8+1 Wrestlers Get Baptized!

FCA's mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. FCA cannot take the place of the local church, and we encourage our coaches and wrestlers to get plugged into a local body of believers. So when I was asked to baptize the wrestlers we have been working with at UWEC, at first I hesitated. My heart and mind were flooded with many theological questions about baptism and the right way to carry it out. After searching Scripture, praying, and seeking wise counsel, I was convicted that the Holy Spirit was doing an amazing work in the hearts of these wrestlers, and I was not about to stand in the way of that spiritual freight train! I echoed the thoughts of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts who asked Philip, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

So where do a bunch of Blugold wrestlers go to get baptized in early March? In the flowing Chippewa River, of course, where the water is around 32 degrees! So at sunrise, a group of parents, friends, coaches, and teammates gathered around a small beach near campus and listened as 8 wrestlers shared what the Lord had done for them and why they wanted to be baptized. What a way to start the day!

After the wrestlers were baptized, a man who was in the middle of his morning workout routine came running down to the beach! He told us his story and even prayed to receive Christ right there in front of the crowd! We walked him out to the river and baptized him "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" just as Jesus called us to do before his ascension! What an honor and privilege to partner with YOU in this ministry! THANK YOU!!