Adult Baptism at Outer Eastern Lutheran Church, Lilydale

Outer Easter Lutheran Church celebrated a very special event on Easter Sunday.

We were blessed to have Bishop Lester baptise JJ, who had come to the strong personal conviction that he wished to be baptised.

It has been a long time since OELC has been able to celebrate an adult baptism, and it gave us great joy to share this occasion with JJ and his family.

JJ spent considerable time working his way through the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand’s publication ‘God for Us’.  This small book has been produced as a guide for adults new to the Christian faith, and provides an outline and explanation of the key beliefs and understandings of Christianity and the teachings of the Lutheran Church.

JJ was helped in this journey by Barry Petering, a long-time member of the congregation.  Barry worked one-on-one with JJ, responding to questions and filling in the gaps.

This time last year, the congregation celebrated its own renewal as it transitioned from a pastor-centric model to a lay-led model.  It has been a year filled with blessings and many learnings.

Photos supplied by Sabine Haeusler