Cowrie Shells

Meet Leanne Bolton - Encounter the heart of a pastor who wants women everywhere to know whose they are and who they are, and from that foundation to share Jesus. Appointed to co-leading a church family with her husband, while caring for three children under five, listen to the insights Leanne has gleaned along the way. Talking leadership dynamics, the reward of retreating, parenthood affirmations,...

Meet Lauren Windle – journalist, public speaker and lately author too, Lauren’s proudest accomplishment remains being clean from a cocaine and alcohol addiction which, in her words, ‘almost stole every good thing’ from her life. Laugh, cry and identify with the honest account of a woman who has been there – unwrapping her stories of addiction and recovery, her passion to invest in others, and her...

Meet Nicole Cuthbert – Passionate about performing from a young age, it was natural for Nicole to pursue a career as an actress. Initially uncertain whether the stage and her faith were compatible, listen to her story of discovering how God is present in every sphere and that we have the privilege and choice of spotlighting Him. In Nicole’s words, ‘Sometimes we will be the only Bible someone reads...

Meet Rachael Heffer – What happens when we willingly invite God to change the shape of our dreams? A city girl at heart with a love for language, culture and a dream to live overseas, listen to Rachael’s inspiring account of how God took her at her word and showed her His trajectory, establishing her with multiple opportunities to cheer on His UK-based church. Be encouraged by the exciting stories...

Meet Lydia Bennett – Usually the one asking the questions as a presenter with Premier Christian radio, listen to Lydia’s stories giving us a unique peek into life on the other side of the Premier mic. Talking identity, body image, theology, saying ‘no’ to the pursuit of fame, and more, Lydia has much to share. With audio from our very first live-streamed episode aired on Saturday 25 April, be part...

Meet Sarah Barton – When untreated emotional wounds led Sarah and husband Mike to attend a course called Restoring the Foundations, a thought dropped into their spirit that they were not anticipating. What would it look like if they were to pay it forward? On the cusp of their retirement, listen to their remarkable story of how they swapped deckchairs for a journey of obedience towards a God-given...

How can a grown woman understand the loving father heart of God when her younger self has no frame of reference for it? Meet Sarah Barton – Born into a family set up coloured by poverty, addiction, mental health issues and more, it is unsurprising that she grew up with an incomplete picture of love. In the face of her brokenness, what did surprise Sarah was encountering a God who repeatedly p...

Meet Alexandra Huggins – An introvert girl who first encountered a sense of culture shock when she relocated from Germany to the UK aged ten, little did she know that change and transition would become a recurring feature of her life. From marriage breakdown to grief and illness, singleness to remarriage, raising children to embracing blended family life – Alex has repeatedly seen what she calls t...

Meet Katie Amanda – A girl who dreamt of finding love in the arms of a man she could spend life with, Katie didn’t expect divorce to be part of her adult story. So when her marriage tragically unravelled, Katie felt utterly devastated. Wrestling with heartbreak and uncertainty as a single mum of three, she encountered a God who whispered affirmation into all her hurting places, tenderly rebuilding...

Meet Tope Forsyth – Nigerian-born but British-bred, Tope has lived in the UK for most of her life. Hers is a story of sensing God pursue her before she even knew Him; initially as an abstract, then increasingly as her rock and comfort when life intensified and her first daughter was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Listen to her story and be inspired by her wholehearted acceptance of her circumstance...

Meet Kelda Davis – What happens when our plans don’t work out the way we had hoped? Having grown up as a vicar’s daughter, Kelda’s faith was well-established by her teens but it was during her late twenties, while waiting on a husband and children to materialize, that God presented her with a new challenge: Would she simply shoehorn what she wanted from life and ask God to bless it, or would she b...

Meet Genevieve Duke – Feeling crushed and silenced as a young woman in the aftermath of an abusive relationship, Gen was taken aback when God revived her dreams and invited her to journey with Him into the prophetic. Despite at times wanting to run in the opposite direction, she has persisted in leaning in to detect His still quiet voice. Tackling the sometimes tricky issues of discernment, the re...

Please note: due to a change in venue this episode features some external traffic noise Meet Kate Patterson – Having grown up as a vicar’s daughter, Kate followed in her parents’ footsteps, marrying a vicar and co-leading a church with him. She felt that life was at its sweetest spot when sudden tragedy turned everything upside down. Listen in to Kate’s tender story of how, in the reality of her s...

Meet Charlotte Nall – What happens when God gives you a clear dream for something but then circumstances appear to render it impossible? What happens when your husband turns away from God? What happens when God instructs you to leave your job? What happens when miscarriage is preceded by still birth and you are left with an empty womb? Listen in to how Charlotte faced all this and more – consisten...

Meet Rachel Jordan-Wolf - From her earliest memories, Jesus was Rachel’s best friend and she wanted the world to know Him too! Whether it was church in a chicken shed, prayer in a greenhouse, or sharing coffee with a distressed woman in the Red Light District, Rachel consistently chose to be available to God and today her vision remains unchanged. Passionate about empowering believers, she heads u...

Driven by a hunger for validation from childhood, Carla sought escape in a fiercely independent lifestyle of partying, drugs, travel and work until, one night, an inner desire to ‘go home’ broke through it all. Two dreams and a camping trip later, she did a complete U-turn and became an irrepressible voice for Jesus in her community. Listen in to her dramatic stories of adventures with God, and be...

Meet Jasmine Gibson – What do you do when you only have £20 left in your bank account to care for your family? Since making God centre of her life in her twenties, Jazz has repeatedly been challenged by God to steward His gifts – spiritual and material – with real integrity. Listen to her faith-building stories of trusting God with finances and seeing how, again and again, His economy provided all...

Meet Esther Higham – Best known for her animated voice on Premier Christian radio, when it comes to empowering people with Jesus, Esther is as passionate off air as she is during her ‘Inspirational Breakfast’ show. She describes herself as a gatherer and coach, and is full of stories where she has seen faith come alive in everyday situations. How can we best grow our spiritual muscles and throw of...

A Story of Carrying Hope – in recognition of Baby Loss Awareness Week: 9-15th October 2025 Meet Beth Appleby – Would God still be good if… you were told by medical professionals that the baby in your womb likely had a life-threatening condition? Having grown up with two missionary parents, Beth was no stranger to the reality that faith comes with its struggles. But when she had to confront this qu...

Meet Katharine Grimes – Exchanging her host headphones for a pair of guest ones to launch a brand new season of Cowrie Shells, listen in to more of Katharine’s own stories of faith. From childhood questions to battling ME/Chronic Fatigue in her twenties, and navigating a barrage of bereavement in her thirties, Katharine has consistently been challenged to choose the path of surrender. In her words...

That's officially a wrap for Season One of Cowrie Shells podcast! Thank you for being part of the worldwide community of women of faith sharing their stories and consistently pointing others to Jesus. I’m excited to say that Season 2 will launch in October 2025 but, until it does, I want to leave you with a challenge and an invitation. No matter the depth of your passion for Jesus, why not conside...

Meet Faith Mwangi-Powell – born in rural Kenya, she is a woman who has defied cultural expectations and become a jet-setter and key leader in the sphere of international development and healthcare. Blessed with a supportive family - a father who valued education, a mother who prized discipline and a grandmother who prioritized prayer – it was not until she recognized the importance of having a per...

Meet Debz Kefford – What happens when a series of God-shaped dreams take sixteen years to materialise? Listen to Debz’ inspiring tales of a young woman who embraced a career in paediatric nursing in the UK while holding onto a dream for mission in Africa – even when, time and again, she felt God instruct her to put it on the backburner. Be encouraged by her obedience and challenged, in her words,...

Meet Laura Cox – Having felt like a lone ranger in a family which did not understand her childhood beliefs, Laura wrestled with the reality of a foot in two camps: was her faith just an add-on to life or the centre piece? Things came to a head when God spoke some powerful words into her heart – words that required a response and have impacted all her decisions since. Listen to her frank account of...

Meet Paddi Mallett – Having struggled with substance and process addiction throughout her life, she readily admits, even at 58, that she is susceptible to addictive behaviours. But something else comes in tandem with that admission and it is stronger; she also knows that she is completely forgiven and restored by One who is able to fill that gaping God-shaped hole inside her. Listen to her amazing...