Stories of Hope

Each time we do Baptisms at the Duluth Vineyard, we like to ask folks about why they decided it was time to be baptized. Here’s what they shared with us: “I never understood when people talked about being a born again Christian, what that meant. Now that I’ve experienced Jesus and how he has changed my life and changed me as a person, I am ready for the symbolic washing away of the old me and my old ways for they are dead and I have new life in Christ.” — Alex Kirschbaum “God continues to bless me through the dark times I’ve walked through. I want to be baptized as a sign of spiritual growth and rededication to him, my beautiful

“My chains are broken. I’ve been set free! I gave my life to Christ at the little Vineyard Church out in Lakeside on Mother’s Day 1999. I had been raised in a home without a father. I had been to church but never knew who Jesus was. I made many bad decisions in my life.  Even after I gave my life to Christ, I continued to make bad decisions. I am like the woman at the well. I have had several failed marriages. Because of these things, I had built up some really high, thich walls that no one, not even God was going to penetrate, because I wasn’t willing to get hurt again. I was full of pride and shame

“One of our Fruit of the Vine Food Shelf guests was telling me that last time she was at the food shelf, some of the volunteers were praying for her and one thing they prayed about was her parents getting their COVID vaccine. She said, “I kid you not the next day 2 slots opened up and I was able to get them in. It shouldn’t have worked because the system crashed halfway in but they both got in the system and got vaccinated!” —Molly Hessian