Citylight practices believer's baptism. The pattern of scripture is a pattern of believers who make a conscious choice to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ. Baptism is for those who have accepted the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and want to publicly proclaim the name of Jesus. This past Sunday at the West location we heard story after story of Jesus saving and bringing life from death. Rachelle Benson and Karen Zink each got baptized and shared with our church family how Jesus saved and changed them. Read their testimonies below:
Rachelle Benson's story
"I heard about Christ from an early age and was baptized as an infant. My parents created a home where I knew I was encouraged and loved. My brothers and I attended Catholic elementary school and where we attended church. I knew the key Bible stories, however, I did not have a relationship with God or even understood what it meant. Through High School and college I attended church mainly at Christmas and Easter. During that time my priorities were my involvement in many activities, my education, and celebrating personal achievements.
My schedule was consistently full. I found comfort in extensive organization, getting knowledge, detailed plans, and being organized and in control. After college I married my wonderful husband and we had our son. My days did not slow down from ambitious achievements that led to a strain on myself, my marriage, and my relationships. That's when I realized how tired I was. I was attempting to fill a void with my own efforts.
I will be eternally grateful when one of my best friends from college invited me to attend a gathering at the Midtown location. I visited a few other churches in Omaha but none of them felt right. When I attended Citylight that was the first time I really enjoyed the message. Chris talked super fast and maybe a little louder than necessary but he spoke of the truth and he spoke it from scripture. Everything about the gathering motivated me to want to go again. And after attending Midtown periodically for about a year, the West location opened and was thrilled that my husband and I started to attend there regularly.
God was slowly working in me for the next couple of years as I considered baptism. I never felt worthy. My achievements told me the lie that I had not done enough. And the year 2020 came. In January we experienced a miscarriage with our second child. In February I quit a job that I was really comfortable with. In March the pandemic hit and my new job went completely remote. In May my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly and in June we found out we were expecting. The second half of the year passed slowly. I was isolated working from home, attempting to process the loss of two loved ones and undergoing physical pregnancy pain and unrelenting nausea. That painful year finally ended and our daughter was born in January of 2021. I logically knew that 2020 was the most difficult year of my life and it was only by my faith in the Lord that I got through it.
Unfortunately I did not slow down much. I jumped right back into work and into those same controlling habits. Baptism was still on my mind and I continued to feel not good enough. After that I started attending the Women's Bible Study on Tuesday nights. My husband and I co-launched a City Group with some close friends. We were serving regularly at church and I was spending time in scripture more than I ever had. And then I had another friend encourage me to do the Bible Recap where you read the entire Bible in a year and I finally did that in 2023. It was transformational. There were so many eye opening moments, and heart changing moments as I learned who God really was.
It became clear that my years of misplaced priorities led me to be tired, empty and striving for fulfillment that I couldn't achieve on my own. He's sustained me through that incredibly painful year and it is my trust and faith in God that continues to save me on hard days. I know He is my salvation, my rock, and my joy. My heart's desire to please Him grows every day and my frequent prayer the past few years is for Him to help me see how I can best glorify Him every day.
He made that clear last year where in July I quit my job and became a full time stay at home mom. I finally gave up control and put my trust in the Lord. Being able to slow down and serve my family has been a tremendous blessing. It's been a precious gift that I would never have had without God in my life. Then last fall at Tuesday night Bible study, we studied Romans 6. In verse 4 it says "We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
While driving home that night, I felt overwhelming warmth and comfort and happiness as I thought of God the Father. He knows me fully and He loves me fully no matter what. There's nothing more that I can do or memorize or accomplish to make Him love me anymore. I am enough. I felt so much joy. It was then I finally accepted the fact that there was no reason to wait to get baptized. I wanted to publicly share that joy with you today. My Father loves me. Jesus Christ saved me. And the Spirit continually works in and through me for His glory every day. The verse that is now on my heart is 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Karen Zink's story
"About 20 years ago I went to Texas for a small business I worked with at the time. There was a small church there that my sister and I decided to go to. My whole world changed that day. I witnessed people worshipping with joy and freedom I never saw before. I was determined to figure out what I had experienced. I called a few people I knew that had a strong faith so that I could ask them all sorts of questions.
With their help I decided to start reading the Bible and looked for a church where I could experience that same feeling. I found a small church where my kids went for parents day out. The church was incredible walking beside me during that time. We attended that church for many years and raised our kids there. There wasn't a certain day or time, but ever since that one day, 20 years ago, my life started to change. Very slow change but very drastically also.
I was raised Catholic and I believed in God but it wasn't until after that service that I started to realize what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ. With the help of my church community I also realized that I had been separated from God because of my sins. I was not able to do anything at all on my part to get forgiveness on my own. This was great news. I didn't have to. That was done only from God through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. I finally had that relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
I am so thankful to God every day for never giving up on me and pursuing me to turn my life over to Him. I used to be quite a private person and, sad to say, also very selfish and judgmental. I was very into self help and always trying to fill a void in my life. Now when I mess up - and I do mess up daily - I turn quicker to Christ for forgiveness. I now want to spend my time, money, and energy towards things that glorify God and not myself. I have a bigger person in life that is beyond me and that is exciting to me.
Old patterns and old habits are not easy to change but through Christ, it is possible and can be done. I don't ever want a day to go by that I do things for my own benefit or say things that hurt people or judge anyone. Those days are in my past and I am so incredibly thankful for this new life in Christ. I want to be obedient to where Christ is leading me. I am being baptized as an outward symbol of all the changes on the inside. I am excited to take this step today. I am thankful even though I fall short I am still saved by Christ by His ultimate sacrifice for our sins."
