Baptism

Baptisms Sunday Aug. 14, 2022

Ella Himelfarb

I've been going to church almost every Sunday for my whole life. We decided to switch churches and began attending services at LEFC when I was in third grade. Growing up Christian and hearing the same sermons and messages started to seem repetitive, so I just began to tune them out altogether. My faith became a "Sunday thing” and wasn't being applied to other areas of my life. I had little to no connection with God. This continued until I began attending LEFC's youth group in seventh grade. One of the first lessons I remember is how to incorporate God into your daily life. As I was listening, I remember thinking that this felt directed at me. Was God trying to tell me something? In the weeks following I started a habit of praying randomly during the day when I felt like I needed God's guidance, as well as reading my Bible app on the bus to school. As my connection with God improved, other parts of my life improved as well. I began to feel less anxious, happier, and cared for in a way that I had never felt before. Suddenly I loved church. Sunday went from being a chore, to being a day I couldn't wait to come. I went on like this for about a year, thoroughly loving my religion, and finding identity in it. Then two missionaries came to youth group to talk to us. They spoke about people who had never even heard of God. I thought about how happy God had made me, and how sad it was they didn't get to experience that too. The idea of sharing my faith sounded scary. What if people judge you, or don't want to listen? That's when I found the verse Psalms 56:3-4, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In you whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere people do to me?" My faith is never something I should be ashamed of or be afraid to share. God is greater than someone else's judgement. So, my public proclamation of faith is getting baptized. After this, I hope to have the courage to spread God's word without fear of others’ opinions.

Nancy Hansen

I grew up in a Christian home, but I didn’t really know what it meant to be a Christian. I wouldn’t really get any of the passages or anything I would just go because I had to and then wanted to get home as fast as I could. When I started going to Crossover, I started actually understanding what it meant to be a Christian and was participating. I actually wanted to go to church and was understanding all the passages and what they were actually saying. What I learned was that God loved us first and I cannot carry out the marks of a disciple without Him. I learned this on the Operation 717 trip. On the Operation 717 trip, I was hoping to make a decision about getting baptized and one morning we were listening to music and God called me to get baptized.

John 14:6-10 says, “Jesus answered. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’ Philip said, ‘Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered, ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.’”

 I feel that I know the Lord and I want to show the world that I am a Christian.

Baptism at Sunday in the Park

Anna Stuart

My name is Anna Stuart. I am 12 years old. I have grown up in a Christian home going to church every week. And I accepted Jesus into my heart at seven years old. But I noticed I only went to church for friends and never enjoyed the lessons very much. But as I got older and started to understand more, and my life group at church got deeper, it sank deeper into my heart. I started to have a lot of questions about the Bible and faith and baptism. I went along asking questions to my family and my friends and leaders in my life group.

I signed up for a youth retreat expecting to go and just have a blast with my friends. It wasn't just that. There was preaching about sin and how Jesus is our hope and salvation, and how he is the only thing that could ever satisfy us. I already knew a lot of the things that they talked about, but it  only sank in that day when I thought about it a bit more. I realized how sinful I was, and I needed to repent of my sins. I prayed about it and really accepted Jesus. I believed that he really was the only thing that could satisfy me.

After the youth retreat, I felt closer with the Lord in ways I never felt before. I felt more at peace in my life and more dependent on him. He has been there for me, all the time, my whole life, but now I am noticing it much more. He has helped me with finding good friends to talk to and have fun with. He has shown me ways to value other friends and love them more too. He has provided so much for me and has provided an unconditional love that I have always needed.

Rachel George

When I was about six years old, I began having behavioral problems. I would get very angry and say and do mean things especially to my family. I was diagnosed with ADHD which helped to explain some of my issues, but medication and therapy only made so much of a difference. I made selfish decisions and wanted things my way and would bully others to get my way. I did not trust God to help me.

I have grown up attending LEFC my whole life. I have gone to Sunday school, Sports World and Christian summer camps. I've heard about Jesus from my family and done devotions and prayed with my family every night before bed, but I didn't know Jesus personally.

When I was 10 years old, I accepted Jesus as my savior. I read my Bible and went to G56 but not much changed in my life. Several months ago, I heard a sermon by Tyler Morris. Afterwards I started to read my Bible more and I wanted to understand it more. I realized that God still loves me when I do something wrong, but I also need to ask forgiveness and try to do what makes God proud of me as his child.

I still struggle with anger and taking responsibility for my actions, but I am trusting God more to help me get through and overcome my problems. My favorite Bible verse is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This is my favorite verse because it reminds me that I am saved by Jesus and his death on the cross and that because I believe in Him, I will live in heaven for eternity.

I am being baptized today because I want to follow Jesus for the rest of my life, and I want to let others know that I have made this decision.

Rachel George

Camryn Schwartz

Before coming to LEFC, I attended another church where I didn't have many connections and truly didn't understand how someone I couldn't see could affect my life so much. I felt very distant and disconnected from God. Church was just a Sunday morning ritual. I started coming to LEFC on Sunday evenings and my family started to watch the LEFC services at home during lockdown. After lockdown, we began to regularly attend LEFC. I noticed myself more spiritually inclined and wanting to learn more.

I started to listen in church instead of just acting like I was. I asked Jesus into my heart at a young age but didn't know what it meant. I asked him again later and actually started to act on my feelings. I wanted to read the Bible and share the word with others. My family has had a great impact on my spiritual life because they always had a desire for God. My grandparents were always at church and making sure I read my bible, prayed, and went to church also.

This past year has been a year of growth. I was a huddle leader for the Manheim Township Middle School FCA. This helped me to connect with God because it was a commitment that I had made. Every Wednesday morning, I would be at school by 6:45 in order to spend time with friends as we studied His word. The other members would ask me questions that I had to dig deeper into what I knew from reading the word. As I participated in the group discussions on Sunday morning, I noticed how my deeper understanding of the lessons Tyler gave furthered my interest in learning more. I knew I wanted to be baptized at some point but didn't know when God would tell me it was the right thing to do.

I attended the 8th-grade retreat towards the end of May, and I noticed God speaking to me the entire trip. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be baptized. One verse that helped me through this process was Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Jackson Stringham

Hello. My name is Jackson Lee Stringham. I'm 11 and I just finished 5th Grade at Bonfield.

My family calls me a miracle. I was very sick when I was in my mom's belly. My family prayed all the time and fasted. The Dr. one time said "I can't explain this! The only explanation is that God has intervened!" When I was 3 weeks old, I was dying in the ICU. 2 years later, I told my mom about how Jesus and I watched from the air above the bed while the Doctors tried to get the long IV into my neck. I don't remember that anymore, but I think it's cool that I remembered it then. I'm lucky that He always keeps me safe, and I know I can ask Him anything - when I'm sick, scared or just happy.

I love going to my Pop pop's Awana club on Wednesday nights. It's over for the summer, so I want to start my own group on Wednesdays for my friends so I can teach them all about how much Jesus loves them. I've started collecting Bibles for it. At Awana, I learned my favorite Bible verse - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I know that I don't deserve to go to Heaven because I am full of sin. I have committed so many sins in my life- I still commit sins even though I am a Christian. I am not perfect, just forgiven. Jesus chose to die on the cross so we could go be with him in Heaven. I thank you for listening but now I am going to get wet.

Jimmy Stringham

Hi, my name is Jimmy Stringham. I go to Bonfield Elementary. I am now in fourth grade. I will be 9 years old this week, and my favorite bible verse is John 3:16. I memorized it at Awana. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

I asked Jesus to be a part of my life during Sunday School at LEFC. But he has always been in my life, and he helped me through many things. Like when I broke my finger and my nail ripped off and when I used to throw up really bad and end up at the Doctors. He helped heal me and I know I can always trust him.

I know that I'm going to Heaven because I trust, love, and believe in Jesus. We all don't deserve to go to Heaven, but Jesus died on the cross to forgive all of our sins so that we can live eternal life with him. I know he forgives my sins. I have probably sinned every day of my life, but he has forgiven all of my sins because I asked him to. Even when I sin in the future, he will forgive those sings too. I hope he comes into everybody's life that is here today!