Saturday, May 10, 2014

Baptism in Holland, Part 1

When we arrived in Holland last November, the Dutch Church of God held a Baptismal service. Now, since only one of the 4 congregations meets in a place with a Baptistry, baptismal services are also Unity services, which is nice.

That first Sunday we were over here, there were 5 people who entered the waters of Baptism, publicly declaring their faith in Jesus.

This Easter Sunday, there was another Baptism/Unity service, where 13 people declared their faith in Jesus.

The Dutch Church is quite a diverse blend, really a microcosm of the Kingdom of God.

For instance, at our Easter services, there were maybe 200-250 people present. And yet, in that number, there were roughly 16 nationalities represented, and several languages spoken: Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish, Farsi, Arabic, et. al.

Here's a pic from the "Pulpit-Cam," a.k.a. Dan's iPhone.
I had the pleasure of preaching the Easter morning service. This sermon was spoken in English and Dutch. :-)
English by yours truly, and Dutch by Pastor Bert Hage.










Here's a great picture of an Iraqi woman giving her testimony in Arabic, which is translated into French, and then translated into Dutch!












One great thing about this baptistry is its location, down in the floor. Thus, in order to really see, you either have to be physically standing around it or have a video projection up on the wall. Why not have both?!?








The children pack around the opening in the floor, getting an up close and personal view of the rituals of baptism! 


What a great teaching tool!!!! And the rest of us get to see the immersion take place up on the wall!

















In the Church of God, baptism is done by immersion, and is a sign of the individual having chosen to follow Jesus (Ref.: Anabaptists, Believer's Baptism).
















This past Easter was truly a time of great worship as the entire Dutch Church of God gathered together to worship our Risen Savior, and a time of great celebration as we witnessed so many testifying to their new life through the act of baptism.



Our first Easter in Holland was really quite a long and busy day, but a joyous one nonetheless!