A New Start

Today was a very special day - four members of our youth group were getting baptised today!

Because it was a special baptism service, all four of the churches combined for this service this morning. We only have a few of these each year. I wanted to arrive at church early as I needed people to sign some baptism cards we had prepared for them, but of course with us Andersons it's always hard to get anywhere on time! Fortunately I was able to call Joylynn at church and ask her if she could pass the cards around.

When I got to church, the service just started, and so I got the remaining people who were yet to sign the cards to come into a side room to do so. The plan was that I would get some people to present the gifts to the four people as they went up on stage after their baptism to receive their certificate. Well...that was the original plan...

After the sermon was over, it was time for the baptisms! Aonghas was out all morning filming the make-up of someone's wedding, so I was anxiously waiting for him to return. He didn't make it in time though, so it was up to me to film the baptisms! Tim had his camera, so at least there was someone to take photos!

One by one, Andrew, Wei, Angie and Grace went into the pool (which is on the stage) where our youth pastor Karvin asked them a few questions, to which they said 'I do'. After that, they were submerged in the water and officially baptised!

They went into the toilets to dry up while others from the other churches got baptised, and a choir from one of the other churches performed.

As they performed, I was frantically discussing with some of the others whether we were meant to present the gifts as they came on stage to receive their certificates, or if we should just give them their gifts after the service. In the end we decided to give the gifts to them after the service. PHEW!

The guys came on stage to receive their certificates and were each given a bouquet of flowers.

At the end of the service, we got all the youth group together ready to take photos with the newly-baptised guys! The only problem - everyone else was hogging the stage! We decided to storm the stage and hold our ground! After managing to round everyone up, we got our photos taken, and then it was off for lunch!

It was pie time for lunch - beef or chicken! When I went to get beef, the guy told me there were only chicken left, so I took a chicken pie. That kind soul Rebecca offered to swap her beef pie with mine. When we went outside to sit with everyone else, I bit into my pie only to discover it was a chicken pie, while she bit into a beef pie!

It was a really nice day, everyone just sitting outside in the kindergarten eating and talking together. There were quite a few pies left over! It was just a shame I had to leave soon to help Aonghas film a wedding!

Congratulations, Andrew, Angie, Grace and Wei on your baptism! May this be a new and exciting chapter in your spiritual life! :D

(Thanks Tim for the photos!)