The Greatest Adventure

Blog Post Written by: Jill Bredow   (Follower of Jesus, Wife and Mom of two)

18 months ago my family left the United States to live in England for one year. We didn’t know exactly what the year would look like, but we were certain that adventure was on the horizon. Knowing that we were only going to be in England for one year we decided to dive in and embrace the opportunities that were in front of us. ​

We enrolled our daughters in online school so we would have the freedom and flexibility to travel, explore and experience all that England and Europe had to offer. And we did just that. We spent time in France exploring the Roman ruins, we saw the Reformation Wall in Geneva, spent Christmas in Venice, my birthday in Paris, we toured as many English castles as we could and walked all over Rome. Being so close to the theatre district in London we saw as many shows as we could. How can you not go to the theatre when tickets are as low as £15!? We were living the adventure that I had hoped the year would be.

Not long after we arrived in London, on the recommendation of our US pastor, we visited Holy Trinity Brompton. It was a church unlike any I had ever been to. Walking in the doors you could feel the excitement, energy and life pulsing through the room. The worship began and it was electric. Everyone was singing, loudly, and at times even jumping up and down. If I am honest, at times I was uncomfortable. My church upbringing was wanting to tell everyone that they needed to calm down. This is not how we behave in church. Near the end of the service the Vicar (pastor) invited everyone to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through them as the musicians continued to play. This was certainly the most uncomfortable portion of the service for me. I thought, while this was a good experience, we likely would not be attending this church regularly. Afterwards, as a family, we talked about the service and the reactions of our daughters, ages 14 and 11, surprised me. They thought the energy was really great and they thought it was neat to see people worshipping God in different ways. Then my husband said something that I will never forget, something that started my adventure with the Holy Spirit, “A little more of the Holy Spirit is probably not a bad thing.”
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A little more of the Holy Spirit is probably not a bad thing.

With that statement we became regular attenders of Holy Trinity Brompton. The Holy Spirit was not something, or someone, that I ever really spent all that much time thinking about, nor did I hear that much teaching about. However, at HTB, the work of the Holy Spirit is talked about just as much as the teachings of Jesus. Over time there was a shift in me from being uncomfortable with the Holy Spirit to leaning in to the Holy Spirit’s leading and inviting Him to work in me. During our time attending Holy Trinity Brompton we heard stories of and witnessed amazing encounters with the Holy Spirit through prayers, healing and visions and we experienced the movement of the Holy Spirit in our own lives as well.

During a prayer time at the end of one service I had a sudden picture in my head of our home in the United States. Then a bright light exploded from the inside of the house. It sent light through the windows and through the cracks under the door. There was light pouring out from everywhere. In that moment I knew and understood that the Holy Spirit was telling me that our home would be a place of hope and love for our neighbors and our community.

In that moment I knew and understood that the Holy Spirit was telling me that our home would be a place of hope and love for our neighbors and our community.

Another aspect of this journey came through attending an Alpha course. Every Sunday for weeks they gave an announcement for the Alpha course. “Got Questions about Life? Try Alpha!” At the time I was feeling especially lonely, being so far away from friends and family, so my main motivation for attending was to see if I could make some friends, plus it sounded interesting. Alpha is a 12 week course designed to allow you to have a discussion about the Christian faith in an informal, non-threatening environment. My group had about 8 people, all different ages, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds. We couldn’t have been a more diverse group. Each week we got together and watched a short video about a topic and then discussed. Attending Alpha not only helped me solidify some of the things I believed, but it also showed me how simple it can be to talk to others about Jesus, and tell them the difference that He has made in my life. At the end of those 12 weeks, one man who grew up as a Hindu came to faith in Christ through the Alpha course. The transformation in his life was remarkable. Yet we can also rejoice in the fact that the others in the group came for 12 weeks and heard the good news of Jesus. We don’t know what is next for them on their journey, but our Alpha group was one part of that journey. Seeing the impact that Alpha has had on so many people I have felt a strong desire to see Alpha come to more places in the US. The next part of this adventure, which began in London, could be bringing the Alpha course to my neighborhood, to my home.

18 months ago when my family made the decision to move to London I knew that the year away would be amazing and a learning experience for all of us. What I didn’t expect was the spiritual change that took place. Yes, we went for work reasons, but I believe that the Holy Spirit wanted us to encounter him through the ministries of HTB, to open our eyes to His work in the world and in our lives. Since returning to the US I have made an effort to hold on to all that I have learned and experienced. I don't want to slip back into old patterns and habits. I want to be attentive to the nudges of the Holy Spirit and act on what I feel led to do. I want to remember that my job is to be obedient. If I feel a leading to talk with the local crossing guard and give her a gift, I can do it. If I get a sudden thought to send my neighbor a text telling her I am praying for her at that moment, I get to respond. I cannot worry about their reaction, or whether they are going to think I am nuts. I need to be obedient and let God worry about the rest. I want my daughters to see me being obedient to the Holy Spirit’s leading in my life so that they can feel empowered to do the same.

Living life with Jesus is the greatest adventure. I don’t want to miss out on what he has for me because I am scared or embarrassed. I want to be a part of the ongoing work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. In order to do that I need to be attentive to the Holy Spirit, in communion with God and be obedient to His leading.

Living life with Jesus is the greatest adventure. I don’t want to miss out on what he has for me because I am scared or embarrassed.

If you sense the Holy Spirit moving in your life, I encourage you to listen and respond. I recommend attending an Alpha course  to learn more about Jesus and what a difference He can make in your life. Or you might consider trying the Bible in One Year app. You can read the passages or listen while you are walking or in the car (Nicky Gumbel, Vicar at HTB, does the audio portion of the commentary).

Ask God to soften your heart to the nudges of the Holy Spirit and join Him in the adventure he has planned for you.
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​The Spirit is always awesome whenever he intervenes…He arouses astonishing new events, he radically changes people and history.  Pope John Paul II