BAPTISM STORIES

Lost in the shadows of depression, in and out of mental facilities, and countless attempts to take my own life. I felt broken, numb, and alone; nothing filled the void. I no longer knew who I was, and I hated the person I had become.
Exhausted from the pain of life, I whispered a desperate prayer. In that silence, Christ met me. His love pierced the darkness, lighting a path I’ve never seen. Faith grew where pain once ruled, and I finally found hope. I knew that I wanted to surrender my life to Christ. From the first day I stepped foot into Christ Community Church and started learning about the love of our Father, I knew this was the void that needed to be filled.
In this short time, I can say that my life has truly changed for the better. I read my Bible, pray, and meditate every day. I have started going to the gym and eating better. I am closer to my family and friends. I have stable employment. Most importantly, I have found my motivation and energy for life again, more than ever, and I will use that energy to serve and help my community. As James 1:12 says, ‘Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

I was baptized at the age of 7 with my mom and siblings. As I got older, I faced the trials and tribulations the world has to offer, such as grief, loss, and toxicity. I always felt the spirit of God holding my hand, even as a lukewarm Christian, through my brightest and darkest days. As I enter deeper into adulthood, my faith has grown to be stronger than I could have ever imagined, to the point where I’ve stopped worrying about what the future holds, but I look forward to what God has in store for me. I have decided to re-surrender myself to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to wash away the pain of the past and cherish the present.

After I attended church for the first time, it was different, but it felt nice. I went the next week and realized that God could heal me of my eating disorder and help me see that I was made in his image.

In September 2024, I asked God to forgive me at Dekalb Christ Community Church and heal me from the stress and anxiety I had been dealing with for so long. I want to be able to ensure clarity in how I see the world, and confidence when I look at myself. Caprice, my leader Tanya, and Kari Wagner have been there for me when I started my journey and when I was doubting my faith

God helped me recover after starving myself from 7-9th grade. If it weren’t for Caprice, Tanya, and Kari, I don’t think I would’ve stuck to God’s path, but here I am. I am ready to fully devote myself to the Lord through baptism. I know I'll feel more confident in what I'm doing knowing God is leading me in the direction he wants me to go. God has a plan for me, and I feel it’s finally time to let Jesus take the wheel and trust the path God provides.

I’ve always had a relationship with Jesus. I was raised in the Catholic faith and spent 12 years in Catholic school, where I was deeply formed by prayer and tradition. Throughout my life, especially in difficult times, I’ve always found myself turning to God.
Even though I’ve never stopped believing in Christ, there were seasons when I questioned my faith, especially when it came to the church. For a long time, I struggled to find a church that felt like home. But even during those uncertain times, Jesus never left me.

He was with me through the pain of my divorce, when I felt lost and prayed for guidance, and he brought Mark into my life. When I was diagnosed with cancer and overwhelmed by fear, God was there. He gave me peace, strength for each treatment, and today I’m thankful to say he’s kept me cancer-free.

Recently, I found myself wondering if I should be baptized. And again, I felt God gently but clearly telling me that this step would only bring me closer to him. So here I am today—excited, grateful, and ready for whatever life God has planned for me next.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

As far back as I can remember, I've always been a believer in Christ; now, I was not a follower. I was baptized as an infant, went to church, and thought being a "good" person was enough to appease God. As I went through my adult years, I set my priorities on selfish desires and was too stubborn to realize what I was doing was harming myself and my family. Unfortunately, I became a divorcee and knew I needed to change my ways, but was still too stubborn. After some intervention from God, I found my way to Christ Community Church and began to finally read the Bible. Initially, I thought since my parents already had me baptized, I was set, but the idea of getting baptized now as an adult, I decision that I'm making, not my parents, kept filtering into my thoughts. So, my next step in building my relationship with God is to be baptized, to say my old selfish ways are behind me, and I will try to honor God in my actions moving forward. Ephesians 6:10-11   

When I was 5 my mom asked me about Jesus and if I wanted to surrender my life to him and I said yes. God is my Lord and Savior, he has helped me be kinder to people. I want to follow Jesus so that I can be a better person and have eternal life. My mom and dad helped me with this step of faith. Being baptized means it will clean away my sins and it’s a picture of my faith. My life will be different because I will try and sin less and be more aware of how I am supposed to act.

When I was 7, my mom asked me questions about God and if I wanted to surrender my life to Christ, and I said yes. God is my King and my Savior, and he has allowed me to trust him more. I want to follow Jesus to live the right way and go to heaven. My mom and dad helped me through this step of faith. Baptism brings me closer to Jesus and allows me to show my love for him. My life will be different because I will act better and be an example of Jesus.

Before I found my relationship with Jesus, many other things were more important to me. I slowly started looking into the Word of God at the beginning of 2024 because I felt that it was what was best for me in the moment. As I opened up to Jesus, I started loving what I was learning more and more every single day, and I knew it was what was meant for me. I used to think of sinful things as not wrong, and as I’ve built my relationship with God and asked him for forgiveness, I have learned that sin will take over, and I wanted him to take control over my life. Since then, I made it my mission to start going to church as often as possible, and the first church service I went to this year was a baptism service, and right then in there, I knew it was my time to publicly declare to every one that I was all in for my relationship for Jesus and the Lord. Since choosing to follow the Lord, I can truly say that I, as a person, have grown in the way the Lord intended. I pray every day. And I have started trying to contribute to my community, as Nahum 1:7 says, “the LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

Before I came to know Jesus, my life was sinful and destructive. My faith was low, and I did not understand the saving power of Jesus.

My decision to dedicate my life to Jesus took many years of soul searching. Recently, I decided that I needed Jesus in my life. Praying a simple prayer of repentance, I invited Jesus into my heart. I believe Jesus is the son of God and died for our sins, so that we can be saved to live eternally with God the Father.

Now that I have dedicated my life to Jesus, I have made many changes. My wife Cindy and I now attend Christ Community Church weekly. Bible reading daily is now part of my routine. I desire to live the life of a good and strong Christian. Peace fills my heart, knowing that my future is certain through Jesus.

Jesus said in Mark 9:23: "...Everything is possible for him who believes."

My name is Norah. I've been going to Christ Community Church for nine years.

My family and counselors have helped in my walk with Christ, and I am very excited to get baptized.

Before I knew Jesus,I felt like church was a chore and something I had to attend. I did enjoy going to church, but I felt it was something I had to do.

The reason I chose to follow Jesus is that I feel very connected to the Lord, and I started to love coming to church. My life is now different after surrendering to Jesus, as I feel happy, loved, and part of a community at church. I also enjoy the company of others in church because they worship the Lord like me.

I was lost—consumed by sin and drifting further from Christ’s light. Growing up, I didn’t know who Jesus was or the sacrifices He made so I could know God. My dad isn’t religious, and although my mom is Catholic, she didn’t involve my siblings and I in the church. I always believed in God, but I didn’t understand how deeply He could change my life.

In the spring of this year that changed when my best friend, Alexzandria Richardson, invited me and a few other friends I now attend church with: Dana Kave and Fiona Chau to a service. From the moment worship began, I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears I couldn’t control. That experience made it clear: I needed to surrender my life to Christ.

Not only do I feel that Christ Community is where I belonged, but I know I want to continue—my walk with Jesus

I grew up in church for as long as I could remember. I always had faith and believed, but I had a hard time letting go of control over my life. The last few years or so, I have dove a bit deeper into my faith, and knew I wanted to take the next step soon. In May of last year, my sister got baptized. I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She has always encouraged me to get closer with Jesus and build my relationship with Him. Because of her and her advice, I have learned that God is my protector and chooses the best path for me because he loves me so much.

About six months ago, my sister committed suicide. I always looked up to her, especially in her faith. Afterwards, I hit rock bottom. I'm still in the depths of grief, but I find that I'm taking less control and giving it all to Jesus. Through doing that, I find my grief has been less overbearing and my life instead starts to fill with peace, love, and comfort.

I grew up in a household that believed in God, but their lives were no longer fully surrendered to Him. Because of that, I went to church here and there and even attended summer camps, but I never truly understood the meaning of it all. I knew God was real, but I didn’t know who He was or what He could do for me.

During my freshman year of high school, I began to feel hopeless, like nothing was worth living for. I let bad influences consume me. It wasn’t until the end of the school year that everything suddenly changed. I realized I had been digging a hole for months, and my mental health was suffering more than ever.

That summer, everything began to shift. Even though I spent hours scrolling on social media, God used it to open my eyes. I learned about the good news of God. Little by little, he became someone I needed. I realized He loves me so much that He died on the cross for me and my sins, and He completely turned my life around, taking my struggles and transformed them into much greater. Even in my loneliest moments, he never left my side.

Now God has been calling my name to make the next step and publicly declare my love and trust for Him. I’m so ready to be born again!

I'm choosing to be baptized because I want to grow in my faith and give my life to Jesus. I grew up in a Christian household going to church every Sunday. I didn’t fully understand the meaning of trusting Jesus until I went to middle school and met a girl whose mom had died in an accident. This girl was the most loving positive girl I had ever met. Even when she was going through this hard time with her mom she was still praising God and trusting God through it all.

When I met her and learned about her story it truly made me realize the way God works. Even though this girl had a horrible thing happen to her it ended up bringing her closer to Christ. After meeting her I wanted to change my life instead of stressing over things in school or sports. I started turning to prayer as my first resort. My baptism will be the start of my change leading me to grow in my faith and lead others to Christ.

Last year during church service, before communion, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and then I asked for forgiveness of my sins. God is my one and only Lord and Savior. He has blessed me with a home, good health and a great family. I want to follow Jesus because I love him and most of my family members have been baptized. My mom and dad have helped me to take the steps to follow Jesus. When I do not know what to do, I can ask Jesus for help. When my tummy hurts I can ask Jesus to heal me. When my dad had a seizure and I was scared, I asked Jesus to help give me peace and to help my dad to be OK. Because I follow Jesus, he helps me during hard times. He also helps me to be kind and to help others. Baptism means that I am being obedient to what Jesus wants me to do. I am going public to show that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I hope other people will follow Jesus and become baptized.

As a teen I watched my mom, brother, and grandparents get baptized but I never understood how anyone could know God was real before death. I thought seeing was believing. I lived trying to do my best and what I thought was right—believing that if I did what I was “supposed” to do, life would just work out.

I had my share of experiences with drugs, alcohol, and partying, but didn’t see it as a problem as long as I achieved my goals of graduating, landing a career, buying a house etc. Eventually, my way stopped working. I was becoming angry, bitter, frustrated, and lonely. Hate began growing in my heart— and I didn't know why.

One evening, I couldn’t take it anymore. I looked up and said, “God, if You’re there, I need You. My way isn’t working. I can’t do this alone anymore.”

A couple of days later, my grandma approached me—something she’d done many times before—but this time I was ready. We prayed together, I surrendered my life to Christ, and instantly felt a release and a peace like nothing I’d ever known.

It was as if a switch had been flipped. At that moment, I knew God had heard my cry. I was no longer alone, and I finally understood that believing comes before seeing.

Before I was focusing my life on Jesus other feelings took over like loneliness, anxiety, and stress. Then one day I started to focus more on Jesus after breaking my foot asking for him to help me heal and then realizing he didn’t just help heal my foot but helped heal me internally. Since then I’ve been going to church more praying before meals and bed and knowing that when I’m not feeling well about something that I need to talk and re focus on Jesus.

I've been going to church since I was a kindergartener, it was always just something to check off the list, it was something that I never took seriously. Then when I went to SBR my 6th grade year, something changed, there were so many other middle schoolers, just trying to find their way with God, just like I was. I got back, and started going to Remix, and Refuge, but not looking at it as a checklist. I went to Remix one day and it was baptism week, and at the end there was a girl who was my age, the last to go, she got into the tub, went into the water, and came out, she had smiled more than I have ever seen before from her, she cheered, and kept smiling. Right then I realized the power of God, and realized that I want to be a part of the joy she had. I wanted to be a part of the fullness she had.

Since then, SBR has been my favorite place on earth. Wednesday nights have been my favorite day of the week, I feel him moving around me. He has put people in my life who love me for me. Ephesians 4:5 says "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism" . I want to be a part of the one baptism.

I have always grown up in a Christian home. My parents dedicated me here at Christ Community. I have attended Epic and Kidsworld services for years . I have grown up hearing about Jesus.

I attended Christmas Eve service in big church with Mom, Dad and May. Pastor Jim gave the message and explained Jesus's death on the cross. I finally understood what Jesus did for me . He took my place for sin, he loves me . I prayed the surrender prayer for Jesus l to come into my life. I have been to camps that talk about God's word. After I gave the surrender prayer I know I have Jesus by my side.

My family’s Jewish and growing up I never had God in my life.

My sophomore year of high school I struggled staying on a good path. I pushed my health away, relying on others' happiness as a replacement for my own. I was self-centered and fake. It wasn’t until close friends pushed me to see the light of God, to look beyond the darkness I was surrounded by. I had doubts but thankfully I had my grandma to guide me in my faith. The first time I went to CCC was when I saw that light for myself. Church was the answer I’d been looking for, the completion to my soul I never experienced. I knew this was the right path for me as soon as I stepped onto it.

It hasn’t been long since I’ve surrendered my life to Jesus, but I will be changed forever. 1 Corinthians 13:8: love never fails. This verse speaks so much. Jesus’ love will never fail and He’s always constant. Jesus saw who I was and loved me not for his benefit. He will love me forever, and He loves everyone in this way. I now strive to give others the type of love He gives me. My love for others and making others happy became authentic and filled with truth, fueled by Jesus Christ. My life is no longer mine. Surrendering to Jesus is not only the right thing, but the thing that completes me.

I grew up in the church but I followed the ways of the world and put many things in front of Jesus. Then during summer camp at SBR this year I felt led to finally make that decision to surrender my life to Jesus and I was led in prayer by my Uncle Jeremy.

One verse that helped me make that decision was Luke 12:40 "You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him". From there I realized how important it is to make a decision to follow God. During that moment I felt the joy and the peace that I have not felt before.

Since that day my life has changed, I have put more effort into my faith by reading my bible and doing my best to apply what I have learned. From now on I know the Lord will be with me, in Isaiah 43:2 it says "When you pass through the waters. I will be with you."

Before last year I probably wouldn’t have even been listening to what God wanted me to do in my life, let alone giving up things that I loved and being at risk of embarrassment from friends and family. Ever since I started sixth grade I feel like God was pushing me to take the next step in my spiritual journey. I wanted to get baptized but I thought I wasn’t ready. But when I was at SBR, my leaders, Kate Derico and McKenna Johansson were super supportive of my faith, and at one of the evening chapels I gave my life to Jesus at camp. Afterwards I asked God to tell me if I was ready for baptism. I then asked my mom if she thought I was ready and she was all for it.

I think after God was truly lodged in my heart I was able to listen to Him and do what he said with more ease than before. I also found that I was able to come to him with any stress or worries that I had. I have been trying to keep up with the Bible Savvy and be more patient. I also think that the Sunday service message stays with me throughout the week. Like Hebrews 2:1: "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."

My whole life I’ve lived in a Christian household. My family went to church every Sunday, we didn’t swear or use God’s name in vain, and always played worship music. When I was very young, my mom pulled me aside during worship and led me in a surrender prayer and I gave my life to Christ. I didn’t fully understand at the time, but knew it was meaningful.

As I grew older, I drifted away from God. I eventually believed I was too far gone, so I gave up on my relationship with him. Church felt like a chore, my faith grew weaker, and I fell into a spiritually discouraging place.

Things changed when my friend Alexzandria invited me and some friends to attend church with her. At first, I only went to support her, but after service one Sunday I went home, read the Bible, and felt God’s presence again for the first time in years. That night, I prayed and fully surrendered my life to Christ again.

Since then, my faith has strengthened, and I’ve seen God guiding me through challenges I could not have overcome on my own. I no longer want Him to have just part of me—I want Him to have all of me. That is why I’ve decided to be baptized. My mom has been super supportive and a great example of how to live a life dedicated to Christ. I now want to be that example for others, starting with publicly declaring my faith

I’ve always wanted to get baptized because I want to show that I believe in Him. My family brought me to church, and I really liked it. We went a lot, and I started praying and asking God to forgive me. I want to have more faith and be more like Jesus every day.
When I started learning about Jesus, I found out something amazing—He forgives me no matter what I’ve done. That made me feel really happy, safe, and comfortable. Jesus is my Savior, and He took away my sins and helped me feel more comfortable and loved.
One saying I learned that I really like is: “Add more God, subtract more me.” That means I want to think more about what God wants and less about just what I want.
Getting baptized is a big step for me, and I’m super excited! I know Jesus is with me, and I’m ready to follow Him.

God is a hero to me. He is a hero because he sent his Son to die on the cross for my sins. He has guided me in life to do great things. This makes me want to put my trust in Jesus as he leads me in the right direction.

My parents brought me to church, Christ Community Church. At church I heard about Jesus and what he did for everyone. He died for our sins because he loved us and wanted to do what was best. Once I heard this I got invested and loved Jesus and wanted to follow him. I waited until a stage in my life where I needed him. I waited until high school because I wanted to fully understand what giving my life to Jesus meant. Now that I'm in high school I fully understand and want to put my life in Jesus' hands.

Ever since I put my trust in Christ I can say my life has changed. I have been happier and have had miracles happen to me. I have prayed to God. God has been listening to me and guiding me in the right direction. Now I want to announce to everyone I want to follow God. I know there will be some setbacks and hard times I will have to go through but God will lead me in the right direction and always be by my side. As Romans 10:9 states: "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

I grew up following God, especially during middle school, but as I entered high school and college, I drifted away from Him. I began chasing after the things of the world, going out with friends and finding my identity in academic success. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator,” and that’s exactly what I did. Even in the middle of fun or accomplishments, I often felt empty. I was surrounded by people but still felt lonely, and no matter how well I did in school, it never felt like enough.

Then, during my senior year of college, I realized that the emptiness I felt was something I didn’t want to feel anymore. Trying to fill up my own cup was not working for me. That’s when I made the decision to start seeking Jesus again. My significant other, who has been walking with Christ for years, helped answer some questions I had and encouraged me to get into the Word.

For the past three months, I’ve been attending Christ Community and have begun building my relationship with God again. As I’ve grown closer to Him, I’ve realized that no matter how far I drifted away, He never forgot about me and will not forget or abandon you either, as Deuteronomy 31:8 says. Now that I’m living for the Lord, I feel a sense of purpose that has overflowed my cup, greater than I could have imagined. I know I was made for more than success or being liked, I was made to walk with Christ.

Late at night, I found myself staring into the bathroom mirror, battling thoughts of addiction. Weed had enslaved me for years, and I kept lying to myself that it gave me comfort, that I wanted to feel numb. But in the stillness of that small moment, God
reminded me of the true meaning of our relationship. I was so focused on when I would finally get it right and stop using weed that I had taken my eyes off the greatest blessing I could ever receive. The point was never in my capabilities, accomplishments, or recognition from others. The point was him.

To behold hm. To escape into the secret place where it was just him and me. To relish in quiet moments that transform the heart. As I wept over the sink, repenting for settling for lies, I felt the weight leave me. My life was staring back at me, and God became my reason for living.

I am no longer wandering aimlessly. I have been called to reflect on what gives true hope and joy, and every action now has meaning. God has done great things in my life, breaking me from addiction, and most importantly, giving me himself.

CHURCH 2819 on YouTube helped grow my faith in ways I did not know I needed. They showed me the seriousness of sin and the power of conviction. To me, baptism is a visible declaration of the invisible work already done in my heart. My life is forever changed by Jesus, and I now know the true meaning of life.

When I was at Silver Birch Ranch this year it was the first time I realized most of the stuff that they said during the sermon related to the things in my life. On the last day of SBR I prayed that Jesus would forgive me for the sins that I have committed, and that he has a plan and I want him to lead me closer towards him.

God is the one true God and the maker of heaven and earth. God has given me amazing people to talk to and has made me so much happier, by not feeling so judged for the things that I do. I want to follow Jesus because I want more people to hear the gospel and good news the Bible has to offer. My friend Landon has helped me through so much and we talk about God a lot and I think it’s my time.

Being baptized for me, means that you go under the water and come up a new person free of sin, and the old you is dead under the water. My life will be different because I will be happier and will continue to spread the Gospel and I will come out of the water as a new person and a man of God.

Before I surrendered my life to Jesus, if you looked online for the definition of selfish….. you would see a picture of me. Every action was centered around pleasing myself, my ego, and the false idols I had set up in my life.
I was a 35 year old Alcoholic, 50lbs overweight, in horrible health, with a failing marriage, and a failing business. I had made a mess of my life, and it was only getting worse. I was at rock bottom, and at that point, I surrendered my life to Jesus, and I haven't looked back since.

After I surrendered, things in my life got worse….I got divorced, my business went bankrupt, and we had to sell our house…..but I had my faith and the love of Jesus, and that is the only thing that sustained me through those hard times. But that was the fire that God needed me to go through to turn me into a good husband, a good dad, and a good steward of money.

Now, 11 years later, I am in an amazing, Christian marriage to my wife, Ann, we have a blended family of four boys, a wonderful home to raise them in, a thriving business, and this will be the fifth year I run the Chicago marathon. Like David said in Psalm 103:4, Jesus rescued me from the pit. He turned my life around 180 degrees, and that is why I love Jesus so much, and that is why I am getting baptized.

God has moved me and showed me miracles in life that wouldn’t be possible without him. I need Jesus to live a better life. God opened my heart and eyes to realize that I wasn’t following in his word and being a good example. So, I asked him to lead me into having a better relationship with him. Jesus died for me so that I can live the life he was supposed to have. I want to follow Jesus to thank him and to show my love for him. God, the church, and social media helped me to get close to him. Now that I have a relationship with Jesus, I feel more free, joyful, loving, and more. I am living a better life because I have him to hold onto and talk to whenever I need him. He guides me and shows me what I need to do.

I was living in so much sin, hurting others and I didn't have any peace when I was living for myself, that's when I thought, I needed Jesus.

Then I got closer with my friend who introduced me to church, and from there I felt peace and knew that coming to God is what I have to do. Through all of this I still didn't understand until I got a Bible and surrendered my life to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I continued to feel like something was missing and that was when I realized I needed to read God's word!!

Now that I fully trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I can confirm that he changes life, he is so amazing and I finally feel peace in my life, and now I'm trying to spread the gospel for others so they can feel the peace and love and faith God gives. I'm extremely strong in my faith after taking time in God's word.

There came a point in my life when I realized there had to be more to life than drinking alcohol and smoking weed everyday wasting away my life. I felt empty and lost, but in that moment I asked God to forgive me and lead me. Since then, I continued to turn away from that life and to continue to truly repent. He has shown me who He truly is—the Creator of life and the One who guided me out of darkness and shined His light on me and saved my life.

I want to follow Jesus because I know He is the only way to walk the righteous path and to truly help others. My desire is to live for Him and share His love with those around me.

For me, baptism represents washing away the old me and officially beginning a new chapter—a fresh start and a new life with Christ. It’s more than just a symbol; it’s a declaration that I belong to him and will walk in his ways.

Now that I’ve put my trust in Jesus, my life is so much better. I live with more respect for myself and for others, and I have a genuine desire to help people. I’ve left behind destructive habits and begun living a healthier, more meaningful life. I’ve stayed sober and finally got into better shape. With Christ guiding me, I know my purpose is clear: to walk in his light and share his truth. All Glory be to God.

My life before Christ I was not on the path I wanted to be on. I was a liar, and it wasn’t a good life for me when I had consequences and realized the amount of weight that I had on my shoulders every time I did lie. And how I came to this decision was that I realized that I was sinning a lot and wanted to get closer to my savior, and that’s when I gave my life to Christ. The changes that have been in my life after I gave my life to him were very significant. He forgave me, and ever since then, my life has been going uphill, and I’ve been making better decisions with the Lord.

Every Christmas my grandpa says a prayer before we eat. Growing up, I remember me and my grandma would look at each other and start laughing. Back then I didn't know much about what it meant to be Christian. I knew that I believed in God, but I never went to church. I never prayed. I didn't even own a bible. My parents didn't really do that type of stuff with our family. I always wanted to start going to church but, I felt weird asking my parents about something like that when they have never talked about religion with me. When I got older and started to make more of my own decisions I realized that I really did want to start going to church, start praying every night, and purchase a Bible for me to read.

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2025 was to get closer to God. So that's what I did. I started to go to Wednesday night church with my friends. I started going to church on Sunday with my friend Brielle. I started praying at night. My music taste has shifted into listening to more worship music and I love it. I’ve really started to build my relationship with the Lord.

I realized that my life has been so much more peaceful and so much more enjoyable. Now when my grandpa prays before we eat I don't sit there and laugh with my grandma. I close my eyes and listen to my grandpa's prayer. I want to get baptized because that is my way of showing that I am giving my life to the Lord and putting my trust in him.

My name is Mila and I started to learn about Jesus when I was in preschool at Cornerstone Christian. In second grade, God tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I wanted to accept Jesus in my heart. My parents and all of my teachers that I had helped me to grow faith and trust in the Lord. My life would be different once I'm Baptized because I'll have more peace knowing that Jesus is right there. My favorite thing about God is that I can trust him and that I can pray to him anytime and anywhere I want. My favorite verse is John 3:16. Its my favorite verse because it reminds me that God sent his one and only son and that makes me feel really special.

Before I was saved, I felt like l had no purpose and focused a lot on my technology. I would just scroll on YouTube all day. I eventually saw that, without God, there was no meaning to my life. I would just mindlessly watch videos and play video games. But one day, in my bedroom, I scrolled on to this video about Jesus Christ, and it changed my life. I started to learn more about Jesus and it filled my heart. I decided to pray a confession prayer that night. I started going back to church, turning on my sin, and I just felt so much better which led me to my choice to go to the baptism class. After that my life feels like it has so much more purpose and I’m on screens way less. I did learn though that screens can help me in my day to day Christian life. There’s a way to make every bad thing have purpose in our Christian life whether it be video games, screens, or other people.

Philippians 2:13 "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose”

When I think back on my life, it becomes evident of God’s faithfulness. He has placed a
bountiful of people in my life that have led me to this point; to make this decision. Ancestors that I never knew, my mom and dad, priests (Father Theodore), nuns
(Sister Frederic), mentors (Mrs. Schomas), my husband, John, and the church, all prayed, encouraged, and supported me along the way.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore, that the Lord your God is God. He is the faithful
God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations who love Him and keep His commandments. He has and is running after me…

Isaiah 43:1 Fear not, for I have called you by name, you are mine.

My life song is, “Goodness of God.”

I was baptized in my early 20s, but I feel my motive and heart were not in the best place at that time. Time after time, I am moved to tears when I witness others making a public declaration of their faith; especially younger people. What boldness!

My heart’s desire is to be close to God. For me, being baptized is an act of obedience that He has whispered to my soul to do. He is calling me to be bolder in both my faith and in my day-to-day-life. And here I am!

I have a clock on the wall in my den that stopped ticking four months ago. I went to replace the AA battery, only to discover that I had none left. I later ended up on my knees asking God for forgiveness. Two months later, I came home late one evening from an outing with my brothers, and I noticed that the clock had changed from 8:27 to 11:00, even though there was still no battery in the clock. This freaked me out. All the strange happenings from the past several years came to a head. My mind became saturated with all of my past hurts, lies, deceit, covetousness, anger, ignorance, inequities, etc., toward my family. I have wronged them most of my life, and for that I am sorry and humbly repentant. I can't make up for lost years. All I can seek now is a fresh start. As I immerse myself into water, I accept that Jesus has washed away all the sins that I have committed. I want to restore my family and with the help of Jesus I believe I can accomplish this. I am a new changed person alive in Christ. I pray that my family would consider doing this same thing. I love them, and Jesus loves them!

From as far back as I can remember, before I ever knew much about faith, religion, or Jesus, I still felt that I believed. In 2010, I took my first real step of faith and became Catholic. I thought that choice would immediately bring me closer to Jesus and help me understand everything more deeply. But ten years later, I found myself still hungry for something more.

That hunger led me to different Bible studies, Rooted, and eventually to my Community Group. Each step became a part of the journey, shaping me and helping me grow in my relationship with Jesus.

Now, my heart is set on obeying Him, and I can’t imagine my life without walking hand in hand with Him. Looking back, I realize that for a long time, I went through the motions—I attended services every week, but I didn’t truly have a relationship with Him. I wasn’t leaning on him as I do now.

Baptism for me is a fresh start, a chance to publicly declare my faith, and a step to deepen my relationship with Christ. It’s my way of showing, with everything in me, that I. DO. BELIEVE.

I know now that salvation comes through belief in Jesus, not through baptism. I was saved when I finally woke up from simply “sleepwalking” through my faith and began to crave something deeper with Christ. I’m so grateful when I look back and see all the people God placed in my life to encourage me and point me toward him.

I have grown up in a Christian home. My family and I go to church every Sunday unless we are sick. I have learned about God at home, Epic, at school and in church. I prayed the surrender prayer on Easter inviting Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Accepting Jesus means I'll have the Holy Spirit in my heart to guide me through life. One of the first verses I ever learned was John 3:16. Every time I read it, I remember God loves everyone. I'm taking the next step in my life following Jesus by getting baptized and showing everyone my decision to follow him.

I was not born into a Christian family. When I was about 5, some family friends talked to me about Jesus and prayer. I grew interested in that and praying myself. As soon as my mom was aware that I prayed, she decided to take me to church. My first experience of church was not at Christ Community. The church we went to offered baptism a few months after we started coming. We were not very sure what baptism meant but I knew I wanted to be Christian so my mom asked if I wanted to be baptized. So I was. We thought it was just something people are supposed to do in order to go to church and I knew that God loved me. This previous baptism of mine was not necessarily my decision because I was too young, and I didn’t understand.

The following year, a friend of mine introduced me to Epic here at Christ Community Church. This church quickly became our church home. My mom was baptized, my brother has been dedicated and we love being part of such an amazing church family. I am super excited to say to everyone I know that I have fully surrendered my life to Jesus.

I know that my life won’t be perfect because I follow Jesus. I know there will still be hard days, but I also know that he has changed my life for the good! I love everything God has done for me and all the people He has put in my life. My favorite Bible verse is Isaiah 43:1, “But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”