Hi I'm pete 55yr old from Southampton uk

I grew up in a Christian family both my parents were regularly church goers in fact it was in a South London church they met all those years ago when I was 15 I got a weekend job and gave up church in retrospect this was a big mistake it wasn't until 20yrs later God decided intervene and sent one of his angels together we went on an alpha course I was very receptive to what I heard and started to attend a local church so where am I at now?well I don't go to church anymore but my faith and relationship with God is still good I can honestly say being on this road has been and is the most difficult and challenging time of my life as well as the happiest of course my reason for joining this site is to share some of my experience of Christian life and chat with other like minded people bye for now pete

I grew up in a Christian family both my parents were regularly church goers in fact it was in a South London church they met all those years ago when I was 15 I got a weekend job and gave up church in retrospect this was a big mistake it wasn't until 20yrs later God decided intervene and sent one of his angels together we went on an alpha course I was very receptive to what I heard and started to attend a local church so where am I at now?well I don't go to church anymore but my faith and relationship with God is still good I can honestly say being on this road has been and is the most difficult and challenging time of my life as well as the happiest of course my reason for joining this site is to share some of my experience of Christian life and chat with other like minded people bye for now pete

Welcome

Hey Pete,

I,m Paul 53 and a newbie here like you. I also grew up in the church with a strong Christian family. My childhood however was spent in Yorkshire. I stayed with the whole church thing even during the pretty rough years that where my first marriage. I really fell out of love with the whole thing when my marriage finally failed. The church turned its back on me and in the end I on them. I replaced it with some pretty hard living, mostly involving drink. Eventually I met my second wife and settled down and after a lot of thought and study I found that more stable , personal relationship with God. I still don't attend any church regularly, although I have friends who do so get involved in the odd thing.

Anyway good to hear your story etc. Paul

Hi Paul thanks for sharing that good to know you met someone new church is OK if you go regularly but if you stop going you tend to drop off their radar remember church is made up of fallen people like ourselves but God is our perfect father who never let's us down by the way do you still live in Yorkshire?

Hi Pete,



Yes I agree the Church is made up of fallen people. I don't hold any grudge or bitterness from the time and hopefully just some level of understanding. It all happened at a point in my life where everything changed. But it did mark the end point of Church life for me. I do still live in North Yorkshire, which brings me to an interesting issue. I probably would like to re join a church community, but I live out in the sticks. So it's either a really tiny congregation in a village church or a 2-3 hour round trip to a bigger one? I can never decide if I should worship/help in my local community or just jump in the car lol....or maybe I am just a lazy Christian and just finding excuses to avoid it!



How's Church life in Southampton and is there lots of choice ?



Paul