My wife and I started coming to the church purely so our daughters, Sophie (12) and Alys (10) could attend the Sunday school. We wouldn’t really have described ourselves as Christians at that point.

However, hearing the teaching of the Gospel and what it means to us today in real terms provoked us to look a little deeper by starting the ‘Christianity Explored’ course. It allowed us to ask all the questions that we had about God, the Bible and Christianity in general. Half way through the ten-week course, we decided that we wanted to give our lives to Jesus. The point that had the most profound effect upon us was that Christ had lived the perfect life and died for our sins; we could see that he had wiped the slate clean for us. Since then we have been constantly amazed by the grace he has given us that we don’t deserve. Not least of which is the fellowship and support we enjoy at SGCM, seeking to live out the Gospel each and every day for the Glory of the Lord.

We now have a new member of our family, Bethany May, who is a constant source of delight and an evidence of God’s grace towards us. It is so clear to us now that we have been placed in Merthyr by the Father to be part of this church and to walk this path together.

Growing up in Merthyr I went to church as a child and young adult.  Although I enjoyed my time there it was always something I ‘did’ on a Sunday.  When the church service finished so did my time with God. I went home and didn’t think about what I’d heard or let it affect me, instead I just carried on with my daily life as normal – out of sight out of mind!  Since being at SGCM my experience has been quite different.  My time with God is no longer limited to a Sunday morning it carries on every day throughout the week.  The messages Gareth and Tony give on a Sunday have been fundamental in me finally understanding the true meaning of the gospel.  The message of the gospel is taken seriously at SGCM and the teachings we receive reflect this but there is also room for light heartedness too!  The teachings both on a Sunday and at Care Group enable me to apply the gospel to my everyday life in a practical way that constantly encourages, convicts and challenges me!  What is really great is that the teachings are not just reserved for adults.  Ashleigh is also able attend the meetings and I think its good that our children are getting a chance to hear the message of the gospel too.  Ashleigh attends a youth group ‘Teens’ which has been a great help and encouragement to her both in forming deeper relationships with her friends and being able to talk openly about the gospel with kids her own age.  Being a part of SGCM is like being part of a wide extended family and people are always ready to support, counsel and encourage you.  Both Ashleigh and I have formed wonderful and long lasting friendships with people that we would probably never have met had it not been for God’s grace in placing us here. We have been welcomed with open arms and that is a testimony to the way that God is working in the lives of the people at SGCM.  We are thankful to be part of this church and are constantly grateful for the blessings it has brought us.

For many years I pursued a successful career and a family without a clear knowledge of what the ultimate purpose and meaning of my life was. I’d had little experience of church and little desire to be part of a church. After a few visits to SGCM I was compelled by what I heard and saw in the lives of others. Very soon it all clicked into place! I have a new sense of meaning and purpose to my life now and am enjoying the journey!