BAPTISM STORIES
BAPTISM STORIES
Every person baptized has a story of life transformation. These stories are not about what they achieved, but what Christ has achieved for them. Each person baptized declaring publicly their new life in Jesus. Here are their stories.
AURORA CAMPUS
I have grown up in a Christian family, so Jesus has always been present in my life. I have realized that there is a difference between hearing and memorizing Bible verses to believing them. Before I had completely put my faith in Jesus, I was really struggling with my mental health. So I prayed to God and asked him for help, because there was too much for me to carry on my own. I confessed all of my sins, surrendered my life to him and asked for him to come into my life to help me.
Now I know that God is always by my side, even when I am struggling the most. One thing that has been a great change is having many Christian friends by my side, because we can grow in our faith together. Now that Jesus is in my life, I know I don’t always have to be strong, because he is so much stronger than me.
I was raised in church and I became a Christ follower at a young age. When I became an adult, I ignored everything I had been taught, I wanted to do things my way. Before committing my life to the Lord, I lived as I saw fit, I avoided pain and sought pleasure as much as possible. I ran as far away from God as I could.
I made a mess of my life with bad decisions after bad decisions. When I hit rock bottom, I realized that God had been calling me back to himself. I started attending services here at Christ Community regularly. I rededicated my life to the Lord. I want to do things God's way.
Now that I am reconciled with God, I know he will guide me according to his plan. I have a sense of peace I have never felt because I know that God loves me and has a plan for me. I am so excited to see what God has in store for me!Growing up I had always dreamed of a fairytale life with a loving spouse and children. However when I got pregnant at 20 I thought that dream was forever shattered. I thought God hated me and would never allow me to have happiness because I had sinned such a great sin and I didn’t think I could ever be forgiven.
When I finally got married I envied the faith and trust my husband had in the Lord. He had endured many trials growing up yet his faith was so strong and I wanted that. Shortly afterward, we were blessed to meet two godly people Ryan and Amy Kastel, who always invited us to church and never gave up, even in times when we made excuses. Their perseverance and love for the Lord, only made me want that so much more.
Through all the years of going to church, I’ve surrendered my life to Jesus and with repentance I have the life I had always dreamed of. Putting God in the center, raising and teaching my children the importance of God and his love. I learned there is not a sin too big that God could not forgive. Our past does not define us and if God can forgive me, then I can forgive myself, and give my life to God now and forever.
I got introduced to the Bible in 5th grade. My family and I started going to church and learning about Jesus. My dad taught me how to pray and ask God for forgiveness. After one of the church services, I asked God to forgive me of all my sins. My parents helped me take steps to become a Christ follower. Since then, I started praying diligently and have noticed that I have been better with my decision making. I am excited to get baptized and belong to the church. It is my prayer to continue to grow closer to him every day.
I've been going to church all my life, but as a kid, I didn't understand what it meant to be a Christian. I just liked going to church to be with my grandparents and eating lunch with them afterwards. I didn't understand the message and I would prioritize other things before God.
The past few years I started to come to Christ Community because of my friends. I really liked the way the sermons were explained and I always had that little thought of baptism, I just wasn't quite ready until I heard Pastor Clayton's sermon about baptism. This sermon made me realize you don't have to be perfect to be baptized, and that I want Jesus to take control over my life. I asked Jesus to forgive me for my sins and I'm very excited about a fresh start.
Now, I feel that my relationship with God is stronger and it has changed my life. I'm now a more caring and loving person. I'm also more resilient when it comes to struggles in my life because I know the Lord is on my side. One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."
I attended church infrequently most of my life. I believed in God, but I didn’t have a real relationship with Christ. I lived my life according to what I thought was right for me and my family. I put my wants and desires above everything else.
I had been passively reading the Bible and streaming church services for the past few years.
Slowly, I began to realize that everything good in my life has come from God. It was a Saturday night in January that I watched Pastor Jim’s message about the importance of attending church in person. I felt convicted. I need Christ more than ever! I showed up at the Aurora campus the next morning. I met Lee Lukazewski, I mentioned that I was looking to join a men’s group. Now I’m plugged into 2 men’s groups. I feel like I was meant to be here. I’m looking forward to getting involved and making a difference. I thank God for leading me to Christ Community Church. Time to take a stand. Time to make a public declaration of faith and commitment to follow Christ.
When I was young, my parents sent my two brothers and I to the Methodist Church down the street. That was my first exposure to the Bible. In my early twenties, I started questioning if this was all there was to life. I always felt something was missing in my life, but I didn’t know what, but I knew there was an emptiness, a void in my life.
At work, a co-worker named Deb began questioning me about my life. Deb started sharing a little of God’s Word every day. And slowly, I was getting my life questions answered. Not long afterward, I committed my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Now I see the world in a whole new light. I know I’m a new creation as it says in 2 Corinthians
5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new
is here!”And I am also convinced of the promise in 2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” I know deep in my heart that God’s Spirit is guiding me each day, I hear his soft and gentle voice giving me direction and that never fails me.Before I surrendered to Christ, I tried to handle life alone and idolized worldly positions over our Lord and Savior. I knew there was a piece missing in my life, so I overcompensated with tangible things. When I called out to Jesus Christ he heard me. God opened my heart and mind and provided me with his Spirit so that his will can be done through me.
I have seen God work many miracles for my family. My siblings and I have healthy, happy children. He has brought unity upon my family that we haven’t seen in over 14 years. God has brought my family closer and made us stronger in our faith together. I know without God's work, my family would look completely different today. Since I surrendered my life to Jesus, I pray more and my faith has increased so much now that I’m surrounded by faithful Christ followers here at Christ Community Church.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 I am thankful he took my burden.I’ve grown up in Christ Community Church since I was a baby. I have attended KidsWorld & SummerBlast. I have always enjoyed learning about God. I love singing worship songs. And I am thankful that my parents have taught me about God and prayer.
Once during a thunderstorm, I became really afraid and decided instead of running to my parent’s room, I was going to pray on my own. I prayed and afterwards I was still a little scared but I felt like God heard me. Even though I was still a little scared I was able to fall back to sleep. I know sometimes I won’t get my way but I will trust in God. God will always be with me and never leave me. I am thankful for the scripture that says, “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” Psalm 30:2
I didn’t grow up in a family that went to church every weekend but I knew there was a God. In 2021, I lost who I was and was on a very dark path in life. By God’s grace, I found Christ Community Church in DeKalb where I met Pastor Cindy and she helped me find faith. I surrendered my life to God.
A few months ago, I heard a pastor say, “stop living the life that is killing you”. It was there that I knew the Lord was speaking to me. That was the day I knew it was time to wash away my sin and start walking in the path with Jesus. I am happy to join this community and am excited to see how Jesus will use me to bless others.I have grown up in a Christian home. My parents have come to Christ Community Church since I was a baby. I have been part of KidsWorld, Epic and Summer Blast. I have grown up listening to God’s story in KidsWorld and at home with my parents when we pray every night together.
Last year, when we came to our Good Friday service, I remember it was the first time I thought about what Jesus did for me. There was a big cross in the front with a white cloth. Then, our pastor said for those of us that want to give our life to Christ, we can go up to the cross and put our sin on the white cloth in black paint. Soon, after everyone did that, it was no longer white but black with all our sins on Jesus. It made me sad, but happy because Jesus loves me so much that he gave his life for me.
I thank God he gave me a family that has helped me pray and is always there for me. I am glad I was able to talk about baptism with my cousin Ava and we get to share this special moment together. One of my favorite verses is from Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Because he is always with me.
I went to church as a child. As I got to an age of making my own decisions, I just chose only to go a handful of times a year deemed most “important”. As I grew further from God, I came across a lot of ideas that were conflicting to me. It affected my ability to have faith.
Last year, my wife was able to give me the push I needed to attend church. In a fresh and eager start, we joined Rooted. During that time I was able to connect so many dots in life and found great fulfillment in being regular at church and reading the Word of God. Which brought me surrendering my life to Jesus and the decision to get baptized.
Getting closer to God, I am thankful for his protection, his presence, and his means to protect myself through the Word of God. An encouraging verse comes from Psalms 144:1, “Praise be to the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
After doing hospice care for my grandmother at the end of her battle with cancer, I felt drained. Taking on so many responsibilities along with having 3 children, I asked God to carry my burdens with me. I found forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ in October 2023.
God met me in a dark place. He transformed me into a person who wakes up early on Sundays, and stays up late after Rooted on Thursdays. I am thankful that Christ has tightened my motherly bond with my kids, has intimately transformed my quality time with my husband, and engaged my daily conversations and values in life.
The people who have helped me take these steps in my life have been those who loved me before I was able to love myself: my husband, my mother in law, and my Rooted group. Baptism is my announcement that I no longer carry the identity I had before Christ. I am happy to say what Jesus has done for me and I pray it gives others hope for themselves through Christ.
DEKALB BAPTISM STORIES
Before Christ, I thought I had to do everything myself and that I didn't need anyone to help me get through life. but I kept failing repeatedly, like I was alone in a dark room, stumbling about, trying to find a light. But something inside kept saying that I wasn't alone. That there was a way out, there was someone who could illuminate the entire room. Someone who paid the price of my failures; he showed me that there are people who are there to help you through life and that God placed them there for a reason.
Since then, I have seen my life change and began to enjoy life for all it is. my outlook on the world changed. I saw how beautiful God's world truly is. I started to think not what was best for me to do but what Jesus would do. How can I better spread the love of God?
Before I came to know Jesus, my life was filled with a feeling of loneliness and lack of purpose. No thing or person could shake the loneliness and defeat that was always right there below the surface.
I was desperate to find fulfillment, and that’s when I started to see God moving in my life. My brother and friend introduced me to Christ Community Church. When I came, I learned that Jesus longs to have a relationship with us and that because of His great and unfailing love, He gave His own life to die for my sins so that I could have the freedom to be in an everlasting relationship with Him. Feeling the love, joy, and comfort that comes from truly knowing God caused me to surrender my life to Jesus and invite Him into every area of my life.
My life has truly changed since coming to know Jesus. My relationship with Him has ended the loneliness I felt before, and my identity and purpose are now found in Him, for God says in Isaiah 43:1, “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Now that I have Jesus in my life, every day is filled with joy and hope that never existed before. And while some days are still hard, I now have a rock I can lean on.
I don’t clearly remember when I became a Christian because I’ve believed in God practically my whole life. But I began a relationship with Jesus on a Wednesday night at Epic. Since I accepted Jesus, I understand the Good News, and I’ve been a lot stronger in my faith and find myself praying and asking myself, “What would Jesus do?” or “What would He want me to do?” in many more situations. I also want to go to church more and be with other Christians. My Grandpa, one of the most faithful people I know, along with my Nana and Mom, inspired me.
I learned about God when I was little, but didn't know God like I do now. It felt like something was missing in my life, and I realized that I wanted to get baptized to show that I understand that I need God in my life because he created me and made me who I am. Now that I know God more and understand what it means to walk with God, I am trying to do things differently and better in school and my personal life. The people that impacted my faith are my dad, my mom, and my nana. They have helped teach me that I am a sinner but that Jesus died for me to forgive my sins so that I can have the gift of life.
I have always known Jesus to be my savior, but last year, I prayed for him to take control of my life. My parents and the teachers in Kidsworld helped me to see that I need Jesus in my life. I want to be baptized to have a relationship with Jesus and give up my life to him. I want to follow Jesus because he is so kind and loving, and I want to be more like him.
My heart is no longer heavy, and I feel at peace for the first time in my life.
I remember attending Sunday School as a child and getting confirmed in the 8th grade, but I don’t remember talking about Jesus while growing up. As if going to Sunday School was enough.
Fast forward to adulthood. After many trials and tribulations, I met my husband, who came from a different denomination. I loved going to church, all the bells and whistles of the church, but I still did not know Jesus. The church was left by the wayside as our kids became more involved in sports and weekend activities. We’d go now and then, but the kids never did.
A little over a year ago, I watched my sister go through the tragedy of losing her husband unexpectedly. Someone from Christ Community stopped by her house, gave her a brochure, and said to visit when she was ready. She did just that. It led her to Rooted, which led to being Baptized last June. I was there, and seeing the look on my sister’s face when she came out of the water, I knew I wanted that. She is the reason I am at Christ Community Church.
This past fall, I joined Rooted. I remember being asked, “What do people do that don’t have a relationship with Jesus?” I replied, “we exist.” And this past December, sitting in church on my birthday, I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. My heart is no longer heavy, and I feel at peace for the first time in my life.
I think it is important for me to get baptized because I will always know He is there for me. I think that will be very helpful in the future because I will face hard things. Also, Epic really helped me because of all the really great people, like Alicia and Nicole, etc. In Epic I’ve really started to read the bible, ask questions, and dig deep. When I had the conversation about putting my faith in my Jesus, I realized the importance of having Him in my life, having a relationship with Him, and praying to Him. I think that knowing He is there helped me view people differently and instead of being mad, you can just pray for them. I am very excited about getting baptized.
I asked God to forgive me and lead me in prayer after I read the bible with my dad one night. To me, God is the one who can guide me when I’m struggling and the one who is always with me and loves me. He has begun to make me less anxious in my life. I want to follow Jesus because I know He loves me, is the one and only way to eternal life, and I can always trust Him. My dad has helped me to put my faith in trust in God and follow Jesus. Being baptized means showing others that I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and Savior, and I need him in my life. My life will be different having put my trust in Jesus because I know even during the most challenging times, He will be right there with me and guide me in the right direction.
I have known Jesus Christ since my first baptism, but it wasn't until I started attending Christ Community Church that I truly understood what it was like to have a personal relationship with him.
I was baptized as a teenager at a Lutheran Church with my family. I have known Jesus Christ since my first baptism, but it wasn't until I started attending Christ Community Church that I truly understood what it was like to have a personal relationship with him. I never completely turned away from Christ, but I also never truly surrendered myself to him. Over the past 17 years of attending Christ Community Church, I've struggled to get baptized for a second time. I now know this is the right decision for me. I am thankful for the time I spent with Pastor Gus discussing baptism, as he helped me recognize I was making the right decision. This is my home Church, and I am excited to declare my faith in God publicly.
I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and put my trust in him. I recognize that I am a sinner and that I cannot go through life without Jesus forgiving me of my sins. I will try to live daily, putting Christ above all else.
Matthew 28:19: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the ag
Before searching for Jesus, I didn’t think anything was missing in my life. I have a wonderful, loving, and caring family that is growing. We are all employed and healthy. Life was great. A few years ago. My sister invited me to witness her baptism. I was then introduced to Christ Community Church here in Dekalb. It was around or close to the same time that I started reading the Left Behind series and realized that I was a lukewarm Christian, and that bothered me. Covid hit, the 2020 election insanity happened, and the country was unraveling and burning everywhere I looked. There was so much hate. It was then, witnessing everything that was going on, that I noticed God was missing, or instead, he was taken out of EVERYTHING. I knew that I needed Jesus in my life, and I needed to stop being a lukewarm Christian.
Since accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, building my relationship, and finding out about him and how he wants us to live by his word, I have since brought my youngest son to start his journey. I am signed up for Rooted in the spring and am looking at the different areas where I can serve in the church.
I had always put my trust in Jesus and followed him in my life. At first, I did not obey him, but I got better as my faith grew. My parents and my grandma are a big help in my life. God is the leader of my life. He is my teacher and will help save me if I follow him and trust in his ways. I want to be baptized as a sign of obedience because I want to live with him in heaven and teach others about him.
During my childhood, my grandfather was my spiritual guide. My home life was dysfunctional. So, when I could, I was at my grandparents. I believed in God, but I did not follow his teachings regularly. I got married, had children, worked hard, and was successful. Then, let the evil one in. I let pride take over. After some bad decisions, I lost everything: my family and finances. I hurt the ones I loved the most. Instead of running to God, I ran away. During my second marriage, I still did not turn to God. Then my wife got sick with cancer. When she passed away, I was broken. Both my physical and spiritual health was a mess.
This time, I turned to God. I began eating right, exercising, reading scripture daily, and regularly attending church. Since then, I met a Christian lady, Ruth, and we were married. We regularly attend Christ Community Church. I now know that through my life, good and bad, God has always been there. He has never left me.
I AM A PRODIGAL SON
I grew up not having a father except for my grandfather raising me. I did have a good family, and I heard people refer to God as The Father. I became curious to ask questions about God and thought about Him daily. I decided to call God my father. I had many conversations with The Holy Spirit.
Years later, I became self-absorbed, selfish, ignorant, idolatrous, arrogant, and disrespectful to others. I was living in sin. I knew God was there, but I stopped talking with Him. I exploited people to my advantage, but it always led to despair, depression, anxiety, and isolation. Eventually, I learned God was the only one who could save me and that to be given the gift of eternal life meant that I needed to accept JESUS as LORD AND SAVIOR. At first, I didn't believe this was possible for me since I felt that I did not deserve His mercy and love. I felt unworthy.I realized later this was a lie from Satan. I called upon JESUS to rescue me, repented, and believed the gospel with all my heart and mind, and confessed.
God has worked several miracles in my life. I thank Him every day. I know today that I am nothing without JESUS.
I was baptized as an infant in a Roman Catholic Church, but it was not my own choice. I want to become baptized since JESUS, and His apostles were baptized. This time, it is my own choice.
I had a transformative day that I’ll never forget. The only way I can describe it is to say I felt the spirit in me and cried out for forgiveness. I believe God is an all-loving God – the creator of all things we can and cannot see. He’s helped me realize I had to go through 3 of the most challenging years of physical and spiritual near-death to know Him finally. Since then, I realized He has never given up on me. When I was lost, this was like Him saying - Hey, over here! I am the truth and have the answers. I can’t do this life on my terms, nor do I want to anymore. This means changing how I follow Jesus and in which I place my life, hope, and faith. After six months in the hospital and our youngest being diagnosed with a rare syndrome, there was a giant void inside of me. One day, I found myself sitting in the parking lot of Christ Community Church, not even sure how I got there. Since then, the services have been absolutely encouraging, and my faith has grown. Through baptism, I publicly announce my faith to follow Christ and accept Him as my Lord and Savior, knowing the ultimate sacrifice He made for those who believe in Him and want to be saved. With my trust in Jesus, I don’t have to bear my severe anxieties alone and can cast them away through prayer and with His love and mercy.
I want to be baptized because I want to devote my life to Jesus. I want to follow Christ by making sure I am always trying to help people, and to try not to sin, but continue to pray for forgiveness if I do. Someone that has helped me be a better follower in the Lord is my Nana. She has always been a follower of Christ and has shown me the ways of being a good Christian. My life will be different because I will think more of how Jesus would handle different situations and ask Him for help to guide me through.
My life before Jesus lacked substance and structure. I wasn’t grounded. I was angry all the time. I hated myself for being that way. Everything was just dark.
I always knew He was there, and the more I gave my life over to Jesus, the more love and goodness I felt back in my life. Because without Him, we have no breath, no life.
My life has changed dramatically and for the better! I have SO much to learn! I can see His good works; all I want to do is be a part of it. I can feel His goodness, His love, and His light. All I want to do is be a part of it and share His glory with others.
HUNTLEY CAMPUS
I grew up in a Christian household, where my parents instilled in me an understanding of biblical teachings and the significance of Jesus Christ in our lives. I absorbed these lessons from a young age and tried to live by them. During an experience at a High-five Day camp hosted by our church, I decided to accept Jesus into my heart.
Though I was eager to be baptized immediately, my parents encouraged me to take time to ensure this was indeed my own choice. Unfortunately, a rift within our old church community led to our family ceasing regular attendance. Despite this hiatus, my faith in Jesus remained steadfast. Throughout those years, I longed to return to a place of worship and reconnect with fellow believers.
At the beginning of this year, I deliberately recommitted myself to attending church regularly. Now that I am older, my faith is genuinely my own. I know that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and without Him, I am nothing. I feel compelled to share this conviction and express it through baptism.
Communicating my desire to be baptized and openly profess my faith is pivotal. After years of searching, my friend invited me to this church. His mother’s love for Jesus was inspirational in bringing me here. The Lord called her home last year, and we all miss her dearly. I am grateful to all of them for inviting me here.
I want to be baptized to let everyone know that I am a follower of Jesus. He is my savior and my Lord. This act symbolizes my dedication to living a life guided by His teachings and principles, and I am eager to share this declaration of faith with others.
I grew up in the Church, my parents helped with the events and they were both in the adult choir. I made confirmation in 8th grade and that was it, you were now in the church family. But as I moved through life I found that my life was off track. I needed Jesus. I needed to get back on the right path. So back to God the one who has given me peace helped me find others who could help me in this search.that was Shan Martin my pastor in Rolling Meadows years ago at the Community Church in town. Somewhere I drifted away again and I was lukewarm. It was when I had my own child that I knew I needed to teach him and I needed help. Thank God for the talks with family members a Cousin George Oreskovich and other relatives and once our family moved to Huntley a new church was recommended! Along the way Bible Study was finally in my weekly datebook and how those Sisters “loved by God”, and so many other church members that have helped me grow, fed my thirst for the Bible and Jesus, his life teachings and what he has done for me. I’m in full now I have surrendered my life to Christ.. So God’s timing is Now. I’m still his child, learning and I am loved, accepted, and forgiven.
Before I trusted in Jesus I was very consumed in the interest of the world and less interested in my own. I started to become curious about spirituality at 16 and the information led me closer to the answer of Jesus Christ.
I didn’t think I was worthy of Jesus in my life but the more I thought of Him the more He started showing up day to day. He opened my eyes to my own sins and has truly helped me to steer in the right direction. He prompted me to join the Rooted class and that has changed my life.
Since then I speak of Him and to Him daily. I would have never pictured myself reading the Bible but every time I do I feel him more in my life. When times of tragedy come I can find comfort in knowing He will never lead us down the wrong path.”
I have recently started my walk with God. I have known about him, I’ve just never dived into him like I have now. I have always been the type of person to put my feelings aside and keep walking in life. But as I got older, I realized that after all the years of neglect for my mental health I had become stuck in a hole with no hope and just willing to be living. I also saw just how much I had become angry that I let myself even get like this.
I have asked God for peace of mind and just to show me the way. I also asked him to forgive me for not loving myself and being a negative person. I came to God because of the stories I've heard and I just knew that if I called on him I would be okay. Rooted has also made a huge difference in my faith. Being with my sister and the others has helped a lot. Hearing their stories and different perspectives, made me feel I wasn't alone. Damon Carlson has helped me alot too, and has been an all around solid person to go to with questions.
I know being baptized doesn't make me a better person than anyone else, but to me, getting baptized means that I'm willing to walk with Him and have an open heart. I have a lot of work to do still, but knowing God is with me reminds me that I can do it. My life is filled with hope and love for myself and others, and I’m growing in having a better understanding of others and not jumping to conclusions. My story is short now, but I cannot wait and see where all of this takes me.
Like so many others I was baptized as an infant in the Catholic church. About twenty five years ago I repented and asked for my sins to be forgiven but I was missing the real reason for baptism and having a true relationship with Jesus. After hearing Pastor Clayton preach on baptism and answering my questions I decided to be baptized as my dedication to Christ. My life is changing daily with the people he has brought into my life like my family and friends I have met at Christ Community Church. My faith is growing daily. To me being baptized means having my forgiving sins washed away in death and becoming a new person with the holy spirit upon me. I have put my trust in Jesus and thank the Lord for not giving up on me. Praise the Lord.
I was baptized Catholic as a baby and grew up with little to no relationship with Jesus Christ due to some past experiences that made me feel the complete opposite regarding church and understanding his word. I started dipping my toes into trying to understand God’s word more after a freak accident happened in 2019 that left me legally blind for a year in my left eye and 75% in my right.
I felt like something was truly missing in my life to help me through this situation that had completely changed my life. Around this time I wasn’t completely committed to growing my relationship with God until I had my son and had to learn to adapt to coparenting. I knew I needed to be the example for my son through this obstacle and felt the need to officially begin my journey with God as I saw the healing it had done for my family and the peace he’s created within our home. So I started rooted and have finally learned to let things go and let God handle it and it’s made me more at peace with myself internally. I’m now understanding the only love I need is Jesus Christ.
Before I trusted in Jesus, I didn't know my identity. I was young and was adopted and I don't know my biological family. I heard about Jesus all my life, but never really knew what it was like to surrender to him. Growing up, many struggles came into my life as I dealt with anxiety and a learning disability at a young age. I always tried to do things by myself and all my life I was never good at asking for help, even though I knew that I needed it.
One day when I was watching The Chosen (a TV series on the life of Jesus) I saw the woman at the well and it touched my heart. Jesus knew she needed help, and he knew her no matter how far away she was. It was like he was speaking to me and saying "I know you, I know who you are, and I know you need my help."
Ever since then, I have been reading more of his word and I have been involved with the kids at church. I'm also going on a GoTeam trip in July. I know that life comes with struggles, but I will always remember Psalm 34:17-18 where it
says “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
STREAMWOOD BAPTISM STORIES
Being raised in a Christian home, I have always known about Jesus and what he did for us. I believe the Trinity is the one true God. Jesus has paid for our sins with the ultimate sacrifice–the cross. I want to follow Jesus to grow my spiritual relationship with him. I cannot imagine my life without Christ. In Jesus, I find forgiveness, hope, a loving Father, peace and guidance. My parents, Adrian and Alma Bautista have been great role models in my spiritual life with God. My brother, Yair, has also always been there for me in prayer, even for the smallest things. Baptism, to me, is a public announcement that I have put my faith in Christ Jesus. God has changed my life in various ways, and I know for certain that he has plans for me to take his Gospel to all nations, near and far.
There are many times in one’s life that they can speak to the good God has brought to them. If I tried to say everything here, it may take a couple days.
Growing up, I was taught about God and the history behind the Bible, but never really taught more. Needless to say, I felt as if I tried to be a good person and asked for forgiveness when I wasn’t, then everything was ok. It came to a point in my life where my daughter’s life was at risk. With the doctors coming to me to make quick life changing decisions. I thought I was alone. I tried, but just couldn’t make the decision alone. I went to a corner in the ICU and prayed. I prayed for forgiveness first, then for strength and finally for guidance on my daughter’s situation. I didn’t get an answer, as usual or so I thought. But as I walked back into her room, God responded and provided me with my answer and helped my daughter. I knew then that there was more I needed to learn and also that I’m never alone.
Unfortunately, I still didn’t understand faith completely. I went years with just personal prayers to God and randomly teaching my kids. Then it hit me. I realized I was missing something and went on a long journey to find a church. God led me to Christ Community Church and the church made us feel so welcome and taught us so much. I will say John Cisneros is the one who kept inspiring me to reach for more.
I’ll honestly say I didn’t know how to truly ask for forgiveness or to pray until Rooted. That is when I learned and took all the time I needed with God in prayer.
I have given my life to Jesus and will continue to follow his word as well as spread his word. Now I can see all he has done for not only my family but for all of us and I praise him for his blessings. I am here to get baptized to show my church family what Jesus means to me and to celebrate my faith.
ST. CHARLES/SOUTH ELGIN BAPTISM STORIES
I’ve loved the Lord for as long as I can remember. My favorite memories about preschool were the lessons on Jesus. Only, I had no one at home to teach me the Bible or help me grow in my relationship with Christ. God wasn’t a part of family life at that time.
Then we began homeschooling in 2020, which meant building a whole new community. Our closest new friends all happened to be Christian. We joined a Christian co-op and I began dancing at a Christian dance studio. My mom began reading us the Bible and Bible studies became a part of our homeschool day. My relationship with Jesus deepened so much during that time and I put all my faith in Christ as my Savior.
It means everything to me that He gave His only son for our salvation. Knowing Jesus has changed my life! I feel loved and protected knowing he is always with me. One of the many blessings he has given us is my baby sister, Olivia Hope. One of my favorite Bible verses is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I know that God has an amazing life planned for me and I can’t wait to live it!
Before I truly knew and trusted in Jesus, I went through a bad breakup that led me to live for myself and my gratifications only. I was doing everything sinful you could name. I didn’t know Jesus was the way out. I fell into a deep depression. I thought God was punishing me, so in spite, I continued to do everything wrong. Deep down, I knew my soul was missing something.
One night, I had a dream that I just couldn’t make sense of at the time, but it made me realize I needed to get closer to Jesus and do right for him. I began reading Revelation and realized that I was a lukewarm Christian. This woke me up and I decided to never turn my back to the Lord again. I was so fascinated and grateful that God blessed me with the knowledge of seeing that Jesus is the way. He died for us so our sins could be forgiven. Jesus is the way to eternal life. This has changed my life. I have never been happier with my soul at peace. Jesus is who I live for now and for the rest of my life.
Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
I like to pray every night before I go to sleep. I asked God for forgiveness and to lead my life while I prayed at night. God is the hero of my world, and I know he is our Father. God has helped me overcome a lot of my fears. I have learned from my mom, dad, and teachers about the good news of Jesus. I know that I cannot get past sin and death without Jesus, and I want to go to heaven with Jesus. I am getting baptized to show that I have put my trust in Jesus. I think some things will be easier because of that and some hard things might be easier with Jesus too. Some scripture that has helped me a lot is Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God has always been in my life but I have always pushed him away. I attributed my gifts and talents and all I had to myself, not God. I would only look to God when I needed help, but would quickly go back to my egotistical, sinful living. After two amazing careers, I found myself with a wrecked marriage, a failed business, and a stack of lies catching up on me.
I had no foundation in my life; it was all about me and my accomplishments. As my world and life crashed and burned around me, several people emerged that God used to effect major change in my life: my wife, Sharee, my sister-in-law, Debbie, and her husband, Jeff, our marriage counselor, Shelia, a business associate, Dan, Pastor Ray K., a close friend, Paul, and many people over the years with A.A. and the Friday night “Oxford Group”.
After I was broken down and in deep darkness, I found myself in a place of crying out to God, and he showed up.
I see and live a life now that is full of God and fills me with awe and hope. I now want to live and am not fearful of death. I know who has my life and my soul in their hands. I am placing my trust 100% in God and I pray he will give me the strength and courage to follow him all the days of my life.
I was baptized as an infant and have always known God is the creator of the world and his people. I've come to learn as an adult that God's Word is true for our lives. In Romans 6:23, I've read that the penalty for my sins is death, but that God gave us the gift of eternal life in Christ, our Lord. I had mostly relied on my own decisions until I saw that God wanted me to live a life of joy in knowing and trusting him to lead me. As I began to read my Bible more and more through the years, I realized that total surrender to Jesus is how I want to live, until the day I go home to heaven. My grandparents and parents were great examples of faith to me in my youth, as well as church families and youth leaders. My family and friends now play a role in my decision. I have a relationship with Jesus as my friend now and I want to make a public statement of faith. I yearn to continue a closer walk with Jesus as I become more like him.
I grew up in a Christian family. I went to KidsWorld every Saturday. One night, while reading the faith IceBreaker cards, there was one asking about your two-minute testimony and I asked “What’s a testimony?”. My family explained it to me and then asked if I wanted to surrender to Jesus as my Lord and Savior, so I said yes. My family helped me pray the surrender prayer and start my new life with Jesus. I love how I can pray to Jesus all the time and that he will always forgive me. My favorite verse is Romans 5:3-4, “but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” For me, this means I want to live my life with perseverance and growing my character and hope.
My family is a Christian family. We pray together and we read the Bible together. I thought I had to be baptized to be born again but now I know I needed to put my faith in Jesus. I did! I have surrendered to Jesus! Now I want to be baptized to show everyone that I have put my faith and trust in Jesus.
Jesus is my Savior and he makes me feel safe. I will always remember, that he is the way, the truth, and the life. A Bible verse I enjoy is James 1:2-5: Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
I came to know Jesus when my younger sister would come home sharing stories about Jesus from her Christian preschool. We were raised in a secular household though, so I didn’t care when she talked about Christ and typically zoned out. Little did I know, God had been softening my and my mom’s hearts.
When schools went online during covid, my family chose to homeschool instead. We planned a homeschool clean up along the Fox River where my mom met a Christian mom, who eventually became her best friend. Shortly after our two families started hanging out, my mom began studying the Bible and apologetics. She started teaching my sisters and me about Christ as part of our homeschool. We joined a Christian co-op and started going to church. But, I still didn’t care to learn about Christ.
Then one day I woke up excited to know more about our Lord. I felt connected to him but had tons of room to grow. As I was praying one night, the Holy Spirit came upon me and I was filled with immense joy. Later that night, I surrendered my life to Christ. Ever since the amazing night when I surrendered my life to Christ, he has been a guide when I am lost, always helping me day-in and day-out. I am so excited to get baptized and show publicly that I am a child of God.
I have been a believer ever since I was 4. As I got older, I started to get angered easily, and I would yell and hurt the people I loved. I would always say sorry, but then I would do it all over again. Eventually, my mom felt like I didn’t mean the apologies and she felt like I hated her. Even though I said sorry to her there was one huge mistake I always made, I never repented to God. Later, I started thinking I could do it all on my own. I saw counselors to help me control my anger, but I didn’t care about a thing they said. Eventually, I started to give things to God, do communion, and repent all my sins, and things started to get better. This past month I have had less and less fights with my mom, and I feel like it is the work of God. I know I could not do it without God. I pray and hope it continues to get better, and all I really want is to meet him face-to-face, so I can thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:13 has helped me, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I have been fortunate enough to grow up as a Christian. Christ Community Church has always been my home church, and the community of believers at CCC has helped develop my faith in more ways than I could count. Over the years, I have been mentored and shepherded by the volunteers, staff, and even other students. Christ Community has always been a safe place and a breath of fresh air. Watching the joy and peace that radiates from the Church has inspired me to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ more than anything else, as it is an evident manifestation of his power and his love. I am in my sophomore year at Lipscomb University, a Christian college in Nashville. The inspiration I felt from observing believers at CCC live out their faith only compounded when I found more believers who walked closely with the Lord at my college. I decided I wanted to live a life full of meaning, just like the believers that the Lord has placed along my path. After growing up in the church, I know that there is nothing more meaningful than living a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Getting baptized is a conscious decision and a public declaration that my lifelong purpose is to glorify the Lord. I am so grateful to Christ Community for the opportunity for baptism and I am very excited to make a public declaration about my faith in Jesus Christ.
Growing up Catholic, I was steeped in the rituals and traditions of my faith. Sunday mass, Catholic School, and prayers were constants in my life. Yet, as I entered adulthood, the allure of the secular world grew stronger. Media bombarded me with skepticism, questioning, and alternative perspectives. Doubts crept into my heart, and I found myself drifting away from my faith.
When covid hit, our family embraced homeschooling. Little did I know the shift would lead us down a path of rediscovering faith. While navigating the intricacies of homeschooling, my wife found solace and strength in the company of Christian families within our homeschool community.
As we began attending church regularly, I found myself drawn to the warmth and camaraderie of the community. Witnessing the transformative power of my wife’s newfound faith sparked something within me to reconnect with God.
Thanks to my wife, Christ Community, and their pastors, my faith flourished, and I sought opportunities to deepen my involvement in my faith. Inspired by the values of service and leadership, I became a leader for Trail Life, a bible-based adventure group for young men. Along with my son, we embarked on the journeys of faith and service, reaching out to those in need.
Through the twists and turns of life’s journey, I found redemption and purpose in my renewed faith, guided by the love of my wife and the support of our Christian community.
Before I knew Jesus, I defined myself by what my peers thought about me and by what the world’s changing views valued…and I worried a lot.
After beginning to attend Christ Community in 2006, plugging into community groups, reading the Bible, actively listening to sermons, serving, and developing friendships with Christ-honoring women, I have grown to understand who Jesus is, who I am in Jesus, and the peace and confidence that comes with putting my trust in Jesus.
Now, I look to God for who I am, what is true, and how I choose to live my life. The Bible tells me in Isaiah 43:1, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” I know that the Bible is true and Jesus is never changing: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) The Bible and Christ’s example are the compass I check everything against. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
Friends like Andrea Jerozal and Laura Molitor encourage me in my walk--through living out their faith and by holding me accountable to being the person God created me to be.
In my baptism, I’m declaring victory over fear and human judgment, and claiming my place as one of God’s chosen to live on purpose for him.
I asked God to forgive me by praying and asking him to guide my life forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with God and do good things for him. My mom, dad, sisters, grandma and grandpa helped me get to this point. They helped me learn that God is powerful and he leads me to do great things in life. I’m getting baptized to show that I have put my faith in Jesus and I trust him. He has washed away my sins. My old heart is gone and my new one is here!
Acknowledging that I was flawed, before surrendering to Jesus as my Savior, I sought help from man-made concepts such as new-age meditation and materialism. As those things did not work, I felt a push to seek assistance from Jesus despite never having had much faith. As I began to seek Jesus and his help, I realized that only through him can salvation be achieved and the grace of God is all I need, as stated in Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Wanting to find a place to learn more about Christ and to share my newly discovered faith with others, my wife Alyssa, who has been supportive and encouraging me to pursue and grow my faith, and I found Christ Community Church. Attending Christ Community Church has been life-changing, not only because of the welcoming environment but in preparing me to devote my life to Christ fully. Before accepting and surrendering my life to Christ, I was weak, angry, and had a defeatist attitude. Following Christ has taught me that through him all is possible as stated in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” No longer do I prioritize the wrong things nor do I have a negative outlook on life. Committing my life to Jesus has brought me clarity, happiness, and hope.
Before surrendering to Jesus, I worshipped everything society points us toward: self, nature, and external validation. At one point I even claimed to be “spiritual, not religious.” God had been pursuing me all along, placing certain people in my life, certain instances, etc. When I hit rock bottom, I finally let go of the reins and called out to God…from the floor of my closet. And boy did He respond, just as scripture promises; “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8 The best friend He put in my life helped guide me, along with the community He directed me towards by removing impediments. When I look at where God has led me over the last couple of years, I’m moved to tears. He really does go into the wilderness to search for that lone lost lamb.
Pastor Jim joked about Christians not wanting to be viewed as being “odd for God” but that’s exactly what I am…forever changed in gratitude, salvation, and faith thanks to Jesus Christ. To be in a relationship with the Lord has changed every aspect of my life.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield: my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” - Psalm 28:7 This is one of my favorite verses from the Bible. I can relate to it a lot because there have been times when I thought it was the end and had some hard moments, but I started going to youth group and got involved with church and things started to get better. I realized that before I wasnt really giving God everything I had and I wasn’t putting my full trust in him like I said I would. I think that God has helped me in amazing ways and I placed all my trust in Jesus alone to rescue me from sin and death. From that day to this, I have been on a journey of faith in Jesus Christ, knowing that I am forgiven and that I will spend eternity with Jesus in heaven. I finally have the peace and purpose in life I longed for.
Growing up I attended a Catholic grade school. While attending school I remember a priest listing marks on the chalk board one for good deeds and one for bad deeds. Then he tallied each column & said if your good deeds weren't more than your bad deeds you would go to hell. Even as a child, I remember thinking that didn't sound right.
My sister started taking me to services at a Baptist Church. I remember deciding to surrender to Christ and the sense of peace & forgiveness that came over me. Even though I had already believed in the Bible and the Holy Trinity that experience was much more real to me than my previous very different experience with a distant God. My sister Debbie is the reason I became a believer so I owe my life to her.
To me, God is everything. With him, I know everything is possible. Being baptized means to me a public declaration of my faith. I am committing to follow Jesus as best as I can and hopefully, in doing so be an example to others!
My parents are Catholic and Orthodox, so I was raised with religion and beliefs. I would pray whenever I wanted something or needed protection. My faith story starts in 2020, during my junior year of high school. I wanted to find love. I was envious of all my friends having significant others. After searching and failing, I decided to give it to God. He answered that prayer for a season, with a girl named Rae. Sometime later, I learned that God can give and take away. I felt God telling me to let her go, but I didn’t want to listen because it seemed to be perfect. Eventually, the relationship became toxic. Breaking up with her was the hardest thing I've done in my life. Balling my eyes out, I told God, “I know you want me to do this, but I can’t do it on my own. I need your help to get me through this.” And that’s exactly what he did (John 10:10-11). That is what brought me to fully surrender my life to God in July 2021. Since then, my life has completely changed. God showed me what perfect love really looks like. When people ask me why I love God, I tell them, I love God because he pulled me out of the trenches, not because my life is all sunshine and rainbows. No matter what I go through or what I do, he is always there for me, and he loves me unconditionally. Even though I deserve nothing, he gave me everything (Romans 5:8-9).
One summer at Camp Commotion, my small group leader asked if anybody wanted to pray a prayer of surrender and I said yes. God is my eternal father. He helps me through hard times and he forgives my sins. God shows me how I want to live my life. For example, just as Joseph loved his brothers, even though they did bad things to him, I want to love my brothers. I want to follow Jesus because I will have eternal life in heaven with him. The people who have helped me take these steps in my life are my camp counselor and my mom. To me, baptism means giving up my old life and being resurrected with a new life with Jesus. My life is different because I have a new life with God.
I have always been a person of faith, having grown up in a Catholic home. I was baptized as a baby and never understood why I would need to be baptized again. I also did not understand the need for public baptism, as it was against my natural inclination to avoid the limelight.
However, attending Christ Community over the last 15 years, I have felt myself drawn more to an understanding of Jesus in my life as my personal Savior. I have also seen through the Bible Savvy program the applicability of these Biblical passages to my daily life. Following the Bible Savvy weekly podcasts gave me a clearer understanding of the importance of prayer in helping us in our daily lives.
I have come to realize the importance of taking the step to be baptized, even late in life, to help me grow in my walk with Jesus. Matthew 10:32 helped me in my reservation about public baptism. It says: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”
Since making this decision last November, I have a renewed commitment to my faith. I have a fuller understanding of what it means to acknowledge Jesus as my personal Savior. I can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, helping me in my walk of faith. I am grateful for this opportunity to express my faith in God.
I had been going my own way and trusting in my own ways. The lord of my own life. Initially invited by the Lietz family. we have been coming to Christ Community for years and it has been invaluable in learning and applying God’s Word. While I believed in Jesus, I did not put my trust and faith in him. When seeking true forgiveness, I became deeply aware of my sins, a floodgate of memories. Like nothing that I had ever experienced. My need for a Savior became very tangible. I was poor in spirit and humbled. Thinking about standing in front of a Holy Righteous God and knowing that Jesus paid my penalty is overwhelming. Surrendering to Jesus as Savior is the first part, wanting to make him my Lord is next. Jesus has changed my life...forgiveness from the weight of my sins has changed my focus and attitude and changed what is truly important. I am not sure why I have waited to get baptized. Pastor Clayton prompted me, realizing it is not about me...this is about what Jesus did for me and an act of obedience. It means joining publicly in the walk with my other brothers and sisters united in Christ. My life is already different. I have an increased desire to learn more, and I pray it continues to develop as I am led to be more Christ-like and learn about God's will for my life.
Before Christ, I believed I could figure it all out on my own. I was young and prideful; jaded, and hurt from the things I had experienced as a young adult. I was riddled with anxiety, worry, and mostly, very angry. My mom had tried encouraging me to pursue a relationship with God but I pushed away, not wanting someone to tell me what to do. Looking back now, I know she had been trying to save me from the same struggles she had faced growing up.
In my early twenties, I felt a tugging at my heart to know God personally. I had started going to a women’s bible study with my mom and decided, in her friend Joyce’s living room, to surrender to Christ. It was a very intentional and pure moment, that was just between God and myself. Over the years, God and I have been through quite a bit. Times of sorrow, joy, and silence. The times of silence deepened my relationship and the dependence I placed on him each day. I have found an indescribable amount of peace in difficult situations and have learned to trust in him wholeheartedly. It brings comfort to know he works all things for good, he deeply desires a relationship with me, and that we are loved beyond measure by the God who created the heavens and the earth.
My name is Ezekiel, I am 9 years old, and gave my life to Christ when I was six. I was six years old when I realized that I was lying a lot, I was hurting other people, and I was turning away from Christ. I wanted to change, but I didn't know how. It had become a habit and was a natural thing to lie and hurt other people's feelings. When I went to KidsWorld, I wouldn't really listen to the message they were giving me. But one day at camp commotion something told me to listen to the message, I started listening and I heard that my sins were a bad thing and that I would be
eternally in hell and would not get to see God. When I lied, stole, and hurt others, God forgave me and still loved me, but he was still hurt by my actions. I wanted to get baptized since then to show that I have been cleansed of my sins. With the help and my new relationship with Jesus, I now read the Bible more often, I'm more interested in Christ, I realize my unhealthy habits and try to change them, I apologized to those I hurt in the past and have now become friends with them or moved past. I hope that by getting baptized I can create a stronger relationship with Christ and become a better person for the world.I was previously baptized in 2014. I had subsequently fallen away from faith and had reverted to rejecting Christ. Salvation was the last thing I was interested in. The Holy Spirit that had been indwelling within me since I’d previously professed my need for a Savior had, within the past year, utterly forced my eyes and my heart open to see what my sin looked like and how it was taking me to the point of no return. I could no longer deny in any way, shape, or form how badly I needed Jesus’ help and my need for repentance. That made me think of Luke 15:7 when Jesus says, ‘I say unto you, that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.’ It was at this point that my transformation began. Back then I didn’t have even a fraction of the passion, dedication, and desire that I do now. Since finding my way back to Christ and surrendering to him, I’ve been able to experience the one thing I’ve never before experienced; joy. The transformation has been nothing short of miraculous. I completely quit drugs, drinking, and smoking. I now have fervency towards church attendance. I serve within the church. I’m in Rooted and plan to join a community group and find other ways to serve.
Before I surrendered my life to Jesus, I’d fallen victim to a chronic drug addiction, that I’d hidden from my family. I knew of Jesus, and I laughed at the fact that I needed him. When I hit rock bottom 6 months ago, I knew he was my only choice of true joy & love. Upon coming back to Christ Community, I remember crying, knowing Jesus is my Savior who died for my sins because of his everlasting love. I became aware of the great sins in my life being lust, greed, idolatry, and pride. I prayed a deep prayer of repentance, taking responsibility for my sins, realizing the only way salvation is found is by the grace of Jesus, and surrendering fully to him. Since then, my life has truly changed for the better. My family has grown to pray every day, and be a house that serves the Lord Jesus. We’ve all grown closer, and have learned to lead by love. I’ve been creating content to spread the gospel, and I’ve joined an incredible young adult community group that encourages me to continue living for Jesus. Being delivered from such a chronic issue, I always keep two Bible verses in mind. 1 Peter 1:14: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.” & Luke 17:32: “Remember Lot’s wife!” Being baptized is my public confession that I’m not perfect, and public submission that my life belongs to Jesus.
I wasn’t a true believer in my younger days, growing up Catholic. I went to church every Sunday but was just going through the motions. I thought I was a good person but didn’t think much about sin or the need for forgiveness. In 2005 we started going to a Christian church where the Bible was explained more clearly. I became a true believer in 2007. Reading John 3:16 impacted me. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” I understood that Jesus died on the cross so that my sins could be forgiven. Being a good person isn’t enough because the only way to Heaven is through Jesus. I started to read my Bible and pray every day. I became a better husband and father, relying on the Lord’s guidance and wisdom through prayer and listening to Scripture. Joining a small group has helped me grow in faith. Becoming a Christ follower many years ago, my wife Robin and I were able to help our three children know who Jesus is and be saved. I want to be baptized because I want to be obedient to Jesus, as he commands us to do so.
Before I fully gave my life to Jesus I made him a second choice, putting my needs and wants above my relationship with him.
After a rough start to 2023 one of my friends, through a lot of prayer with me, helped me realize I need Christ in my life. I surrendered my life to Jesus on July 4th and have since realized my biggest sins were anger and greed and I confessed I needed him to work on those areas of my life.
Since that day my faith and life through Christ have forever changed. I attend church every weekend, am building a stronger Christian community through the young adult's ministry, and am growing my faith through the church, my family, and my friends. There will always be trials but God will guide me through them!
Before giving my life to Christ I was living selfishly and disconnected from God. I was giving in to addictive behaviors in my life and felt lost.
I hit rock bottom. My life was falling apart. I felt that through all this hardship and pain, God was calling me to wake up and come home to him. My fiancée Megan and I had attended Christ Community off and on for the past 2 years but this is when we started attending regularly. Attending service and meeting with a pastor, Elliot Anderson, and a mentor, Wally Hegal, reminded me of God's forgiveness and sacrifice through Jesus. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man, God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it.” This verse helped me feel peace in the middle of the chaos of my life and broke the addictions in my life.
Since giving my life to Christ, Jesus has strengthened my relationship with Megan and my life is moving in the right direction. I have felt the Holy Spirit calling me to be baptized and truly feel like a new creation through Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for the support of Megan, my family, Elliot, and Wally, and for God working through them all to make me a disciple of Christ!
God has always been in my life, especially during difficult times. It seemed I always remembered him for those times, but at all times like he remembers me. God was not a priority in my life. I had not worked at developing a closer relationship with him and didn’t know how.
My daughter, Colleen, gave me a Bible and told me about Christ Community Church. The worship service made a tremendous impact on me and continues to do so. Jenine Mehr, invited me to a women’s Bible study where I began to realize God’s abundant love for us. As Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That changed my life.
Knowing God loves me, forgives me, and wants me to be with him forever fills me with joy. God sent his only Son, Jesus to show us how to live, then was put to death and came alive again as a conqueror of sin; nothing in this world can compare to this kind of love. By being baptized, I want to publicly declare my belief in this and know that my old ways have died and I can start a new life committed to God, doing his will. He is in control and has his plan for me. Life will not always be easy, but with God, I have hope and trust.
I grew up in a loving home that was centered on Christ. The Christian life was modeled by my parents from as early as I can remember.
My parents (Phil and Ellen Tuttle) told me about their personal connection with God and that I could have the same relationship when I was ready to make that decision for myself. Understanding my selfish behavior, even as a child, I wanted a personal relationship with God like my parents. I was fortunate to go to a school where talking about Jesus was encouraged. One day at school, I remember praying and asking God to forgive my sins and have a relationship with me.
Since that day, I have walked closely with God and had times when I was far from him, separated by my sins. No matter what, my relationship with Jesus has been the cornerstone of my life and has gotten me through every challenge in my 33 years. Since I was so young, my relationship with God has deepened over time. My reliance on God has multiplied as I lead my family and run a business. Matthew 6:34 says “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” This verse has become the backbone of my life. I am thrilled to be baptized as a public declaration of Christ as my Savior and as a ministry to my wife (Erika Tuttle), kids, and the people in my life!
I was sitting at a service at Christ Community when I asked Jesus to be my Savior. Although I grew up in a Christian home, I learned that I had a head knowledge of Jesus and not a heart knowledge. That day in 2008, as Pastor Jim spoke, I understood for the first time, the grace that had been offered to me by Jesus’s death on the cross. I finally understood that I could not save myself, but I didn’t have to, because Jesus had already paid my penalty!
Today, God is my rock, my redeemer, my salvation, and my king! Now that I fully understand what Jesus did for me on the cross, how could I not follow him?
Although God pursued me, it was at the prompting of my daughter that I joined her at CCC and I am forever grateful!
Being baptized to me means announcing publicly that I have placed my faith in Jesus. I now look at life through a new lens; I know that I am loved by God unconditionally and that he is beside me with every step I take! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to go public with my faith!
Christ has always been in my life growing up with a family that always attended church. However, I always felt like I was just going through the motions and never truly let Christ into my life, even though, I had accepted him through prayers multiple times.
I struggled to stay committed to my faith in Christ for years. I thought I was never good enough to live up to Christ’s expectations or was worthy of his love. This year, as a New Year’s resolution, I decided to start attending church again at the childhood church I grew up going to KidsWorld at but hadn’t attended since being back home from overseas serving as a United States Marine. During one of the services being preached by Pastor Clayton, my understanding of what it meant to surrender to Christ and be baptized became much clearer and I knew it was time to fully surrender to Jesus and have him wash away my sins and start fresh.
Since that service, I have grown closer to Jesus than ever before. I know I will never be perfect but I now know Jesus will be there to guide me and help me grow, serve, and reach others. I have a new outlook on life and want to serve Jesus like I once served my country. Ephesians 6:17 says “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” I plan to put them to good use.
Before I found faith in the Lord, My heart was full of anger, selflessness, and temptation. My father introduced me to Christ early on but my heart didn't stick true to it and it wasn't till the passing of my mom that I started reading the bible and praying. Along the way, I found a new way to live with more peace and composure through the word of Jesus and the Holy Spirit and repentance. As Jesus says in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life". I have given my life to our Heavenly Father for he knows what is best for us.
Before I trusted Jesus I felt trapped by Satan. I was stuck making bad life decisions and wasn’t seeing the people I love.
Trusting Jesus and following him is helping me feel free from Satan’s grasp. I trust Jesus, my parents, and my Refuge leader, Scott, to all help me with my problems. I am trying to live like Jesus by getting baptized. I’m learning to ask God for forgiveness and seeing him more as the Creator. I have seen that both times I went to SBR. SBR made me realize that I can always trust Jesus even when life seems hopeless.
I know that Jesus will continue to help guide my life and will help me change.
God has been in my life ever since I was little, but I never really felt connected to him.
I know that God is the creator of life. He has helped me have food and a roof over my head. I want to follow Jesus because he is our Lord and Savior, and we were created to love him. My parents and grandparents encouraged me to follow Jesus. When I attend Refuge, we worship and then we pray, and I ask him to forgive me for my sins. One of the times I was attending Refuge and we were worshiping, I felt God's presence that I hadn’t felt before. I felt like he was giving me a sign to take my faith to the next level. What baptism means is that you’re publicly showing you are committing yourself to Jesus.
I have made Jesus my Lord and Savior. I will try my hardest to be like Jesus every day. I will treat others better and work with my teachers and coaches better. I will also try to forgive others more easily. I am very excited about my new way of life centered around Jesus.
When I was younger we went to church from time to time, holidays, hardships, etc. But I never understood why it mattered and I was never consistent. I remember the first time I started going to church consistently and was inspired by Ty’s dedication to it. Although he didn’t speak about it much, I could tell it mattered and was changing him for the better. I felt a shift in my mind and I noticed I could think from a different perspective suddenly, I started to trust God's plan. I started being able to view situations through a realistic and positive lens and maintain my stress better. God was someone who loved me through everything and led me to a better headspace. I want to follow Jesus because he is the best role model. I want to devote my time to be like him. I now trust God to lead me through and bring me through hard times.
Every week at church feels like that specific sermon is what I need to hear at that time. I can always find ways to use God’s Word in a way to be the best version of myself I can be. I’m ready to be baptized and am excited to learn more about Jesus and follow God’s plan.
Growing older has made me realize that I need a solid foundation in my relationship with Christ.
I always believed in God; but didn’t fully understand the life changes that needed to be made to
enrich that relationship by trusting that I am his child.My daughter and son-in-law invited me to attend Christ Community Church with them several times which I did for the dedication of my grandchildren and other events. At Renee and Tim’s
baptism last year, I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to give it a try.Since that day I can truly say that I have made Jesus my Savior and King. I am now reading the Bible daily, doing devotions and Bible studies, and have found dear friends in my Rooted Group in the fall; we have become a close community.
Before I gave my life to Christ I was at the lowest point of my life, I was ready to give up. Until, about a year ago, I found out I was pregnant with my first child. As soon as I saw that positive pregnancy test the first thing that came to mind was Psalms 127:3 “Children are a blessing from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” It made me realize that God had been there with me the whole time and I didn’t even realize it. I instantly cried and knew that it was time to give my life to Christ. So I asked God to forgive me and lead me. God pulled me out of the darkness and brought me into the light. I want to follow Jesus because I can’t do this life without him. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Since then I’ve watched God answer my prayers and bring me utter happiness. The enemy no longer has me because Jesus said, “You are mine.”
When I was 6, my mom started bringing me and my sister to Christ Community. Then my mom started reading the Bible to us and teaching us about God. I also learned more about Jesus in KidsWorld. I knew there is a Heaven and a hell and that Jesus is our Savior, but when I understood I deserved death and that not everyone believed in God, it made more sense to me.
One night, as we were reading, my mom said you don't need to know everything in the Bible to surrender your life to Christ. I went to bed and thought what am I waiting for? I prayed to God to forgive me and I gave my life to him. I share a room with my sister and told her right away because I was so happy. The next morning I told my mom and said I wanted to get baptized. I want to show everyone the decision I made.
Now that I follow Jesus, when I sin I think to myself this is not what God wants me to do. I am getting better at that and my life with Jesus is better. I used to feel sad a lot, and I still feel sad sometimes, but now I know it’s ok because God is with me and does everything for a reason. I used to be embarrassed to talk about Jesus to my friends, but now I feel excited to tell everyone about Jesus.
Before finding Jesus, I often struggled with finding meaning in the life that I was living. This led me to idolize any gifts that God had given me. I was also fearful of my life ending before everything made sense to me.
in 2023, I was at a low point and was faced with the reality that I needed to change the way I was living and fully search for purpose. I always thought Christianity had credibility, so I started to wholeheartedly seek Jesus. I read the Bible, prayed, and consumed Christian content online. My perspective changed once I understood Jesus' selfless nature, shown in his life and death. It was then that I understood how self-centered I’d been living and how badly I needed a Savior.
Through Jesus dying for our sins, I’ve learned the importance of living selflessly and being a forgiving person. Now I understand that "... to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21). It's been made clear to me that the purpose of life is not to glorify ourselves, but rather God, and to help bring others to Jesus, especially using any gifts we've been blessed with. Life is now beautiful to me, in its own way, and death is especially beautiful, knowing that “...God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11).
I've always believed in God but never truly followed the Lord until 2023. I put it off because the world seemed more fun, yet it always left me empty. I tried to fill the void with boys, friends, and parties… nothing worked. I cared more about how other people saw me than how God did. I wasn't happy with who I was, which led me to seek approval and validation from this world, all while trying to look like a good Christian to my cousins. Which led to broken relationships. It was exhausting being lukewarm. I hit my breaking point last year when God opened my eyes to my life-draining patterns. He gave me my best friend, Jenna, who was going in a direction my heart always wanted to go. She spurred me on. I realized I had to give up my old life and when I did… Jesus saved me and changed my life. He gave me the strength to walk away from old habits, the courage to find a church on my own, consistency in reading his word every day, and confidence in being who he has called me to be in every area of my life. I have never experienced this joy before. It only comes from God. Now, I have the most wonderful community and friends that are on fire for the Lord. I can't wait to spur others on toward him with the story he gives me. Seeking Jesus is where it's at.
During my darkest times, Jesus showed me my limitations. I lacked answers or plans to fix my struggles. Despite pain, confusion, and sin over the last four years, my family - Richard, Nydia, and Melissa Morales - along with my friend Luis Ramirez and girlfriend Cynthia Mauricio, led me to Christ. As I began to grasp who Jesus was, it became clear that my life fell short due to my sins.
Today, through Jesus' love, I can openly discuss how he saved me during my darkest period with family, friends, and new loving relationships. Most importantly, I can share my story with the gifts God has bestowed upon me: my sons, Alonzo and Augustin Morales. In sharing my journey, I give God the glory, as Nehemiah 8:10 says, "...do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength."
My mom has been a Christian and has been coming to Christ Community since before I was born. I grew up loving and learning about God and that he loves me, and everyone has had a very big impact on my life.
I was in 5th grade when I decided to give my life to Jesus. When I decided to give my life to Jesus, I prayed the "Sorry, thank you, and please" prayer in KidsWorld. Since then, I have prayed that prayer multiple times in church and in the Hub. And now I decided to go public with my decision, so people know that Jesus is my Savior. I know that my life will not be perfect, and I will have troubles, but I know I can give my troubles to God. Jesus is my way, Jesus is my Savior, Jesus is my teacher. I'm excited to share the good news about Jesus starting by getting baptized.
One of my favorite bible verses is Deuteronomy 31:6. I love this verse because it tells me that God will give me strength and will not leave me. "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
I dedicated my life to God at the age of 9. By 10 I knew God had a plan for me.
I believe Jesus died on the cross to save us all. He calls us to be baptized and to be born a new. I was nervous to be baptized at first, being in front of the whole church. I prayed for Jesus to calm me, and he has. I am now excited to take this step in my faith!
My mother has helped me in my faith by reading the Bible with us daily and praying. She has taught me to seek God first in all things!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declared the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11
Growing up in a Christian family, I'd go to church on Sundays, and serve at the care center, but as a young kid, I didn't yet know the meaning behind everything we did there. I just did the actions without thought. It wasn't until I started getting involved with student ministries at CCC that I started exploring and understanding what Christianity was all about. My freshman year at SBR was a turning point in my faith. That week, I felt God's presence over me and have continued to feel it ever since.
Before finding Jesus, I had this weight on my shoulders that convinced me to conform to society, that I had to get the approval of the people around me and not God. I had other personal idols in place of God, and I ultimately lived for myself. After surrendering to Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I view things differently. I don't go along with society or social norms, and I don't live for myself anymore. Now I live for God because he was the one who gave me life and set me free. Every day I try to evangelize to anyone I can, especially at my school. Pastor Steve Gallaher is a huge inspiration to me, I am a lot more involved with volunteering and serving at the church. I feel that following Jesus has truly reshaped my life and I certainly wouldn’t be the person I am today with his guidance.
Recently my daughter Natalie and my son-in-law Zac Cook, said to me “Mom don’t you want to go to heaven?” What they said took me by surprise because I’ve always believed in God, have been a good and giving Christian, and was baptized as a baby. So, I started reading about what the Bible had to say about baptism.
During this time, after 13 years, my sister Angela Mason came back into my life. She encouraged me to consider being baptized for my personal decision. But she said to me that I needed to give myself to the Lord, so the following day, February 26, 2024, I surrendered to the Lord. This was also the day I truly decided I wanted to be baptized. To show that my sins have been washed away and I now have a new connection with believers and a clearer goal in life.
I want to put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and serve him to the end.
Ever since I was a young kid my family would attend church every so often: during holidays, stressful times, or when we had a free Sunday from sports. I always believed in God but until the end of 2023 and the start of 2024, I was unfamiliar with many things about church. I started regularly attending church with my mom in December of 2023 and we slowly learned more and more and prior questions became clear. My main goal in following Jesus is to become the best version of myself I can be. Going to church regularly and learning how to pray has helped me eliminate different stressors that before seemed way bigger than they were. Making God the center of my life has also made me realize that I am a part of something much bigger than myself and worrying constantly and creating anxiety is not the way to go about life. I now know that I am ready to be baptized and I am ready to put all my faith and trust into God.