Elizabeth Fulcher's story

  Having been brought up in Staincliffe by Christian parents, it was natural for my life to be centred round Staincliffe Baptist Church
  from a very early age. I enjoyed attending morning and evening services, afternoon Sunday School followed by a Christian
  Endeavour meeting, and after the evening service taking flowers to the sick and elderly. I was asked to play the piano for Sunday School and then later, encouraged to become a Sunday School teacher. I had never doubted I was a Christian; but in 1961, at the age of 15, I went along to a Billy Graham Crusade at Manchester. He was speaking on the verse from John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." The only way I was going to get to Heaven was through the Lord Jesus. I had to realise that there was sin in my life for which I needed to repent; believe that Jesus had paid the price for my sin by dying on the cross, and accepting His free gift of eternal life.

Billy Graham invited the huge congregation to respond to his appeal to accept Jesus into their lives as personal Lord and Saviour. As the floodlights came on in the stadium, he said, "I want you to come down, to the front and make that decision now. As you come people will be praying for you." Gradually people rose from their seats and made their way to the front. Somehow I had the urge to join them; to make this decision for myself; I wanted Jesus in my life. Words can't explain how I felt, but Mrs Shallcross, assigned to be my counsellor said, "I don't need to ask if you have been saved; I only need to look at the radiance on your face." However she did ask me some questions and we prayed together, asking the Lord to forgive my sins and to come into my life.

It was late when I arrived home that night, so no time for talking; but the next morning my mother was eager to know all about the meeting. Naturally she was overjoyed when I told her that I had accepted Jesus into my life. Even so I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and wondered what I had let myself in for.

It was only later that I realised the importance of making that decision and began a six-week course of counselling and baptismal preparation classes. Even then I began to waver because baptism meant I had to confront my fear of water. Naturally I received some leg-pulling from my brothers, but the Lord took away my fears and I thoroughly enjoyed my baptismal service, which took place on Sunday, 7th January 1962. I had that inner glow and reassurance that "now I belonged to Jesus".

In my early teenage years in the Sunday School, my piano-playing skills were very limited, but God enabled me to develop those skills sufficiently to play the music for each Sunday service. I and several ladies from church lead a weekly meeting at a local sheltered home. The residents love to choose and sing their favourite hymns and choruses, read a Bible passage, have a prayer time and listen to a short gospel message. I thank God for my salvation and pray that the residents, too, will come to know Jesus.