Baptism Stories - Aug 25
Thirty-two people declared their commitment to Jesus by being baptized at our picnic and baptisms on Sunday, August 25th. We were excited to have our sisters and brothers from Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio church join us and baptize four of their own. We are humbled to see God at work in the lives of those around us and hope you take a moment to read their stories and praise God for how He is rescuing and restoring.
TAIGAN B.
Story coming...
LIZ B.
Fifty years ago, I was searching for someone special. Someone who knew me and loved me anyway. Jesus found me when I was wandering, lost, and chose me to be His child forever! I am grateful to God for parents who loved Him and had me baptized as a baby. Today, I choose for myself to follow Jesus’ lead and be baptized.
I asked Jesus for forgiveness and to be my King fifty years ago! My attitude, focus, and thought-life were messed up then, but changes in me happened when Jesus came into my heart to rule as my Lord. Being loved by God increased my love for Him and changed me forever. Thank you, Lord for loving and saving even me!
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
For my life is wholly bound to His
Oh, how strange and divine, I can sing, "All is mine"
Yet not I, but through Christ in me
KELSEY B.
I was born and raised on Cape Cod. I grew up in a loving and secure home with my parents and younger sister. Our mother raised my sister and me in the Catholic Church. I have acknowledged God and my faith in varying degrees for as long as I can remember.
As an adult, I am blessed with my husband and our son. We continue to build a life together and recently dedicated our son to God at Bridge Pointe. In my life, I have had many blessings. I try to be actively grateful for all of them.
My life has also had many challenges and hardships as well. Whether those hardships were the consequence of my own free will or God’s plan, I have made it through all my struggles by the grace of God. I have seen him move mountains in my life.
Recently I have felt a tug in my heart to be baptized again as an adult. I have decided to make the outward gesture to Jesus Christ in a time of calm in my life. I vow to walk with Jesus through all the repentance and blessings to come in my life. God is good. Always.
SARAH B.
Before I gave my life to Jesus, I never knew peace. There was always a nervousness about what was going to happen. Now I know that Jesus has me, always. I have started to devote time every day to talking to Jesus and strengthening my faith. Being baptized is my devotion to Jesus.
AL C.
I recently had to deal with some childhood trauma. I hit rock bottom and called on the Lord for some help. I found BridgePointe, attended one Sunday, and I knew the next step in accepting the Lord was baptism to be made pure, holy again.
CIAN D.
I want to be baptized because I want to live a life for Jesus and I want to show people that I accept Jesus as my King.
LIAM D.
I want to be baptized because I want to be closer to God and make it clear that I worship Him. I also want God to work on me so I can be a better person. I want people to know I worship Him and keep me accountable.
AMANDA F.
I have always been a believer in Jesus Christ but did not always understand what it meant to walk through life with Him, truly by my side. I was raised in the Catholic church. Like so many, I was baptized at birth, had to attend church and CCD but was not taught the true meaning of His words and how to apply them to everyday life. At some point I became disillusioned with the Catholic faith and felt a calling to find something more meaningful that would bring me closer to God and His teachings.
We also had several years where we suffered very devastating losses. I felt depressed and lost at times. It was a very traumatic few years and I knew I needed to bring myself closer to God in order to heal. I also felt there was something missing from my life and that I needed to put all my faith in Jesus and allow Him to lead me down the right path. At the same time, I knew as a family I wanted to provide my children with an opportunity to know God and to love Him on their own terms. That was when we made the choice to put our children in a Christian school and started coming to BridgePointe.
A turning point was when I attended a chapel service my daughter’s first year at her school. I was alone in service with my twin boys, who were around four years old at the time, and I didn't know a lot of people there yet. The service was very emotional and spoke to me. By the end, I found myself standing in worship holding my twin boys, while sobbing uncontrollably. I didn't fully understand at the time but I understand now that I was allowing myself to surrender to the Lord as the Holy Spirit came over me that day. I knew then that I was finally on the right path. I have accepted Jesus once again, but this time fully as my Lord and Savior. I am eternally grateful for His sacrifice. I have learned to trust in Him, which has allowed me to release myself from a lot of anxiety I felt in the past. I know I still have such a long way to go on my spiritual journey and that the road is not linear, but I am committed to this path and feel reborn because of it. I am choosing to be baptized as a commitment of my faith in Jesus and to give thanks for his eternal sacrifice. I give all glory to God!
JASON F.
Story coming…
BRIAN F.
I was brought up in the Catholic faith and attended Catholic schools through elementary and high school. I have always believed in God but never placed emphasis on His importance on my life. I found that I would only turn to God when I felt overwhelmed in life and like He was the only option. I drifted away from faith and lived every day only concerned about things of this life. I would speak without thinking and say things that hurt others along the way. I never took accountability for my actions.
Jesus makes me want to be a better person and has changed my life. I am more aware of my actions and always strive to better myself. When I do or say something that is wrong, I automatically recognize it and feel shame and repent for my actions. I am by no means perfect, but I have become a better person because of my faith in Jesus. I know that I have a long road to go but I know that I can not do it without Christ.
MILEYDI G.
From Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio church
Antes de venir a Cristo andaba en el mundo y me sentia triste. Dios ha hecho cosas muy buenas para mi. Me dio fuerzas en momentos dificiles y paciencia y sabiduria y me hizo sentirme en paz. Mi desicion de bautizarme fue ya que me arrepenti de mis pecados y acepte que Jesus es mi unico salvador. Para mi bautizarme fue hermoso porque se que mi Dios se pone feliz al haberme convertido y haber tomado la desicion de seguir a Jesus.
Before coming to Christ, I walked in the world and felt sad. God has done very good things for me. He gave me strength in difficult times and patience and wisdom and made me feel at peace. My decision to be baptized was because I repented of my sins and accepted that Jesus is my only savior. For me, being baptized was beautiful because I know that my God is happy that I converted and made the decision to follow Jesus.
SELENA G.
I graduated high school this June, but I couldn’t have done it without God. I was a girl who was constantly stressed, worried, filled with anxiety and depression. I would tell myself: you’re not good enough, you're not smart, you can't do this. Just a bunch of negative lies fed in my mind. Everytime I went home, I would be isolated in my room and ask God to help me. I felt so anxious to the point where I didn’t want to live anymore. I started going to church more and this youth group where I felt at peace. One night when I was alone in my room, the enemy was feeding lies into me. I opened my Bible to Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
I knew I needed to give my life to Christ in that exact moment. I started casting all my stress and anxiety onto Him and allowing Him to guide me in the path he has designed for me. I’m ready to live for Jesus and become the woman He has called me to be. I know this is the best decision to make as I step foot into college and start a new chapter in life.
KASARA H.
Story coming...
MICHAEL J.
Story coming…
NICOLE J.
Story coming…
JOANGELI L.
From Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio church
Desde chiquita iba a la iglesia. Mi papa es pastor pero no fue hasta hace un año atras que naci de nuevo. Conocia de Jesus y lo que habia hecho por mi pero mi conversion se dio hace un año cuando decidi pedirle perdon a Dios por cada uno de mis pecados y reconoci que Jesus era mi unico Salvador. Decidi bautizarme ya que queria hacer publica mi fe ante los demas.
I’ve been going to church since I was a little girl, growing up in a family where my father served as a pastor. For years, I knew about Jesus and understood what He had done for me, but it wasn’t until a year ago that I truly experienced a transformation in my heart. A year ago, I reached a point where I felt a deep conviction about my life and my need for forgiveness. I realized that knowing about Jesus wasn’t enough—I needed to ask God for forgiveness for each of my sins and recognize Jesus as my only Savior. It was in that moment that I was born again. I decided to get baptized because I wanted to make my faith public before others.
EDWIN M.
From Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio church
Antes de haber conocido a Dios mi vida estaba vacia y siempre tenia un sentimiento malo y Cristo me llamo y me lleno el vacio y desde que he conocido a Dios me he sentido bien. Mi desicion de bautizarme fue porque acepte a Jesus como Salvador y me arrepenti de mis pecados y queria dejar mi vieja vida atras y empezar una vida nueva con Cristo. Bautizarme para mi ha sido algo muy poderoso y bonito ya que decidi seguir a Jesus y hacer mi fe publica.
Before I met God, my life was empty and I always had a bad feeling, but Christ called me and filled the void, and ever since I met God, I have felt good. My decision to be baptized was because I accepted Jesus as my Savior and I repented of my sins and wanted to leave my old life behind and start a new life with Christ. Being baptized has been something very powerful and beautiful for me, since I decided to follow Jesus and make my faith public.
EFRAIM M.
From Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio church
Buenos días, mi nombre es Efraim hace siete meses llegue a conocer nuevamente de la palabra de Dios y como el entrego a su ser más preciado (su hijo) para nuestra salvación, yo me encontraba muy alejado de Dios y no quería acercarme, por cosas de Dios llegue a la iglesia y el Pastor Jonathan su esposa todos los que hacen parte de la iglesia me enseñan de la necesidad de Dios en mi vida, es asi como este domingo pasado después de seis o siete meses de asistir a la Iglesia decido nacer de nuevo por medio del bautismo, entendiendo que como ser humano tengo vida nueva en cristo, nacimos para alabarlo, glorificarlo y es nuestro deber cumplir sus mandamientos. Espero seguir reafirmando todos los dias mi fe en Cristo.
My name is Efraim. Seven months ago, I reacquainted myself with the word of God and realized the depth of His love through the sacrifice of His most precious possession, His Son, for our salvation. Before this, I felt distant from God and was not inclined to draw closer to Him. However, through the guidance of God, I came to church, where Pastor Jonathan, his wife, and all the members taught me the importance of having God in my life. After six or seven months of attending church, I made the decision to be born again through baptism this past Sunday. I understood that, as a human being, I now have a new life in Christ. We were born to praise Him, glorify Him, and it is our duty to fulfill His commandments. I hope to continue reaffirming my faith in Christ every day.
KENDALL M.
My name is Kendall and this is my journey in my walk with Christ. I was born into a non-Christian family that was dysfunctional because of alcoholism and substance abuse. Growing up, I had to raise myself and my little sister due to my mother’s abuse and neglect towards me; she never taught me right from wrong. My dad was an addict and was never around either. In those years, I faced starvation, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. When I was eight years old, my mother lost custody and I moved in with a family member but the trauma of what had happened to me still haunted me and caused my mental health to decline. I would self harm and isolate myself. I still have the scars on my body from years ago.
I first met Jesus around 2019 when I discovered a gospel song and was instantly moved by it. I decided I wanted to be a Christian and follow Jesus in 2020 during lockdown. Unfortunately, I fell back into my old habits and this would become a pattern for many years. I feel that I found Jesus once again in early 2021. I was on fire for God and asked my guardian to order me a Bible. I had internet access young, unfortunately, but I would post stuff about Jesus daily. I received both support and backlash from people I knew.
Then my mother passed away from addiction, making me a complete orphan because my father already passed from addiction, too. I fell apart and my world once again crashed down on me. I tried to stay with my faith but my family members I was with at the time did not support it and shamed me and called me names for believing in God. I decided to seek community in the church in my time of need, but I was only allowed to go to a church that didn’t align with what the Bible teaches. There were amazing people there but I was hurt that I wasn’t allowed to choose my own path. Over time, with my mother passing away and my family’s mental abuse, I started going back into my old habits and was sent away to a facility and disregarded by family.
From the ages of 11 to 13, I was in seven short-term mental health wards and one residential program because of my self-harm and suicidal tendencies from my depression and PTSD. In one of these stays, a worker came in and handed all of us a Bible; I had not held a Bible in months. When I opened the Bible, I was confused with what to do with it, but a girl from my program gave me a highlighter and told me to highlight what stands out. Everyone in my program proceeded to do this, many people for the first time. I felt a sense of peace when I did this, as if the world kind of went silent around me.
When I got home, I was doing better for a while but eventually fell back into my old habits due to my own actions and the pressure of my family. From early 2022 to early 2024, I had pretty much no faith and no morals. I had tried smoking, self-harming, relationships, witchcraft and other things to try to fill the void in my soul. Of course, nothing worked.
In early 2024, I found out I was pregnant and I sat and cried in that bathroom wondering to God about what I would do. I knew abortion wasn’t the right choice for me and I wanted to keep my baby. I told my family and was instantly dragged to an abortion clinic while saying I don’t want to. I was threatened to be kicked out if I did not go through with the abortion, but I did not let their pressure get to me. I knew I had to do better for my baby and that my unhealthy habits needed to end and I would not continue the cycle of my parents. God wanted better for me and my baby.
Through this period of staying with my family, I was neglected and abused by people who I never thought would do this to me, as they attempted to make me miscarry my daughter. I prayed that God would protect me and my daughter and He did not fail us. One of my best friends told her family about me and they took me in and accepted me without a second doubt.
This was the first time I felt looked at for who I am now and that I wasn’t placed in a category. I feel that God has finally placed me in the home where He destined me to be; all the years of struggle were worth it in the end because while being here, I was saved by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I got what I always wanted: a real home. I will be forever grateful for His forgiveness and for giving me a second chance, so I can end the cycle, knowing that my daughter will never have to go through what I did.
MATT M.
I was raised Catholic and was baptized as a baby. I had faith, but never fully committed to Jesus. As I grew into adulthood, I strayed farther from Jesus and did not recognize the man I was or the path that I was on. I knew I was not happy, and that a piece of me was missing.
I was lost and needed saving. My first step was acknowledging that. I needed to know the truth, in a world of sin, deceitfulness and lies. Four years ago, I opened my Bible, not knowing the spiritual journey that I was about to begin. I know now that Jesus has opened doors for me that I previously refused to see. More importantly, I know that he has been with me all along. I know that my beautiful wife, who has helped me strengthen my relationship with Jesus every day, was brought into my life for a reason.
Jesus has allowed me to realize the man I am meant to be. As a husband and soon-to-be father, now is the time I want to renew my covenant with Jesus, repent for my sins, and go forth with God as the focal point of my family. I choose to commit my life to Jesus.
MORGAN M.
I was raised in a church that baptizes babies. While I am eternally grateful for the upbringing I had in that church, I knew I wanted to be baptized under water, by my own choice, proclaiming the faith that I've been discovering as I grew up.
REGINAE M.
Story coming...
BETHANY P.
Story coming...
DAWN P.
I was born and raised Catholic; my mother’s faith was that of a saint. I lost my mother due to cancer when I was 21 and she was 54. Needless to say, I was angry. All I could think of what to question what all that faith and religion did for her.
I have always believed in God and Jesus, and my children were baptized and received confirmation. I tried going to church but always felt like I was at a funeral, so I never went regularly. My son Brad started going to BridgePointe a while ago and in June, I wanted to see what he was so involved in so I started to go with him. I now look forward to going every week. I love the music, I love how everything is just so easy to understand. I had some questions about baptism and wanted to make sure it was the right decision for me. After speaking with Jared, I am confident in my decision to be baptized and living with Jesus has made me a happier person.
STEFAN Q.
Stefan has a powerful story of seeking God in the middle of a lot of pain in his life. Join us in praying for him as he commits to live with Jesus as King and turn a new page by the power of the Holy Spirit.
SEPHIRA R.
I was born in Rhode Island, my parents divorced, and I moved to New Hampshire and lived there from first grade to seventh grade. When I was still young, in elementary school, my sister’s grandmother would take me to church or Sunday school sometimes. And because I was so little, I thought church was so boring because they had no worship. We just prayed, got into the message, and prayed again, then left. Also, they had the best sandwiches at the end, so I only ever looked up to that. But, I remember never actually being Christian and never bothering to get to know more people who were Christian as I grew up because I thought Christians were just creepy people who stared and smiled at people all the time.
I remember genuinely thinking that witchcraft, video games, watching disgusting videos online, listening to music about people who even hated themselves, and changing my appearance were actually filling a void in my heart. But it wasn’t, because I would still hurt myself and hate myself all the time. I hated the way I looked, the way I talked—I hated everything about myself. And because my parents at the time weren’t getting along, they were getting a divorce, and I had to move in with someone new, Jonathan.
At first I never really trusted Jon, and I held a grudge against my mom because she made me move away from my childhood home to a new apartment in Rhode Island with a guy I’ve never even met. Then, he started going to church with us. So, of course, I was thinking, “What is up with this guy?” And I was still too stuck in my sin and pride to care about going to church. It was like the same cycle: go to church, worship, listen to the service, worship, leave, repeat. I would sometimes even serve with my mom to get out of it.
I would always get in trouble at home and get into arguments with my parents and sisters. And every time we talked about something in the car on the way to church or just talked about different topics in general, things would pop up with the same topics in the service. Like one time we were talking about Frozen on our way to church and Jared mentioned Frozen in the church service, and my heart DROPPED. And that is just one of the many times that God was trying to speak to me. He was trying to get my attention and tell me, “I am here! Just listen to me, please.” But I still ignored Him. I was still afraid of the gospel; I still didn’t understand the Bible, but I never bothered to listen closely. My own flesh, and the devil’s voices were so loud. God’s voice was the wisest in my head, but the quietest.
When me and the other high school girls in the student group went to camp this summer, something felt different. I actually opened my Bible and wrote notes during chapel, and I actually understood. And on the night the guest speaker shared the gospel, I understood the gospel without being afraid. I used to have all these emotions I didn’t know how to deal with. And when I felt God’s forgiveness, I felt all the weight of the emotions, sin, and any bad feelings lifted, and I felt free like nothing was there anymore. I realized that He loved me so much that He still let me live all these years, even if all my sins were leading me towards death. I feel happier for the first time in forever. And I can’t wait to step into my faith further with Him and have a real relationship with Him because I realized just how much God wants to be involved. Even if God knows all the dirt or secrets in my life. He loves me.
LUCIA R.
Story coming...
JACOB S.
Story coming...
JAIMEE V.
Story coming...
ZADRIELIS V.
Story coming...
EVAN W.
When I was little, we would go to church all the time, then it slowly turned into every few weeks, then just some holidays. I spent a lot of time away from church, until my brother told us about BridgePointe. I have always believed in God but I never really made Him a part of my life. When I started coming to church, I learned more about Christianity and realized I have not been following Christ very well. I began to make him a part of my daily life, and noticed a pretty big difference in my attitude and outlook on life and obstacles I face. I never understood what people meant when they said they felt God until I was in a motorcycle accident. At first, I was angry and thought, "Why did this happen to me?" until my mom reminded me how much worse it could have been. She told me somebody was definitely looking out for me and when she said that, I felt Him. I knew everything would be ok. I now have a more positive outlook on life and challenges. I know Christ will guide me and God has a plan for everyone.
SAM W.
I’ve always had some belief in the Lord, but it was always accompanied by some doubts, which in turn always made me very anxious because I felt like I didn’t know the truth. But getting closer to Jesus and truly believing in Him has helped me to be a happier, less worried person and has led me to the truth.