Looking back at the 80s & 90s, I do look back fondly at the rave and clubbing culture in those heady days of late-thatcherism. My own ability to have a faith of my own was instigated out of my experiences of community and transcendence that emerged out of the early clubbing culture in London & raves around the M25 and the North of England.

Yes I was attracted to charismatic evangelical churches as well, and in particular in my story, was St Marks Battersea Rise, but my real sense of spiritual freedom began in a field with pumping Gospel Garage music. I realised then that I was worshipping God in the context of the real world - not a removed space - but God in contemporary culture. From this I experienced the Nine O'clock service Sheffield, and what was then Warehouse now Visions in York as a student. This scene was ahead of its time, they were so good at VJing and DJing that they were invited regularly to lead a night called 'Devotions' in Leeds. These were good times, incredibly hope giving before the onset of drugs, the commercialisation of clubs and the Criminal Justice Act. I would talk and dance with strangers, make good friends, a real openness and fun - celebrating life in a world that increasingly felt controlling.

I was reminded just how significant this was for me by a Radio programme about it. Many of the comments brought a smile to my face. When I was involved in Epicentre - the first alt worship community I was involved in London, members of the community were very much involved in the clubbing culture, and names like Judge Jules amongst others such as Paul Okenfield, Gus Gus, The tea rooms de artistes, and the gospel garage lounge in Piccadilly were haunts to many of us. In London - the whole Abundant club scene - was a response by Christians to the clubbing scene - many of which went on to be involved in emerging church communities. To listen to the broadcast in mp3 - click here.

So I am grateful to this formative experience - and as the programme says, you can tell people who were changed by this - they tend to be more open, more affirming, more human...