Sunday, 29 July 2012
Wow.
Pretty boring title I know, but it's all I can manage to spit out at the moment in terms of creativity. The boringness of the title certainly does not reflect the excitement level that I am feeling right now and the excitement level of today's event and today's post. All I can say is that I am in awe and what the what??? Simply blown away.
Now you are asking me to spit it out and must be wondering why if you do not already know. Most of you probably do because I am not able to keep secrets well when I get excited and to say that I am excited right now would be an understatement.
Here we go. I am blessed that I will have had opportunities to participate in 3 different ministries in our city in the near future. The newest one that is possibly happening real soon is getting on board with our local Christian radio station Joy FM. http://www.joyfm.ca/ The other is one that I have mentioned recently and am currently raising my support for and that is Boaz Ministries http://www.boazministries.com/ The third of course is my position at Morning Gate Church as their youth pastor. This has been a blessing to me and I have learned a ton. Sometimes I have had to learn some things the hard way, but the youth in this group have blessed me over and over as I've attempted to give leadership to them in this role. That being said a couple of months ago I felt lead to start talking about baptism to them as a number of them had made commitments to Christ in the last year or so. Many of them stepped up at different times and in different ways, yet all who stepped up to take this next step in their faith did it in their own way, in their own timing, doing it for themselves and not because someone else was. All in all in our youth group (which has peaked at 20 since I've come on) had 15-17 young people step up and say that this is what they wanted to do. This has boggled my mind as we also have a number in our group who have already been baptized or did not step up as they were away this summer or not there yet spiritually. I have been very much challenged in this equation to not try and figure out God's economy because I am not God so why would I try.
So today is the day. A number of our students could not make today's baptism so we planned on doing who could be done today and then we will have to plan a day for the rest. As we came into service today we had 7 for sure that wanted to be baptized with one more that I thought may show up, but I was not 100%. We began our service and it was a very encouraging crowd (in terms of size and enthusiasm) and the weather was very cooperative despite it looking like it might rain on us. We carried on in our service and Pastor Scott shared a great word before we got to the main event of baptizing our 8 young people plus a couple who came through one of our families as well as a 6 year old girl who told her Nanny and Grampy (from our church) that she wanted to be baptized. So 7 or 8 turned into 11. After we celebrated with those who planned and did not plan, but stepped out in obedience we asked if anyone else wanted to step out. One man did. What a blessing!!! (12)
We prayed and then carried on with our meal and BBQ and began to enjoy sharing a meal together as church family. While we ate it was brought to mine and others attentions that there were two more young people (brother and sister) that wanted to be baptized, but were not able to as their mother was not there and she would not have wanted to miss it. I then celebrated that we would be having more added to those who want to be baptized our next time we do a service. Shortly after this was mentioned their mother arrived and the young people decided today was their day. Amazing!!! (14) An amazing addition to this part of the story is that the mother of the brother and sister also decided that she was going to proclaim God’s place and plan in her life also this day by being baptized with her children. (15)
Also while we ate a gentleman arrived and asked some of our people what we were doing and was told we were having our church service and having a baptism. He was so surprised as he and his wife had been praying for an opportunity for her to be baptized as she was leaving the country for a time and wanted to be baptized before she left. They then asked if we could baptize her and we gladly did this. Amazing how God sets things up that are so much bigger than us and beyond our comprehension. (16)
Last but not least as we were out of the water again, one of our teens who has been a leader in our group shyly mentioned that she would like to be baptized too. She did not have a change of clothes or a towel but this did not matter to her. She knew today was her day. This was a big deal as this teen is very near and dear to our Sr. Pastor. (17)
All and all what an amazing day. We had plans and were pumped about what we thought God had in store for today. Little did we know what God was going to do was so much bigger than what we imagined. I don’t say this to brag on numbers or suggest that our success of today was about number, but every time someone steps up and says publically in this manner that they want to live for, follow and serve Jesus I have to believe that God is honored and way more pumped than we could ever be. The challenge now is this… For those who made that commitment today we must uphold them in prayer and come along side and celebrate, lift up and bless them as they continue to walk life in its good times and bad… For we know that God has big things for them yet life is still tough.. Fortunately we serve a God who is bigger than life and it’s tough moments.. ;)
What a day!!! What a God!!!
Wow…
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