Jesus Still Heals

Our story is one of discovering the kindness and healing of Jesus – sometimes in a moment, and sometimes through a longer journey. Steve: From childhood I had struggled with a stutter, dyslexia and deep anxiety. A troubled childhood had left scars and I was struggling. At 18 I felt money was the answer and threw all my energies into a job in London as an Architectural Model Maker. But I felt something was missing. Jesus was the furthest thing from my mind but after meeting some Christians I decided to tag along. I was somewhat skeptical and had quite a few questions which were met with warmth and intellect. Listening to scholars such as John Lennox (University of Cambridge), and Ken Ham and Josh McDowell (‘Evidence that demands a verdict’) helped me process what I really believed. I soon asked Jesus into my life and was wonderfully filled with the Holy Spirit and overwhelmed by the love of God.

After a prayer meeting, some friends prayed for me, and I experienced remarkable healing from the stutter and dyslexia. It brought such freedom from shame and embarrassment. Jesus met me personally and powerfully, and I knew that He still heals today.
Yet there were other parts of my myself that I did not understand for many years. 
Beginning of a new exciting chapter: I met Midge in 1992 in Hong Kong and we got engaged the same year and married the following year in Malaysia. We both loved serving community through the church and attended bible college, lived by faith for 13 years and had two wonderful sons. As with many people we did not really appreciate the impact our early years would have on us and our married life. We had studied about marriage, cross cultural relationships, attended counselling courses, even ran training for others….but there was a missing part.

Well, life is busy and we all just do the best with what we have! So, we did. Growing up, we had both learnt to walk on egg shells, scan for danger, survive, wear masks, keep life moving at a fast pace.  

It was not until 2024 that we began to understand how complex trauma had affected our lives. Around the same time, I began to recognise how autism and possible adhd traits had shaped how I related emotionally and socially.
We began to understand concepts like enmeshment,  codependence, attachment styles and survival roles, amongst others. But knowledge, although helpful for understanding, unfortunately does not have the power to bring transformative change!  We loved each other deeply, but something was missing.
A major turning point came when we began listening to talks on this topic of complex trauma (primarily Dr Gabor Matte and Tim Fletcher).  

It is often when crisis hits that we can look for answers, which is what happened to us. Thankfully we met the right people. It was such a relief to finally understand what was going on within ourselves and find deep healing in a supportive, caring, non judgemental environment. We joined the Lift course written by Tim Fletcher which facilitated healing and truth to wounds which we did not even realise we had. 
It did not replace Jesus or the work of the Holy Spirit but  brought clarity and calm where there was confusion and shame and channelled God’s truth to deep wounds. 
It gave new meaning to the words of Isaiah 61, where Jesus came:

“To bind up the broken-hearted…to comfort all who mourn.”

Jesus does not shame us for the ways we have learned to survive. He meets us with compassion and gently leads us towards freedom.
This has been hugely life-changing for us individually and has been totally transformative for our marriage bringing greater freedom, peace, love, joy, connection, honesty, safety and understanding. We are also part of a trauma informed team which facilitates this healing. It is amazing and a great privilege, to see individuals, who have had huge struggles, many their entire lives, who have tried pretty much everything, having the same break throughs.
Our experiences have shaped the kind of church community we hope to build.
We believe Jesus still saves, restores, and heals today. Sometimes His healing comes suddenly. At other times, it comes through a gradual journey of truth, grieving, renewed thinking, healthy relationships, and learning what it means to feel safe.
Both are expressions of His kindness.
We want to be a church where people can encounter love without feeling they must pretend everything is fine—a community where people are listened to, treated with dignity, and given room to heal and grow.
Midge and I lead the church alongside a wonderful team, and we walk in relationship and accountability with experienced pastors whom we know and trust.
We do not claim to have every answer or to have arrived. We are simply fellow travellers who have been met by the extraordinary kindness of Jesus.
Jesus healed yesterday and He still heals today. If you are curious  about the above or to find out more, please drop us a line. We look forward to meeting you. 

With love,
Steve and Midge

07551314958 or rockchurchcoventry@gmail.com