PRAISE NOTES:
We encourage all of our IARBC Churches and our IARBC Missionary Churches to email PRAISE NOTES to us like the following one from Calvary Baptist Church in Grinnell. If you can include pictures that would be great but we would love to share your PRAISE NOTES even when you have no pictures. We will place these PRAISE NOTES on our website and let you know in our UPDATE when they are there. I think this kind of PRAISE NOTE honors God, encourage the brethren by letting us hear how God is answering our prayers for our sister churches and encourages us to pray more diligently and more knowledgeably for one another.
PRAISE NOTES from Calvary Baptist Church in Grinnell
Sunday, Feb. 5, we had the privilege of baptizing a dad, mom, and their 2 children all together. They've been attending our church for about 2 years. This couple was saved about 14 years ago in an AOG church in Oskaloosa, but had never been baptized. Their teenage son was led to Christ by our youth pastor, Dan Cox, in April of 2011. Their 7 year-old daughter came to Pastor Johnston after the morning service in June of 2011, and he led her to the Lord.
It was a great victory when they all came forward to present themselves for baptism and membership in our church! This is a rarity to have the privilege of baptizing an entire household together! I read the account of the Philippian jailor before the baptismal service, and shared how Scripture indicates that his whole household BELIEVED, were BAPTIZED, and REJOICED together. About a dozen of their relatives came to witness their baptism, including a sister that came all the way from Wyoming.
I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to go with this article (although a video was taken), but surely it was recorded in Heaven and was the cause of much rejoicing and thanksgiving there and in our church family. We're praying this will encourage others who need to make similar decisions for Christ, as we average about 30 non-members attending our services every Sunday. Praise God from Whom all blessing flow!
Pastor Don Johnston
Calvary Baptist Church
Grinnell