Baptism

Baptism 09.14.2025

Brielle Bollinger

Hi everyone, thanks for coming! So for those of you who don't know I attend Lancaster County Christian school. This is my fourth year there and I've been there since seventh grade and I am a sophomore there this year. Growing up i"ve had an amazing Christian influence on my life - mainly my parents but also my friends. My parents both grew up Christian with Christian parents, and I think that is a huge help in my life because my parents are my best friends and they push me spiritually, which is why I'm here. I've been blessed enough to go to a Christian school where I have the opportunity to worship him and it gives me an opportunity to really know God outside of just Sundays or youth groups. In sixth grade we wrestled with changing schools from public to private. But looking back now I'm so incredibly thankful I did. I think being at a Christian school really allowed me to have a personal relationship with him where as in a public school it was much more of a surface relationship.

I remember in sixth grade I gave my life to the Lord through prayer with my parents one night in my room when I felt Jesus inviting me to give my life to him. When I was younger the topic of baptism came up a lot throughout the years just because of my parents and friends in my life but it wasn't until Sixth grade that I really took it on seriously and decided to invest and pursue him forever. Although we go to church every Sunday, I struggled with having a lukewarm relationship. At times I would have a very very high month where every sec I got I was in the word and investing my time into him. Then the next month I couldn't open my bible. The more and more I hung out around people who were on fire for Christ or I listened to worship music and turned my attention to Godly things instead of things of this world, a switch in my mind flipped and I became a billboard for Christ. I heard someone once say "your life should make people curious about Christ, not comfortable in sin" And that was just another reason for me to give my life to Christ once I heard that. Recently in the past year I have felt this overwhelming peace over me from the Lord, with things like anxiety or stress, or worries about my future. And I'm here to just give back everything that the Lord has given my throughout my life and to declare that he is number one in my life.

Then I'll just end with my favorite verse which is Psalm 40:1-3 which says

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    Out of the nud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
     and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.

Leah Bollinger

Thank you for coming today to support me in my decision to publicly dedicate my life to Jesus. I am 12 years old, and I go to school at Lancaster County Christian School. I began to know Jesus by going to church and regularly praying at home with my family. I gave my heart to the Lord when I was about 9 years old in my room praying with my mom. I knew that if I didn't give my heart to the Lord, I would be guilty of not making the right decision. I understand when I die there is eternal life after death, but without Jesus we would be sinners and go to Hell. My Bible teacher tells us that Heaven is a place for people who love God and want to be with Him forever, and it is not a place for people who are afraid of Hell and are just trying to not go to this evil place. God wants to change our lives by calling us and giving us signs, so we will honor him with our lives and love him with our whole heart. My favorite Bible verse is 2nd Corinthians 12:9-"My grace is all you need, for my power is the greatest when you are weak. Today I commit my life and my heart to Jesus Christ.

Baptism 08.10.2025

Justin Weist

I feel like I've always known about Jesus; I don't remember a time when I didn't know about Him. My parents have attended LEFC since the nineties, and they raised me to follow Christ. They helped me accept Him into my heart when I was four years old, enrolled my into a classical Christian school, and helped me grow at LEFC. Over the years, my knowledge of Jesus continued to grow through school and church. I believe my first year of Beach Camp was when I began to get to know God personally, although my relationship with Him periodically felt distant through most of high school. Sometimes I didn't have my relationship with God as my top priority, and I would center my life around sports, friends, or academics. During those times, my relationship with God felt silent. Other times, I centered my life around Him, and I felt closer to Him. 

This gradual development of my personal relationship with God led to Beach Camp this summer. By the second night of the week, I had clearly seen God move. I personally felt God's overwhelming love after the Thursday night session. Rather than simply learning and knowing about God's love like I did in the past, I felt it and recognized it. This sparked an overpowering desire in me to dedicate the rest of my life to Him.

I want to be baptized today to proclaim that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. For the past year, I've asked myself, "Why have I not been baptized yet?" without ever having a good answer. I'd tell myself I just wanted to get to know Him better fist, but I wasn't thinking that I just needed to experience his everlasting love and personally grow closer to Him. John 3:16 perfectly states why I want to get baptized today: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." I personally felt God's love this summer, and now I want to proclaim that I believe in Him.