Most people at some stage in their lives feel as though there must be more and they begin to ask life's big questions. Does God really exist?  If so, why does God allow suffering?  And just what is God like?

Sometimes in our lives, we might experience fleeting moments when we feel that the universe makes sense in some overiding way. We feel that in some very miniscule way, we've caught a glimpse of what God is all about. Yet all too often, it's like catching a glimpse of someone out of the corner of our eye on a busy street and when we turn to look again, we find they have disappeared.

As Christians we believe that God made us in his image as spiritual beings and we  also believe that we have been designed to be able to interact with God. It is clear that many people have  a deep spiritual awareness of God's presence in the world and in their own lives, yet they struggle to make sense of it all.

If you have questions about God, or if you are trying to make sense of a spiritual encounter with God, then please do not feel that you are on your own. Here are several suggestions you might like to think about.

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Pray about it and try reading the Bible

If you are unsure whether you really believe or not, or whether joining a church is the right thing for you to do, pray to God and be honest in everything. 

Sometimes we are given clues and signs about what to do next, sometimes it is simply a feeling of certainty that begins to grow through prayer. At other times people have found that reading the Bible is a wonderful way to learn about God and his plan for the world and that God speaks to them about their life and faith.

If you are wondering where to begin, try the opening chapter of Genesis (in the Old Testament) because that book explains how man's relationship with God was spoilt by Sin. Then perhaps think about following this up with reading the Gospel of Mark. The Gospels (in the New Testament) tell us how God sent his Son Jesus to live, die and be resurrected for us to restore our relationship with God.

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How to become a Christian

If you would like to explore this in a little more detail and you don't feel ready to chat to anyone in person yet, click here.

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The Four Rooms

Click here to experience four different rooms, each one representing a different aspect of Jesus. Each room you visit has two audio tracks, the first is a meditation to engage your imagination and to inspire you to think further. The second audio track is a short synopsis of some bible evidence for these different aspects of one person: Sacrifice, King, friend and creator - corresponding to the four rooms -prison, sanctuary, workshop and hall. 

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This link will take you to an interesting site that has all sorts of links within it... Faith v science?  Jesus in the movies... ...  

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Is God calling you into an ordained ministry?

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Call the clergy & ask questions

Never be afraid to ask questions! Clergy, Ministers and church leaders from whatever denomination you choose, are there to help you find the answers you need, and are happy to answer your questions either in person or by telephone or e-mail. 

Sometimes people reject the Church because they make assumptions about what Christians believe. These people are available to discuss the range of ideas that Christians have about many aspects of life and belief. Certainly, the Church of England is a broad church, and there is a lot of space for people with all sorts of different opinions.
 
Email Rev'd Vince Fenton now.

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Come to a service

If you are interested in the Christian faith, the best thing you can do is to go and see it in action at a service in a church one Sunday. The service times for St. Catherine's are 10am and 6pm on Sundays and 10:30am every Wednesday. Come with an open mind, and be patient with what you find. Sometimes newcomers can find it difficult to follow what is happening but there will usually be someone nearby to help you (and please don't be afraid to ask). If you find that the service is helpful and interesting, you may have found the right place, but if not, don't give up: churches come in many different styles and types, and you may have to look around for the one that helps you grow in faith, click here for a list of churches in Crook.

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When you are ready to consider baptism or confirmation

Baptism is the beginning of a person's formal journey within the family of God. It is a celebration of our acceptance of God's love for us, and it marks us out as  children of God and members of the world wide Church.

Confirmation often comes later in the Church of England, and is an individual's confirmation of the promises that their parents and Godparents have promised at their baptism.

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The Poem: Who am I - by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (written in prison, just before his martyrdom).

 

Who am I? They often tell me
I would step from my cell's confinement
Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
Like a squire from his country-house.

Who am I? They often tell me
I would talk to my warders
freely and friendly and clearly,
as though it were mine to command.

Who am I? They also tell me
I would bear the days of misfortune
Equably, smilingly, proudly,
Like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really all that which men tell of?
Or am I only what I know of myself,
Restless and longing and sick like a bird in a cage,
Struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat,

Yearning for colours, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
Trembling with anger at despotisms and petty humiliation,
Tossing in expectation of great events,
Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making
Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all?

Who am I? This or the other?
Am I one person today, and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, thou knowest, O God, I am thine.

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