Nic Findlay didn’t grow up in a Christian family. Now, she not only knows Jesus for herself, but helps to reveal him to a new generation! She tells us more of her journey and shares why a Bible passage from John inspires her.
I know it’s possible for a young person without church connections to fall in love with Jesus and have their lives transformed – because that’s what happened to me! I really wasn’t interested in God, but two persistent school friends kept inviting me to church youth group events. I went to the socials… then the Bible studies… but still felt Jesus was for ‘other people’. Eventually I realised he was for me too, and at 16 I decided to follow him.
At university I joined the Christian Union. It was quite traditional and focused on theology and scripture, whereas the church I attended was missional and charismatic. The combination gave me a great grounding and helped my faith to flourish.
God gave me a heart for those on the margins. My soon-to-be husband and I shared food, coffee and faith with a group of homeless in our local park. It set a pattern for connecting with people beyond the church and sharing God’s love with them. I went into teaching – my job was to get kids through exams – but many were from vulnerable families, and I longed to be able to give them more support and to share my faith.
Bringing together experience and passion
Then God opened the door for me to do just that! My husband and I moved to a social housing estate near Cambridge, then to one in Liverpool, where I was able to do youth and community work. I was in my element, and it taught me much about young people, their concerns, and how irrelevant they felt church was to them. Then, a couple of years ago I became an SU Revealing Jesus Pioneer, which used my experience and passion to Reveal Jesus to children and young people outside the church. I still do youth and community work too, so I get to wrestle with the same issues as the Faith Guides I support, which then helps me support them better!
Young people really want someone they can trust and talk to, particularly if they don’t have a safe adult in their lives. So, it’s not surprising that they will push your limits to see if you reject them or if they can trust you to have their backs. One Faith Guide I coach initially had some real trials with the young people she was connecting with. But when I returned recently, it was a joy to see the children hanging on her every word as she shared how Jesus helps her in her life.
One of my favourite Bible passages
I’ve always loved John 1:14-18. It explains that if you know what Jesus is like, you know what God is like, even if you’ve never seen him. And we’re always trying to Reveal Jesus so that young people can see how beautiful and compelling he is! Secondly, it says that Jesus is full of grace and truth – he says things to the disciples that can be challenging, even shocking, but he is also deeply compassionate and forgiving. Having lived in communities with complex issues for a long time, I’ve learned you need that balance. It’s not loving to never call out bad behaviour, but, if we do that, we need to do it in such a way that the young person knows that we – and God – still love them unconditionally!
The North Team
Covering Cheshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and everywhere up to border, as well as the Isle of Man, come and meet the rest of our North Team.
Find out what's happening in the North and discover how we can support you in reaching the 95% of children and young people who don't go to church with the good news of Jesus!