Next Steps
Whether you have already come to faith or you want to learn more, I hope this page will be useful to you. There is a link to the church that I attend where you can watch sermons to see what church is really like (every church is of course quite different, but I remember being quite nervous the first time that I went to church as an adult). There are videos and links to the Alpha and Christianity Explored courses which you can attend locally or online and which will help you on your journey. And finally, if you'd like to find a local church, there are a couple of organisations and websites that will help you to do so.
Try a church online
This is my church. Not the building, but the people here who are what a church really is. I consider them family and cannot imagine life without them. If you're local, you'd be most welcome to join me and my family on any Sunday, but wherever you're from you can get an idea of what church is like. If you click on the Bethel Live button you can see a typical sermon, or you can see an archive of sermons from recent years here.
Learn more on a Christianity Explored Course
Christianity Explored is a free course, designed using the Gospel of Mark to help you get to know Jesus. It has some fantastic resources (see the 'big questions' section on this website for an example of these).
It's great to meet in a local group with other people seeking more information if you can, but there are also online groups who meet on Zoom, so no matter what your circumstances there is something for you.
You can visit the Christianity Explored website by clicking here.
Learn more on an Alpha Course
You may have seen the Alpha course advertised. It was created by Nicky Gumbell and is a fantastic way to consider the truth of the Bible and what that means for you. It is offered in a great number of Church of England churches as well as by other denominations.
Like Christianity Explored, Alpha is run locally but can also be attended online. It was attending a local Alpha course about 25 years ago that helped me come to faith and to find the church that I've attended ever since. I'm still indebted to Sara for nagging me to go and all the people involved in offering that course.
Click here to find a course local to you and to explore the Alpha website, including the videos used on the course.
Read the Book of John with someone
If you visit The Word One to One website here and navigate to the bottom of the page there is a contact form which will put you in contact with an experienced Christian who would love to read through the Book of John with you. Discussing the text really helps to open it up and allows you to 'discuss your thoughts and questions along the way'. Typically people meet up over a coffee or online and chat for about half an hour per session once per week, but it's pretty informal and as it's just the two of you it's easy to fit in around your other commitments.
Read the Bible
There is no better way to understand God's purpose for your life than to read the Bible. It is still good to use other resources on this page which in various ways will help you to better understand what you are reading, but true, lasting, strong faith comes from spending time with God in the Bible. I'd recommend reading an N.I.V. (New International Version) rather than one containing older language, but you'll only have to look at a page or two to know if it's right for you. Some people grew up reading Bibles filled with 'Thee and Thou', but if you're not used to it that can be a bit of an obstacle to understanding the message.
If English is your first language, then YouVersion is an incredible online tool and app where you can read or listen to the Bible. I'd recommend that you start reading the New Testament as the Old Testament can be heavier and harder to understand at first, although Genesis and Exodus may contain many familiar stories that you may enjoy. If English is not your first language, Bible Gateway is a fantastic resource that offers written Bible translations in 150 different languages.
Find a church near you
My church is a member of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches and you can use that organisation's link here to find a local church. Alternatively, the 'Find a Church' website is also a great way to find a local community of believers.
