Baptism of the Holy Spirit & the A Team

[Aidan]

I was quite young when I was Baptized in the Holy Spirit, and many of those early experiences blend together in my mind. However, I do remember starting to speak in tongues at the end of a camp service at Springside camp. I had other experiences where I felt heat radiating from within me, falling on the ground and being unable to get up, and moments of uncontrollable laughter as a result of the Spirit’s presence upon me. As an adult, my experiences of being filled with the Spirit have been much less demonstrative, but the Spirit actively empowers me in my prayer life and ministry in those moments of encounter now. He fills me so that I can then pour out into others what I have received. I think that is pretty cool.

[Melissa Smyth]

I used to struggle with wanting to have a momentous moment where I was baptized by the Spirit that changed everything, but I did not feel like I had one moment to point to. Being filled or baptized by the Spirit was something I had early prayed for and desired, but was never sure if I was or not. When I was in my mid-teens, God did give me the gift of tongues at camp, and there I had a moment to point to. But looking back on my life before that, I know God was speaking and meeting with me in many significant and tangible ways before that moment.

[Kevin]

I expect my experience being baptized in the Holy Spirit is perhaps a bit unique. I remember first speaking in tongues in quite a non-dramatic way; after a midweek church service my brother and I were talking to my parents about it, and they very simply led us in a journey to speaking in tongues. I haven’t stopped since. I can, however, point to more dramatic moments with Jesus that I would call “fresh fillings,” where I felt tingling sensations throughout my body and was flat on my face weeping at an altar, but it seems my initial baptism was without very much fanfare!

[Celestine]

I got baptized in the holy Spirit in the year 1983 in Foursquare international youth conference. It was in this service I was baptized and filled with the holy Spirit and I spoke in Tongues for the very first time. It was an unforgettable night of experience. I got anointed and empowered for the ministry God called into.

It was this experience that propelled me into Mission, Church planting and Pastoral.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is seen as a pivotal moment in a believer’s life, enabling them to live out their faith more effectively and boldly.

experiencing the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, it’s often described as a transformative encounter that brings renewed passion, joy, and a sense of purpose. This experience can deepen one’s relationship with God and equip them for service in powerful ways.

The testimonies of the A-Team members highlight the significance of this experience in their lives and ministries, demonstrating its potential impact on believers today.