Baptism!!!

Today we celebrated as Annah and Caeden were  both baptized!!!

Meeting with Pastor Karin before the service to talk about what the service and ceremony involves...

Thrive kids joined the worship team for a special song/dance during the service, and it was awesome!

Pastor Todd praying over the baptizans during the service

VIDEO: Professing our faith in Jesus

I remember the day Annah first gave her heart to Jesus when she was just a toddler, bowing her head in prayer on her little bed in her room with me.  She doesn't remember that, but she has many other memories of Jesus' love and saving grace in her life that we celebrate today

as she professes her faith in Him!

VIDEO: 

Pastor Zac talked about Caeden's living life with enthusiasm, and it's true.  We rejoice that he walks with Jesus and gets his strength and joy from Him!  

VIDEO:

"For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives."
- Romans 6:4 NLT

We were so blessed to have several wonderful friends and family join us for the baptisms today, along with our church family!

Aunt Marti texted celebrations:

Last night we had a special dinner at home with Gram and Krampa.  Today, some of us had a celebratory lunch at Noodles.

What a special, important day!  As a mom, I can honestly say there is nothing more wonderful than knowing my children are walking with Jesus!!!

What a wonderful day!

PoC's 2nd anniversary

We had a fabulous celebration today, giving God all the glory for what He has done and is doing and will continue to do!  

I put together this video of a few of the blessings and memories of the past year...

Our wonderful friend Jean had made some amazing treats for Lorrie's celebration a few weeks ago, and she brought the recipe today to stop our begging for it.  

We had a great worship set today.  This is music on my stand.  (I was singing today.)

I didn't get to take many pictures today, but had a team that got some great shots. 

Caeden and friends in PoC Kidz

Both Annah and Sylvia helped with toddlers/preschoolers today.

13 children were dedicated to the Lord by their parents today!  It was a beautiful moment with these children standing all through the aisles surrounded by their families.  Each staff member had the privilege of praying over a family and presenting them with a paper doll chain to represent all the lives the child being dedicated will touch for Jesus.  Such a beautiful ceremony!

12 people were baptized today!  I was so excited and blessed to be allowed the honor of helping baptize our friends Kelsey and Caleb!   

(Obligatory selfie while waiting our turn in line  :)

Kelsey and Caleb are siblings, the children of our dear friends Todd and Jennifer.  We were part of two Life Groups with their family, over a period of about 5 years or so.  In fact, we were connected even before church... We remember well praying for extremely premature baby Kelsey shortly after we moved here.  Then, we only knew her as the granddaughter of one of Jeremy's coworker/friends, but we joined the family in pleading for her life, and God answered our prayers in such a beautiful way!  It has been an incredible joy to watch her grow into a lovely, gentle young woman of God, a blessing to everyone who knows her!  

We also prayed with Todd and Jennifer for their son Caleb before he was even officially part of their family.  While we were in Life Group together, they were in the incredibly emotional and seemingly endless process of adopting Caleb from Haiti.  We will never forget praying through the frustrations and joys of bringing Caleb to his forever home and family.  For a while, Caleb and Kelsey even attended the same school as our kids, and we have loved them all through several moves as well.  How awesome it was to get to be part of Caleb's declaration of living for Jesus today!

I don't even know how to express how amazing it was to get to be part of baptisms in this way!  It is probably one of the most awesome things I've been part of in my life!  Glory to God!!!

We had a yummy free lunch with our church family after the baptisms.

I enjoyed the meal with my buddy Bob B.

It was a gorgeous day--much warmer than predicted--and we were so grateful!  The kids had a good time playing outside after lunch.

Jeremy spent the day working hard, as always...setting up, greeting, tearing down.

Annah and her youth group friends found time for some silly selfies, of course...

What a blessed day!  

Here's a video review of the day I was asked to do...

Sylvia's Baptism

I can't even begin to describe how awesome it was to watch our Sylvia Claire be baptized today.  So, I will just write the facts and ponder the goodness of them in my heart, because there just aren't words beautiful enough.

My parents came from Indiana.  It was the first time they've been able to visit Point of Change, since they haven't been able to visit us in almost a year and a half.  It was really special for us to have them see the building, meet our church family, and worship with us here.

During the service, the baptizans were brought to the front of the church to profess their baptism and their faith in Jesus.

Immediately following the service, baptisms were outside.

Sylvia has a super sweet relationship with Pastor Celia.  Each time they see each other, they say, "Friend!" and greet each other with a hug.  They share with each other what they are reading in God's word and how life is going.  I love the way they encourage each other!

Pastor Celia helped Sylvia into the pool.

 

It was a little difficult for the pastors to decide who would get to baptize Sylvia.  Pastor Todd has known Sylvia her entire life, and was even one of the first to visit her in the hospital when she was born!  Pastor Karin has been her children's pastor for the past several months, including when she made the decision to be baptized.  Pastor Scott is now Sylvia's your pastor, as of her officially moving up to youth group last week.  So, it was decided that Pastor Celia would help Sylvia into the pool, Pastor Scott and Pastor Karin would baptize her, and Pastor Todd said he would just stand outside the pool and cry.  (I think he cheered instead, which was awesome.)

And this is how she told the world that she is walking with Jesus!  Praise the Lord!!

Some parents' greatest wish is for their child to be happy.  Some wish for their success in life through education, sports, fame, money, even health.  When Sylvia was a baby, we dedicated her to the Lord; today she claimed that dedication for herself.  I am grateful that God has answered our prayers for Sylvia to accept the salvation Jesus has given her and walk through life with Him. Nothing in life could be better than that!