About Jim
Thirty years ago I came back to Jesus after turning my back on Him at the age of sixteen. I felt guilty and ashamed because I knew I could not meet the standard of behaviour the church was trying to teach me. I felt I wasn’t ‘good enough’. I therefore left the church and turned away from Jesus. I now realise that all those years I turned away from Jesus He never turned away from me. When I returned to the church aged thirty nine, I felt Jesus ask me a question in my heart. His question was, ‘Will you go wherever I want you to go?’ My response was an enthusiastic ‘Yes’. I did not realise what the future would hold for me. More…
About Nina
I became a Christian in 1986 one evening at a house group meeting held by a local church. I had a powerful experience of the love of God which completely changed my view of life and my view of myself. At the time I was in a marriage where domestic violence happened on a regular basis. Some years later, following increasing outbreaks of violence at home, I left my husband. More…
About Robert
I was brought up in Ireland and when I was young I went away to a boarding school. When I was 9, I was sexually abused by a priest. My life was shattered… I left school at 14 years old and trained to be a carpenter. In 1984 I had a motorbike accident. I had a head on collision with a lorry and I broke most of the bones in my body. I thought God hated me and was punishing me for being gay. More…
About Jo
I had a close relationship with God when I was little and went to church regularly. I felt He listened to me and when things were bad I could talk to Him and He helped me. A lot of bad things happened and when those things happened I used to dream I was in a fire but not burning… When I was 14 I was told to leave church because I was gay. To me the Catholic Church represented God so I felt God rejected me. I felt deeply hurt. I blamed God. I put up barriers against God and other people to try to keep safe. More…
About Gena
Gena was born a boy with an eye condition that gradually deteriorated. Now, as an adult, she needs a guide dog. She had been deeply unhappy as a child and eventually realised that her difficulties and her depression were due to gender problems. When, with the advice of her doctors, she came to the decision to transition to have a female body, she told all her family. Some accepted this and others rejected her… On a guide dog training course Gena met a man who was a Christian and spoke openly about his faith. Gena thought he was a bit mad to believe in a God who could allow him to loose his sight. More…
About Sarah
Sarah said that as a child, in her heart she was looking for God. She attended an Anglican church and remembers frequently confessing her ‘sins’ because that is what she was taught to do. Sarah realised she was lesbian by the age the age of 13. Coming out was a very painful, lonely process involving self rejection and a belief others would reject her. Homophobia in school was very hurtful and distressing. She could not understand why a God would have created her to suffer in this way. She concluded that as she had been to church a lot and not found God then he could not exist. She now saw herself as an atheist. More…