GOD SAID they were coming… Last year saw a big influx of teens into the congregation. In January at White Stone, one of Coventry’s community houses, one of the leaders was seized by an inspiration in a meeting. He asked fourteen-year-old Bethan to leave the room and then come in through the door. She did so. He asked her to do it again. And again. This was repeated many times and the leader explained that he sensed God saying that many, many teenagers would be coming through their doors in 2005.

Very soon they were. Thursday evening friendship meals at White Stone saw up to twenty teenagers coming around. And very soon they turned up at the Jesus Centre on Sunday. What a change! A crowd of screaming “Goth” teenagers at the front of Solid Rock Café worship times brought a whole new feel to the meeting. We had to ban “body slamming” during the more lively songs, as there was a real danger of serious injury to those less experienced in the art of “moshing”… but it’s all a healthy challenge to the staid and respectable.

Noise, energy, a certain amount of chaos, but in the midst of all of this: young people finding Jesus. Over the last several weeks it has been great to see a number of them baptised and daring to become real disciples.

God has also been inspiring faith for students to come and join us.

David Meakin and Jason Porter study at Coventry University, in the middle of the city. Both David and Jason have a strong vision to reach other students for Jesus.

David came in touch with the Jesus Fellowship in a very remarkable way. He was praying and asking God to tell him what He wanted him to do with his life. As he prayed he saw a face that he didn’t know. As David continued to pray he saw in his mind’s eye a house which he knew was near where he lived in Coventry. He started walking towards the house and as he did so the name “Andy” came into his mind. When he arrived at the house, he knocked on the door and asked if he could speak to this person. The house – unbeknown to David – was Bright Flame community house. “Andy” was upstairs and came down to welcome this stranger and introduce him to the church. David is now living at Bright Flame. And the face he saw when he was praying turned out to be that of Piers, one of the main leaders of the congregation!

Jason says: “It’s great to ‘rub off’ godliness onto the students I’m with by being myself – in Jesus – among them. I always wear my red cross and in my conversation I gently and naturally bring God into it, not pressurizing them, just giving them an opportunity to come into contact with the life of God in me.” Meanwhile, Zoe Biswas from the other University in town, Warwick University, has been bringing friends over to our meetings. We involve ourselves in Warwick’s Christian Union and are on the CU’s advisory council of local church leaders. Ten years ago we had a major invasion of young radicals from Warwick Uni. Could we be about to see a similar phenomenon happen? We hope so. We’re on the look out for a new crowd of ‘ready for anything’ student firebrands to come and stir up the kingdom revolution.

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Or read some more Coventry articles:
Turned inside out
Nomads no longer
Heat in the Red Light district
Creative Wings
Live at the Well