Interviews with Christian scientists

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK

Margaret's Story: I used to go to church as a child and in my mid twenties I even led Sunday school, but then I dropped out of church for a number of years. When I was 46 I went away on a healing retreat and there I learnt that there was a difference between going to church and knowing God personally. I knew he was real because he took away all the hurts of the past and no-one else and nothing else could have done that. Since that time I have not had to carry around all the worries of the past and now feel a different person.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK

Michelle's Story: I grew up being told that God was a fairytale made-up to give answers to superstitious people who felt a need for an emotional and psychological crutch. I didn't hear anybody oppose this "modern" view until I went to university when I was 18. There I met my first Christians, and these weren't just church goers! They were people who talked out loud and without embarrassment about Jesus and the Bible, but in every other way seemed quite normal and well adjusted. Imagine! Intelligent people in this day and age still believing in a God! My curiosity aroused, I decided to attend a meeting that was being advertised on campus entitled "Sceptics Anonymous". I thought it was going to be a debate in a crowded lecture theatre where I could hide in the back row, but it turned out to be me, four other students and the university chaplain in a cosy room. Five months and many questions later that chaplain led me in an awkward, mumbled prayer in which I said sorry to God for the things I've done wrong and asked Jesus into my life, unsure if it would make any difference but knowing this was the only way to find out. That was in February 1993. I can confirm inviting Jesus into your life does make a big difference!

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK

So I went to this baptism and as the worship started it all felt a bit strange because this was a modern church and my vision of church at the time was old fashioned traditional, pews and church organ church. But this was different. This was a lively all dancing, all singing church with a band not an organ. As the worship went on, I somehow (don’t know how) joined in with the worship and closed my eyes. After a while, in my mind, I had a picture of Jesus and I heard a voice in my head saying ‘Come, follow me’. I just dismissed the picture and the voice as I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me. When the worship was over, the sermon started and during the sermon, I heard those same three words again ‘Come, follow me’. After the sermon, the church pastor said ‘If anyone wants to become a Christian, then come to the front’. So I quickly prayed my first prayer asking if these words and visions were really from God. Shortly after I prayed, I heard that same voice and saw that same vision of Jesus as before. The voice said ‘Yes Come, follow me’. So I went forward, got prayed for and became a Christian. That was 9 years ago and I’m still a Christian today. It hasn’t always been an easy 9 years but I know that God has been there for me and has helped me through both the good and bad times.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK

Mark's Story: Before I became a Christian, I was just a normal teenager into girls, sex, etc. I had no contact with any Christians and didn’t really think much about life and God. However, when I attended college, there was this Christian in my class who I got very friendly with. Halfway through the college year, his girlfriend was getting baptised. He invited me to her baptism and I said yes just to keep him happy and I suppose I was a bit curious about God and Church at the time but always put it at the back of my mind and denied it.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK

Sylvia's Story: I was a church-going Anglican for many years; I was also a heavy smoker. Because of this I went to a therapist, to get help giving up. He asked what my interest were and I mentioned that my church activites were important to me. He told me he was a Christian and asked if I knew Jesus. I said, yes, I know He is the Son of God, but he persisted in asking did I KNOW Him, and I knew I didn't, not in the way my therapist was describing. He asked me if I wanted to really know Jesus; I replied "yes", and my journey of discovery began. A few weeks later I was baptised in the Holy Spirit. A few weeks further on, and although I had cut down on smoking I had not given up - and then God healed me: he took away all craving and desire for cigerettes and I didn't suffer any withdrawl symptoms. I never smoked again - when God does something it is completely dealt with. I was 58 years old when I came into a living relationship with the Lord. You are never too old!

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK

Time went on and I didn't go to church too often, but one day I heard a voice (no I wasn't going nuts) say to me very softly as I was working “Roger I died for you”, and I understood what I had heard about Easter: I understood that Jesus died on a cross for my sin, and that He wanted me to hand all those sins, the bad things I had done, over to Him, so that I could be forgiven. I had heard that to become a 'Christian' one had to pray in a certain way, but me being me, I just said “If you want me, take me!” And God did and my whole life was changed. If you want to know the rest of the story, come to the church and ask for me!

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset UK