2008: Norwich Royal Mail postie, Bob Lloyd, has now become a professional toastie, after putting down his church worship guitar in favour of a gavel.

 

When Bob stepped in at short notice to MC a friend's 50th birthday party last year, he had no idea where it was going to lead. "Thank you," said the friend. "You do that sort of thing very well, don't you?" Modestly, he agreed! This was the nudge that Bob needed to take him a step closer to becoming a professional toastmaster.

 

Since becoming a Christian and subsequently learning the guitar in the 1970s, Bob has organised and been part of many events including wedding receptions and other celebrations. For 19 years he worked as a baker which included making and decorating wedding cakes. However, when Bob and his family returned to Norwich over 20 years ago after a year at Bible College, he joined the Royal Mail where he has worked ever since in various different roles. 

 

In recent years, Bob had begun to feel restless, and confessed to his pastor, Richard George, that he no longer had the vision to lead worship at Cornerstone Church, which he had been doing since the church began in 2005.

 

When he shared his toastmaster dream with Richard, the reply was, "If you don't do this, you'll die." So Bob realised the time had come: "to lay down my guitar and pick up my gavel".

 

Bob went ahead and enrolled on a Professional Toastmaster course which was run at Park Farm, Hethersett in April. It was incredibly hard work, with a lot of theory as well as the hands-on part, he said.

 

After the course, Bob set about marketing himself and the work is now coming in and he loves it!

 

"As I have stepped out in obedience," said Bob, "the Lord has opened doors, and my heart for worship has been revitalised". He hasn't given up the day job, which is actually a night job, yet and continues to juggle two careers, but the future looks promising. As Bob says, "Every couple whose wedding I do get prayed for".

weblink: www.toastmasterbob.co.uk  

 

Picture courtesy of EDP