God is indeed at work at Champion Forest! In 2023, our church baptized 841 people. Each baptism is special because it represents a life that the power of the Gospel has transformed!
Baptism is important. Although it isn’t required for salvation, it is the first step of faith and obedience a believer takes after giving their life to the Lord. Baptism publicly displays this decision to follow Jesus. Think of it like this: Baptism is like a wedding ring that signifies one’s relationship with Jesus. It doesn’t form that relationship, but it does testify about it. Baptism is an outward symbol of everything that has already taken place on the inside.
Here are a few encouraging stories from 2023 of lives changed at Champion Forest.
A Family of Six
I remember a family of six getting baptized. The dad called me and told me how God changed his life. Recently out of prison, he decided that enough was enough. He said over the phone with so much joy and pride, “I haven’t even had a parking ticket since I got out.” This family was baptized in rounds of three: the father, his wife, and eldest son were baptized first, and the younger three stood behind them and observed from the water. After the first three were baptized, they stayed in the water, turned around, and watched the younger half of their family follow Jesus in believer’s Baptism, too.
A Line Out the Door
Good Friday was one for the books. We baptized 46 people across three campuses. At the Champions location, I remember lining the baptism candidates up so that we could ensure family members were baptized together. The line was literally out of the room and around the corner! The excitement in that room was tangible and contagious. It was hard to keep everyone in the room quiet as the worship service was underway.
A Same-Day Step of Obedience
We held a New Members class in November, and we had one lady who decided on the spot that she wanted to be baptized. 30 minutes later, she was in the water. When asked about her testimony, she said, “I grew up Catholic and six months ago asked God to lead me.” She read her Bible and saw Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” She came to church and heard the gospel. Now, she loves and follows Jesus!
A Christmas Eve They’ll Never Forget
This past Christmas Eve, we baptized a mother and son together. The son uses a wheelchair, so we recruited an extra pastor to help with his baptism. These pastors carried the son in the water, and we were able to baptize the mom and son simultaneously. That’s a Christmas Eve that they will never forget. Afterward, the mom repeatedly expressed gratitude that we went the extra mile to care for her son and make his baptism a smooth experience.
Yes, the public aspect of baptism is remarkable, but the behind-the-scenes experience is cool, too. Our fantastic volunteer team serves each Sunday in the baptism room, greeting candidates and their families and helping the candidates prepare to get in the water. The baptizing pastor comes in and walks them through how everything will go, reiterates the importance of baptism, and prays with the candidate before getting into the water. This is an intimate time as some candidates may have a fear of water or a fear of crowds. However, they press through these fears when they step into the water to be baptized.
As candidates are raised from the water, the range of emotions and responses is wide. Some come out of the water with their hands lifted and big smiles. Others are quieter and more reflective, and some are even moved to tears. They are greeted with hugs and high-fives as they exit the baptistry. Exiting, they are given a shirt that says, “Never the Same,” and a baptism certificate. We also document their big day by taking photos of the baptism.
It is a blessing and a move of God that the waters of baptism are stirred nearly every Sunday in Spanish and English services across all three Champion Forest campuses. From start to finish, the baptism process is simply beautiful, and we are grateful that God is at work.
