border of Switzerland and France. Just a two hour drive to Italy for a great holiday on the Lago Maggiore...

So, that was the bit to make you jealous. But aside from that it’s a normal village, much smaller than Ipswich and therefore Ipswich is a big place for me although that may sound strange to you! 

I grew up in a Christian Family and when I was older, I totally fell in love with the church, it became my second family. I went regularly to the kids club and then to youth and small group, that was not just normal for me, it was a great thing to do. I can’t tell you a time when I had a big encounter with Jesus but I got to know him better and better through the years and understood what it really means to follow him with unconditional surrender.

And how did you come to be here in Ipswich? What are you up to here at Hope Church? 

I planned to take a gap year before my last school year started and doing an Impact year sounded good to me. First I wanted to do it in London but after a few things happened I wasn’t sure about that. At this time Maurice came to visit my Family in Germany for an evening because he knows my father and was in the country. We got on really well and started joking that I could do my Impact Year in Ipswich. That all sounded great and after he left I had to decide which church to go but deep in my heart I knew that the decision was made. 

In Hope Church I’m involved in some of the Tots-Sessions, I’m part of the youth team on Tuesdays and Fridays and I have the privilege to help Susan and her Team in Oasis where God has given me lots of grandparents. 


I help Jeni and her team in Kickstart and on Sundays I help in Jelly Beans and in Glue. Every other month I go to Bedford for a week of training with 18 other Impacters from England (and some others from Germany too). We learn about the Bible, the Holy Spirit, Worship, Kids and Youth work, Prayer. I had three of these weeks already and they've been amazing!

What’s the best thing about England? 

THE SEA!!!! And Hope Church, of course ☺ 

Would you recommend an Impact year to other people? 

Yes, definitely! The teaching is awesome and you build great relationships with the other Impact students, we’re like a big family. 


It’s amazing to work for a whole year in a church and to get the chance to get involved in things you have never done before. It’s good to get to know another church so closely, you get so much experience and you learn a lot about yourself. I am getting to know God in a way I could never imagine. You can’t expect to walk on the water like Peter did if you’re still standing on the beach. You have to step out of your comfort zone, out of the boat, with your trust in God and you will never stop being amazed what he is doing. And Impact is a great opportunity to go for it!

Impact is changing slightly next year to become I.D (Intentional Discipleship. There's more information to be found here - please contact Tom Scrivens if you're interested in serving with Hope Church for the year. We're looking for more amazing people like Tabita to come on an adventure with us. 

Tabita Pfaender

Spotlight on the Ipswich Winter Night Shelter

As this Sunday is Homelessness Sunday, we caught up with Brian and Sue Anstey and Hugh Gibson who lead Hope Church's contribution to the Ipswich Winter Night Shelter. 

Guys, tell us a bit about the shelter and the heart behind it...

The shelter has been running in Ipswich since 2011 and we have been involved as coordinators since it’s beginning. It operates along similar lines to that of other shelters around the country initiated by a Christian housing organisation called Housing Justice. This year Hope Church is hosting the shelter every Sunday night / Monday morning from the beginning of December until the middle of March. It is a rolling shelter involving 7 churches in Ipswich, each hosting a separate week night. 

We cater for up to 12 guests each week, providing an overnight stay. This includes a hot meal, a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning. There are 14 volunteers who come each week and who help us to create a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere as well as carrying out all the necessary practical tasks. 

As churches in Ipswich, we aim to show the love of Jesus to people who, predominantly, would otherwise be sleeping on the streets.  Ipswich Winter Night Shelter offers hope and hospitality as part of a wider strategy, helping them contact other agencies who can assist them to solve their problems on a longer term basis.

Prayer is a big part of what we do. We pray before and after each shelter. We also pray for specific situations, especially where there is tension between guests. There is a prayer coordinator who organises a team of people to pray regularly across the 7 shelters.

How many people are you serving on Sunday evenings at the moment? Tell us a little bit about their situations.

Presently, we cater for up to 12 people. This year, so far, we have only had male guests, but we have, over the last 3years, accommodated women as well.

Some of the guests this year are from Eastern Europe and have been sleeping in the woods before coming to the shelter. Some of the others have lost their jobs and, therefore, their homes or have been evicted. Some have suffered breakdown of a relationship or have been released from prison with nowhere to live. Others have severe problems with alcohol and/or drug misuse and have been unable to cope.  

How can we be praying for the Night Shelter at this time?

As a church, we need to pray for each of the guests and volunteers to have peace and safety through each night. We need to pray for good relationships between the guests. Throughout the project, we can pray that the lives of the guests will have better and more positive outcomes as they are encouraged to overcome their problems. We also need to pray that the guests will experience the love of Jesus in their lives and will come to know Jesus as their Saviour. 

If anybody would like to know more details about the night shelter or who would like any further details about prayer needs, please speak to one of us. 

Thank you for your support,

Sue and Brian Anstey and Hugh Gibson.