My name is Chidinma Menakaya and the Alpha Course changed my life. I began my spiritual journey in September 2016 and went through a life-changing spiritual awakening.
I had quit my job in corporate America in March 2016 and took time off to figure out what I was supposed to be doing with my life. I began taking care of myself and looking into the things I never had time for before. One day I turned to God and said, “Hello God. Will you be my boss? I’m tired of working harder than all my bosses!” Immediately, things started happening in my life.
God showed me many signs of His presence, including an amazing vision that came true and too many divine appointments to count. I soon realized someone was in charge of the universe and I began to seek Him. I initially got side-tracked in my spiritual search by looking into things like astrology, psychics and tarot card readers. During this time, I was very emotional and found myself crying everywhere I went and asking everyone if they believed in God. I was confused and scared trying to find answers to the things happening in my life. I didn’t know until I attended Alpha that I could turn to God and actually depend on Him and learn to trust Him and develop a personal relationship with Him through Jesus - for real! At first, it freaked me out! It took me months to come to terms with the fact that the God I had learned about in a christian school and the church I attended as a young person, was really really real! I started asking him for signs of His presence and he always delivered and in practical, unique and sometimes, crazzzzy ways!
Through another masterfully crafted divine appointment I met Uchenna (a seminary student at fuller and member of Lake). I went to him lost and excited! I met with Uchenna and within the first week of meeting he recommended the Alpha Course at Lake. It “just so happened” that it was starting the following week, and at a non-intimidating time on a Sunday morning.
My friend Nneka and I signed up and walked in delighted to experience such an inviting and welcoming atmosphere, featuring coffee, snacks and on each table a purple flower decoration. It “just so happened” that purple is Nneka’s favorite color! We sat down and immediately realized that Alpha at Lake was exactly where we were supposed to be.
Each week Nicky Gumbel presented a topic about the Christian faith in an interesting and compelling way that answered so many of my/our questions. He was very engaging and used very relatable illustrations and stories that stuck. The course blew away all my expectations.
After each talk, we met in a small group and had an opportunity to ask our questions and share our life experiences. We built solid friendships together in those times. After the course, I wanted to somehow “give back” what I had learned and volunteered to work with the kids in Club 45 and love it.
I read The Purpose Driven Life a few months later and everything Nicky Gumbel said was reinforced and I’m now almost through reading the New Testament. I’m in Hebrews! The Alpha Course changed my life and it saved me at a time where I was a seeker going in circles. Thank you Nicky! Right now we have nicknamed our home the “Holy Hustle House” and Nneka and I look forward to visiting the church in London very soon!