Hi! My name is Caitlin. I grew up as an only child, and I’ve been attending New Life for about 4 months now. My mom is Christian, but my dad is atheiest so I grew up knowing a little bit about the Christian faith and Jesus, but we didn’t attend church or anything like that. I knew of a few stories from the bible and how Jesus died on the cross, but I didn’t really have a personal relationship with God. When people would ask me if I believed in God, I would say I did, not really knowing what that meant. My life and purpose on earth didn’t really reflect my faith at the time, and I didn’t know how to pray or read the bible. 

From 5th grade to 8th grade, I attended a Christian school where I learned about Christianity and the deeper meaning of having a relationship with God. This is where I started reading the bible and praying and having a relationship with God. I will forever be grateful to the school for creating opportunities to learn about God and explore faith. However, a majority of the time, it felt more like something was obligated to do rather than something I chose to do, as it was tied to grades and required attendance. My relationship with God at the time was very surface-level. I didn’t want to read the bible or pray outside of class on my own. I graduated from this school at the beginning of COVID. The lockdown period was a really lonely time for me. I only had one close friend then, and that friendship wasn’t very healthy, which made that time even more difficult. Because of this, I found myself turning to God. I started reading the bible again, talking to God, and building a personal relationship with Him. 

Once I started really knowing God on a personal level, I saw how God was working in my life. I truly began to understand the weight and significance of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, and that He has saved me from death. Because of this, I can now have a relationship with God, and my sins are forgiven. For me, baptism represents a fresh beginning for me and my faith in God, as well as leaving behind my past and stepping into a new life, trusting God and His plan. 

I want to live my life for God and follow the way Jesus calls us to live. I hope to continue growing in my faith and becoming closer to Him each day. I strive to treat everyone with love, compassion, patience, and understanding while trusting in God and His plan. I want to spend intentional time in prayer and studying in His word. I know that I will not be perfect, but I want to keep growing and learning every day, always striving to become a better person and relying on God to guide me and help me grow. I want to live in a way where my actions reflect God’s love, not just with my words, so people can see His light in me and know that He’s real. 

I ask that you continue to support and pray for my journey in faith with Christ. I still have a lot to learn, and I am really grateful to have a community to encourage and guide me. Thank you for being a part of my journey, and I hope to continue to grow in my faith and serve my community.

-Caitlin