A Momentous Occassion

For many years, I have had anxiety around the subject of baptism.  Specifically, the baptism of my children.  When my older children were babies, I was either not a believer or I was a part of churches that practiced believer's baptism.  Then, when later on I came to agree with covenant theology and joined a Presbyterian church, the younger kids were't babies anymore.  It seemed that we have always been in some "in between" area.  Michael, Rachel and Matthew all were baptized when they became old enough to profess their faith.  I always wanted to have Irene and Abbie baptized when we were at South Point P.C.A. church, but then when the doors of our church closed we moved to a Reformed Baptist church and so we were waiting again, for the time when it was right for them to be baptized.  Now, we are once again in a Presbyterian church, and as we prepared to become members, we were so excited to also prepare to have all of the children baptized who haven't been yet! 

Bobby also has always had a desire to have his children baptized, but it didn't happen for his children for different reasons than mine.  As a military family, they barely ever got to make it through the process of visiting churches and finding the right one before another move was imminent.  Combined with his prolonged absences due to three tours of duty in wars overseas, all of the moving around made church membership (and therefore baptisms!) difficult!  I give you all of this background as a way to fully explain how very meaningful today has been to both Bobby and I, as well as for our children.  Some of them have expressed a deep desire to be part of the covenant family of God, and it makes our heart overflow to have that become a reality for them.  It has also been a long and sometimes discouraging road to finding a church home for us here in Augusta. After so many years (for the Hollinhead family) of being deeply rooted in our family of faith back in Henry county, it was a constant hurt to me to not be involved in fellowship on a regular basis. We visited somewhere every week, but it just didn't seem to "click" until we came to Westminster Presbyterian Church, P.C.A.  There had been other churches that we loved, but no other place that everyone loved, unanimously.  

So....all of this to share with you my joy of having five of our children baptized today, and three of them joining the church with a profession of faith, along with the joining of our whole family with the church.  These five were baptized:

We are extremely grateful for the warm welcome we have found at our new church home.  We are grateful to have a place to worship with fellow believers, and a place for our family to begin to build relationships again.  











Praise to God !!