This story covers themes of baby loss and bereavement, which some readers may find upsetting.
Gemma didn’t previously have a Christian faith.
But during one of the most painful periods of her life, she encountered Jesus in a way she never expected.
Gemma bravely shares her story in the latest of our Growing Churches video series, which tell how God is at work across churches in Birmingham and the region.
The moment everything changed
While experiencing complications in her pregnancy, in the midst of her grief and uncertainty, Gemma explains how, “Jesus came to me in a dream.”
She says, “I was holding Joel, which would have been his name. I was holding his hand and it was all completely white and Jesus was walking towards me.”
“He was just radiating light and I just knew that it was Jesus. And Joel […] was so happy… He was coming towards us and Joel let go of my hand. And Joel went running over to Him and they went walking off hand in hand.
For Gemma, it was a peaceful and joyous moment.
“His life ended in this world but began there,” she reflects. “And I began a new life, here with Christ.”
“That was the moment where everything changed for me,” she says. “I had peace. I had closure. Jesus really stepped in, and He saved me.”
Finding church community
Following this experience, Gemma explains how she felt drawn to find a church.
While on the school run, someone handed her a leaflet for the opening Sunday of Gas Street Longbridge, a church revitalisation supported by Church of England Birmingham.
“I just knew it was God’s calling,” she says.
When she arrived that Sunday, Gemma immediately felt at home.
“The community that I have at church now, it’s literally like the family that God knew that I needed,” she says.
As well as supporting Gemma, Gas Street Longbridge has become a place of belonging for her children too.
She says, “I’ve got one child that lives with Jesus, and two children that Jesus lives within.”
“Since meeting Jesus,” Gemma concludes, “my life has been joyous, purpose-filled and free.”
The Growing Churches video series shares stories of impact from local church communities across Birmingham and the region.