Alpha Friends

Dear Nicky, I would like to relate to you my experience of Alpha Vision Day. I nearly didn't come but am really glad i did because it was the most amazing experience. The talks were great, inspiring and energising but it wasn't even the talks that were so amazing. After your talk in the morning when you asked people if they would like to come out to the front for one to one prayers, I got up, and I have to say I wasn't expecting much to happen. But I asked in my prayer beforehand for the Holy Spirit to come into my life and said something to the person praying for me about wanting to receive the Holy Spirit. After I returned to my seat, I felt myself shaking. I was nervous to be sure, but I don't think it was just nerves, because I have been shaking since then, shaking with excitement. Because something happened to me there. It is a bit like euphoria, but euphoria normally goes off after a while whereas this has increased. I did the Alpha course at my local church, St John's, in Clacton-on-Sea last year, and came to faith in that way although I had been interested in Christianity for some time before that. But my faith was only half-hearted and fragile. My faith was stronger than it had been a year ago, but nevertheless was still smaller than a mustard seed if that is possible!! I have been through some setbacks over the past year, jobwise and in other ways, and my faith has suffered some setbacks too, in which I didn't go to church for several months last summer, when I thought I would never go again. But I did and now am more involved in the church than I was last year. But at times I felt like a fraud and a hypocrite because my faith was so fragile and weak and half-hearted. But earlier this year I volunteered to help out on the next Alpha course being run by our church, and I was asked if I would like to go on the Alpha Vision day. I wasn't going to go but in the end I decided to go when I found out transport was being laid on! So a group of 14 of us from our two parish churches came to HTB and I was sitting near the front with them when we listened to your talk. When you asked for people to come forward for prayer I nearly didn't come, but stayed in my place for several minutes before making a move. So what happened to me nearly didn't happen. I must have been moved by the spirit of Jesus Christ to go forward. And I now believe that when I did and had that prayer said for me I was filled with his spirit. I haven't felt quite the same since! Whereas I normally have difficulty smiling (you might have seen me in the audience - I was the one with the scowl on my face!!) I have been smiling and even laughing for no reason in the days since. Some people who know me (though not my fellow Christians I'm sure) might say I have gone a bit loopy, or got a bad dose of religion! I would say I have got a good dose of the Holy Spirit. Others might ask what I am on and I would say to them if asked that I am on nothing other than the Holy Spirit. I am sure some of my fellow Christians at church have noticed a change. The day after Alpha Vision Day I saw a friend from church in a store and when I saw him I started smiling and laughing, not normally something I would do. When I saw his wife that night at our Lent talk she said he noticed how I was beaming all over when he had seen me earlier in the day. And they had no idea of what I had experienced, but they just noticed I was different. Before I could have scowled for England!! And I have suffered from depression for many years. I am also more talkative and less inclined to be a shrinking violet which I certainly was before Wednesday. And all this has happened in a space of just a few days. I have felt like shouting about my faith from the rooftops, whereas before I was reluctant to admit to being a Christian. I was like the disciple Peter, denying knowing Christ because I was afraid of people's reactions. But now I have felt a glimpse of what faith, real faith, feels like, and I can understand that verse from Philippians: "I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me." I now want to make a full contribution to my church in whatever way I can, and I spoke to the vicar on Sunday about making a full commitment to the Lord and possibly taking confirmation classes which have recently begun in our parish. And all this is thanks to the Alpha course and especially the Alpha Vision day, or rather Jesus working through Alpha. So I would like to thank you and all the organisers of Alpha courses and the Alpha Vision day, and to the unnamed guy who prayed for me on Wednesday. I hope that I may now get the chance to give a testimony at my local church on my experience because I no longer fear (so much) getting up in front of other people and talking, although I am probably not ready yet for a large audience. When I was asked to do a testimony after the Alpha course at our church finished I had to decline as I was just too scared. But now I believe I could handle that. The Alpha Vision day was something very special for me and I suspect for others. All my friends from my church found it inspiring but I found it inspiring and energising for different reasons!! Thank you all at Alpha and HTB. God bless. Peter French.