‍

My journey with God started in my last year of school, when I was given a small, red, Gideons New Testament. I had no religious background, yet I read that little book avidly and began to write down particular verses that touched me. To this day I still have those notes written on scraps of paper. After a while I started to pray, along the lines of the Lord’s Prayer, or saying, ‘If you are real, God, can you do this… or that?’

‍

When a friend of mine was invited to BCM’s Youth Camp, I went along with him. Neither of our families were particularly well off. His was very large, and mine a ‘single-mom family’, so we didn’t have it easy growing up. Though it was a struggle at times, we were happy.

‍

So we both got packaged off on the camp. I remember being excited and nervous at the same time. There was a large mansion-type building and dormitory. We played games and went on long walks, and there were times of reflection and discussion. I was very curious and asked a lot of questions. The BCM leaders were always helpful, even with the more difficult kids. Nothing phased them, and they were genuinely concerned about our well-being. Something seemed different about them. One leader kept in touch afterwards, answering my continuing questions about faith, which was a great help and comfort, and recommending a church. But for some reason I didn’t go.

‍

By this time I was 17, had left school and started a Youth Training Scheme in electrical and mechanical engineering. I made new friends, unfortunately involved in drinking and drugs, but there was always something inside me telling me to keep away from those things, so I never took drugs. There was another man on the YTS who would talk to literally anyone and everyone about God. He invited me to a Morris Cerullo crusade at what was then the NEC. I said I would go, I think to get him off my back. I didn’t really know this guy, and I’m a bit of an introvert, so I would never normally do something like that. At the end of the night I walked up to the front and gave my life to Christ.

‍

I joined a small Pentecostal church in a community centre in Small Heath. The people there made me feel so welcome and have helped me much in my life. It was there I met Dawn, and we were married a few years later.

‍

Since 1998 I have been working for Jaguar Land Rover, building cars on the track. I have never been ashamed of my faith, and my colleagues know I am a Christian, and respect me for it. A few years ago at work I joined a Christian network, and the opportunity arose to volunteer to renovate the basement at BCM’s Clock Tower. I put my name forward as a debt of gratitude to BCM for all they had done for me in my early spiritual journey, putting in the foundations of my faith, helping me to build on stone and not sand.

‍

This Christmas, for a second year, I and a group of JLR colleagues have had fun driving around and delivering gifts for BCM’s ToyLink. I was greatly humbled by the smiles of gratitude on recipients’ faces, and the difficult stories some shared.

‍

As I read through this testimony, it amazes me how God has always had an influence in my life, and how he has guided me, even cajoling me out of my comfort zone, but always making me grow and be stronger. I am forever grateful for the part that BCM had in my journey of faith, and they are always in my prayers and thoughts. I imagine many, many others are grateful like me for the amazing impact that God has had on their lives through BCM, whether it be by prayer, giving, deeds or love and compassion. It is needed more than ever in this world crying out for God’s love.

‍

Photo: Workers from Jaguar Land Rover brought 100 vehicles through December right up until Christmas to BCM, making a massive contribution to delivering ToyLink parcels.

‍

Read more about BCM's Christmas ToyLink 2025

‍