My Faith Story

It was Doreen and Nev’s Ruby Wedding anniversary and Nev said he’d like to go to church to renew their vows – such a lot to be thankful for over 40 years of happy marriage. They had been married at St. Augustine’s and Doreen had attended there as a child – everyone did – but then her friends went elsewhere so she never got confirmed. After they got married, Nev used to come to Bolton Villas, their local church, but Doreen didn’t go anywhere – on a Sunday morning she ‘pottered and made Sunday lunch’. Why? Because Doreen’s dearly loved dad had died aged 54 and Doreen couldn’t understand why God should have allowed such a thing to happen. She wore black for 12months afterwards and as she said ‘it still gets me’ – which it clearly did.

But their wedding anniversary fell on a Sunday and in preparation for renewing their vows, the vicar at St Augustine’s gently pointed out to Doreen that these disasters in our lives aren’t always God’s fault. He invited Doreen to a Christian Beginnings course, and Nev and their eldest daughter Susan went too – 2 buses each way on a Monday night in winter, in the rain. At the end of the course, all of the participants were asked if they felt ready to take the next step, and our Doreen was the only one to say ‘no’. But God hadn’t given up on her, and during the following week Doreen wondered ‘why did I say that?’ and just had that deep feeling of peace that she did want God in her life and so picked up the phone, said ‘yes’ and was duly confirmed at Bradford Cathedral.

So Doreen began to attend St. Augustine’s, but it was a bus journey and somehow it still didn’t feel like home. Nev, even though still a regular attender at Bolton Villas, began to go with her for at least a year. But then there was ‘an event’ at Bolton Villas (no idea what it was, but how important do these ‘events’ often turn out to be) and Doreen went along with Nev. I remember that we were all so pleased to see Nev again after his time out at St. Augustine’s and for Doreen, the welcome they both received made it feel as if she’d arrived home – Bolton Villas ‘was my place’. And the rest is history and Doreen has been making others feel as if Bolton Villas is ‘their place’ ever since.

When I was a child I went to a club at my local Church called Pilots. My family were not Christians and didn’t attend Church although if you were to ask my mum she would say that she did believe in God. I attended Wibsey Pilots from the age of 7 through to my mid-teens when I started co-leading our company. Our Pilot Captain was very influential in my life and helped me to grow in my faith, not that I knew it at the time of course, but looking back I can see her guidance.

When I was in my teens the church we were attending closed down and we moved to Wibsey Methodist Church where I also started going to the Youth Fellowship. Being part of the Methodist Church we attended MAYC weekends and various other events across the country. One such event being organised in Bradford in the early 90s was ‘God in the Park’. Over the course of two or three weeks three big tents were erected in local parks and well known evangelists were invited to give a series of talks. Our Youth Fellowship attended the talks being held in our local park where J John was speaking.

I’d never heard of J John before and didn’t know what to expect, but along we went. I don’t remember much about the talks themselves, but one night during the week, it seemed that whatever he was saying was aimed directly at me, it just made sense. After two or three nights of talks I’d gotten to know the routine. At the end of the night a call would be made so that those who wanted to could go out to the front and give their lives to God and be prayed over. That night was no different, the call went out, but I was scared, I’d never experienced anything like that before and I didn’t know what to expect. I was also sat at the end of the row with all my friends sat next to me and I didn’t want to embarrass myself by standing up and walking out, so I ignored the call that I felt.

I don’t remember what happened after that, but I never forgot the sense of meaning that the evening had in my heart, I never forgot that God had called, never forgot that I’d also turned Him down. Some years later I met my future husband on a joint MAYC/FURY (Methodist Association of Youth Clubs and the Fellowship of United Reformed Youth) weekend away in Liverpool. You could say that it was love at first sight, but that’s a different story! Anyway, when we got back to Bradford Justin and I had started going out with each other and one night we were sat in his house talking and subject of being a Christian came up.

I recounted my story and told Justin that I’d ignored God and had regretted doing so ever since. Justin told me his story and told me that if I wanted to I could accept Jesus Christ into my heart, all we needed to do was say a simple prayer. This we did and we both promptly started crying, but these were tears of joy. I had finally done what I should have done so many years before if only I’d had the courage. I was so happy, I finally felt at peace, I knew that Jesus Christ had entered my life and had forgiven me for ignoring him.

If I had anything to say to people reading this it is that God doesn’t give up. He is patient and will wait for your invitation. If you have ignored his call like I did then it is not too late for you to correct that and ask Him into your life. You won’t regret the decision.

I was brought up in a Catholic household so was present in Church most Sundays until my teenage years. It was at this time I started to question what my faith was about - did God really exist? - what was Christianity about? I was asked by a school friend to go and see a film about some gang leaders in the States who had "found God". The film, called The Cross and the Switchblade had a powerful effect on me, and following a short talk by one of the former gang leaders, Nicky Cruz, people were asked to go to the front of the hall if they wanted to follow God's way. It was at this point I prayed my first real prayer. "God, I think you are there, but if you really are, get my friend to ask me to respond to this appeal". No prizes for guessing what happened next! I went down to the front of the hall and discovered God's forgiveness for me personally.

That was nearly thirty years ago - and my faith in God is stronger today than it was then. Some days are harder than others, and being a Christian doesn't shield me from the ups and downs of life, but having God in my life does make a massive difference. I not only have a friend who is close in all situations and circumstances, but a friend who guarantees me a secure eternal future. Amazing!