Created in God's Image

The Book of Acts tells the story of the early church, where the disciples lived out Jesus's last words to "go make disciples of all nations and baptize them." In Acts 16:15 we read:

[Lydia] and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed. (NLT)

This is just one example where an entire family was baptized in the New Testament, setting a precedent for children to be baptized on the faith of their parents.

We have rescheduled Addie’s baptism multiple times, which is not uncommon in the world today for infant and toddler baptisms. The goal is to have all the important people in the child's life present, and that's a task in itself.

As a person present in Addie’s life, I feel blessed to have been able also to acknowledge how beautifully made she is. She is one of many children who have inspired us to create our "Kids Club Unlimited" program. We prepared for the day, saying, "We will baptize Addie however she chooses today." I believe she was amazing and 100% herself!

Baptism is also about the family. If you watched the video or were there, you'll notice I invite her big brother to join me in touching the water to her head. Being a big brother is a stressful job. His role in loving his sister in God's love is important, and I wanted to be sure he knew that.

Each of us is created in God's image. Baptism speaks to that fact and that God proudly calls us his own. He doesn't make mistakes and gladly adopts us into his family. I hope you'll join me in helping nurture and pray for our church's children.