Pastor's Weekly Update

MAY 12, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

This Sunday we will have more baptisms in our church— seven people to be exact.  And these are, in the words of Executive Pastor Frank De Luccio, “Payday for our church!”  Baptisms help us realize that God is at work here in our church by using all of us to help lives change.

We aren’t a church that tries to maximize our numbers at all costs and at the expense of baptizing people who aren’t really ready or spiritually qualified for baptism.  Unfortunately, I know that there are churches that do this because I’ve heard the stories of people getting baptized and then thinking that baptism made them a Christian (among other things).  Needless to say, it does not.  How sad.

However, we want as many of the right people as possible to be baptized.  People who have actually become Christians, who have taken the Baptism Orientation Class and understand baptism, and who have written their faith stories out for us to evaluate for baptisms.  These are the right people.

I hope that you get as excited about baptisms in Sunday services as our Staff, Elders, Trustees, and LEAD Team do.  Because by attending services, welcoming new guests, giving generously, and inviting people to join you here, you have made it all possible.

Best of all, these baptisms reflect lives changed by Jesus Christ.  God is the life-changer, we’re just the people He uses in the process.  And when people see God change their lives, arguments against whether God exists, or whether our faith is real, begin to lose their meaning for this simple reason: you can’t argue with a radically changed life of godliness and holiness!

Thanks for all of you who make this happen through your investment of time, talent and treasure.  I’m absolutely sure that you couldn’t make a better investment with your life.

Warmly,
Vince