Baptism Day!

Mercy.

What a journey we have been on as a family! We left our church after 10 years in August of 2009 and began months and months of trying to find us a new home. We all know or can imagine the emotions that are experienced when you go through something like this. It was especially hard for me because I was our Children's Ministry Director as well. I was experiencing a death almost when we left. However, God called us to leave and we left.

In January of 2010, we began visiting Englewood Baptist Church and visited for 9 months until we joined. However, when you go from Methodist to Baptist there is a small bump in the road that you must be willing to step over for you to be a full blown member into the church. This is NOT where we need to get into "but you were baptized as a baby or went through confirmation and why are you being baptized again" kind of thing. Ok? Thanks.

This is what I do know about the Baptist church and this whole "becoming a member thing." (And I stole this right from the EBC bulletin so I wouldn't say something wrong)

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER?

1. Present yourself for membership during any worship service when
the invitation is given.

2. Express your desire for membership through one of the following means:

Profession of faith: If you have never received Jesus as Savior
and Lord and/or never publicly confessed Him, you will be given
the opportunity to do so.

Transfer of membership from another Southern Baptist Church

By statement of faith: If you have previously made a public decision,
acknowledging that you have received Christ as your Savior and
Lord, we will be happy to receive you. It will be necessary for you to
be baptized at Englewood if you have never been baptized
Scripturally (as a believer, by immersion, in the name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, and as a symbol of your salvation).

3. Attend the Discover Englewood Class See inside for more info.

Soooooo....long story short, we were never baptized by immersion and so that was the small bump we had to overcome. Four of us have received Christ and baptized as babies, one of us, had not received Christ but was baptized as a baby.

Gosh...are you confused yet???

We discussed all this a lot and realized that we were simply saying before EBC that we publically confess Christ as our Savior and we will be baptized as Jesus was and we have the privilege of experiencing this as a family.....minus little man at 10 years old.

Well, as God would see fit, little guy started asking me questions and talking about how you become a Christian. He is in every church service at EBC and has heard the "Baptist language" which is different than the Methodist language that we had been exposed to for 10 years and he is also in a Christian school. He has been hearing about salvation for quite some time on a very regular basis. So, we get to this week and he is ready to take the plunge!!!! Being a momma who has never had this privilege before (because the older two had been in the Methodist church) of leading her youngest to Christ was the highlight of my life. :) Dad, momma, and little guy prayed and talked and talked and he asked the Lord into his heart on March 11, 2011!

Celebrate good times come on!!!! (KC and the Sunshine Band insert)

So...not wanting to go outside the logistics of what to do when a child is saved and the family is being baptized on Sunday....you hunt down your precious pastor on a Saturday at the zoo FOR CRYING OUT LOUD PEOPLE!!!! (felt so horrible about this, but what a wired woman to do?)

We talked on the phone and Pastor Ben was so kind and saw the unique situation and just asked us to send Dylan to their "Stepping Stones" class after he was baptized and allow the knowledge and further instruction about becoming a christian after the fact instead of on the front end.

"I PROMISE I PROMISE I PROMISE BEN!!!!" And, then I screamed a bunch of "thank you's" into the phone.

Bless.

So.....we had the opportunity for us ALL to be baptized on Sunday morning, March 13, 2011.

Praise Jesus what a day.

However, momma was a nervous wreck and running off of some kind of holy adrenaline that day. I was a mess. I felt sure I would be the first to die of a heart attack in the baptistry.

Mercy.

So, here we go....the precious little guy went first. I totally teared up. I watched the entire family be baptized as I was "in line" to go last. It was sight for this momma to take it all in. WOW!!! I saw all of their sweet faces go under the water and I saw the "new" come up with big ole fat grins attached. The Spirit was at work yesterday. Oh, yes He was.



























So, there ya have it!!! It was indeed a special day for us. I cannot wait to see the video that the church will provide because I have NO MEMORY WHATSOEVER of what sweet Ben said over each of us. ;)

I'm going out on a limb here, but not really, and I shall say this.....

Regardless of denomination I pray you are in a bible teaching church and hearing the truth Sunday after Sunday and people are coming to know Christ. The end. Hell is real. Jesus is real. I choose Him.

Love y'all to pieces!
Fran and family