Luton Christian Fellowship

One of the most inspiring places to me is the church I go to – Luton Christian Fellowship, or LCF as it is called. www.lcf.biz/home

I haven’t always gone to church regularly; in fact there was a big gap from my late teens until my early 50s.  I felt I could pray and commune with God without being in a church building.

What took me back was I needed to make a big decision and I needed it to come from a good place.  I had to question myself deeply about my motives and intentions.

When I first started going I found it a bit happy-clappy and embarrassing.  As time has gone by I don’t notice the happy-clappy bit (which is quite low key anyway), but I see all the other good things.  LCF personifies the best of Luton.  It is the most multi-cultural, unpretentious, welcoming place and it does stuff.

Amazingly, because you wouldn’t think anyone there was rich, it raises thousands for local and international charities and stages amazing events.  Over the summer they ran a week long play scheme culminating in a free concert and fun day, both with free food.  The entire week was staffed with church members acting as volunteers in every capacity imaginable.  I spent Saturday night putting a scoop of salad in hundreds of free burgers and Sunday my entire family supervised the inflatables for four hours.  Many people did a lot more than I did.

Another thing I like about the church is that it provides a lot of opportunities for personal growth.  They have leadership days and inspirational speakers and run courses on a regular basis.  I have done an Alpha course there and an ‘identifying’ your spiritual gifts’ course.  I have the opportunity to attend a house group although I don’t always do this because of commuting and looking after my horse.  The music events they run are equally inspiring and joyous.  The huge music team produce their own CDs.

I got baptised there – the full immersion dunk in the swimming pool bit.  I didn’t invite lots of people because I am an introvert and don’t evangelise in that way.  However I am completely obsessed with making every day count.  I have always been a bit like this.  I don’t know whether it was because my dad died when I was a baby so from an early age I was aware life could be lost at any point.  It’s a driving force, but a good driving force in my life, although my organisational intensity doesn’t make me the easiest person to live with.

My faith comforts me in times of aloneness and anxiety.  I don’t pray for everything to be put right or any wish list, but I do pray for grace and courage in adversity.  An older guy called Dave at church says you can see where God has worked in your life when you look back.  When I was younger I had so much energy and drive.  I worked hard, but there was some divine intervention in how, despite being made redundant or funding running out many times, I got contract after contract and as a single parent with no maintenance kept the family home and found the funds to support my children through university.

The idea for this blog came to fruition at the time I got baptised.  I hope it will do its small bit to spread kindness and community spirit.