Sam Gibb

I was born into and brought up in a Christian home and so I have always been taken along to church on Sunday mornings, be it at Summerstown in London, Holywell in Loughborough or for the last 4 years here at QBC.

It was just a thing that I did out of habit almost like cleaning my teeth or eating breakfast. Although I understood that Jesus had died thousands of years ago it seem irrelevant to me then and there.

Then about 4 years ago my family changed churches from Holywell to QBC and I became involved with the youth groups first J.A.M and then, when I was old enough, N:Courage. There were plenty kids my age and older and I felt very welcome and quickly built up great friendships. I really can’t tell you all how much you have all meant to me

In 2001 I went to the Christian adventure holidays run by Steve and Margaret Gaunt. And as well as being an amazingly fun week of sailing, walking and biking I really felt God speaking to me. Much to my annoyance I felt him telling me I had to change, and much to his annoyance I tried my hardest to ignore him.

Why did I need to change? I had never stolen, I’d never killed anyone and I’d tried my best not to lie or swear. What did he want me to change for? This continued for most of the week with more and more messages from him and more and more ignoring from me.

That was, until the Thursday night when a guy called Giles was talking in the evening meeting and what he said really hit me. I realised that I needed to change the way I thought about life. I wasn’t going to get to heaven by being nice to friends, not killing anyone or even going to church. I needed Jesus to take control of my life. That evening I gave my life, my whole life to Christ.

I would love to say that since then my life has been easy and perfect but it hasn’t. But I have always had the support and friendship of everyone here and God has carefully guided me through the times of trouble and helped me all the way.

I have waited a long time to be baptised but I feel that God has chosen the right time in my life for this next step.

At camp this last summer, I again really felt God speaking to me this time telling me to take this important step and get baptised. So after discussing this with friends and family I decided that it was what I needed to do at this point in my life.

When I was about 8 or 9 I memorised Psalm 139 and it has always been the thing I would read when I was down or angry or even happy. On Friday I received a card in the post and it simply said ‘Psalm 139 has been significant to me for a long time: may it become a treasure to you also.

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