A Baptism Journey For A Mother And Daughter

Made New Together:

A Baptism Journey For A mother and daughter

For one Eastside family, this past Easter Sunday became more than a celebration of resurrection—it marked a powerful moment of renewal and unity through baptism.

Christie (mom) shares, “I started going to Eastside in 2013. Like a lot of people, I was raised going to church and had gotten away from it for several years. I didn’t know any churches in the area and didn’t know where to start to find one. My mother passed away in January of that year and I think it was the following month my friend invited me to come with her to Eastside. The timing was perfect and I loved it here.”

She soon began attending regularly and bringing her daughters along. “I think Lauren was 8 and Samantha was 3 when they started (attending Kidside).”

Over time, she witnessed many baptisms and often imagined what it might be like to take that step with her daughters. “As the girls were getting older I started thinking it would be amazing for us 3 to get baptized together. We had talked about it too but Samantha didn’t want to wait.” Samantha chose to be baptized last July following HSM Summer Camp. “I was so proud of her that she wanted to take this step independently at 14 years old.”

Months later, Lauren asked if they should be baptized together on Easter.

“I was so excited she still wanted to do this together and I had always imagined being baptized on Easter. I love the symbolism of being buried and risen in Christ when you go under the water. It reminds me that Jesus died for us and was resurrected again. Together we washed away our sins and were given new life in Christ Jesus as his followers. It gives me hope for the future that I will see Jesus and my mom again. I will forever cherish this special day we shared together.”

Lauren’s journey, like her mom’s, was shaped by both distance and rediscovery.

“As my mom shared, she started taking me to Eastside when I was around 8 years old. However, I didn’t really choose to go to church on my own, since I was so young,” Lauren shares. “Once I started high school, I finally decided to go for my own sake, but within the following months COVID hit and I grew distant. During high school I had busied myself with an array of activities and church was honestly one of the furthest things from my mind.”

It wasn’t until college that things began to change.

“After moving hundreds of miles away from home for college, I finally realized that I needed Him in my life. I was an anxious mess, fell in with the wrong crowd, and honestly became someone that I knew I was not. In January 2024, I was invited to a local church in my college town and began my journey back to our Savior!!”

Since then, she’s been serving with Kids Ministries in both her local church and here at Eastside. Learn more about volunteering at eastside.com/volunteer.

That journey back to faith led her to realize the importance of baptism. “After the insane transformation I have made in the past year, I realized that it was time to be baptized. Similar to my mom, I had thought that I had to be perfect in order to be baptized. I had struggled with the thought that I had to clean up my act first to be worthy of God and His love, but this is so far from the truth. If I have learned anything, it is that He will meet you right where you are. Baptism is not about being perfect, but accepting His love and declaring your faith.”

Sharing that moment with her mom brought deep meaning to both of them.

mother and daughter

“I couldn’t have been more proud that I was able to share this next step in my spiritual journey with my mom. She has always been my biggest supporter and inspiration in everything, so being able to watch her grow in faith alongside me is something indescribable. I am more than grateful that we decided to be Made New together.”

Lauren’s love and admiration for her mom runs deep.

“I have always admired her attitude towards life and her relationship with God. My favorite thing she tells me is that He has a plan, and I have never believed that more than I do right now.”

For this mother and daughter, Easter wasn’t just a celebration of Christ’s resurrection—it was the day they publicly stepped into new life in Him, side by side.

baptism

Are you ready to take the next step in your faith journey?