I have been attending Schweitzer Church for the past six years, during which time I heard about the annual river baptism event through the announcements and from different church leaders. This river baptisms event is a community event where everyone is invited to watch and support those being baptized in the Finley River.
When we first started coming to Schweitzer, I was not in a place where I felt fully ready to give my life to Christ. We had recently moved churches, COVID lockdowns had just begun, and it was challenging to get connected during the first few years we were here. Before confirmation, I decided to wait and see if I wanted to be baptized after that, along with my confirmands at the conclusion of our lessons. The time came to decide, and I felt like if I chose to get baptized, it would be a decision of convenience and not obedience. So again, I waited, and in the early summer of 2024, I felt it put on my heart that this was the time I needed to commit to Christ. It was then that my brother and I both signed up to be participants in the upcoming baptism celebration.
Baptism is such a sacred experience, and to make that choice in my walk with God in such a public way was really special. While I believe every form of baptism is righteous, river baptisms in particular hold a very biblical background. Rivers were the main place that John the Baptist baptized disciples and other followers of Christ, including Jesus himself! Along with this, the public nature of a river baptism shows that you are not only ready to move forward with God on a deeper level, but you are willing to share that publicly with your church family and any other community members who may come out to support!
This year’s River Baptisms and Church Picnic will be on July 27, at Finley River Park at 5pm. If you or someone you know has been considering getting baptized, I encourage you to take that next step. It was a wonderful experience to participate in, and it was just as fun to come out and witness how Christ is moving in our communities in the Ozarks.
JOIN US ON JULY 27 @ 5PM FOR RIVER BAPTISMS & CHURCH PICNIC!
If you are interested in being baptized, visit: schweitzer.church/river
