Launched in 2019, Redeemer Community Church in Minonk, Illinois, experienced a worldwide pandemic during its first year. After that, 2022 brought a challenging season of loss and grief to many church members, but 2023 began with five baptisms, a reminder of new life and hope.
Last year, many church members experienced loss. On January 1, 2022, a beloved member died unexpectedly. Throughout the year, several church members grieved the loss of family members. In October, Pastor Erik Johnson’s 14-year-old nephew died. He received the news just as the Sunday morning worship began. Erik described the suffering that the Redeemer family experienced in 2022 as “a tool that the Lord used to grow us together and increase our dependence on Him.”
However, just as spring growth sprouts out of brown earth, five people wanted to be baptized. On January 1, 2023. four members of one family were baptized: Rick, his wife Teresa, their granddaughter Kristin, and Rick’s sister Chris. Erik said, “It’s been such a joy to see how God is transforming their whole family.” Erik also baptized his 12-year-old son, Charlie. Each person told his or her story, describing who they used to be before they met Jesus and what He has done for them.
One of the women began her testimony by saying, “In my life, I’ve had four abortions, and I debated long and hard about whether to share my testimony with you, but to just gloss over it and say, ‘I was a sinner and now I’ve been saved,’ it takes away from the magnitude of what He did for me at the cross. And He paid too high of a price for me to just say, ‘I was a sinner.’”
Reflecting on the day, Erik said, “I couldn’t have planned for a better way to start the new year! Next to our very first Sunday service, it was my favorite service as a church.”
