This coming Sunday (October 10) we’re going to be baptising a few people! They will be making a public declaration of their love and allegiance to following Jesus Christ.
If you’re interested in getting baptised, please contact Andy right away.
If you want to know more about baptism, why we do it, what it means, etc, check out our new resources here.
One does not slowly become baptized. It is a singular point in one’s history. In fact it’s more than just a moment – it is an act of obedience to anyone who has decided to follow Jesus. Jesus, Paul, and Peter all had significant things to say about baptism (Mark 16, Romans 6, & 1 Peter 3 respectively). This sacrament which Jesus even participated in himself, is in God’s plans for every one of his children. Participating in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are the primary realities demonstrated through baptism. Somehow we can access his post resurrection life now – it can become part of us. This is possible only through his death (which we celebrate during Communion). When we are brought up out of the water, we are cleansed and born into a new community, and are participating with Jesus in his new life! This is why there is often a fresh sense of being filled with the Holy Spirit at the time of baptism.
Jesus said, “believe and be baptized” (Mark 16:16). In other words, believing is never just an internal reality – it always finds expression and is made practical, in our real lives. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward reality and one that followers of Jesus have participated in ever since Jesus himself was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist.
If you believe in Jesus and haven’t yet taken this step, we invite you to think and pray about it. Call or contact the office if you’re interested and we’ll be in touch with you.
Our annual WCV Community Campout is just around the corner. Good things happen gathered around a fire and we’d love for you to be there! Join us June 29-July 1 at Birds Hill Park. The cost is $30 per tent for the weekend. If you are unable to make it out for the whole weekend consider coming for the day on Saturday or Sunday. Our regular Sunday service will be held at the campground followed by a baptismal service at the beach.
This weekend provides a place to connect as a community in new ways. Please contact the office or fill out the form below to register.
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What a wonderful time on July 3! We celebrated together as six people followed Jesus into baptism. Congratulations to Shirl, Carolina, Serena, Kayla, Clayton and Lindsay! May you see Jesus more clearly, experience the Father’s love more deeply, and know the Holy Spirit’s presence with you more freely as you walk the journey!
Have you been baptized before? Can you recall what happened? Do you remember what was going on in your heart?
Perhaps you haven’t been baptized yet.
In this series called Diving In, we want to explore the sacrament of Baptism. For those who have been baptized, we want to help you recall what happened that moment you followed Jesus into the waters. But it’s not only about remembering – we also want to explore how God is continually calling us to dive into his presence and welcome his life into our lives on an ongoing and daily basis. As we go deeper with Jesus, we all encounter things in our lives that hold us back and that we must be let go of – repent of – die to. Baptism is a one time event, but the realities it signify beckon to us as we follow Jesus throughout our days.
For those who have yet to be baptized, we hope this series will give you a solid understanding of what Baptism is and why it is a critical part of following Jesus. In some ways it will function like a baptism class that we all take together. We’d like to encourage you to be baptized on July 3, 2016 as part of our WCV Sunday Gathering at Bird’s Hill Park.
For all of us, we want to encourage and deepen our faith and experience of God as we follow him – even into the hard things life throws at us.
If you are interested in getting baptized, please contact the office or talk to one of the pastors. Also – this is a great opportunity to encourage your youth, or others you know to consider getting baptized.
On April 5, we celebrated alongside 5 people who got baptized. It sure felt like heaven was celebrating with us. What a rich time of hearing their stories, prayer, public declarations of faith, worship and plunging!
Congratulations to Jayden Williams, Alvin Deegan, Lou-Ann Pinay, Brad Morand and Cora Stevenson on this step in your faith journeys. We’re excited for what the future holds.
Elder: Do you renounce evil and commit your life to Jesus Christ?
Person: I do.
Elder: Do you believe in God the Father?
Person: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Elder: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
Person: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Elder: Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
Person: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Elder: Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer?
Person: I will, with God’s help.
Elder: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Person: I will, with God’s help.
Elder: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
Person: I will, with God’s help.
It’s time to haul out the old metal dunk tank again! On Easter Sunday, April 5, we are going to witness the baptisms of a number of people as they make a public confession of their faith in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus and haven’t yet taken this step, we invite you to think and pray about it.
Jesus said, “believe and be baptized” (Mark 16:16). In other words, believing is never just an internal reality – it always finds expression and is made practical, in our real lives. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward reality and one that followers of Jesus have participated in ever since Jesus himself was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist.
Please contact the office or one of the Pastors if you are interested or want to know more about baptism.
It was an amazing celebration. On June 15th we celebrated our fathers, but we also joined a heavenly party for five guys as they took the courageous and public step of baptism. Hearing parts of their stories was deeply moving and seeing them stand side-by-side, on the same level, all in need of (and receiving!) forgiveness was an amazing picture of the kingdom of God. Five guys with incredibly unique and individual stories, yet all finding common ground at the foot of the cross and in the waters of baptism.
Most of our faith journey is exactly that – a journey. It is the path we walk as we follow Jesus. The early Christians called it “the Way” because they recognized that the path of discipleship was a journey. For most of us, growth happens gradually as we navigate
the twists, turns, ups and downs of our lives. There are, however, punctuated moments and critical junctures along this journey that can play a major role in determining the kind of path we are on and the kind of disciple we are. These events can define our intentions and expose the state of our hearts. Our current series on Peter is designed to explore some of the moments of discipleship Peter faced in his life.
Baptism is one of those moments. One does not slowly become baptized. It is a singular point in one’s history. In fact it’s more than just a moment – it is an act of obedience to anyone who has decided to follow Jesus (often another moment). Jesus, Paul and Peter all had significant things to say about baptism (Mark 16, Romans 6 & 1 Peter 3 respectively). This sacrament which Jesus even participated in himself, is in God’s plans for every one of his children. We explored some of the reasons for baptism and the symbolism behind it in the sermon a few weeks ago (here). Participating in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are the primary realities demonstrated through baptism. Somehow we can access his post resurrection life now – it can become part of us. This is possible only through his death (which we celebrate during the other primary Christian sacrament of Communion). When we are brought up out of the water, we are cleansed and born into a new community, and are participating with Jesus in his new life! This is why there is often a fresh sense of being filled with the Holy Spirit at the time of baptism.
We are going to have a baptism on Sunday, June 15. If the weather looks good, we’re going to haul the dunk tank out into the Green Space and celebrate together out there after the Sunday gatherings are finished. There will also be a BBQ – yes we know it’s father’s day – but what better day to experience the Father’s love, just like Jesus did at his baptism, than on Father’s day?
If you’ve never been baptized and are a follower of Jesus, we invite you to consider it. Call or contact the office if you’re interested and we’ll be in touch with you.
