Meet Ben...

Where did you grow up?
I was born in Newcastle and I've grown up around Newcastle and Maitland.

When did you become a Christian?
The second semester of 2006

How did that happen?
I was invited to Hunter Bible Church during mission week (through walk-up evangelism). Over the course of a few weeks I read through Mark's gospel with Tim Cocks and went along to Sam and Elle's bible study.

How has being a Christian changed you?
The most immediate change was being free of a mighty dose of depression, but long term I now have a good understanding of purpose and what is valuable in the world. God has really shown me how important it is to talk to people about Jesus and what He's done for them. He has also given me a lot of non-christians who are willing to discuss their beliefs, and opportunities to show them inconsistencies in their philosophies and the reliability of the bible.

You've been going to NCS and Hunter Bible Church since you became a Christian, how have they helped you to grow?
NCS & HBC has been great. As a new Christian I have a lot of different questions to other Christians, and HBC is a church that allows me to ask the questions which are relevant to my understanding, which makes it a lot easier to apply the bible in my own life. At the start of the summer break I went to National Training Event, where I was encouraged through my struggles and challenged to suffer for Christ. That was a great experience and I learned some useful skills for understanding God's word.

How do you hope to get involved in NCS and Hunter Bible Church this year?
How? By jumping right in. NCS and HBC offer so many ways to get to know God's word and how to live it. I'll be doing whatever I can get my hands on.

This year Ben and I have started meeting up to read the Bible with one another. I t has been a great encouragement to see his hunger and enthusiasm to know God better through his Son Jesus Christ, and to see his enthusiasm for evangelism. Just by asking questions and talking to people about his experience and what he knows of the Bible he is constantly engaging people in lengthy discussions about the Bible wherever he is. Pray that Ben would continue to grow as a Christian and that I will be able to help him sort through the massive amounts of question that are floating around inside his head.