Jordan got baptised!

By Andrew Oldfield, Canberra Labouring Community.

One of the highlights of this year’s ministry at ADFA was seeing one of the cadets, Jordan, get baptised. I’d met Jordan for the first time at the start of the year as I started with Navigators at ADFA. Before this he had met with Thomas, another staff worker, in 2021 when COVID had often made it impossible to meet in person.

Andrew (left) has come alongside Jordan at ADFA, and was there to support Jordan at his baptism.

Jordan had had a dramatic conversion experience after seeing his dad healed from a life threatening situation four years earlier. Before ADFA, he’d been involved in a school Bible study in Year 11 and 12, as well as attending a local Church. He hadn’t been able to get settled into a Canberra Church during COVID, but is a real sponge, enthusiastic and motivated to learn about his faith. When we met, as well as discussing weekly goings on in his life, we worked through the Navigators 2:7 study book; Growing Strong in God’s Family: Rooted and Built Up in Him. This was a helpful resource as it covers some of the basics of the faith, and the Navigators approach to discipleship and growing with God. As we met together it became apparent that Jordan’s background had meant that many of the things we talked about were unfamiliar to him.

During Study 5 in the book, we discussed our assurance of salvation (1 John 5:11-12). Jordan sheepishly said that he was embarrassed to say that he hadn’t been baptised. It seemed like no one at his church or school Bible study had got to know him enough to cover what baptism meant in any of their talks. This had left him too embarrassed to bring it up, as well as worried that he’d left it too late after becoming a Christian. I was able to reassure him, talk about what baptism meant, and said I’d help him through the process of getting baptised. By God’s providence, the church which Jordan had started attending was having a baptism information night that week. The baptism service was held the next month, and Jordan was happily baptised.

Praise God for the growth in faith in Jordan’s life and the way Navigators was able to help him take this step in his faith. I think this episode is a great illustration of the value of the Navigators ministry model. It takes time to get to know people, and to understand where they’re at and what their needs are. It’s a privilege to come alongside cadets like Jordan at ADFA, to be with him at his baptism and continue to support him next year at RMC. And I’m thankful for all of those who support me, enabling me to do this.