Ian Dale
“I grew up in a Christian household. My parents took me to church with them almost every Sunday for as long as I can remember. From a very early age, though, I was skeptical of religion. I didn’t like the conformity I saw in the adults there, the rules that it imposed, or the burden of having to sit through church every Sunday.”
SetCaptivesFree
“The form of ‘Christianity’ I was taught when younger really was not truly what the Bible teaches. I was raised as a Catholic although I hardly ever went to church. We were taught that the way a person is saved was by taking communion. Jesus to me was some distant figure in the stained glass window who held a lamb over his shoulder. I never really knew who he was and what it was all about.”
Cathy
“Our parents believed we should get a good strong foundation in Christianity, and encouraged us to attend church. We attended Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible Schools, but I never really met JESUS there - I just learned about Him.”
Chad Steenerson
“I grew up going to the building called the church every Sunday. Big deal. I knew all of the answers for all of the questions about spiritual issues: how to become a Christian, what it meant to be a Christian, what would happen to me when I died because I had prayed to Jesus and gone through all of the motions of seeking forgiveness for sins I wasn't really sorry for and didn't want to stop doing.”
Heather Smith
“I was raised in a Christian home. My parents weren't perfect of course, but they always lived the life in front of me. And when they did do something wrong, I saw them ask forgiveness for it... As a matter of fact, I went through the motions of that prayer countless times… But I never truly meant the prayer until March of 1995 when I was 12 years old.”
Kim
“I grew up in a Christian home with a large and loving family. The people we went to church with actually told us they thought that our lives were perfect. The truth was that my parent would scream and fight so loudly at night that I couldn’t fall asleep.”
Dennis Minner
“I was raised in a Christian home and my parents were perfect examples. I remember going to the alter when I was only 5 years old scared that I was going to not go to heaven. My whole entire teen life was spent being scared of going to hell. I never really had a passion for Christ…”
Bruce & Linda Abercrombie
“Born November 2, 1951, he was raised in Charlotte, NC and his family regularly attended a local Methodist Church. In 1967, in the 11th grade, Bruce met Linda Williams, later to become his wife. Linda was born in Dallas but raised in Charlotte. She also was raised Methodist.”
Bobby Jack
“I grew up in a christian family... I grew up in a very strict environment. So strict that I became very angry and became a rebel getting into trouble and causing trouble and not for a moment did I care. I hated everything about God and church.”
Sam Vandervalk
“My parents tried to bring us up with Christian values and often read us Bible stories or mission stories when we were growing up. The problem in our family was probably like many families. My parents grew up in very authoritative backgrounds and never were shown the love that children should have when they are growing up.”
Lennie Fisher (6)
“I was born in Belfast, Ireland in the 1950's and was fortunate to be part of a Christian Family… Even as a boy it was crystal clear to me that a relationship with God was about choice, and it was also something very real… It was also clear that I was not just a child now and could make this choice for myself… Over the years I have been angry with God about many things but we work it out.”
Henry Shalm
“I am 67 years old and retired. I was born in a German Pentecostal home, and attended a small country German Pentecostal church until I was 21… But eventually, little by little, I was able to sense the presence of God again, and I felt there was hope.”
Arthur Cummings (A.C. "da Preacha")
“His mother, a librarian, taught her children how to read, and more importantly, how to pray. His father, a building official and pastor, taught his children how to be honest, upright people in society, and he always stressed having a deep love and passion for Jesus Christ.”
Gina
“I WAS RAISED IN THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST FAITH, AND DID NOT FEEL LIKE THESE THINGS WERE STILL TODAY,,,,BUT NOW I BELIEVE , BECAUSE I KNOW…”