| Barry, 48, Beverley |
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| Monday, 17 November 2008 22:14 |
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I believe in God because ...Because god is real, god makes a difference, god changes lives. In 2002 I agreed to attend an alpha course. The only reason I believed I was attending was to support a friend who was helping to run the course. God though had other ideas. Up to this time I had no experience of or desire for religion. The only good thing Jesus did for me was give me bank holidays so time of work. Church was a place for sad losers who needed to get a life. High hatted old ladies and grumpy old men reading from a dusty out of date book. The only time I would go to church was for a wedding or christening and this was simply to get to the booze up afterwards. I had no time or need for religion, I enjoyed my weekends drinking and gambling and I enjoyed not having the pressure of a serious job, simply bumbling about from one dead end short term job to another. So I was not looking forward to alpha with any real expectations, frankly I thought it would be a giggle and would help my friend with her numbers game. God had other ideas. The people were the first surprise, here was a group of quite ordinary people, actually that’s wrong, they were quite extraordinary because they accepted me from the start warts and all. Very quickly I began to enjoy at least the fellowship of alpha if not taking in or understanding what it was all about. It all seems a bit surreal now but looking back it all happened in a sort of natural progression. By the time we hit the bible talk I had bought one; by the prayer talk I had started at least talking to god. (Alone well out of hear shot) but the big change came on the Holy Spirit day. As the day went on I began to feel as though I was ready to make a commitment to Christ, as two of the leaders prayed with me I was filled with the holy spirit. What an amazing feeling, I was filled to bursting with feelings of love, peace and happiness. More and more of God’s spirit poured into me until I just cried, not with sadness or fear but pure tears of joy. God had spoken, I was face to face with god and he said I love you and I want you. This was the day I became a Christian and my life changed completely. Six years on I am a church warden at and play a large part in the ministry of Beverley Minster. But god has done so much more in my life. Six months after becoming a Christian I was helping on another alpha course. (I now take the lay lead in our churches courses) God introduced me to a woman who ran a care home. Inexplicably this lady asked me if I would go and work for her as a carer. Now five years on I work as a deputy manager helping to run a home for 40 residents all who have dementia. What an amazing ministry god has given me. Not only do I minister to the residents bus also to there families and the staff team. God has also led me into the mission field where he has me working pro actively in both local and global mission. A place where I believe god wants us all to be. His message is clear, we must spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world, but we must start on our own door steps. We must take God out into the streets of our villages, towns and cities. God makes all the difference, God changes lives. God is real. I am a Senior care officer and church warden at Beverley Minster |