Easter Sunday at EC!

March 31, 2024, was an Easter Sunday to remember at Encounter Church—a day filled with joy, celebration, and a reminder that God moves powerfully even when things don’t go as planned.

After our Easter service, little ones prepared for a high-energy Easter egg hunt. With brightly colored eggs tucked into corners and hidden in clever spots, kids of all ages ran, searched, and squealed with excitement. It was a beautiful sight—generations gathered in one place, sharing laughter, smiles, and celebration of our risen Savior.

But the most powerful moment of the day came in a way none of us expected—the second baptism in Encounter Church history.

The plan was simple: baptize Stephanie as she took this bold step of faith. But when we arrived, we discovered that the hot water wasn’t working at the Enrich. No warm baptismal water. No backup plan. Just a cold cattle trough and a lot of prayers.

But where there’s a will—and a turkey fryer—there’s a way.

Thanks to some creative thinking, a turkey fryer, and a few willing hands, we slowly heated water outside, bucket by bucket, and filled the cattle trough to create a make-shift baptismal. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t traditional. But it was holy.

With courage and grace, Stephanie stepped into the water, surrounded by a cheering church family. We baptized her in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—declaring publicly what God had already done in her heart.

That baptism may not have looked like a picture-perfect moment, but it was perfect in God’s eyes. The cold water, the humble setting, the problem-solving teamwork—it all reflected the heart of the Gospel. Jesus meets us in the ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary.

We were reminded that it’s not about the setting—it’s about obedience, transformation, and the power of resurrection life. On the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, we also celebrated new life rising in Stephanie. And that is a miracle worth more than anything picture-perfect.

To everyone who helped hide eggs, heat water, support Stephanie, and love one another so well—thank you. This was an Easter Sunday our little church will never forget.