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An Afternoon by the Pool

An Afternoon by the Pool

Loughborough Seventh-day Adventist Church welcomed another individual into fellowship in September 2021.

Vivienne Barratt-Peacock

Caleb Barratt-Peacock (aged 11) was very excited on the morning of Sabbath 11th September 2021, as the day of his baptism had finally arrived. It was originally arranged for 21st March 2020, the day our churches shut their doors due to COVID-19, so Caleb had to wait a while for his baptism.
 
Loughborough Seventh-day Adventist Church does not have a building or a baptistery, so his baptism took place in the garden of one of the members. Caleb was baptised by Pastor John Ferguson with Loughborough's Pastor, Jonathan Holder, sending a personal message and joining online from the United States. The weather was kind, and church members, friends, family and neighbours enjoyed an afternoon in the sunshine. Others could not be there in person due to COVID-19 limiting numbers, but they joined online, with the furthest being from Australia! One benefit of the pandemic has been the ability to worship with people who are separated geographically. Due to the outdoor setting, we were finally able to sing, which was greatly missed during the long period the church was closed.


 
Caleb had invited a number of his school friends, some of whom came in person and some watched online with their families. Caleb enjoys spending time with his neighbours, most of whom are elderly. For some of our neighbours who came to celebrate with Caleb, the service was very moving, reminding them of long-forgotten church experiences from their youth. We pray that God will continue to work on their hearts and show us how best to share his love with them in the weeks and months to come. We hope that the pool will see many more choosing to be baptised in future years.
 
Caleb is clear that he wants to continue to serve God all of his life. His favourite Bible verses are from Jude, and we pray that as Caleb continues his journey, he will do like the words of Jude 20-21 say,

"But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."
 
You can view a video of the baptism here: https://youtu.be/Yau_BKSvr38