Comments (17)
Posted by Larniegh 14 Jul 2010 at 08:49
Well, I was in a marquee in a field in dorset being poked in the ribs by a very good friend of mine with his flute. I dont remember there being a big revelation moment, just a gradual understanding that it was right and that I loved God.
Posted by Jacqui 14 Jul 2010 at 10:50
For many years I avoided thinking about the feeling I was being called to any kind of faith journey.. My son joined scouts and i was invited to church parade, we kept going back, i did some weekends and courses and now I'm a reader trainee. It sounds very prosaic and mundane when I read it but thats what happened. If I'm honest I still dont know if I'm a 'proper' Christian. I am still sorting out what I think and believe about a lot of stuff. I have very very rare moments of peace, joy and completeness that keep me on my journey.
Posted by LiturgyLover 14 Jul 2010 at 18:40
I made my faith public at the ripe old age of 6, marching down the aisle of our Baptist church to the strains of "Just As I Am." I had prayed to receive Christ the week before at home, after having the Gospel presented simply to me by my stepfather and having heard it every week at church. I remember standing up front with the pastor, and a few brief flashes of my baptism some weeks later (the water was cold). As the years have passed, however, I have come to see God's working in me long before that -- especially in spite of my nominal Christian family. So although I have the "salvation date" so cherished by my Baptist relations, I see my coming to faith far more as a process, and find that the exact moment of when I crossed the line from unbeliever to believer known only to God.
Posted by Roger 14 Jul 2010 at 22:45
Always been one.
It doesn't make a good story, and I wish I could tell of some kind of revelation or conversion, like some people. I wish there had been some flashing light, some glowing all over, some visitation by angels, some bursting of the heart with the joy of suddenly finding myself redeemed and loved. A gushing forth of tongues. A miraculous healing. A turning from knife crime and debauchery.
But no. I've always been one. And I am yet to speak in tongues or meet an angel.
Posted by Petunia 15 Jul 2010 at 01:06
Roger you may have entertained angels many times :-)
Posted by pearla 15 Jul 2010 at 11:29
I was searching, looking and seeking for years. I tried different 'paths' or ways and some were just plain stupid, some dangerous and some 'false'. The Jehovah's Witness's had a good go but for some reason it just didn't ring true, even after my dear brother trying to brain wash me for hours and hours and hours! He eventually gave up too, divorced his JW wife and went on a different path/life.
However, me......my children were teenagers and we lived in South Africa. My eldest daughter became 'born again' aged 17 but never said anything, just went to church a lot :). I started going to different churches, even the synagogue but the Rabbi didn't want converts, fortunately as it turned out.
One Sunday my daughter asked me to go to church with her, my husband said he wasn't interested and didn't want me to go but somehow I felt I should, so I did. It was a Pentecostal Charismatic church and I had to go forward after a call to repent, say the 'believers' prayer and was baptised (full emmersion) a couple of weeks after.
My daughter said that God would give me the gift of tongues if I asked, as a sign because I was an unbeliever! :) I asked, He did and since I've received many other wonderful blessings.
I've also gone through some very hard times and been scoffed at, mocked, abused and many other things but one thing is certain....yes...certain.....God is good, He never let go and His promises are true and Amen in Christ. Without my faith I may evenhave been dead by now!
I've been a born again believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour since 9th September 1988.
(thats the shortened version:).....praise His Holy name.
Posted by TubalCain 15 Jul 2010 at 12:37
How I got into Christianity...
I didn't have any real interest in religion until I was about 16. My parents weren't interested either, though if you'd asked them they probably would have said that they were "Christian". In my 5th year at high school the Gideons dished out copies of the New Testament (NIV) to everyone in my year. I was quite pleased to receive it. It had a reading plan to read through the whole NT in a year. So I did. I liked Romans the best, as I was rather swotty at school and Paul came across as an academic.
The following year a Christian band (well, duo) played a gig at my school. Rock music was still frowned upon in the school, so I went. They weren't bad, but not brilliant. But a friend who was in my A-level Maths group saw me there and invited me along to the local Baptist church. I thought, "Why not?" so I went along the following Sunday. I thought it was great and I enjoyed the youth group after the service. I started going every week. My Mum was quite upset as she thought the Baptists were a brainwashing cult. After about three months there was a baptismal service and after the service, I talked to the pastor about being baptised and he led me through the Journey Into Life prayer. So that was when I officially "became a Christian" (8th March 1981).
But despite keen involvement with school and university Christian Unions, regular church attendance, "quiet times" in which I'd draw up long prayer lists and read Bible verses with or without daily notes, I've never had a real "relationship" with God. I had a few unpleasant experiences of charismatic groups which put me off. I felt better in quieter, more meditative environments and recently I've joined a Quaker group. So, I don't know whether I'm a "real" Christian. I find believing in God's love very, very difficult, and just reading about it in the Bible somehow doesn't do it for me.
Posted by dolphy 15 Jul 2010 at 13:46
My parents brought me up in the Church of England; attending Church and Sunday School on a weekly basis and I went to the local Church primary School.
Mum would tell you that as a child I was "very religious".
When I was a bit older, I joined the Christian Union at secondary school and helped Dad with his duties as Church Warden.
In my late teens I strayed, perhaps rebelled, against my upbringing, for reasons which I do not want to openly talk about here, and I lost my faith. In fact, I lost it to the extent of calling myself an atheist. I stopped going to Church, stopped reading my Bible; in fact, I have to confess that I threw my Bible away!
In my middle 20's something happened and I found myself asking God about the situation. But, the outcome of the issue confused me to the extent that, once again, I gave up on God and got on with my life.
I remember Mum asking me one weekend when I was home from Music College - "what's happened to you, you were so religious once". I had better not write my response to her here!!!
Then, on my 28th birthday, I had a long phone conversation with my Godfather who sadly passed away recently. We talked about life, the universe and apple pies (sorry, that's an in joke between Stan and myself), and I went to my local Church and just sat there for around two hours. The Vicar acknowledged me but did not disturb me until I got up to leave. He then came over and said, "I hope you have found what you were looking for".
I turned to him and said, "yes, I think I have".
Six months later I was Confirmed; much to the happiness of my parents, Stan, and myself.
My faith has deepened over the years, even though there are times when I feel 'Mister God' is not listening, etc.
I may not read my Bible on a daily basis, and I have many faults but my Faith is stronger than ever.
Posted by Larch 15 Jul 2010 at 19:29
I was invited to a pentecostal church by a school friend when I was about 16 or 17 and became a Christian in the 'accepting Jesus into your heart' fashion. After university I lived alongside a Religious community for a couple of years and then joined an Anglican Franciscan community. After a year I left, having fallen off the edge of faith.
Twenty three years later - a few months ago - I came back to faith, initially prompted by a conversation and e-mail correspondence with someone I worked with for a few days. And it feels as though my life has been turned upside down, even though, in a way, nothing has changed (same job, same house, same partner etc)
Posted by Vee 16 Jul 2010 at 10:33
I was invited to a church youth evening by a friend, I'm not sure how old I was: before we moved house when I was 11, after my friend moved next door when I was 7. There were games and squash and biscuits and everyone was friendly and cheerful (and mostly older than me) and I wanted what they had. Towards the end of the evening there was a talk about Jesus, so I decided if these people were nice because they were friends of Jesus, I would be His friend too.
It must have disturbed my very agnostic family when I came home and said I wanted to go to church, but to be fair, my mum tried hard to find a church that I could get to alone and that would be suitable. I ended up in a methodist church 10 minutes away, which I attended until I left home to go to university.
I too have had times when I've walked away from God, but I've always called myself a Christian and retained my belief, even if I have been in an immense sulk with Him.
Posted by Ange 16 Jul 2010 at 20:26
I was packed off to Sunday School, as a child and the oldest of 3 sisters, giving our parents a rest each Sunday morning, or so it seemed. From then on Jesus was always special, though I didn’t understand the reason until much later.
I married my holiday romance and we had 2 children. When he was 14 our son became a Christian and we wondered what was going on. Three months later we agreed to go to a barbeque church 'outreach' and were impressed with the genuineness of the people. It made us curious enough to go to church the following Sunday. It was not at all what we expected. The meetings were lively and exciting.
During that evening service something suddenly became clear without anyone explaining it to me . I`d always known about Jesus but for the first time I knew it wasn't just a story and that it had all actully happened. He had really and truly died for me! Therefore, if He was who He claimed to be then I`d jolly well better find out what he had to say about how I lived my life.
I realised for the first time that I’d never thanked Him or said I was sorry. I asked what I had to do to get to know him and was led in a simple prayer of repentance and faith. I walked out of that place with the biggest smile on my lasted for 2 weeks, having found my answer!
My husband says he saw something different in the people at that church and the change it made in me. He knew there had to be more to life for him too . So, on his own, a few days later, late into the night, he got on his knees before God and committed his life too.
The following Sunday found us back in church again hungry for more. We were prayed for to receive baptism in the Holy Spirit and a few weeks later our 12 year old daughter made her own choice to follow Jesus too!
That was back in 1992 and here we are 18 years later. So much has happened since then and that’s a story in it’s self. God has been faithful in so many, many ways and he has never let us down. Both our children are now grown up, married to Christians and raising their own families in the faith. Yes my love of the Saviour just keeps on growing. I have much to thank God for.
Posted by yvon 17 Jul 2010 at 10:43
I never attended church until I was about 14 (?) years old, when I went along to church with my very best friend at school. Her family were very active in the church community. My parents never spoke about Chrisitianity. My dad was, and still is an atheist, although he respects the beliefs of the 'rest of us'.
When I was 15 years old I was very ill, I am not being dramatical in saying I was close to death. I remember 'talking' to God. Through the support of family, my friend, and God I recovered.
I still never really actively went to church. We continued to not have a bible in the house.
By the time I was in my 30's my dear mum started to become mentally ill, something I have experienced but not to the level my mum expereinced. There then became a very long story of my mum's journey, which if I reflect was probably the start of me thinking more about God. Mum live briefly around Christians - another part of the very long story.
About 4 years ago I had a bout of depression. I had started in a new job, and my supervisor was a Christian. She was very supportive and was the one who probably started me on my 'real' being with God. She came along with me to an Alpha course about April last year. I then had a series of attempting to find an appropiate church. this has been very difficult. I am not sure I am still at the right church.
My mum died last September. A month before she died a 'found' a passage in the bibble - I know it was about mum. I did initially 'reject' God after mums death, but my dear Chrisitan friend helped me through this anger.
Then a few weeks after mum's death I had an experience with God. I had peace about mum's death, although I still miss her very much.
I cannot really say when I became a Chrisitian - how does one quantify this? I cannot quote passages from the bible like a lot of Chrisitans can do, but I can pray for others and I can speak of the glory of my expereince with God - the lows and the highs.
I can really relate to some of the narrative above from others - it really helped me tell this narrative.
Posted by rolyn 17 Jul 2010 at 22:49
I didn't come from a religious family. Like many of their generation, mum and dad had chosen to steer clear of the the Church a long time ago, ( I think mum had more of a church upbringing than dad ). I had some standard R E at school and attended a small village Baptist Chapel for a while, just because a friend went there. But it is fair to say I was pretty much nondescript Christian and continued to be so until the age of 40.
Around that time I was a small farmer and ran into the farming crisis, this was followed by serious marital problems. To cut a long story short I was just working one day with a feeling of my head being in an 'emotional wine press' . Then I remembered advice of some born-again Christians I'd met years earlier, namely to open your heart to Jesus, IE. love Him the way one would love a parent, lover, brother or sister etc. Then ....Hey Presto, Light, joy, gladness -- the works . I endeavoured to join Anglican worship from that point onwards.
10 years later l'd like to be able to say my faith has deepened and there have been profound changes to the person that I was. But I'm not sure this is the case. Though I am happy to say God has given me a second chance as regards the personal difficulties that led me to faith. As a believing Christian it can often feel like an uphill struggle, yet there are times of * blessed assurance* which I know full well can not come from anywhere else but God Himself.
Posted by Sonseeker 18 Jul 2010 at 16:45
I was brought up as a Christian, my family attended church and my father was a church warden. I went to sunday school, was baptised and confirmed. Somehow I got 'lost' in my teens. My brother was seriously ill and had to have an operation, my father became overly religious (in my eyes) and then I was getting married. In planning our wedding my father said unless I married in church he wouldn't come. We had already booked the church!
After marrying it was another few years before I actively became engaged in the church again and I was very happy there. After we moved house I couldn't find a church I was happy at none seemed to offer what I needed; although I am not sure I knew what it was. We moved again and this time I found the church I was happy in. I became a Steward, and took on other jobs too and my husband and younger daughter were confirmed there.
Everything went well until I became ill nearly 10 years ago. Our new minister visited me at home and couldn't get out quick enough when he realised I was disabled. At church he snubbed me, even if I was in front of him he reached round me and shook hands with someone else. I was unable to perform church duties so I had no practical use. I stopped going to church and so did my family. it stayed like that for a long time until my younger daughter married in church. A friend encouraged me to go to her church occasionally which I did and one day I woke up to the fact I had taken on the role of victim. I prayed for myself and the minister and I was set free.
In France it has been difficult to find a church. We were going to one not far from our old house but it wasn't always easy to get there. Our new village has a church which has services once a month, so I am encouraged.
I was still searching to some degree over what I believed and my cousin in the USA spoke to me of his faith as a Quaker. It was just what I believed too! I cannot get to Quaker meetings but try to encompass the Quaker way of life as far as possible. I connect on line with Quakers and am content. Going to a Catholic church is not a problem.
We met a Scottish pastor and his wife who live not far from our old house and my husband and I did the Alpha course with them we had endless discussions on various subjects as I equated some things in the course with Quaker beliefs. We all enjoyed the discussions.
I must say I have realised I am closer to God in the countryside than anywhere else. Well after all it is His creation and where better to praise Him than amongst His best creations.
Posted by kailex 18 Jul 2010 at 20:00
The first part of my spiritual journey ....
Well, I went to Sunday School from when I could toddle, and church after that.
I learned of a hard-hearted, judgemental God who watched us and pointed the finger when we failed.
I learned the miracles didn't happen, (e.g the Red Sea was the Reed Sea and the locals would have known safe routes for walkers that would have been dangerous for Egyptians in chariots).
I learned that "Jesus loved the little children" but apparently very unequally from my point of view. And he sure didn't do anything with that love.
Then I left home and and left such religion behind and became very anti-Christian - I had quite a vituperative letter published in a magazine some older people may know - Buzz.
But I met a Christian girl, whose faith seemed different to anything I had ever seen. And I met a sally-ally guy who used to sell "The War Cry" in the pub I frequented at that time and who actually talked to me - I even once attended his church and got chased down the road by him when I left early :-)
And I became aware there was a whole other Christianity than that to which I had been exposed - so I began to explore.
Not that the rest of my journey was any less an obstacle course, and it seems to have remained so, but that was the start :-)
Posted by Petunia 19 Jul 2010 at 11:34
I was taken by a neighbour to a Methodist church aged 3. where I learned teachings and a language of sustanance and spiritual nourishment..
O.P. "How did you become a Christian? " Belief followed by experience. Jesus exhorted us to seek the Father
within, and to Love our Creator with all our mind, all our heart and all our soul and to love our neighbours (everybody on the face of this earth) as ourselves. The two most important words in scripture (to me) are - "prove me". Only when God rules in our minds and heart are we able to "love our neighbours as ourselves"
My parents were brought up in the C of E but apart from weddings Christenings or funerals did not attend church. Mum had some bad experience(s) with physical church but is a very spiritual person. I think religion is a man made attempt to address a whole lot of things, the primary one being the sense of the numinous that so very many people have. For me as a Christian Jesus is the perfected works of God in man, and He reveals what a life full of God is like. I too can "follow" Him and "know the truth " and "be set free". And the journey gets deeper and richer and growing all the time in love, joy and peace.
Posted by sla5af 23 Jul 2010 at 07:39
it was back in 1997 when i was an international student back in cardiff law school. was involved in inter-religious debate with the local cu people. decided to investigate the claims of who jesus really is and gradually believed..it was a long hard decision to make because of where i came from (hint: the country is just north of singapore), i'm not legally allowed to convert out of my former religion..but that's another story
after living in different parts of the world for over a decade (uk, australia, singapore), i finally returned home permanently.
at this stage, i would say i'm really still trying to understand what authentic christian faith is, with all the outcry surrounding the religious right in the us, and the conflict happening within the anglican communion (i was baptised and confirmed as an anglican).
i would say at this stage, i'm very much cynical and disillusioned, but still believing..
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Comments (17)
Posted by Larniegh 14 Jul 2010 at 08:49
Well, I was in a marquee in a field in dorset being poked in the ribs by a very good friend of mine with his flute. I dont remember there being a big revelation moment, just a gradual understanding that it was right and that I loved God.
Posted by Jacqui 14 Jul 2010 at 10:50
For many years I avoided thinking about the feeling I was being called to any kind of faith journey.. My son joined scouts and i was invited to church parade, we kept going back, i did some weekends and courses and now I'm a reader trainee. It sounds very prosaic and mundane when I read it but thats what happened. If I'm honest I still dont know if I'm a 'proper' Christian. I am still sorting out what I think and believe about a lot of stuff. I have very very rare moments of peace, joy and completeness that keep me on my journey.
Posted by LiturgyLover 14 Jul 2010 at 18:40
I made my faith public at the ripe old age of 6, marching down the aisle of our Baptist church to the strains of "Just As I Am." I had prayed to receive Christ the week before at home, after having the Gospel presented simply to me by my stepfather and having heard it every week at church. I remember standing up front with the pastor, and a few brief flashes of my baptism some weeks later (the water was cold). As the years have passed, however, I have come to see God's working in me long before that -- especially in spite of my nominal Christian family. So although I have the "salvation date" so cherished by my Baptist relations, I see my coming to faith far more as a process, and find that the exact moment of when I crossed the line from unbeliever to believer known only to God.
Posted by Roger 14 Jul 2010 at 22:45
Always been one.
It doesn't make a good story, and I wish I could tell of some kind of revelation or conversion, like some people. I wish there had been some flashing light, some glowing all over, some visitation by angels, some bursting of the heart with the joy of suddenly finding myself redeemed and loved. A gushing forth of tongues. A miraculous healing. A turning from knife crime and debauchery.
But no. I've always been one. And I am yet to speak in tongues or meet an angel.
Posted by Petunia 15 Jul 2010 at 01:06
Roger you may have entertained angels many times :-)
Posted by pearla 15 Jul 2010 at 11:29
I was searching, looking and seeking for years. I tried different 'paths' or ways and some were just plain stupid, some dangerous and some 'false'. The Jehovah's Witness's had a good go but for some reason it just didn't ring true, even after my dear brother trying to brain wash me for hours and hours and hours! He eventually gave up too, divorced his JW wife and went on a different path/life.
However, me......my children were teenagers and we lived in South Africa. My eldest daughter became 'born again' aged 17 but never said anything, just went to church a lot :). I started going to different churches, even the synagogue but the Rabbi didn't want converts, fortunately as it turned out.
One Sunday my daughter asked me to go to church with her, my husband said he wasn't interested and didn't want me to go but somehow I felt I should, so I did. It was a Pentecostal Charismatic church and I had to go forward after a call to repent, say the 'believers' prayer and was baptised (full emmersion) a couple of weeks after.
My daughter said that God would give me the gift of tongues if I asked, as a sign because I was an unbeliever! :) I asked, He did and since I've received many other wonderful blessings.
I've also gone through some very hard times and been scoffed at, mocked, abused and many other things but one thing is certain....yes...certain.....God is good, He never let go and His promises are true and Amen in Christ. Without my faith I may evenhave been dead by now!
I've been a born again believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour since 9th September 1988.
(thats the shortened version:).....praise His Holy name.
Posted by TubalCain 15 Jul 2010 at 12:37
How I got into Christianity...
I didn't have any real interest in religion until I was about 16. My parents weren't interested either, though if you'd asked them they probably would have said that they were "Christian". In my 5th year at high school the Gideons dished out copies of the New Testament (NIV) to everyone in my year. I was quite pleased to receive it. It had a reading plan to read through the whole NT in a year. So I did. I liked Romans the best, as I was rather swotty at school and Paul came across as an academic.
The following year a Christian band (well, duo) played a gig at my school. Rock music was still frowned upon in the school, so I went. They weren't bad, but not brilliant. But a friend who was in my A-level Maths group saw me there and invited me along to the local Baptist church. I thought, "Why not?" so I went along the following Sunday. I thought it was great and I enjoyed the youth group after the service. I started going every week. My Mum was quite upset as she thought the Baptists were a brainwashing cult. After about three months there was a baptismal service and after the service, I talked to the pastor about being baptised and he led me through the Journey Into Life prayer. So that was when I officially "became a Christian" (8th March 1981).
But despite keen involvement with school and university Christian Unions, regular church attendance, "quiet times" in which I'd draw up long prayer lists and read Bible verses with or without daily notes, I've never had a real "relationship" with God. I had a few unpleasant experiences of charismatic groups which put me off. I felt better in quieter, more meditative environments and recently I've joined a Quaker group. So, I don't know whether I'm a "real" Christian. I find believing in God's love very, very difficult, and just reading about it in the Bible somehow doesn't do it for me.
Posted by dolphy 15 Jul 2010 at 13:46
My parents brought me up in the Church of England; attending Church and Sunday School on a weekly basis and I went to the local Church primary School.
Mum would tell you that as a child I was "very religious".
When I was a bit older, I joined the Christian Union at secondary school and helped Dad with his duties as Church Warden.
In my late teens I strayed, perhaps rebelled, against my upbringing, for reasons which I do not want to openly talk about here, and I lost my faith. In fact, I lost it to the extent of calling myself an atheist. I stopped going to Church, stopped reading my Bible; in fact, I have to confess that I threw my Bible away!
In my middle 20's something happened and I found myself asking God about the situation. But, the outcome of the issue confused me to the extent that, once again, I gave up on God and got on with my life.
I remember Mum asking me one weekend when I was home from Music College - "what's happened to you, you were so religious once". I had better not write my response to her here!!!
Then, on my 28th birthday, I had a long phone conversation with my Godfather who sadly passed away recently. We talked about life, the universe and apple pies (sorry, that's an in joke between Stan and myself), and I went to my local Church and just sat there for around two hours. The Vicar acknowledged me but did not disturb me until I got up to leave. He then came over and said, "I hope you have found what you were looking for".
I turned to him and said, "yes, I think I have".
Six months later I was Confirmed; much to the happiness of my parents, Stan, and myself.
My faith has deepened over the years, even though there are times when I feel 'Mister God' is not listening, etc.
I may not read my Bible on a daily basis, and I have many faults but my Faith is stronger than ever.
Posted by Larch 15 Jul 2010 at 19:29
I was invited to a pentecostal church by a school friend when I was about 16 or 17 and became a Christian in the 'accepting Jesus into your heart' fashion. After university I lived alongside a Religious community for a couple of years and then joined an Anglican Franciscan community. After a year I left, having fallen off the edge of faith.
Twenty three years later - a few months ago - I came back to faith, initially prompted by a conversation and e-mail correspondence with someone I worked with for a few days. And it feels as though my life has been turned upside down, even though, in a way, nothing has changed (same job, same house, same partner etc)
Posted by Vee 16 Jul 2010 at 10:33
I was invited to a church youth evening by a friend, I'm not sure how old I was: before we moved house when I was 11, after my friend moved next door when I was 7. There were games and squash and biscuits and everyone was friendly and cheerful (and mostly older than me) and I wanted what they had. Towards the end of the evening there was a talk about Jesus, so I decided if these people were nice because they were friends of Jesus, I would be His friend too.
It must have disturbed my very agnostic family when I came home and said I wanted to go to church, but to be fair, my mum tried hard to find a church that I could get to alone and that would be suitable. I ended up in a methodist church 10 minutes away, which I attended until I left home to go to university.
I too have had times when I've walked away from God, but I've always called myself a Christian and retained my belief, even if I have been in an immense sulk with Him.
Posted by Ange 16 Jul 2010 at 20:26
I was packed off to Sunday School, as a child and the oldest of 3 sisters, giving our parents a rest each Sunday morning, or so it seemed. From then on Jesus was always special, though I didn’t understand the reason until much later.
I married my holiday romance and we had 2 children. When he was 14 our son became a Christian and we wondered what was going on. Three months later we agreed to go to a barbeque church 'outreach' and were impressed with the genuineness of the people. It made us curious enough to go to church the following Sunday. It was not at all what we expected. The meetings were lively and exciting.
During that evening service something suddenly became clear without anyone explaining it to me . I`d always known about Jesus but for the first time I knew it wasn't just a story and that it had all actully happened. He had really and truly died for me! Therefore, if He was who He claimed to be then I`d jolly well better find out what he had to say about how I lived my life.
I realised for the first time that I’d never thanked Him or said I was sorry. I asked what I had to do to get to know him and was led in a simple prayer of repentance and faith. I walked out of that place with the biggest smile on my lasted for 2 weeks, having found my answer!
My husband says he saw something different in the people at that church and the change it made in me. He knew there had to be more to life for him too . So, on his own, a few days later, late into the night, he got on his knees before God and committed his life too.
The following Sunday found us back in church again hungry for more. We were prayed for to receive baptism in the Holy Spirit and a few weeks later our 12 year old daughter made her own choice to follow Jesus too!
That was back in 1992 and here we are 18 years later. So much has happened since then and that’s a story in it’s self. God has been faithful in so many, many ways and he has never let us down. Both our children are now grown up, married to Christians and raising their own families in the faith. Yes my love of the Saviour just keeps on growing. I have much to thank God for.
Posted by yvon 17 Jul 2010 at 10:43
I never attended church until I was about 14 (?) years old, when I went along to church with my very best friend at school. Her family were very active in the church community. My parents never spoke about Chrisitianity. My dad was, and still is an atheist, although he respects the beliefs of the 'rest of us'.
When I was 15 years old I was very ill, I am not being dramatical in saying I was close to death. I remember 'talking' to God. Through the support of family, my friend, and God I recovered.
I still never really actively went to church. We continued to not have a bible in the house.
By the time I was in my 30's my dear mum started to become mentally ill, something I have experienced but not to the level my mum expereinced. There then became a very long story of my mum's journey, which if I reflect was probably the start of me thinking more about God. Mum live briefly around Christians - another part of the very long story.
About 4 years ago I had a bout of depression. I had started in a new job, and my supervisor was a Christian. She was very supportive and was the one who probably started me on my 'real' being with God. She came along with me to an Alpha course about April last year. I then had a series of attempting to find an appropiate church. this has been very difficult. I am not sure I am still at the right church.
My mum died last September. A month before she died a 'found' a passage in the bibble - I know it was about mum. I did initially 'reject' God after mums death, but my dear Chrisitan friend helped me through this anger.
Then a few weeks after mum's death I had an experience with God. I had peace about mum's death, although I still miss her very much.
I cannot really say when I became a Chrisitian - how does one quantify this? I cannot quote passages from the bible like a lot of Chrisitans can do, but I can pray for others and I can speak of the glory of my expereince with God - the lows and the highs.
I can really relate to some of the narrative above from others - it really helped me tell this narrative.
Posted by rolyn 17 Jul 2010 at 22:49
I didn't come from a religious family. Like many of their generation, mum and dad had chosen to steer clear of the the Church a long time ago, ( I think mum had more of a church upbringing than dad ). I had some standard R E at school and attended a small village Baptist Chapel for a while, just because a friend went there. But it is fair to say I was pretty much nondescript Christian and continued to be so until the age of 40.
Around that time I was a small farmer and ran into the farming crisis, this was followed by serious marital problems. To cut a long story short I was just working one day with a feeling of my head being in an 'emotional wine press' . Then I remembered advice of some born-again Christians I'd met years earlier, namely to open your heart to Jesus, IE. love Him the way one would love a parent, lover, brother or sister etc. Then ....Hey Presto, Light, joy, gladness -- the works . I endeavoured to join Anglican worship from that point onwards.
10 years later l'd like to be able to say my faith has deepened and there have been profound changes to the person that I was. But I'm not sure this is the case. Though I am happy to say God has given me a second chance as regards the personal difficulties that led me to faith. As a believing Christian it can often feel like an uphill struggle, yet there are times of * blessed assurance* which I know full well can not come from anywhere else but God Himself.
Posted by Sonseeker 18 Jul 2010 at 16:45
I was brought up as a Christian, my family attended church and my father was a church warden. I went to sunday school, was baptised and confirmed. Somehow I got 'lost' in my teens. My brother was seriously ill and had to have an operation, my father became overly religious (in my eyes) and then I was getting married. In planning our wedding my father said unless I married in church he wouldn't come. We had already booked the church!
After marrying it was another few years before I actively became engaged in the church again and I was very happy there. After we moved house I couldn't find a church I was happy at none seemed to offer what I needed; although I am not sure I knew what it was. We moved again and this time I found the church I was happy in. I became a Steward, and took on other jobs too and my husband and younger daughter were confirmed there.
Everything went well until I became ill nearly 10 years ago. Our new minister visited me at home and couldn't get out quick enough when he realised I was disabled. At church he snubbed me, even if I was in front of him he reached round me and shook hands with someone else. I was unable to perform church duties so I had no practical use. I stopped going to church and so did my family. it stayed like that for a long time until my younger daughter married in church. A friend encouraged me to go to her church occasionally which I did and one day I woke up to the fact I had taken on the role of victim. I prayed for myself and the minister and I was set free.
In France it has been difficult to find a church. We were going to one not far from our old house but it wasn't always easy to get there. Our new village has a church which has services once a month, so I am encouraged.
I was still searching to some degree over what I believed and my cousin in the USA spoke to me of his faith as a Quaker. It was just what I believed too! I cannot get to Quaker meetings but try to encompass the Quaker way of life as far as possible. I connect on line with Quakers and am content. Going to a Catholic church is not a problem.
We met a Scottish pastor and his wife who live not far from our old house and my husband and I did the Alpha course with them we had endless discussions on various subjects as I equated some things in the course with Quaker beliefs. We all enjoyed the discussions.
I must say I have realised I am closer to God in the countryside than anywhere else. Well after all it is His creation and where better to praise Him than amongst His best creations.
Posted by kailex 18 Jul 2010 at 20:00
The first part of my spiritual journey ....
Well, I went to Sunday School from when I could toddle, and church after that.
I learned of a hard-hearted, judgemental God who watched us and pointed the finger when we failed.
I learned the miracles didn't happen, (e.g the Red Sea was the Reed Sea and the locals would have known safe routes for walkers that would have been dangerous for Egyptians in chariots).
I learned that "Jesus loved the little children" but apparently very unequally from my point of view. And he sure didn't do anything with that love.
Then I left home and and left such religion behind and became very anti-Christian - I had quite a vituperative letter published in a magazine some older people may know - Buzz.
But I met a Christian girl, whose faith seemed different to anything I had ever seen. And I met a sally-ally guy who used to sell "The War Cry" in the pub I frequented at that time and who actually talked to me - I even once attended his church and got chased down the road by him when I left early :-)
And I became aware there was a whole other Christianity than that to which I had been exposed - so I began to explore.
Not that the rest of my journey was any less an obstacle course, and it seems to have remained so, but that was the start :-)
Posted by Petunia 19 Jul 2010 at 11:34
I was taken by a neighbour to a Methodist church aged 3. where I learned teachings and a language of sustanance and spiritual nourishment..
O.P. "How did you become a Christian? " Belief followed by experience. Jesus exhorted us to seek the Father
within, and to Love our Creator with all our mind, all our heart and all our soul and to love our neighbours (everybody on the face of this earth) as ourselves. The two most important words in scripture (to me) are - "prove me". Only when God rules in our minds and heart are we able to "love our neighbours as ourselves"
My parents were brought up in the C of E but apart from weddings Christenings or funerals did not attend church. Mum had some bad experience(s) with physical church but is a very spiritual person. I think religion is a man made attempt to address a whole lot of things, the primary one being the sense of the numinous that so very many people have. For me as a Christian Jesus is the perfected works of God in man, and He reveals what a life full of God is like. I too can "follow" Him and "know the truth " and "be set free". And the journey gets deeper and richer and growing all the time in love, joy and peace.
Posted by sla5af 23 Jul 2010 at 07:39
it was back in 1997 when i was an international student back in cardiff law school. was involved in inter-religious debate with the local cu people. decided to investigate the claims of who jesus really is and gradually believed..it was a long hard decision to make because of where i came from (hint: the country is just north of singapore), i'm not legally allowed to convert out of my former religion..but that's another story
after living in different parts of the world for over a decade (uk, australia, singapore), i finally returned home permanently.
at this stage, i would say i'm really still trying to understand what authentic christian faith is, with all the outcry surrounding the religious right in the us, and the conflict happening within the anglican communion (i was baptised and confirmed as an anglican).
i would say at this stage, i'm very much cynical and disillusioned, but still believing..