Gratitude

WE ARE SO AWARE OF GOD’S GRACE IN OUR LIVES WE DON’T DESERVE TO BE WHERE WE ARE, IT IS SOLELY DUE TO HIS LOVE AND WE WANT TO SHARE THIS GOOD NEWS WITH OTHERS!

Margaret Winfield became a Christian when she was twenty two years old at a meeting in Dukinfield led by Billy Graham. Although she had been confirmed the year before and was seriously interested in
Christianity it was at this point that she realised that she could have a personal relationship with Christ because he had a personal interest in her; so much so that he had died for her on the Cross.
A few years later, she began to attend Mottram Evangelical Church.
Many years have passed since that time and like most of us she has experienced happiness and heartaches.
And it has been particularly through difficult times that she has been aware of the love of God by reading his word, praying, the support of friends and
the felt presence of the Living God. Her experiences have taught her the need to extend forgiveness to those who hurt us because our relationship with Christ is based upon his forgivenes of our sins.
Also she has experienced the faithfulness of God. She can say with complete assurance that no matter what happens here on earth, she knows that she is loved by God and with him forever. He is a personal friend who is there at all times.

Stephen Winfield was introduced to Christianity by his first wife, Johanna. She had been invited to attend an Alpha Course by friends with the result that she became a Christian. Prior to this Johanna had suffered from breast cancer, which now returned with a vengeance. Johanna now needed Stephen to accompany her to church. He became more curious about her new-found faith, and he was impressed by the friendliness extended towards him and was made
very welcome without feeling pressured in any way.
Shortly after this, Johanna’s cancer returned. It was during an evening of prayer for Johanna that God met with Stephen. He felt God’s hand on his shoulder. It was then that he knew that he could no longer ignore a very real God who was looking after him and the whole family.
This was confirmed for him when quite unexpectedly, he was offered redundancy from BT which meant that he would be able to look after his two young daughters. His concerns for the future had been resolved, everything would be alright. This is how he expressed that moment of full commitment to Christ:“You’re not in control but the Lord is. I could let go and put everything in God’s hands.”
Johanna’s death brought him even closer to God because he had witnessed her trust in God and the complete assurance that she knew where she was going in the midst of her physical pain and the pain of having to leave her girls.
Later, Stephen himself joined an Alpha Course and found it to be a fantastic grounding for his faith. Difficult concepts were explained in terms that he could easily understand, he could ask questions in a very relaxed, informal atmosphere.
Seven years ago, Margaret and Stephen were married. It was a second marriage for both of them. Their families grew instantaneously as they have five children between them.
It was a time of adjustment for everyone but putting the two families together has worked well as they have relied upon God for patience, compassio.n wisdom and above all love: a love which is not just for each other but for every single person in the family.
Both Margaret and Stephen play a very active role in church life. When asked what their motivation was, their reply was very simple: “Gratitude, we are so aware of God’s grace in our lives. We don’t deserve to be where we are, it is solely due to his love and we want to share this good news with others.”