BAPTISM STORIES

I grew up going to church with my family and knowing Jesus is our savior. There really wasn't a time when I didn't know Jesus. The people at Christ Community Church helped me grow in my faith over the years, and because of the support and teaching by family and the church, I decided to follow Jesus and have him lead my life. After I accepted Jesus as my Savior, my faith grew, and as it grew, I felt God leading me to baptism.

I grew up going to Christ Community Church with my grandma. But in 4th grade, I started drifting away from him after becoming interested in Egyptian pagans. Then, around 7th grade, I started going to church more often. I was getting to know Jesus, and I have loved him ever since. I want to get baptized because I want to grow closer to Jesus. Not only do I want to grow closer to him, but I also want to devote my life to him and live eternally in the kingdom of heaven.

Before Christ, anxiety and depression ruled over my life. They shaped my thoughts, my relationships, and education pursuits. In meeting and spending time with Christ-like members of the college ministry Cru, I saw a joy and peace in them that I did not have. I knew I needed Jesus.

Several months later, I formally accepted Jesus after attending a sermon led by Pastor Eric on the letter to Sardis in the Book of Revelation. It felt as though God was speaking directly to me—calling me to wake up and truly live. I chose to follow Jesus because of his humble, sacrificial leadership. Grateful to Cru, my husband Collin, Pastor Gus, and influential church couples like the Edburgs and Whitfields, I have surrendered my full faith in Jesus.

Since surrendering to Jesus, transformation has occurred. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” Jesus took what I could not carry. He freed me from the anxiety and depression that once ruled me, restored relationships, and filled me with peace. Even now, He continues to refine me—teaching me humility and strengthening me in him. Baptism is the public celebration of the fact that he rescued me and continues his work within me.

I have always had faith in Christ; however, during my 20s I fell away from Christ. I found myself questioning why things were happening the way they were, and whether I have a purpose here. I graduated from college, yet had no job prospects, so I moved back home.

My decision to return to Christ hit me in the face when I moved to Texas for what I thought was a career opportunity. I found out that it wasn’t! I was all alone, no family, my dog was at home with my brother, and life was tough. I came home and started back to church; my foundation of Christianity helped me return, knowing that Christ never left.

I am happy that my parents had me baptized as a baby. I am jubilant that Christ Community Church has given me the opportunity to choose to be baptized as an adult. This is my personal choice; no one is making it for me. If it wasn't for Katie, I would not have found my new church home here at Christ Community. Going forward, I know that Jesus Christ will be by my side regardless of my failures, as God’s love is resilient.

For much of my life, faith felt distant. I grew up believing love had to be earned and that church was more about appearances than connection. My curiosity about God wasn’t nurtured, and over time, I internalized the message that I wasn’t deserving of love, grace, or even him. As I became an adult, I drifted further away and filled the emptiness with distractions and addictions, living out of shame instead of purpose. The weight of that life became too heavy to carry, yet asking God for forgiveness felt vulnerable and frightening. Still, I longed for the healing and belonging others seemed to find in their faith.

In August 2024, I walked into Christ Community Church and decided to begin again. I didn’t feel worthy at first—often like an imposter—but I kept showing up. Week after week, through sermons, testimonies, prayer, and worship, I heard the same truth: God’s love is unconditional, and his Son died for me. Slowly, the walls around my heart began to fall. For the first time in years, I felt hope. That was the moment I stopped running and surrendered my life to Christ.

Since then, everything has changed. Church has become home and community. I live with intention now—choosing prayer over fear, connection over isolation, and grace over shame. My relationships are healthier, my values are clearer, and I strive to love others the way Christ loves me. I show up for my family, serve where I can, and try to be a safe place for anyone searching for faith. I now walk with clarity, purpose, and a peace I never thought possible.

As it says in Jeremiah 29:11, “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 hope and a future.”

Before I truly understood God’s love, I often tried to handle life on my own. I looked for peace and purpose in different places, but I still felt like something was missing. Even when things seemed fine on the outside, I knew in my heart that I needed something deeper and more meaningful.

Over time, God began to work in my life and open my heart to him. By hearing the Word of God, being around people with strong faith, and reflecting on my own life, I began to understand how much God loves me. I learned that Jesus died for my sins and that through him I could be forgiven and have a new life. That truth changed the way I saw everything. I realized that I didn’t have to carry my burdens alone and that God wanted a real relationship with me.

When I chose to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I felt a sense of peace and hope that I hadn’t experienced before. My life is still a journey, and I’m continuing to grow in my faith, but I know that God is guiding me each day.

Today I’m choosing to be baptized as a public declaration of my faith in Jesus Christ. It represents leaving my old life behind and walking forward in the new life God has given me. I’m thankful for his grace, his forgiveness, and his endless love.

Before I started coming to church, I was anxious all the time, and I cared so much about what others thought of me. I knew when I started coming here that this was the thing I needed. I understood how much wrong I had done, and I realized I needed to take a step to do better. I surrendered my life to Jesus soon after. Now, my life has changed for the better. I no longer struggle with anxiety, because we weren't made to carry burdens alone. I don't care what other people think of me, because I do things for an audience of one. I am so excited for the next steps in my faith journey, and thank you, Grandma and Grandpa, for taking me to church every week.

I grew up going to church. I always believed in Jesus, but I never had a real relationship with him. Fast forward to my freshman year of college. I was playing football, messing around, and just having fun. Over winter break, I had hip surgery, and after that, everything fell apart. I felt isolated. I was anxious and depressed, and I would go to bed hoping I wouldn’t have to wake up and deal with another day. I tried therapy and many other things, but nothing seemed to help. It wasn’t until I came across a pastor on YouTube that I had heard and understood the true gospel. After that, I decided to fully follow Jesus for the first time in my life.

When I finally leaned on him instead of myself, I began to see real change. I experienced peace. I was recommended to Christ Community Church in November, and I’ve really enjoyed being part of the services ever since. There have been struggles in my walk so far, but I know I’m on the right path. Not because I am good, faithful, or obedient, but because even when I am not, he is!

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

As a child, I was raised to know Jesus was my savior. That he loves me, but I'd never actually thought too much about it, until 3 years ago on my first trip to camp. Chapel and "alone time" were my favorites, and I grew much closer to God that year. A few months have passed, and that feeling has begun to fade. It happened the second time I went to camp, too, but this last year has opened my eyes. I start listening more closely and taking notes during sermons instead of just doodling, taking time to think about them, and praying more. I've still got a ways to go, and I want Jesus to lead me. There will be ups and downs, and I want Jesus leading me instead of going in headfirst. My friends and family at Christ Community Church have helped me grow a ton in the past 7 years, and I want to continue growing while having the courage to speak truth to the world.

I grew up in a Christian family and have always known I can trust God. I know that he will always be with me and has a plan for me. I decided to follow Jesus at Party Palooza this year. Following Jesus means I will never be alone, and I can always trust him. My parents, brother, Aunt Megan, Uncle Bobby, and Miss Allison have been good examples to me and helped me make this decision. I want people to see Jesus in me and always put my faith and trust in him. My favorite thing about God is that he created everything in this world, including me. My favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 11:1 because it reminds me that God is at work even when I can’t see it.

When I was little, we would go to Christ Community Church with my Grammy. That’s how I came to know Jesus. I want to be baptized to be closer to Jesus. I want to go to heaven one day and live eternally with him and see my Grammy again.

I’ve been asking to get baptized since I was 4 yrs old. As I was getting older, I kept feeling that God was telling me to get baptized and to follow Jesus for the rest of my life. I wanted to be obedient.

Just as Jesus said in the Bible, only God is perfect humans make mistakes, but I will try to act good and be good and try to be a better person every day because in the Bible it says every day is a new day to try again. My favorite verses Isaiah 26:3–4 you will keep in perfect peace of those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you trust in the Lord forever for the Lord the Lord himself is the rock Almighty. This verse means to me that you can do anything with God on your side. I did this verse in front of my classroom on multiple times and that’s my story.

I asked God to forgive me for real when I just got out of my old friend group. My old friends were not good for me, I would go to parties with them and we wouldn't always make good decisions. I eventually realized they were only going to lead me down the wrong path, so I started praying to God for the strength to leave them. God answered me and they pushed me out of the group. I looked back and saw all of my sin and asked God for forgiveness.

I want to follow Jesus because he's already made the ultimate sacrifice for me and that gives me hope. Knowing that no matter what I do there Jesus will love me is awesome for me because I have had people leave me in the dust and it hurts a lot. People who have helped me in my life are people like my mom, refuge pastors, my small group leaders, and my close friends.

For me, being baptized is a way for me to start over, to let what I've done fade into the background, and it's a public declaration of my faith. Going forward, I hope to be more vocal about my salvation and to share about it more freely with people. I hope to be the best representation of Jesus that I can be and serve him with all my heart and soul.

I grew up in a Christian home and was constantly involved in church, surrounded by Christian influence. I gave my life to Jesus Christ at a very young age, and in youth group I was baptized through affusion.

As I got older, I stayed involved in the worship team for multiple churches, but I lived with the mindset of, “I go to church on Sundays and I serve on the worship team, so I’m good.”

About two years ago is when I truly began submitting my life to Christ. I felt a pull on my heart and started reading my Bible. As I spent time with the Lord in Scripture and in prayer, I began to notice things in my life changing. Over time, I started feeling a strong pull on my heart to be baptized through immersion, as it is done in the Scriptures. This is me publicly declaring to my family, friends, and strangers that I am new in Christ and that he is the Lord of my life.

For me, Jesus has always been a part of my life. My family introduced me to going to Church when I was a child but I never understood really why or what it meant to be a child of God. As I grew older I separated myself from Church and fell into a bad habit of not loving myself or caring about anything — until I truly decided I needed to understand God again.

I went to pray whenever I felt unworthy or not confident or alone. I ran to Jesus and I told him and he showed me how to love myself. A very good friend of mine invited me to church with her, and so I went and I felt at home. The songs and the sermons brought me to life and I knew this was Jesus showing me this is where I belong, this is where I am going to find myself.

Now that I have found my place with God I am ready to give my life to him, I know I can be myself and love myself because he loves me. Since I’ve made this decision everything that comes into my life I know comes for a reason and I need to always look on the bright side. Like said in Isaiah 60:22 I trusted in God's timing with him and I am now ready to make him a part of my life.

Growing up I was raised Catholic, baptized as an infant, and knew about Jesus. As I got older I would attend church occasionally but not as much as I should have.

Early in 2019 my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after that she had a stroke. One of the hardest times in my life. I felt lost and with minimal hope. By the end of the year my mother had passed away. It was hard to understand and accept it all. God helped me find peace in my time of pain and grief. Going through that hard time in my life it got me closer to God and to put all my trust in him. Only he knows our deepest struggles and he helps us get through them.

I’m getting baptized because I want to fully commit my life to Jesus from here on out and publicly show my love for him.

I remember going to church with my family from the time I was born. I heard the name of Jesus my entire life. I was taught Jesus is King, the son of God and made everyone and everything. He holds the power of the world. When I started attending Kidsworld at Christ community, I was taught to think for myself and not for what my family believed. I started participating more and would raise my hand to help lead with worship in the theater. I felt joy in my heart worshipping Jesus in this way. I begin to feel a change in me even while I was at school. I desired to obey and do my best. I believe it was Jesus speaking to me and working through me. Shortly after we were encouraged to invite our friends to Epic during buddy night. I took this opportunity to invite my friends from school and three of my classmates showed up! I started seeing God move through me and working in my life. At that moment I decided to follow Jesus and ask him into my heart. I feel the tug in my heart that the next step for me is to publicly declare Jesus is my Lord and King by getting baptized. This is why it is so important to me.

I've always had God in my life. Growing up in a family with strong faith meant that church, prayer, and belief in Jesus were just part of how we did things. I never really had a moment where I walked away or felt far from Him but I also knew deep down that I wasn't fully committed. There's a difference between knowing about God and truly giving your life to Him and for a while I was somewhere in between.

That started to change this past summer at church camp. Being away from my phone, away from all the noise and distractions of everyday life, and just being present with God, with my friends, with nature, something clicked. I realized I wasn't fully committed to the Lord. It wasn't a dramatic moment but it was a clear one. I came home knowing something needed to change.

Since then life has looked different in really good ways. I've been reading my Bible more. I've been spending more time outside, more time with friends and family, more time being present instead of just scrolling through life. I feel more grounded. More purposeful. Like I'm actually paying attention to what matters.

My dad has been the biggest influence in all of this. He's always shown me that following the Lord's path is the right way to go and watching him live that out has meant more to me than he probably knows. Getting baptized is my way of saying I'm all in. Not because my family is doing it but because I genuinely want to give my life fully to the Lord. This is my decision, my commitment, and my faith. And I know that from here it's only going to get stronger.

I grew up knowing about God because my parents brought me to church, but for a long time my faith wasn’t truly my own. After some painful experiences in my life, I began to question God and wondered why difficult things could happen to good people who believed in him.

When I was 21, I remember feeling the presence of God very strongly in my life. But after making choices I knew were wrong, I felt ashamed and distant from him. In that moment I prayed and asked God to forgive me and guide my life again.

More recently, my husband and I enrolled our children at Christ Community and began growing in our faith together. Being surrounded by that community helped me understand Jesus more deeply and realize how much I needed him.

Through life’s losses, including losing my grandfather and my husband’s father last year, I began seeking God again with my whole heart. I realized that even in my darkest moments, God had never left me. Today, I know that my life and salvation are a gift from him. As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Being baptized today is my choice to follow Jesus and trust him completely as I lead my family in faith.

I learn about God by reading the Bible every night. I read the Bible every night because one of my goals is to read the Bible cover-to-cover. I want to do this because I don’t like to skip around in books. I love to read the Bible.

My mom has helped me learn about God. My family are Christian and they teach me about God. In Kids World, I learned that in Matthew 15:13-21, that Jesus fed more than 5,000 people. This made me feel that Jesus cares about us. My life will be different after being baptized because I will learn more about God’s love and will for us.

I was baptized as a baby by my parents and growing up I never really cared about the Bible. Then I started going to Sunday school at my grandma's church. I always thought of it as a time to socialize, then I started going to Refuge when I was old enough.

One year right before Christmas I felt like God said that “you need to write down your notes so you remember what I am teaching you.” My small group leader, Tim, got each of us a notebook to write down notes. Before that I never really prayed or paid attention to the teaching in church and when I got the notebook it felt like God wanted me to remember his teachings and ever since then I have been writing notes in the note book about the Bible.

Through Refuge and my small group leader, I've really felt called to make the decision on my own to be baptized. I now understand the teachings of Jesus better and understand the commitment of baptism and the promise of eternal life.

Before I accepted Jesus into my life, I put my faith in the things and people of this world, so I was constantly let down which created anxiety and fear of the future. When I went through one of the lowest points of my life, I was looking for a way out but didn’t know where to start.

I’ve always been aware of Christianity, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I decided to start reading the Bible. My original plan was actually to research a few different practices and beliefs to figure out what worked for me. However, I started with Christianity, and I never looked back. It felt like I was coming home through growing my relationship with him.

As time went on, I began to realize how many of my friends were also Christ followers, and they have helped me so much throughout my journey. I no longer worry about what God has planned for me, I look forward to it and fully put my trust in him. I now attend Christ Community Church with my friend Monica, and I am forever grateful for how much my life has changed.

My parents raised me as a Christian since I was born. I learned the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross through Camp Commotion and EPIC. I decided to surrender my life to Jesus at a Sunday church service last year. I know that Jesus lives on the inside and being baptized shows that Jesus is in charge of my life and I am saved.

I was baptized as a baby in the Catholic Church, but I didn’t grow up truly knowing God—I only knew of Him. There was much trauma in my family including substance abuse, emotional abuse and divorce to name a few. Before I trusted in Jesus, I often felt lonely, abandoned, and worthless.

During my teenage years and into my twenties, my life was full of sin. I tried to fill the empty void in my heart with all the wrong things. I cared deeply about what others thought of me, but no matter how hard I tried, I never felt like I truly fit in.

In my thirties, I was blessed with two beautiful children. The moment I became a mother, something inside me changed. For the first time, I began to feel whole. I knew I needed to build a relationship with the God who had blessed me with the gift of motherhood.

My sister later gifted me a bible reading plan, and through it I slowly began learning about Jesus. As I read and grew in understanding, I made the decision to surrender my life to him.

Life hasn’t been easy since fully surrendering my life to Jesus in 2025, but despite the trials, I now have an overwhelming sense of peace. I have a strong relationship with God making me feel loved, and for the first time, I truly feel like I belong. Jesus saved my life.

For most of my life, trusting in Jesus was not something new to me. I had once been strong in my faith, but over time I drifted away and lost my relationship with him for more than ten years. During that season of separation, my life became consumed with depression. I also became very selfish, focused only on myself and feeling more and more lost.

One night, at the lowest point in my life, everything changed. In that moment of darkness, I heard Christ calling my name and inviting me to come back to him. It was a moment I will never forget.

That very weekend, I began attending Christ Community Church and started getting plugged into the church community. On Tuesday nights I joined Care Night, a men’s group for those struggling with anxiety and depression. As I listened to other men share how Christ had worked in their lives, something began to change in my heart.

I opened up to them and confessed what I had done and what had been going on in my life. In that moment I realized that Christ had brought me to that group for a reason. It was the beginning of healing and the beginning of restoring my relationship with him.

Since surrendering my life back to Christ, he has taken away my depression and shown me that he has a purpose and plan for my life. Worship music, prayer, and reading the Bible have now become part of my daily routine. Each day I continue to grow closer to Him.

Over time, I felt Christ calling me into mission work. Trusting him, I signed up for a GO Team trip to Brazil. While serving there, I clearly felt that God was calling me to continue in missions. Now, by his grace, I will be leading the next trip to Brazil this September.

One verse that continues to guide my life is Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” This verse reminds me to trust God completely, to remain still in his presence, and to offer my life to him. When I do, he faithfully leads the way.

I was adopted at a young age by two wonderful, loving, and caring people. I grew up with a brother older than me and I had a very good upbringing. Not many friends but just enough to not feel like a complete loner! I was baptized at a young age and knew what I was doing but as I got older I felt the need to do it again. I want to become closer to Jesus and renew my promise to him.

I took some time away from Jesus and was trying to find answers only he could ultimately give me. I was seeking a reason for human existence but I could never quite find the answer. At 28 years old I came back to Jesus after a life changing experience I had. I was overcome with love and joy. I felt like all I wanted to do was be closer to Jesus at that moment and that’s when I knew I needed Jesus at the center. From them on I’ve changed my life and started reading the Bible again as well as attending church regularly. I dropped things such as alcohol and cut out certain bad influences from my life. I’m still a work in progress as I always will be, but I feel this is my time to shine and show the woman I’ve become.

My family has been the utmost supportive of this journey with me through my ups and downs. It’s been difficult to say the least and I struggle to stay pure some days but all I can do is try. With Jesus by my side, anything is possible I truly do believe. I have a long life ahead of me and plenty of time, I must not waste the time wishing I could go back and change things I’ve done in my past but rather look forward at all the good that is to come now that I have faith and spirituality. My friends have become a backbone for me to bounce things off of and they’re great at giving me advice. My brother ministers many people including myself and each time he prays over me, I feel a sense of relief and hope for my future. He has been a major guiding light through my journey and I really want to thank him for that. As well as my parents and my daughter. I could not ask for a better family.

Through all my struggles I never once said Jesus does not exist. Rather I questioned his existence. But I’ve always been a child of God and I am one of his children. During a recent difficult time he came to me and helped me through it. I thought he left me, I truly did. He never did, he was always by my side. I truly believe he is with me everyday. He guides me in the right direction like a whisper in my ear. The future is bright and hopeful with Jesus as my stepping stone, I owe it to him for making it this far in life.

I was not raised in a deeply devoted home and my early faith experience moved between Presbyterian and Catholic traditions. I am in a mixed faith marriage and I honor his religious beliefs while believing my own.

Throughout my entire life I wrestled with faith, often questioning and searching, yet in difficult seasons I always found myself turning back to God and to church. As I raised my children, I attended Willow Creek, but it wasn’t until later—when my kids were grown and I began going to church on my own at Christ Community that I truly felt a deeper pull toward Christ. Over time I began to recognize how present He had been throughout my life, even in the moments when my faith felt uncertain. I realized I wanted to fully surrender my life to Him.

Recently my son approached me and asked if we could be baptized together, and soon after my brother also felt called to be baptized. Now the three of us will be baptized together on my son’s 26th birthday—a moment that feels like a beautiful reminder that God has been guiding our family all along

When I was in second grade, I asked my parents in the car one day what it means to be a Christian. They said it was to trust in Jesus to forgive my sins and believe that He’s the Messiah- the one sent to save us. I told them that I do trust Jesus and want to follow Him. They told me I should pray and tell God that. So we did! We prayed together that night and I told God that I believe in Him and asked for his forgiveness for my sins. I told Him that I wanted to follow Jesus. I believe that God created me and He is good. And He loves me. I know Jesus is the King and life will be better when I’m following Him because His way is better than my way. Now that I am following Jesus I know that when something is hard I can pray to Him and He listens. I will always be able to trust Him and know that He forgives me when I mess up. I want to be baptized to show that I have put my faith in Jesus.

I grew up in the Catholic church, but I never had a personal relationship with Jesus. In college, I went through a very dark season where life didn’t feel valuable to me, and I surrendered my life to God because I realized I couldn’t carry everything on my own. For a while I felt close to him, but over time my faith faded, and I thought I could fill the emptiness by checking off milestones—graduating, a career, marriage, even becoming a mom—but nothing truly satisfied.

After I became a mom and faced all the anxieties that come with it, I felt tested in a whole new way. But holding my daughter and witnessing the miracle of life in her, I truly saw God at work, and that’s when I began finding my way back to Jesus. My husband helped lead me closer to him, and I started to see just how real he is and how he moves in our lives. Following him has shown me the life I want for my daughter and reminded me that the answers I’m looking for come from him, not anything else.

For a long time I thought I needed to have it all together before getting baptized. But I’ve learned that following Jesus isn’t about being perfect—it’s about trusting him and continuing to grow. I felt the Holy Spirit telling me it was time. Today I’m choosing to be baptized to publicly affirm that I trust Jesus with my life and my family.

Before Christ, I was somebody who was lost, and before truly accepting Christ I have been a lukewarm Christian, who has not taken God into every account in my life.

Although I have always believed in Christ since my adolescence, I truly had my eyes opened during my freshman year of high school when I stumbled upon a creator on TikTok named David Latting. That was when I first prayed on my own to accept Jesus as my Lord. I built my relationship up with the Lord, but it had its ups and downs. Throughout high school I identified with Christ but still had parts of my life I did not submit to him. From being around a diverse set of people, I looked into more religions and after truly confirming Christianity is the only true way, I once again built my sights on the Lord.

After putting more focus on the Lord coming out of my senior year of high school, I went to church group at Christ Community Church, went to Young Adults ministry throughout the summer and actively tried to better my relationship with Christ. Today I realize the drastic weight of my sins and come to the Lord for cleansing, I look forward to helping my family and more come to the Lord.

Before following God, I didn't always have confidence and would often overthink a lot. I felt like I was under a lot of pressure. I first went to church after being invited by my friend from tennis. It was amazing, I loved the message and the music, and teared up from being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. My dad had also been going to Christ Community for a couple weeks, so we also went together as well.

After following God, I have felt a lot more at peace. Knowing that my stress and problems are not mine alone has brought me so much peace and helped me so much. I feel like I recognize my sin so much more, as I was unaware of it before following God. I now try to live as stated in Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Trusting in Him means I will try to live the life He gave me to its fullest.

I felt like I was hurt mentally and physically from the time I was 7 or 8 years old till my teens .I asked God to remove those people in my life and to help me forgive them, to heal my heart, to help me everyday and just to pray for them.

He is my provider, my friend, and my Savior. What has he not done in my life? I was in a toxic place where everyday, I did wrong. I was always told no one will marry me, no one will love me and my kids. I have a beautiful family. He sent me a respectful soulmate. We lived together for 5 years and we got married last November.

I wanted to be free. I was in depression, hurting myself to the point where I didn’t want to wake up anymore. I just feel like following Jesus makes me want to live a life of love and forgiveness.

The one who invited us to the church was my sister. I have been coming to her for 3 years. My son went to the summer camp for middle school and I saw him change his life, the way he prays with so much passion. My daughter also started coming every Sunday, happy to wake up and she wanted to come to church cause she likes learning new things about the Bible. My husband too saw his faith grow. This church is our happy place and with God on our side.

I want to be close to him. I feel like over these few years he has been faithful to me, he has healed me and I just want to leave my sin behind.

Stop carrying everything alone, feel everything in peace, more clarity to what really matters, trust in God.

My life before Christ looked drastically different. I did not grow up attending church regularly, though I visited youth group with friends. I believed in Jesus and wanted to accept him, but as soon as I left church, I would forget about him. I knew he was real, but I had not pursued a relationship with him. From middle school through most of college, I was a half-in believer.

Before taking Jesus seriously, I was filled with anxiety and constantly seeking validation from others. How I felt about myself depended on what I thought people thought of me or my achievements. I thought about myself far too often and believed I had full control over my life, which left me overwhelmed and exhausted.

The most influential person in my faith has been my husband, Joey. When we started dating in high school, he brought me to church and patiently walked through my questions and doubts. Over the years, he planned Bible studies for us and helped me overcome my intimidation of reading Scripture. Joey consistently spoke truth over me — that my worth comes from being created in God’s image, not from others’ approval or my accomplishments. For the past ten years we have been together, his steady faith, growth, and humility have been amazing examples to witness and strive for.

Through high school and college, my belief in Jesus grew and I prayed more, but I still had not fully surrendered to God. I cared more about having fun, protecting my reputation, and going my own way than listening to Christ. I believed in Jesus and what He did, but He was not yet my Savior.

Near the end of college, God made it clear I was not investing in my relationship with Him. Through my close friend Natalie — who has a gift for leading others to Christ — I joined a Bible study she invited me to. That season became a turning point. I said yes to Jesus more seriously and began surrendering my heart, allowing him to truly work in my life.

Since surrendering to Christ, life has not become easier. In three years of marriage, we have walked through two pregnancies and deliveries, becoming parents, financial hardship, losing a family member, experiencing a miscarriage, and day-to-day challenges. Joey and I are still imperfect sinners trying our best and falling short. But there is so much hope and joy because through it all, God consistently proves he is faithful. He has provided for us, sustained us, and reminded us that he never fails and he uses every moment for his purposeful plan. He loves us more than we can comprehend and is present in every moment. He has been there, eager to hear every emotion, frustration, and praise that we have expressed.

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, my husband and I have the comfort of knowing God feels every emotion with us, gives us his Holy Spirit to guide us, and promises that we will spend eternity with Him. The more we learn from his Word and grow in relationship with him, the more we see the truth: hardships are guaranteed, but God is with us. One day he will wipe every tear, and we will be with him forever.

Thank you, Jesus!!

Before a relationship with Jesus, I believed that work, school, and relationships defined who I was. I was constantly looking for things to fill a void which led to me struggling with depression, addiction, and self doubt.

As I went through this valley of struggle, I found Jesus was walking through it with me. I focused on my relationship with him by surrounding myself with him and his word, going to small groups, church, & leading worship. My heart was healed by him and I shared my testimony throughout that season in life. There were many times where I felt the Holy Spirit call me to get baptized, but felt I was still falling short and not deserving. Although I knew he was right outside the door waiting for me to invite him in, I lost sight of him again and went back into worldly ways.

After getting married and having my two babies, I’ve felt the most selfless, pure, undeserving love and gift from God. I felt the Holy Spirit leading me back to him through so many divine events at the most perfect timing. I was recently reminded he is my Shepherd. He searches for the ones who go astray and welcomes back with arms wide open. Even though I am a sinner, who will continue to fall short, Jesus paid it all. I’m now ready to publicly surrender my life to Jesus, to lead me and my family to life everlasting!

The moment I truly asked God to forgive me and lead my life happened during a very personal moment. I was in the shower, overwhelmed and crying—thinking about the brokenness I see in the world and also the struggles within myself. At that moment I prayed honestly and asked God to forgive me and guide me. It was the first time I fully surrendered and asked Him to lead my life.

To me, God is the Almighty—someone I can surrender to and trust. He gives me a moral foundation, hope when things feel uncertain, and peace when life feels overwhelming. My desire to follow Jesus comes from believing that He shows us the way to live and draws us closer to God. Trusting in Him has helped me confront parts of myself I struggled with and has given me a sense of direction and purpose.

Many people have supported me along the way—my family, friends, and some of my peers. Their encouragement has mattered a lot, but ultimately I believe God has been guiding me through it all.
Being baptized represents a fresh start for me. It’s a way of publicly committing to my relationship with Christ and leaving behind the things that once weighed me down. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in my faith.

Because I’ve put my trust in Jesus, I feel less afraid about life and the future. I don’t feel like I have to face the world alone anymore. I trust that God has a purpose and a path for me, and that following Christ will help guide me toward it.

I've had God in my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, faith wasn't something that was forced on me. It was just always there, part of who I was and how our family lived. I've asked God for forgiveness since I was a little kid and honestly that hasn't changed. I still do it all the time.

That doesn't mean it's always been easy or that I've had all the answers. There have been seasons in my life where I genuinely didn't understand why certain things were happening. I never walked away from God but I definitely questioned Him. Why is this happening to me? What's the point of this struggle? I didn't always get an answer right away. But looking back now I can see His hand in all of it. He was working even when I couldn't see it.

The blessings He has given me, I don't take them lightly. A wife I've been married to for 23 years who still amazes me. Two daughters, Brianna and Aria, who are my whole world. My health. My career. None of that is luck. That's God.

I follow Jesus because He gave His life so that we could have eternal life. It's that simple for me. That sacrifice means everything.

What I've noticed over the last several years is that my faith has just kept getting stronger. It wasn't one big moment where everything changed, just a slow and steady deepening. One of the biggest changes I've seen in myself is that I've stopped keeping my faith to myself. I talk about it at work now. I bring it up with friends. I'm not shy about it anymore. I'm actually proud of it.

One of the things I'm most grateful for is that I've been able to help bring other people closer to Christ along the way. That means more to me than almost anything. Getting baptized is my way of making it official. Standing up in front of people and saying this is who I am and this is what I believe. It's not a new chapter for me, it's more like putting a stake in the ground. And more than anything I want my daughters to see that. I want them to watch their dad live his faith out loud and know that it's something worth holding onto.

I don’t remember much about my life before Christ. I grew up in a Christian family and Christ has always been a part of my life as long as I can remember, so I have always had the head knowledge of Christianity. My parents would take me and my siblings to church and I grew up going to a private school where the Bible was taught openly, and it was a safe place to ask questions and learn more about Christ.

Since Christ had always been a part of my life, when I went off to college I was finding myself not pursuing Christ as much as I should’ve been. I found myself always wanting more and kept telling myself that I just need to get to the next stage of my life and things will be better. Things really changed for me after my wife and I had our first child. It very much so opened my eyes as to the love that God has for me and our daughter was a living example of that love. I have always struggled with shame and feeling like I am so undeserving of the love that God has for me, but since this sort of clicked in my brain I have been able to let that all go and really root my confidence in the love that Christ has for me and everyone else.

Because of Christ’s love for me it has made me so much more on fire for the Lord and really trying to show that love to others. Also it has given me so much peace in confidence just being able to be firm in His love for me, and how no matter the circumstances or things that have happened, and will happen to me, my identity will always be in Christ.

A verse that I have attached myself to because of this idea is Isaiah 40:31, which talks about the fact that the hope of the Lord will never fail to encourage, strengthen, and revive. This gives me hope that no matter the challenges I face, the hope and love of the Lord will carry me through.

In 2019 I lost my best friend, my mother. After that, I fell into one of the darkest seasons of my life. I became angry with God and drifted far away from him. I struggled with deep depression and tried to cope with my grief in all the wrong ways.

Eventually I reached a breaking point and prayed, asking God to either save me or take me. The very next day I felt led to buy a Bible and started reading it. That moment became the beginning of my healing journey.

Since then, God has completely changed my life. I’m now a mother myself, and I’m committed to walking with him and never returning to the person I used to be.

My testimony is simple - by God’s grace I’m still here, healed, stronger, and living for him. As it says in Jeremiah 29:11, “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 hope and a future.”

Before I came to Christ, I didn’t really have anything to believe in or anything to keep me going. It was important to me how people felt about me and I started doing unhealthy things to fit in and did things for other people instead of living for Jesus. I have always believed in Jesus but I never followed him or went to church because I had no one leading me in my household.

A few months ago my friend Grace invited me to Christ Community and I went to Refuge with her. During worship I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me and I knew that I wanted to accept Jesus as my Savior. I went home that night and prayed and gave my life to Jesus Christ.

Ever since I started following Christ my life feels so purposeful. I have made so many great relationships through church and I have been so happy and I no longer care what others think of me. I now go to church every Wednesday and Sunday, I pray and read my Bible every night. I now know that I can rely on Jesus and give all my worries to him and I know that as long as I have Jesus I have all I need. As in John 14:8 says “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Before I found Jesus, I was living a life of sin with no desire to change it. I was depressed and unmotivated to do anything for myself or other people. I have always grown up as a Christian but I never really believed until the last few years. I was brought along to summer camp by a friend in 2024 and finally saw how good Jesus is and how he can bring people together.

However, I still was not trying my hardest to have a personal relationship with God. A few months ago I woke up in my bed and I truly felt the Holy Spirit around me. I had never felt like I was going to be okay before that, but God spoke to me and told me to keep holding on. I became so emotional and felt so much gratitude to God for waking me up that morning and keeping me going. I also felt the most amount of love in my heart that I ever have before and I immediately started to pray for everyone in my life.

1 Corinthians 26-28 says “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are.” These verses are saying that we are not the all powerful ones and we did not climb our way up to God, but instead, God reached his hand down to us, and I am forever grateful that I have been found.

Today, I go to church every Sunday to get closer to the Lord, I pray each night, and I try to encourage other people to open their hearts to Jesus. Everyone needs and deserves Jesus in their life as their Lord, and I am ready to fully let him into my heart.

I was born into a Christian family, so I never had one defining moment that brought me to Christ, I do remember this one talk I had with my mom where we talked about how salvation isn’t a onetime thing but something you do every single day, a routine of putting God back on the throne of your life.

About when I was 11 and I was in the middle school service out of nowhere came this idea. You see I always thought, why in the world would God not just eradicate all sin, that’s what he’d do if he truly loved us right, well the thought that hit me was, wait God doesn’t eradicate sin because we can’t appreciate how good God is until we see how bad sin is and then we really tell how much God truly loves us, ever since I’ve looked at God with new eyes, and I also understand the Bible more.

I want to be baptized because I feel like being a Christ follower is not just hiding in the background but it’s getting out in the world proclaiming you are a Christ follower and bringing others to Jesus.

During an intense battle with an aggressive breast cancer 10 years ago, and while undergoing chemotherapy, my 26 year old son died of a drug overdose. My world became very dark, filled with constant grief, anxiety, and fear. I truly was walking in the “valley of the shadow of death.” My soul was completely crushed. I didn’t have the strength or the will to continue and just wanted to give up.

My husband’s aunt Laya began bringing her prayer group over to my house every Tuesday. They would pray for my healing, and also taught me about the gift of grace. I surrendered to Christ to be forgiven of my sins and so that I would no longer have to endure life’s heavy burdens on my own.

Since asking Jesus to be my savior, my life has completely changed. I trust God wholeheartedly now. Proverbs 3:5-6 really spoke to me, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.” Once I surrendered and gave up my pride and control, I began to experience complete inner peace. I no longer live in fear, and I know God’s presence remains even in the darkest moments.

I also now have immense HOPE of eternal life in heaven with no more pain, tears, or suffering. It’s that hope that keeps me going now.

When I was younger, I walked through seasons of an unhealthy lifestyle, unaware of how far I had drifted. Even then, God never let go. I didn’t always recognize it at the time, but He was the one carrying me when I was too tired, too lost, or too broken to carry myself. Every step I survived was grace, not chance.

When I felt like giving up, He gave me strength that wasn’t my own. In my lowest moments, He sent me two angels to remind me I wasn’t alone—my friend Verda, who introduced me to the Bible and gently led me toward knowing Him more deeply, and my sister Lorri, who helped me find my footing again when I had fallen hard. Through them, God spoke love, truth, and hope back into my life.

Now, I look forward to the relief of a fresh start—a better life shaped by wiser, healthier decisions. I thank God for loving me even when my choices didn’t reflect my faith, for protecting me during a time when I was vulnerable and lost, and for continuing to guide me forward. What once felt like survival has become purpose, and every step ahead is taken hand in hand with Him.

I was raised Catholic, shaped by years of Catholic school, prayers, and tradition. Yet for much of my life, I didn’t truly understand what it meant to ask God for forgiveness or to invite Him to lead me. Faith was familiar, but it wasn’t personal. It wasn’t until life grew heavier—when challenges pressed in and grief carved deep places in my heart—that I fully recognized my need for him.

In that season, I asked God to forgive my ignorance and to take the lead in my life. Looking back, I see that He had been guiding me all along. The disappointments I once questioned were not punishments, but redirections. He was rerouting me toward the life He intended for me.

As an ICU nurse, I face physical and emotional battles daily. I witness suffering, loss, and fragile hope. Yet I know I am not alone. God works through my hands and steadies my heart in moments that could overwhelm someone without faith. When I lost my sister, it was my relationship with Him that carried me through the grief.

Now, Scripture is the foundation of my life. Following Jesus is no longer routine—it is a relationship. It is showing Him an abundance of gratitude. His Word shapes how I love my husband, children, grandchildren, how I serve my patients, and how I strive to become a better person. My life is different because I finally understand: I am led, forgiven, and never alone.

Growing up, my family had always been avid church-goers. When I was in fourth grade, I made the commitment to attend EPIC. I vividly remember praying the “Surrender Prayer” for the first time and I truly gave my life to God. As I got older and realized the real meaning of praying the “Surrender Prayer” I prayed it again confirming that God was the light of my life.

Throughout the years, God has taught me many lessons and helped me grow in so many different ways. He has been someone that proved to me that sin doesn’t have a hold on my life and his love and grace can transform you. I follow Jesus so that everyone around me can know they can form a relationship with him and experience the love that I have personally felt even during hard times.

There are four people in my life that have helped my faith develop—Grandma Sandy, Cadence and my parents. A moment that I would like to highlight is when my good friend, Cadence, reached out to me when I was in a time of need and said “I would be happy to pray for you.” I had never experienced this in a friendship and I felt so much closer to God because of her. Her faith has helped me grow and she is a great example of sharing Jesus’ love. We attend FCA together so that we both can hear the message and talk about it later. I am very thankful for her and the impact she has made on my relationship with God.

Baptism is a public way to show my faith and commitment to God and that I am ready to change for God. With my trust in God, I have a Savior that has paid for my sins and a Father that will share his everlasting love and eternal life.

I didn’t grow up going to church, and life threw me some really hard things early on. Both of my parents got sick with cancer—my dad beat it, but my mom went through five long, rough years of treatments before passing. I felt lost, alone, and my relationships felt surface-level. I tried to escape the pain by partying, drinking, and smoking.

Eventually, the partying stopped being fun and just left me empty. I threw myself into work, where I met my wife and started building our family. But after my dad passed in January 2025, I fell back into depression and unhealthy habits. I knew something had to change. When we visited Christ Community Church, I felt this overwhelming peace and a strong, comforting feeling that I now know was the Holy Spirit. I prayed, asking God to show me he was real and help me quit smoking.

Since that moment, life has started to change. The urge to smoke, something I’d struggled with for years, disappeared. I’ve felt God’s love and forgiveness in a way I never had before. My relationships feel deeper, and I don’t feel so alone anymore. I’m not perfect and still face struggles, but I know that as I keep trusting God, I can grow and overcome. I’ve joined Rooted and am growing in my faith. Now I’m committed to following Christ and leading my wife and children in a life centered on him.

I didn’t know of faith until I reached middle school and became friends with Amy Jakopin, Ana Czyzewski, and Tiffany Young. It was because of them that I started to go to church. However, when my dad stopped being in my life for 6 years, I began to feel worthless and developed an inferiority complex. I compared myself to fellow classmates who had their big families, big houses, and big plans for college to my little family, little house, and little to no plans for college.

I eventually stopped going to church with my friends and stayed more to myself, and I continued to stay that way well into my mid twenties. I became severely lonely and anxious and was filled with a sense of emptiness. I didn’t know who I was and didn’t feel like I had a purpose. I tried to avoid these bad feelings by obsessing over people, k-pop, and astrology. While my wonderful Christian friend, Tiffany, would always talk to me about God and tried to comfort me the best she could, I was too much in a dark place to really value and listen.

Then in September 2025, my YouTube algorithm started showing me videos on Christianity and I took that as a sign for me to finally listen to my friend. I got started on reading the Bible and attending church again, which is now Christ Community Church. Then I accepted Jesus with my friend Tiffany through prayer.

Now that I have my faith in Jesus, I am no longer alone. I am more strong and confident and filled with more joy in my life. Now, I feel grateful and blessed with the life I have and I thank God for all of it. I thank God for keeping me alive long enough to have found love and faith in him.

Before fully surrendering my life to Christ, I believed in God but often relied on my own strength and understanding. Through prayer, Scripture, and reflection, I began to see how much I needed God’s grace, guidance, and forgiveness. I realized that true peace and purpose could only come from placing my life fully in God’s hands.

Through prayer and time spent seeking God, I asked Him to forgive my sins through Jesus Christ and to lead my life. I decided to surrender my heart to Him and follow Jesus as my Savior and Lord. My family and fellow believers encouraged me in my faith and helped strengthen my desire to take this step and publicly declare my commitment to Christ.

Now that I have placed my trust in Jesus, I see my life differently. God is my Father, my guide, and the source of my strength. I desire to grow in prayer, follow His Word, and live with humility and purpose. Being baptized represents leaving my old life behind and beginning a new life in Christ, trusting Him to shape my character and lead my path.

I grew up in a broken home and I never knew my father. My step father did the best he knew how to raise me. Our family believed in God but very rarely attended church. As the years went on, several tragic events happened in my life that made me question if there was a God. My fiancee died at 21, and a few years later, her brother and my best friend, committed suicide.

I ended up in a very bad marriage and stayed in it for many years for my children. But I was drinking heavily to cope with being unhappy in my life. When my wife at the time kicked me out of the house, I moved in with my sister Christine. She told me she felt I needed Christ in my life and invited me to church. As I listened to the pastor speak, my whole life of pain and sin flashed before me. I cried the majority of the service. It was at that service that God spoke to me and I accepted him as my Lord and Savior. Since then my life has drastically improved. I began taking care of myself, put the bottle down, and have been living a more fulfilling life, letting Christ guide the way.

I have always felt a relationship with God, growing up in a Catholic Church. Recently, since moving to South Elgin and getting married, my husband and I have had many conversations about how we want to live our lives and raise our future children. During this time, I leaned on God, asking for forgiveness for straying away and seeking his guidance to lead me.

God is the maker of heaven and earth. I believe in the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I am grateful for the blessings and challenges he has placed in my life. Transitioning into a non-denominational Christian church has opened a new door to a deeper relationship with Jesus than I had ever experienced before. I want to know him better and live a Christlike life.

My cousin Isabelle and my best friend Natalia inspired me to take these steps and encouraged me to grow in my faith. Being baptized means proclaiming that Jesus Christ is King and my Savior. It is a choice I am making as an adult, building on the foundation of faith from my upbringing, and embracing this exciting next chapter at Christ Community Church.

I know that I cannot navigate life on my own, and that Jesus is always with me, carrying the weight alongside me. His love reminds me that I am enough, and with him, I can live fully trusting in his guidance.

About a year ago, I started going to church consistently with my wife, Monica. At first, I was a little reluctant, but she encouraged me to come with her. After a few visits, I began to really enjoy it. The messages started to have meaning for me, and church quickly became something I looked forward to each week.

About a month after I started attending regularly, during a prayer at Sunday service, I asked God to forgive me and to lead my life. That moment marked the beginning of my faith journey and my decision to trust him.

To me, God is someone who sacrificed everything to give his followers a better life. I can see his blessings in my own life. He has led me to a wonderful wife and a career that I truly love.

I want to follow Jesus to live with purpose, experience his unconditional love, and continue becoming the best man I can be.

Being baptized today means starting a new life with Jesus at the center of it. Through my faith, I know my life will be filled with greater peace and a deeper love and gratitude for everything God has given me.

As a child, I was presented to a church, but I never had a home church that I truly recognized. My parents had different religious backgrounds—my dad was Pentecostal and my mom was Catholic—so we visited various churches without any real consistency. I believed in God, and I knew what church was, but I didn’t understand what it meant to have a personal relationship with him.

A few years ago, during one of the darkest seasons of my life, I was struggling deeply with my mental health. I remember talking to a close friend who told me he had been thinking about me and wanted to check in. I opened up about what I was going through, and he asked how I was taking care of myself. I told him I was seeing a counselor and taking medication to help manage my anxiety. Then he asked a question that changed everything: “That’s good… but have you talked to your Father lately?” I said, “Yes, I talk to my dad all the time.” He replied, “Not your earthly father—your Heavenly Father.” He invited me to church and encouraged me to hand over the things I couldn’t control to God, reminding me that no one could help me more than my Lord and Savior.

A couple of weeks later, overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, and the fear that I would never get better, I told my wife that I needed to go to church and asked if she and the kids would come with me. She agreed immediately—church had been a regular part of her childhood, and she was happy to go.

I walked into Christ Community Church, the church my friend recommended, and the band was playing “What a Beautiful Name.” When I heard the line, “My sin was great, your love was greater,” something indescribable washed over me. I broke down in tears, but for the first time in a long time, I felt loved, safe, and exactly where I needed to be.

That day transformed my understanding of God’s love. I realized his love for me never changes, no matter the season I’m in, and that he walks with me through every moment. Christ Community Church has become my home. I’ve joined a men’s group, and my family and I attend Sunday services together.

Now, I’m preparing for my baptism, ready to leave the old behind and be spiritually reborn. This is my public declaration that I want to live more like Jesus, my King, and serve him the way he intended.

Before Christ, I believed I was the one that could get me what I needed and wanted. I didn't want to submit to a God that I had to follow rules - granted, I also knew I wasn't bad enough to desire the destruction the enemy promotes.

There were two catalysts that led me on my journey to Christ: an ex partner who I experienced psychedelic drugs with, while I was mildly being exposed to satanism. The second was the tragedy of my younger brother passing away. Both of these experiences shook the depths of my soul and brought me into a journey of seeking. After the first tragedy, the search began in the "self help" journey the world promotes, and the second tragedy led me to Christ. My initial reason for wanting Christ was for protection because of the things I was experiencing; now that I am learning about Christ and who he is, I want the gift of eternal life that Jesus gives. He is the good shepherd, and I want goodness leading me.

As a new believer, from being a gentile to a follower of Jesus Christ I noticed him bringing me into a high standard of living, in my life that if it was my own plan, I wouldn't have submitted to nor would I have known how to walk this path on my own. It is by his strength and power I am able to follow Jesus. He makes me feel hopeful of everything in my life. Compared to having hope in the world was like playing the "monkey bars" of hope, hanging from one object to another. To have hope in Jesus for everything in my life and beyond, brings a sense of security within me by him being the constant object to hold onto.

I am still new to all of this, I still wonder why I am where I am at; but all I know is, I want to be his.

Before I trusted Jesus in life, I was lost and unable to sit down in front of the mirror and recognize who I was and what my purpose was. Then one of my best friends from kindergarten, Alyssa, asked me to come along with her to Christ Community one Saturday afternoon. I then began attending almost every Sunday after that. It was something that I grew to enjoy learning how and why certain things happen in life.

For the last two and a half years, I struggled to find myself after being in a rather poor situation for a number of years prior. I lost myself. I forgot who I was and who I wanted to be. I conformed into what someone else wanted me to be and not who I wanted to be for me. I did what others told me to do, and not as what Jesus wanted me to do. What I wanted to do. I lost myself. But coming to Christ Community Church has helped me realize that that was all part of Jesus’ plan for me. It was a struggle and it was really hard, but in the end, Jesus loved me for me and showed me that I was okay to be myself again. That I didn’t need what I thought I needed and that I needed to just slow down and let Jesus do his part and let him take the reins. That's when I found myself again and realized who I was and wanted to be.

Now after trusting Jesus with my story, I have learned to just slow down and enjoy life. That everything in life happens for a reason. Whether that reason is good or bad. Everything has a purpose and Jesus will show me that purpose.

Before I trusted in Jesus, I cared a lot about what other people thought of me and how I was perceived. When my parents went through a divorce, I began struggling emotionally and realized I needed something greater to rely on.

During my freshman year of college, while learning more about myself and my beliefs, I began thinking more seriously about my faith. My mom had always been a big influence on me spiritually, and through prayer and reflection, I decided to surrender my life to Christ. I wanted guidance and a purpose that was bigger than myself.

Since beginning my relationship with Jesus, I've noticed a real change in my mindset. I try to approach others with more kindness and understanding. I pray every night for my parents and for guidance in my life. My faith reminds me that I'm not alone and that God has a plan for me. Philippians 4:13 encourages me that through Christ I can face whatever challenges come my way.

I grew up in the church and was baptized as an infant. Growing up, I would have described myself as a roller coaster Christian. When life was easy, I went my own way. It seemed like I was only drawn to Christ when things were difficult.

I had my first child eight years ago and was shaken at the love I felt in that experience. I know and believe God has created us all in his image, which I find fascinating. I have struggled often with depression, guilt, and shame. I couldn’t accept the fact that my sins could be forgiven.

I have always put baptism in the back of my mind and didn’t pay much attention to it. However, it kept coming up in my daily thoughts. I believe it was on my heart for a reason. I believe it was the Holy Spirit leading me. Jesus himself was baptized. I want to be obedient to Christ and I know this is an important step.

This is my public declaration of my faith in Christ. I know I will fail again. I know I will struggle in my sinful nature. But he is perfectly just and is the only one who can forgive sin. Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.”

I was baptized as a baby in 2006 and grew up Catholic, but for most of my life, I didn’t truly understand Christianity or have a personal relationship with Jesus. In middle school, my close friend Avery Liszka invited me to Christ Community’s Refuge youth program, where I started going on Wednesday nights. In high school, her mom, Jessica Westerfield, eventually led our group and helped guide me in my faith.

Even though I was still attending Catholic mass every Sunday, Avery invited me to Christ Community’s church camp in 2022. That’s when my eyes were truly opened. For the first time, I understood that Jesus died for all of my sins, loves me unconditionally, and wants a relationship with me. I don’t remember one exact moment when I gave my life to Christ, but during that time I prayed many times, asking for forgiveness and inviting Jesus into my life.

Later, my family and I began attending my grandma’s Baptist church, which helped me grow even more in my faith and understanding of the Bible. Before seeking God more seriously, I struggled with anxiety, perfectionism, comparing myself to others, people-pleasing, and more sin. As I began putting my faith in Him, those habits slowly started to fade. I still have struggles, but now I experience a peace that only God can give.

I’m getting baptized to publicly declare that Jesus is my Lord and Savior and that I’m choosing to live my life for Him. Praise God!

Jesus has been a part of my life since I was born, as I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. We would go to the meetings 2-3 times a week for the years before I became a teenager. When I was about 10 years old, my parents became divorced, which put my sisters and I in a world of confusion. The next few years, I let Jesus slip from my life. I went about my days only worrying about where I was going and selfishly only concerned about how I felt and how I could control my present and future. Our Lord was in my mind but just as an after thought. I had learned a lot about him. As a kid we prayed and studied the Bible. I had friends in the Kingdom Hall. All that was different going through young adulthood.

When I found my wife Jessica, things began to change. She was a refreshing influence on my life, and as I noticed things changing in the world, while also having children of our own, I began to desire a better life. Not one with material things but one with meaning. One where I could set an example for my daughters and become a great father and leader. Jesus was my answer, and I knew through the teachings in the Bible and through him was the one true way to become who I wanted to be. I gave up certain things to become closer to him, and am still chasing a life with him, growing closer to him each day.

Although I still fall short, I know that I want to spend the rest of my life under his protection, love, and grace. I give my life up to him knowing he will lead me to where I am supposed to go. So I wish to surrender my life to the one true God through baptism and proclaim that I am a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

I have been growing up in a Christian family and I have always believed in Jesus. My mom and dad dedicated me to Christ Community Church. I know that God has a plan for me and that he loves me sooooo much. Even though my whole family has put their trust in Jesus already, I knew that I had to make my own decision to follow Jesus. One day, I was in my room and I was having a hard time with school and everything and I felt that it was time. I was super happy to share the news with my parents. I know that I still am not going to be perfect even though I follow Jesus, but I do know that He is always there when I need Him. God has changed my life in many ways, and I will still keep changing.

I've had God in my life since I was little. Faith has always been part of my family and I grew up knowing who Jesus was and what He stood for. But knowing about God and truly leaning on Him are two different things and this past year taught me that in a way I'll never forget.

This past year has been tough. There were days where everything just felt heavy and I didn't know how to carry it. I tried to push through on my own and it wasn't enough.

What I kept coming back to was this simple truth. Jesus is the only thing that can make me truly happy. Not just feel-good happy but the kind of deep lasting peace that I know I can't find anywhere else. That realization didn't come from one big moment. It just became clearer and clearer the more I sat with it.

I'll be honest. I don't feel completely different yet. And I think that's okay to say. I'm not getting baptized because everything is fixed. I'm getting baptized because I want to trust God more. Because I believe that if I give this to him He can do something with it that I can't do on my own. My dad and my sister asked if I wanted to do this with them and I said yes. Having my family beside me in this moment means everything. I don't have to figure this out alone. Being baptized is me saying I believe. Even when it's hard. Even when I can't feel it yet. I'm choosing Jesus anyway and I'm trusting that He has something better ahead for me.

Growing up my parents always were open to me making my own decisions on my faith but up until middle school I never truly felt God’s presence or the need to practice any religion. Then my best friend invited me to church summer camp through Christ Community Church and it changed me forever.

It was the first time I truly felt Jesus and felt the Holy Spirit and I just knew I never wanted that to go away. I saw him moving through everyone in this community and bringing them together and It was like a gravitational pull. I knew I needed to be a part of this community and strengthen my relationship with Christ. So I talked with my cabin leaders and they told me to regularly attend youth group on Wednesday nights so that’s what I did.

My faith has only strengthened from it these past few years and I feel as though God is calling me to get baptized and further commit my life to him so I can spread his Word and represent Christianity.