We thank God for the gift of baptism

We have been blessed with a run of baptisms at the Alice Springs Lutheran Church this year, twenty of them since June and a few more to come.

As a pastor or congregation, we might like to take credit for this, but Martin Luther reminds us who is really to thank. ‘I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith’ (Explanation to the Third Article of the Creed).

The Holy Spirit has been at work calling, gathering, enlightening and sanctifying, and we have been blessed to welcome the following people into our church community.

June 1: Edward Bell
June 15: Perry Johnson
July 6: Antonio Brokus
July 20: Jarryd Kenny, Sharon Rousch, Della Gill and Quanisha Gill
August 3: Florrie-ann Wells
August 10: Darnell McDonald, Jennell McDonald and Aalyaih Doolan
August 17: Hezekiah Young, Kyle Sampson and Gemma Spencer
August 31: Lemar Braybon
September 7: Dawn Giles
September 14: Juleo and Brendan Clyne
October 12: Baydon Fishook and Latrell Peel

This is not to mention the baptisms that take place at Yirara College and remote communities throughout Central Australia.

Of course, we experience the same challenges as other congregations: how to encourage these people and their families in their ongoing life of faith, how to connect with them in meaningful ways and ensure the seed of faith that has been planted is watered and grows. In some ways this is even more challenging in Alice Springs with our transient population.

But we trust that God, who has welcomed each of these sons and daughters through baptism, will also remain true to his promise, ‘Surely I am with you always, even until the end of the age’ (Matt 28:20). We thank God for his gift of baptism.

Pastor Ben Pfeiffer is pastor at Alice Springs Lutheran Church.