“There’s so much power in the simple story of someone saying they’ll follow Jesus and them getting baptised.”
Kate was fostered into a Christian family but had drifted away from the church as an adult. Three years ago, at the age of 48, God spoke to her and prompted her to return to church.
Steve, Kate’s husband and two adult children, were happy for Kate to go to church, but were not interested in going with her.
Shortly after Kate returned to church, Steve became very sick and was hospitalised and ventilated (machines breathing for him) in the intensive care unit. Doctors weren’t sure what was going on, and were not sure if he would survive. Kate’s church prayed significantly for Steve and his family.
Steve’s recovery was astounding and soon he was discharged from hospital. When he was discharged, he began to read the Bible and ask questions about God. The Pastor from Kate’s church, met with Steve and prayed with him, encouraging him to continue to read his Bible and talk to God.
Steve’s health declined and he was soon readmitted to hospital. When he was discharged a second time, Steve decided to come to church. Steve would have loud conversations during the service, often breaking into tears. Each time this happened, the Pastor would stop the service, introduce Steve, talk to him and ask if everyone would pray for Steve because he had had a tough time. Steve would settle down, and the service could move on.
Gradually, Steve would call out less. His mental and physical health also began to improve. The pastor met with Kate and Steve again and invited them to Alpha.
“Steven came to Alpha every week and loved it,” his Pastor reflected, “he loved being in the informal space. During Alpha, Steve gave his life to the Lord, knowing exactly what he was doing. A month or so later, Steve said ‘It’s time for me to be baptised,’ knowing exactly what it meant.
Steve was still very stiff from being unwell, and his church didn’t have a built-in baptismal. Kate and Steve had a pool in their backyard, so after the service one week in late-November, they invited everyone from church back to their place for Steve’s baptism.
“If I’m going to follow Jesus, I need everyone to know that’s what I’ve decided,” proclaimed Steve.
Steve told his church that he’d seen how Kate had been loved by the church and that he’d “never seen people love others that much before”. The church’s love for him and Kate, and seeing what God had done in his own life, made him want to follow Jesus.
Steve’s church has made Alpha a regular part of their church’s rhythms and have already locked in the next date for mid-2026. They run Alpha from 4pm on a Sunday, flowing into dinner afterwards. “I think the meal is important,” reflects the pastor, “it’s makes Alpha that much more special and help participants develop strong relationships with each other. Alpha is now very much a staple of our church”.
For information on Alpha and ideas on how to include it in your regular church rhythms, head to Alpha Australia. And for resources and ideas for your own Baptism Sunday, head to Crossover’s Baptism Hub.
