FAITH STORIES

"I was lucky to be brought up surrounded by strong Christian influences" by Lucy Batten

I was lucky to be brought up surrounded by strong Christian influences from my mum and my nanny.  I was never a rebel who stayed out late surrounded by the wrong people, I went to church every Sunday, Girls’ Brigade, Sunday school and Bible Class every week but the meaning of what it was to be a Christian had never really occurred to me.

In 2005 I went on a school ski trip to Italy.  On the plane I was sitting beside a girl who wasn’t in my year group.  We got talking and she asked if I was Christian and I said no.  From then on I began to ask myself ‘Why had I said no to that question?  Was I a Christian?  What did it mean to be a Christian?’

Over the next few months these thoughts challenged me and I really felt God speaking to me but I still hadn’t accepted Him into my heart.  That September I went into fifth year in school and I started going to Scripture Union with my friends.  In November an S.U. weekend was being organised to Castlewellan and I decided to go along.  The spirit of God was so strong and during that weekend I prayed and asked God into my life and my heart.

Since then I have continued going to S.U. and have become more involved in Girls’ Brigade.  Like everybody I have struggles, I have good days and bad days but I know that God is always there to celebrate with me or comfort me and that gives me real strength.

I am so blessed to have such a supportive family and as well as that a great group of friends who I look up to for their strong faith.  I was also very lucky to go to a school where a lot of the teachers are Christians and who were there to encourage me at the beginning and from then on.

This September I hope to go to university and I hope that I will continue to grow in my faith and be a good witness for God there.  I know that God has a plan for me and I’m excited about the opportunities that He is going to open up for me and I take strength daily from the fact that He will never leave me and will give me strength to do the things that I need to do.  On the wall in the classroom in our church hall is a verse that I love and always keep in mind,

                                    ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’

                                                (Romans 8:31b)

  YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN DO YOU? by Dennis Vine

  That’s the very words I remember thinking as I walked to an interview for a church caretaker in First Carrickfergus Presbyterian. I can tell you, if that were the case, I would have told them none too politely to stick their job! Obviously, not having worked in a church before, I didn’t know what to expect. Well, thankfully I didn’t have to become a Christian, so I started work there a week later.

  Over the next eight years or so, I did my job, then most of the time I went to the pub after work, I did what youngish guys do, and I partied! I thought if I didn’t go to the pub, I’d be missing out! (All the while, friends in the church did their best to include me, but I wasn’t having any of it).

  Then, one Sunday evening just before the service, I was listening to our Youth Choir practicing, I thought okay, I’m going to have a look at this Bible and see what it is all about! So I took one of the church Bibles home with me, it was a King James Bible. It was like reading Shakespeare; I got to about the third chapter of Genesis, that was enough for me! The Firmament, by the Firmament, for the Firmament! What was a Firmament? I hadn’t a clue. Soon after, Margaret Bell introduced me to what I fondly now call The Northern Ireland Version of the Bible (N.I.V.)

  My search was on! I asked Ken Knocker if I could join Fit For Life, which is a Sports Ministry in the church. I wasn’t a Christian, but I loved sport and felt that I could offer something. Ken and Andrew Cambridge and others had a big effect on me. There was something in them that I wanted. Jesus was a big influence in their lives. Six months later I started an Alpha Course (which is an introductory course to the Christian faith), half way through the course I went up and asked for prayer. As I walked home, I looked around to see if anyone was close to me, because I knew I wanted to talk to God, but didn’t want anybody thinking I was a lunatic. I gave my life to Jesus that day in June 2000.

  I knew I didn’t just want to sit in the church and listen to sermons, I’d read the Great Commission (Matthew Ch 28 vs 16-20) which had a massive affect on me. I wanted to pass on my faith to others. Thankfully, God has kept me in Fit For Life, playing sport and still mixing with sports fans. I do struggle with talking to others about my faith in Jesus; however, with every conversation I learn a bit more. Jesus has certainly changed me on the playing side, yes, I play to win, but I also am reminded that I’m representing God and that has changed my whole outlook in how I play sport. Having refereed football matches myself, I’ve got a lot more respect for the very tough and thankless job referees do.

  Eight years ago, I finally asked Jesus to come into my life; I wish I’d done it along time ago!

  Speaking as one who had a lot of wrong ideas about Jesus, I searched and eventually I understood that Jesus really is all the things and more that we look for in that special person or persons who has made a positive impact in our lives.

  Please let Him be your special person!

      
EMMA GETTY’s faith story

I came from a Christian family and was a regular attender at the organisations in North Street; both sets of my grandparents were Christians so I knew who Jesus was and what he'd done for me at an early age. I was particularly close to my grandparents and when my 2 grandfathers died in 1998 only 3 weeks apart I was devastated, I couldn’t understand why God had taken these people who I loved away.

My father read John 14 to me and explained that they had gone to be in heaven and it was the piece of the puzzle I never really got, the what happens after you die. I understood that God sent Jesus so that I may have a personal relationship with him but I didn’t get the part about when I died I would go to heaven to be with my heavenly father in the place that I was designed for since the beginning. After my Dad explained that to me, I prayed to God and asked him into my life. I had done this before but I guess I didn’t really know then what I was doing or why! 

I have continued to follow Jesus ever since but it's been tough, both at school, Uni and in work. God has stuck by me through a lot and I’ve so much I owe only to him, that I will never be able to pay back. I just try and do what I can where I can, to honour him in all I do. I know it won't get any easier but we weren’t called to an easy life. We're to be in this world and not of it, how can that be EASY!!!
 
Emma