"Christianity is Very Real!"

After being around Christianity for 40 years and still not having experienced any form of real communication with Jesus, I was either ringing the wrong number, a real slow learner or it simply wasn't true. Through Alpha I have discovered that Jesus is King and Christianity is very real.

My parents have been involved in the Methodist church all their lives. My brother, sisters and I all went to Sunday School and Bible Class until we could convince our parents we shouldn't have to suffer the total boredom any longer. My younger sister is now a Salvation Army Captain, my older sister an Atheist and my brother was a practising Bahai until recently when his marriage ended.

I ride motor cycles as a hobby. When I was younger this led me to the fringes of a gang. I realise now how precarious my future was at that stage. Fortunately I sorted myself out and later became a Policeman.

I managed to stay well clear of religion until my wife Charmaine and I started a family. We both considered it was important for our girls to know of Christianity and other religions so they could make their own decisions later in life. They went to Sunday School and I tried to get some value out of the messages at churches we tried. It didn't happen so we went to the Bahai centre with my brother's family for about a year. The people were great and the messages were relevant but we never felt at home.

In 1993 we moved to Wellington so I could take up an exciting new job. We bought a house in Churton Park. One day I was walking our dog and saw a sign advertising Churton Park Anglican Church's services in a local school. For the first time in our married life I was the one suggesting we go along, not Charmaine. It just felt right.

I still wasn't getting much from the service, struggled reading the Bible and wasn't connecting when I tried praying. Our girls enjoyed going and Charmaine was now a Christian. I wasn't. I believed in a God, liked what Jesus had taught and done during his life but knew in my heart I wasn't a Christian.

In 1995 the church started running Alpha courses in Alistair and Claire Davis' home. The feedback from people who had done Alpha was great and the contents appeared to cover just about all the questions I had. It is really a beginners guide to Christianity. It covers all the basics. You would think that by this stage I wouldn't need that, but I did.

For me the Alpha course was just great, the format helpful and at the weekend I committed my life to Christ. I had an experience with the Holy Spirit that blew me away. After that I had no doubt. God is real, Jesus died for me and I take every opportunity I get to tell people I am a Christian.

My journey has only really started. I don't think it matters where you are on your journey, participating in an Alpha course will be a challenging and worthwhile experience.