Water Baptism

Raised to Life (another reason for water baptism)

If you go to our website and read about being baptized in water, you'll find a lot of great information there. (See for yourself... freedomkw.com/baptism) I was re-reading it today and found myself with a "yes and amen" to all the reasons that baptism is important:

  • It is obedience to Christ's Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20;

  • It follows the example of Jesus;

  • It follows the example of the Early Church;

  • It confirms identification with Christ;

  • It is a testimony of the change in your life.

But our study of the book of Colossians in April and May brought water baptism freshly to my mind and heart. The way that Paul describes the spiritual transaction that baptism models is incredible.

11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
— Colossians 2:11-14

When you are baptized, you are being obedient to Jesus, following His example and making a public declaration of your faith in Him... but you are also making a powerful statement to yourself. Your identity has changed... or, more accurately, has been realigned with who you were created to be as a child of God. Your whole self (identity) that was focused on you is dead and buried and your life is made new because of your faith in Christ's death and resurrection. You were dead and God made you alive.

Baptism doesn't save you or make you a "real" Christian. No action can do that, only receiving Christ can. But it is still given to us as a powerful step to take as believers to mark the fact that we have truly been raised to life.

We are planning two opportunities for water baptism this year: July 30 and December 31. If you have a relationship with Jesus and have never been baptized in water, I challenge you to take this step. You can learn more on our website (freedomkw.com/baptism) or talk to any of our pastoral staff (our contact information is on our website). If you are ready to be baptized but these dates don't work for you, just let us know and we'll happily fill up the tank and celebrate this moment with you on another day!

Grateful to be alive in Christ,
Pastor Tracy


THIS SUNDAY

SUNDAY, JUNE 25 @ 10am
IN CONTEXT
Philippians 4:13
Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

For the Common Good (the Spirit working out loud)

On Sunday we heard the Holy Spirit working in an "out loud" way through a message of tongues and interpretation. I mentioned that we find teaching about this in scripture, specifically 1 Corinthians 12 & 14. I know that this might be a new experience for some or it's been a long time since you heard a word for the church in that way.

Pastor Del's course Life in the Spirit, which was referenced by Pastor Erin in her message, has a lesson on the gifts of the Spirit that you will find helpful. You'll notice that it's the 8th lesson in the course and so, of course, I highly recommend going through the whole thing! But still, it's a great start or refresher if you're wondering why hearing a message from God in a church service isn't weird or out of order, even if you've never experienced it yourself.

Click here or on the image and enjoy a deeper dive into the scriptures. If you have any questions, you can reach out to any of us on staff. We would look forward to it!

In Christ,
Pastor Tracy

PS - 10 points if you can figure out where the title of this devo comes from!


THIS SUNDAY

EMPOWERED
The Holy Spirit in Old Testament Miracles
Pastor Tracy Dunham

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

A Step of Obedience (water baptism on 5th Sunday)

In the fall of 2020, Pastor did an excellent job helping us understand what it means that we are new creations in Christ and how water baptism symbolizes this amazing truth. If you didn't get a chance to listen or watch, be sure to check it out here, including the Q&A afterward.

I hope that you've heard by now that there will be an opportunity to be baptized in water on 5th Sunday, May 29th, during our service. If you or someone you know is considering baptism, allow me to reiterate what it's all about. Here is the first page of what you'll find on our website:

So if you've made a decision to follow Jesus and you've never been baptized in water, this is the perfect opportunity. Just click the image above and read about your next step. And, of course, don't hesitate to give me a shout if you have any questions!

In Christ,
Pastor Tracy


THIS SUNDAY

EMPOWERED
The Holy Spirit in Old Testament Leadership
Pastor Erin Jamieson

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+YouTube Live)

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

The New Creation (all about water baptism)

Pastor did an excellent job helping us understand what it means that we are new creations in Christ and how water baptism symbolizes this amazing truth. If you didn't get a chance to listen or watch, be sure to check it out here, including the Q&A afterward.

I hope that you've heard by now that there will be an opportunity to be baptized in water on 5th Sunday, November 29th, during our service. If you or someone you know is considering baptism, allow me to reiterate what it's all about. Here is the first page of what you'll find on our website:

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So if you've made a decision to follow Jesus and you've never been baptized in water, this is the perfect opportunity. Just click the button at the top of the page and read about your next step. And, of course, don't hesitate to give me a shout if you have any questions!

In Christ,
Pastor Tracy

PS - Fast & Pray Days are still happening and it's not too late to join in. Jump into our Connecting Point Facebook Group for guided prayer and other encouragement for the week!


This Sunday

THE NEW NORMAL
The New Tithe

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Shout Out To The Men! (and a little on water baptism)

I love Father's Day... except figuring out how to help my kids get a gift for Rob... but otherwise, it's a great day. I have a lot of great men in my life: my husband, my dad, my father-in-law, my brother, and on it goes. The men who call Freedom their church home stand out as examples of honesty, humility and service. So many of you are like the men from Issachar who understood the times and knew what to do. (1 Chronicles 12:32) Really, I am so blessed. I know that my son can look at his family at church or home and see example after example of men who are following Christ. So, l'm glad that we got to celebrate you guys on Sunday. I pray for all of you that:

...out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
— Ephesians 3:16-19

And while we're talking about great things in church life... if you have made a decision to follow Jesus but haven't been baptized in water, it would be our honour to help you take that step of obedience. All the information you need about why we believe in water baptism and what steps you need to take to get baptized can be found by clicking the link below. Maybe this is what's next for you!

See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy


This Sunday

Speaking The Truth
"Generosity Leads to Blessing (I Can’t Afford to Be Generous)”

Join us on Sunday at 10am as our Pastor Tracy continues in our series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

What are you doing New Year's Eve Eve? (all about what to do with your blessing)

5th Sunday means…

If you're new to Freedom, here's the deal. When a month has five Sundays we take the fifth one and do something special that emphasizes church life and we take the time to share a meal together.

So, as you're eating leftover turkey and trying to figure out where to tuck away all of those stocking stuffers, here's what you can look forward to on Sunday.

See you there!
Pastor Tracy


Prayer for 2019

Last Sunday and on Christmas Eve we made ornaments that shared our prayers for 2019. This Sunday we're going to do something special with those prayers that will encourage you all year long. I can't wait for that!

Plus, at the end of the service we will give you and/or your family the opportunity to receive a prayer of blessing from one of our leadership couples. This is such a highlight of my year.

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Water Baptism

If you have made a decision to follow Christ, it would be our absolute joy to facilitate your water baptism. Click the button for all the information you need or give Pastor Tracy a shout.

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Soup Potluck

Back by popular demand... the soup potluck. You know what to do. Bring your favourite soup to share and perhaps a dessert to help us finish off this amazing meal. We'll provide the buns!

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This Sunday

THE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS
Blessed & Blessing

Join us on Sunday at 10am as our Speaking Team shares.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

A Step of Obedience (a great way to end 2018!)

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Talking about our faith can be intimidating. It brings up a bunch of insecurities and worries about whether we are equipped to answer questions, how people will respond and if we're going to alienate our friends, families and co-workers. And yet, I don't think anyone would argue the point that we are definitely called to boldly share our faith and tell others about the life-transforming power of Christ in our lives.

One of the incredibly important ways we do this is to be baptized in water. When we choose to get into that water we are saying to everyone gathered that Christ is the centre of our lives and we are committed to living for Him and in Him forever.

While water baptism isn't usually done in front of a crowd of unbelievers, it is a testimony to your friends, family and church (and whoever you invite!) of who Jesus is. It builds our faith and reminds of the importance of setting our lives apart for God. It's absolutely one of my favourite things in church life.

If you have made a decision to follow Christ and have never been baptized in water this is your chance to take that step of obedience. We have set aside time in our 5th Sunday service on December 30th for baptisms and it would be our JOY to facilitate this for you!

If you want to learn more, here is a link to the information we provide to people who are interested in getting baptized - it's a great resource.

I know we have a lot of things on-the-go between now and the end of the month but don't miss your opportunity to tell everyone about your decision to follow Jesus on 5th Sunday.

Looking forward to continuing to celebrate Advent with you this weekend!
Pastor Tracy


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This Sunday

THE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS
The Gift of Grace

Join us on Sunday at 10am as Erin continues our Advent series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

The Gifts of Christmas (what you can look forward to this season)

Around here we are in full Christmas season mode. Our decorations are being pulled out, our website graphics are changing, our rehearsals are in the works... it's going to be a lot of fun!

There are three really important things happening that we want to make sure you have on your minds, hearts and calendars over the next few weeks. Let's get ready for Christmas!

Looking forward to beginning Advent with you,

Pastor Tracy


Warm Gloves Tree for Ray of Hope

In continuation of our support of Ray of Hope, this year we will be collecting warm gloves for them to give to those in need. Starting Sunday you'll see a Christmas tree in the lobby that you can decorate with the gloves you bring in to donate.

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Christmas Eve Invitation

We have added some fun, interactive and family-friendly activities to our Christmas Eve service. We want everyone in our community to hear about Jesus and we're making it as easy as possible for you to invite everyone you know. I mean, you wouldn't go to a party unless you knew you were invited, right?

Invitation cards will be available soon!

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5th Sunday Celebration

Did you know that December has five Sundays? That's right! So we're planning a very special service for December 30th that will celebrate church life and help to launch us into the new year. Here are the highlights...

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This Sunday

THE GIFTS OF CHRISTMAS
The Gift of Expectancy

Join us on Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy begins our Advent series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

🙌 5th Sunday is Here! (you're going to want to get excited)

Why do we make such a big deal about a month with five Sundays? We know it's great every time that we get together and we celebrate life-change through Christ every Sunday. 5th Sundays just give us an excuse to celebrate in a bit of a different way.

So, this Sunday, come ready for something a bit out of the ordinary. Come ready to celebrate being a part of the Church who worships!

We're hoping to have an outdoor service in church picnic style so here's what you need to know to get ready...

  1. Dress for the weather.
  2. Bring a lawn chair and umbrella or sun shelter if you have one.
  3. Bring a couple of picnic-type dishes to share.
  4. We'll provide a popsicle/ice cream-type dessert and lots of water.

We're going to celebrate how the church has worshipped together through the decades, have "special music", celebrate a water baptism and even have a chance for some testimonies. You won't want to miss it!

Service starts at 10:00am and the picnic will follow.
(We'll be indoors if the weather doesn't cooperate. Rain or shine, come excited!)

Can't wait to see you then,
Pastor Tracy


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This Sunday...

THE SUMMER OF COURAGE
Daniel

Join us on Sunday at 10am as Bjorn shares this incredible story of courage.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.