Once abandoned, imprisoned and homeless, former skin head Cliff Irvine has been living a new life in Christ for several years. His heartrending testimony displays the deep sense of hope in God he has found and how much he appreciates the Body of Christ.
Sadly so many have lost hope in God and have not time for church. However, God tells us not to forsake gathering together. If you’ve only ever known the Church as a cold, sterile institution where you felt unwelcome and as if you were being judged, then you can understand why Clifford Irvine turned his back on organised religion as a youngster.
He never knew his father, his dad’s name isn’t even on Cliff’s birth certificate so you can see how hard it was for Cliff to relate to God as our ‘Good, Good Father’. He was three days old when he went into care and then from care home to care home. Later, this became from prison to prison. He was told he was no good and spent a total of seven and a half years in custody.
Things got even worse when Cliff became homeless. A skinhead, with a tattooed face, it seemed he encountered rejection wherever he went. That is until he came face to face with Jesus, his hope in God was restored, and later his misgivings about the in the Church. Through the homeless outreach of Rediscover Church, Exeter, UK he came to see the Body of Christ in a completely new light and literally ‘rediscovered church’ as a vibrant community of believers.
“The last time I went to church was when I was growing up in care and I was made to go on a Sunday. I didn’t enjoy it,” Cliff says. “You can normally see it in their eyes, people are judging you, but not here. I didn’t feel that, I felt love and warmth.”
Watch Cliff’s heart-rending testimony and regain your hope in God
As believers we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus and it was the team at Crossline Homeless outreach that first showed Cliff the love of Jesus. They invited him to church and he came, even if it was just for the free coffee and biscuits!
Led by Pastor Mark Pugh and his wife Nita, Rediscover Church aims to restore people’s hope in God and in the Church by changing the negative perceptions people have. They invite everyone to experience the Christian community in a loving, caring environment.
“The first couple of weeks I was there, I found it hard not to cry,” Cliff recalls. He became a Christian, got baptised and everything changed. He moved into a flat and was able to see his children and has been a faithful member of the church ever since.
But, Jesus!
Jesus can give you a new day, a new start and a new outlook on life. He can also use you to change the negative perceptions many still have about God or the church, by introducing them to one and only true God, who they have misunderstood. They think He is after them with a big stick but it’s really a shepherd’s rod to lovingly draw them home.
Thanks Clifford for sharing your amazing story and inspiring us to reach out to others more boldly. Thank you Rediscover Church for being such a great example of the Body of Christ at work.
Also read Local church celebrates Jesus in the city centre on Easter Sunday
Al Gibson
Wordsmith, overcomer and exhorter. Al has a degree in Journalism and Media Studies and years of communications experience in Africa, the UK, Israel and USA. He left South Africa in 2001 and worked for GOD TV in England for 18 years. He now heads up Countdown Creative, a content creation business in Exeter. Al is the author of three biographies. Blogs he writes for include GODTV.com; International Christian and UK and US Christian.
