Seth, John, and Nathan were recently baptised at Northcross Church, each publicly declaring their faith in Jesus.
The Northcross team shared, “What a special and joy-filled day it was as we celebrated together, giving thanks for God’s goodness and the transforming work He is doing in their lives!”
We spoke with Nathan Tuebes (18), currently completing an internship with Northcross, about how God has been at work in his life.
After stepping into the internship this year, Nathan (above in the black t-shirt) says he realised he wanted to be baptised: “In making this commitment to the internship and the study through Pathways College I felt like I should also take the step of obedience in being baptised—I wanted to publicly declare my faith in front of church and the people around me.”
Nathan grew up in a Christian home, but says things shifted when his family moved to New Zealand in 2016. Invited by friends to church and youth group, he began to make faith his own.
“As a kid I never fully understood the weight of the story of Jesus—his death and resurrection. Around Year 11 when I came along to Northcross I was able to understand faith and take it in, and make a conscious decision to follow Jesus.”
Taking time to study and serve as a youth leader was something Nathan had always wanted to do. “I saw the impact they have on everyone’s lives.” He was excited to take up the internship and study towards his NZ Diploma in Christian Studies (Theological Studies) Level 5.
He says he has grown as he’s been pushed beyond his comfort zone: “I’m not a very outgoing person, so being called to go out and talk to youth and travel from Auckland to Tauranga for Block Courses and meet new people has really prompted me to grow.”
Nathan says his studies have encouraged him, particularly an assignment on obedience that has led him to pursue spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible reading.
He hopes the year will provide a strong foundation: “I plan to go and work towards a trade (welding) and this year of study is providing a really solid basis for my faith to grow.”
