My Story

My Story is a chance to read personal accounts of people in our church, and their experience with God. We hope they will encourage and inspire you to want to know God more fully.

Please scroll down to view more stories.

Richard, a gardener in his 20's.

In 2004 I began to experience fear and anxiety in my life. I didn't know what to do, I knew something was wrong and wanted to go the right way in life, but wasn't sure how. I had a feeling that if I didn't find God or do something before I die something bad would happen and I would end up going to hell. At the same time I wanted to believe in God but found it really hard, I believe now that God was telling me that I needed him.

I explained this problem to my girlfriend at the time but she didn't understand. Eventually we split up, and then I knew I had more time and an opportunity to start looking for God. I said a prayer one night and asked ''if you're really there help me to know it and help me to do the right thing", at once I knew he was there, I cant explain how, I just knew, and I felt fantastic.

I began to attend a church in 2005.

I heard things said in the services that were relevant to me, and learned that I was right to be frightened of death. I was invited to a prayer meeting one night, and I went along. The pastor advised me that they were taking communion that night and that if I was not a Christian I should not take it, however if I wanted to become a Christian he would help me pray a prayer of faith. I realized this is what I had been waiting for all this time, so I said I do want to become a Christian, and I prayed the prayer of faith and was saved. So I can say that God had lead me the right way and was calling me the whole time, He also answered my prayer when I was in need.

I was amazed to find out some time later that the church had been praying for me around the same time. One of the Christians at the prayer meeting also prayed that I would meet Christians my own age. After I was invited to visit Calvary church in Kingswinford, there I met old friends from secondary school who I hadn't seen for ages. They were as surprised to see me, as I was to see them. I was amazed and wondered what God was going to do next, I thought does God think I am special enough to do all of this for me, and does he really love me that much. There's proof that God answers prayer and that he exists.

I was gardening to earn a bit of money and my round was growing steadily. I then had the pleasure of meeting Harriet Brookes and Roy Jones, both members of Wall Heath Evangelical Free Church. I met even more friends there and have a great time.I can see what God has done for me even though I didn't deserve it, but that's just what he does, and he can do it for you too. Becoming a Christian is easy, but being one isn't, it's hard. Once you become Christian you make a new enemy, but don't be put off. Satan will try and spoil anything God wants for you and will try to mess up any chances of you doing good work for God. Christians want to see others come to know God, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says man 'for there is one God and there is one who brings God and mankind together, the Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem all mankind'. That is the proof that God wants everyone to be saved.

Alan, a part-time teacher.

At the age of about 14 I used to go to a Sunday school and during that time the pastor of that church would teach us. It was he who told us that you weren't born a Christian but that you had to become a Christian; it needed a decision to follow Jesus.

I had always thought that it would be great to know that you were going to heaven when you died. But how would you know? I thought if you were good enough you would get to heaven. But however hard I tried at being good I knew in my heart that when I died I would not deserve to go to heaven.

The pastor of the church surprised me by telling us that no one is good enough to be accepted into heaven and that there is an entirely different way for people to be friends with God. I was told that all our bad things we do get in the way of us getting to God and therefore getting to heaven. It is like trying to jump across an impossible gap between two buildings. You can try to build a bridge by being clever, or by being nice or by doing good things, but the gap is too big.

Only Jesus and what he did by dying for us gets us across this gap. And all we have got to do to cross that bridge is to say sorry to God for all the wrong things we have done and ask that Jesus will become part of our lives.

I thought about what my Pastor said but I wasn't sure. Then one day the pastor said that a famous preacher was coming to England from America. And he would be preaching down in London at Wembley Stadium but that they had a satellite link from Wembley to Birmingham so that you could see everything on giant screens. A few days later in the evening a whole coach load of us from the church went into Birmingham. There were thousands of people there, all trying to get into the Bingly Hall. Eventually we all got in and then the famous preacher, called Billy Graham, started to preach. I listened. At the end of his talk he said that if you were interested in trusting Jesus then "what I want you to do is get out of your seat and come right down to the front. Then people will come and talk to you and tell you in more detail how you can become a Christian and then they will pray with you."

My feet felt like lead, no way was I going to get up out off my seat in front of all those thousands of people and walk down to the front. But I knew I wanted to know Jesus. I wanted to go to heaven. And I knew that I was ready to ask Jesus into my life. So I got up and stumbled down to the front. Someone joined me and told me about Jesus and he prayed with me and I asked Jesus to come into my life.

That was nearly 40 years ago when I was 14 and Jesus made a great difference. I have know Christ's presence in my heart ever since. He helps me from day to day and gives me the knowledge that when I die I will spend forever in heaven.

Janet, a nurse in her 40's .

I'd like to share some of what God has done for me.

As a child I had the impression that I should try my best to be good and then maybe I would get to heaven. To me, God was "somewhere up there", but rather vague. Many of us as adults still have similar ideas. As a young adult I went with a friend to a Christian meeting. There I met people who seemed to know God as a personal friend. They had a sense of joy and reality that I had never seen before. I knew I needed to know God too, and no matter how I tried to be good I couldn't achieve it myself. I learned how Jesus died to make the way for us to be accepted by God, and I asked him to do it for me.

I immediately found that praying and worship was no longer a religious duty. Instead I wanted to do these things to express my love for Jesus. The bible was no longer a boring difficult book, but God spoke to me as I read it.

Over time life brings many changes in circumstances and relationships, but Jesus promises always to be with me. Through times of loneliness as a single woman I learned about his love and comfort. This came direct from him and also through other Christians who became like a family. God guided me as I met my husband. He has answered our prayers in practical areas such as housing, jobs and child-rearing. We can turn to him for strength, wisdom and peace in the many difficulties of this world.

I want to let other people know how great and amazing my God is, and that they can get to know him too.

Martyn, father of three and a language teacher.

I consider myself to be very fortunate in that I was brought up in a Christian home. Though many people would say this about their upbringing, in my case this meant a home where everything we did was centred around God; attending church, running children's and youth clubs, holding meetings in our house and being involved in lots of big Christian events.

This may seem a strange upbringing to many. And, perhaps it was. Some may call it sheltered. Maybe it was. But I was brought up to care about others, to respect people in authority and, above all, to trust God. I grew up to expect God to answer prayer, not in an arrogant way because I was something special but simply because we lived a life of faith where, as a family, we depended on Him to supply our needs. I also grew up in a secure home where I was loved and where my parents loved each other - a rarity these days, but what so many crave for. I believe this is because our home followed Jesus' plain teaching from Matt. 6 v.33 "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".

As I grew up, so did a new church at Kingshurst, east Birmingham, and so did the Birmingham City Mission. Both of these stories saw great miracles and answers to prayer that helped to strengthen my faith for the rest of my life.

When I was very young, I gave my heart to Jesus one night as my sister was putting me to bed. My parents were in a prayer meeting downstairs and when I raced down to tell them, I was told to get back to bed quickly, thinking this was just a ploy to stay up late! I went to a normal school and did all the things a normal boy would do. Once in my teens, I had to make the decision about which way my life was going to go. I decided to give my life to God, and was baptised when I was 15.

Since then, I have never doubted the presence, power and love of God. I am not perfect and I have often let Him down, but I know that He is always there to forgive, to restore and to lead me forward. I praise Him for my family, my job and my home