One of the Coolest Baptisms
On Sunday, August 28, 2022 I was able to participate in one of the coolest baptisms that I’ve been part of. Since 2010 I have served in full-time ministry as a children’s pastor, youth pastor, young adult pastor, associate pastor, and now a lead pastor. I’ve had my share of baptisms over the last 12 years. In fact, I still remember the very first person I baptized.
It was a child in our children’s ministry. I had just become a children’s pastor. Having never baptized before I was nervous. My friend who was also on staff as the worship pastor went up to the church with me on the Saturday night before so that I could practice. He donned his bathing suit and a t-shirt and we stepped into those waters and I practiced baptizing him multiple times. The baptism the next day went off without a hitch. That baptism was a cool baptism for sure. But, this last Sunday, after numerous baptisms, this one was a little different.
What made this last baptism so unique and so cool to me is really the story behind the baptism. You may know that my family and I are still fairly new to Stockdale. We moved here in the summer of 2021 just before the start of the new school year. My wife was new in her position, teaching at the elementary school and my children were new in their schools as well.
Shortly after the school year began we relaunched a youth ministry here at First Baptist Church. Around the same time my daughter and another girl from our church were eating lunch at school. They were in 8th grade at the time. As they ate lunch together they noticed another girl, a 7th grader, eating lunch by herself. They invited her to come and eat with them. They quickly became friends with this girl and invited her to visit our youth ministry on Wednesday nights. She did. In fact, many Wednesdays last year she would come home with my daughter and spend the afternoon at our house doing homework, listening to music, eating snacks, laughing, and having fun. Then she would join us in youth.
Marlee became a regular on Wednesday nights but also began participating in our other youth events as well. In July she attended youth camp with us at Alto Frio in Leakey, TX. It was a great week of growth in our relationships with one another, but most importantly in our understanding of God’s Word. Following our week at youth camp, on a Wednesday night after I shared from God’s Word and extended an invitation, Marlee responded. She came to me and said, “I’ve realized I’ve never given my life to Christ and I want to do that.” That Wednesday night she prayed and asked Jesus to forgive her of her sins and to become the Lord of her life. As I shared the news with the youth, the room erupted in cheers for her salvation. There was so much joy. So much excitement, not only in the room, but also on her face and in her spirit.
Once the date was set for her baptism, she couldn’t contain her joy each time I saw her. Every week during football season I attend the pep rallies on Friday mornings. When I ran into Marlee at the pep rally she had a big grin on her face and she said, “Only 2 more days!” It was only 2 days away from her baptism and she couldn’t wait!
On Sunday the room filled up with her friends and family as they came to support and celebrate her public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Marlee was able to stand before her friends, before her family, and before the entire church body to say, “Yes, Jesus is my Lord.”
Marlee’s baptism is one of the coolest baptisms for me, really because I was able to see the progression from a simple invitation to a lunch table. Then an invitation to a youth group. An invitation to our house to hang out in the afternoons. It was a simple invitation from two girls that led to the salvation of another.
As we think about serving the Lord, many times it’s not a giant task the Lord is calling us to. Many times He is simply calling us to be faithful in the small things. Then, we get to see Him take these small acts of obedience and do something big with them.
Do you have a friend or family member that you can share an invitation with today? You might be amazed at how God will use that small act of obedience and you might just get to be a part of a really cool story.
You can watch Marlee’s baptism here: https://youtu.be/-uF3N-vC0Yc