Talking about our faith can be intimidating. It brings up a bunch of insecurities and worries about whether we are equipped to answer questions, how people will respond and if we're going to alienate our friends, families and co-workers. And yet, I don't think anyone would argue the point that we are definitely called to boldly share our faith and tell others about the life-transforming power of Christ in our lives.
One of the incredibly important ways we do this is to be baptized in water. When we choose to get into that water we are saying to everyone gathered that Christ is the centre of our lives and we are committed to living for Him and in Him forever.
While water baptism isn't usually done in front of a crowd of unbelievers, it is a testimony to your friends, family and church (and whoever you invite!) of who Jesus is. It builds our faith and reminds of the importance of setting our lives apart for God. It's absolutely one of my favourite things in church life.
I won't take the time in this email to outline all of the biblical reasons that our church practices water baptism. But if you want to learn more, here is a link to the information we provide to people who are interested in getting baptized - it's a great resource.
Beyond that, if you're a follower of Christ and have never been baptized in water you will have an opportunity to do that on Sunday, August 13th. Our annual water baptism service will be held at the Crits' house and trust me, this is an event that you will not want to miss. If you're ready to take the step of being baptized, please get in touch with me in the coming weeks. It would be my joy to talk you through this incredible testimony of your faith.
In Christ,
Pastor Tracy
This Sunday...
We're excited to start our new series Testify: Ancient Stories for Modern Times. Our speaking team (myself, Bjorn, Erin and Margaret) have chosen some of our favourite people from the bible and will be sharing their testimonies. Who were these people? What can we learn from the stories of their lives? This is going to be a great summer of learning and being challenged.
This Sunday I'm going to begin with Solomon, the wise king. His story was amazing and legend-worthy... until it wasn't. Take a look at 1 Kings chapters 2-11 if you want a refresher on the Solomon's life and times.
You can also follow along with the message on YouVersion.
Click HERE for this week's service link.