In some congregations, you may find one member whose ministry is sending hand-written cards of congratulations to new Christians upon their baptisms.
Imagine if that one member tries to send a card to every new Christian, not just in their own congregation, but in the entire world.
Meet Lorraine Smith of Central Church of Christ in Dalton, Georgia. Inspired by a card her grandson received from strangers after his baptism, Lorraine set out to handwrite an encouragement card to every new Christian she can find. In the last two years, she's hand-written and sent cards to almost 7,000 new Christians from all over!
In this episode, she talks about how (and why) she does it and what's she's learned about how God turns strangers into family. She also testifies about how God is adding to the church of Christ every day (though we are often too distracted by bad news to notice). And she talks about how the church can better come alongside new Christians when they come up out of the waters of baptism.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
BT Irwin (00:04):
Family and friends, neighbors and, most of all,
strangers.
Welcome to the ChristianChronicle Podcast.
We're bringing you the storiesshaping Church of Christ
congregations and members aroundthe world.
I'm BT Irwin.
May what you are about to hearbless you and honor God.
If you've been baptized in thename of the Father, the Son and
(00:24):
the Holy Spirit for theremission of your sins, what do
you remember about the days,weeks and months that came after
your baptism?
My friends and I have oftentalked about a letdown that came
when the afterglow of baptismwore off.
Eventually, the world crashesback in and we face the real
challenge and difficulty oftrudging the way of Jesus Christ
(00:47):
, day after day, week after week, year after year.
We need encouragement andwisdom most of all when we're
just starting out in theChristian life.
A couple of years ago, one womanset out to give that kind of
encouragement and wisdom to newChristians.
Whenever she finds out thatsomeone submitted to baptism,
she writes them a personal card.
(01:07):
You may think she's doing thatfor those who are baptized at
her home congregation, centralChurch of Christ in Dalton,
georgia, and you would be right,but she also writes a card to
every new Christian she findsout about no matter where in the
world that new Christian lives.
In just the last couple ofyears she has written thousands
upon thousands of cards to newChristians upon their baptisms.
(01:31):
Maybe she even sent one to you.
Her name is Lorraine Smith andshe's here with us now.
Lorraine, thank you for joiningus today.
Lorraine, tell us about yourministry and how it all started
about your ministry and how itall started.
Lorraine Smith (01:51):
In January, the 4th of 2023, my youngest
grandson was baptized His name'sCarter and about two weeks
later, on Wednesday night, hecame up to me with a card, just
a little small card, and it hadjust a Florida address and it
had just first names in it andit was thanking him for his
baptism and congratulating him.
(02:11):
And it had a little bookmark init and we went around to the
congregation and asked everyoneit had come to the church
building and we asked everyonewe knew and nobody knew where it
had come from and the onlything we could figure was maybe
it had been posted on Facebook,on the church's Facebook page,
(02:34):
that maybe they had gotten itoff that.
But he looked at me and he said, grammy, just imagine someone
far away in Florida is thinkingabout me and congratulating me
on my baptism.
And it tickled him pink.
I mean, he was really, reallyexcited.
(02:56):
He still has the card to thisday.
And I had been wanting to dosomething.
I I teach Bible class and allthese right lessons and things
like that.
But I've been wanting to dosomething extra and I've been
praying about it and I thought Ican do this.
(03:18):
I can do cards, because I havea ton of them at my house that I
haven't used, because I have aton of them at my house that I
haven't used.
So I started in on January the18th and that week there was a
website called.
(03:38):
Church of Christ Lessons andInformation, and they would post
some baptisms on there, and soI pulled about eight off there
and I sent cards to them Wellfinding addresses.
You know, I had to do a littleprivate eye work.
BT Irwin (03:52):
Yes.
Lorraine Smith (03:53):
And so I sent, I sent those eight cards and the
next week it was a little moreand that was the least amount
I've ever sent was eight cards.
And that was the least amountI've ever sent was eight cards.
The most I have sent in the twoyears and two years and a half
or so that I've been doing ithas been 159 cards.
(04:14):
Wow.
BT Irwin (04:15):
Wow.
Lorraine Smith (04:20):
That's a lot, but anyway that's how I got
started and it has blossomedfrom there.
So I have involved everybody Ican think of at church.
I've gotten the lads to leaders, they sign cards that we send
out and I have all the mailinginformation.
(04:40):
But that's how we got started.
BT Irwin (04:45):
Wow, so is it?
You mentioned Lads to Leaders.
Has this ministry grown beyondjust your congregation now?
Lorraine Smith (04:53):
We do.
We do it in our Lads to Leaders.
I get the cards ready over theweek and then I lay them out and
they come and sign them justtheir first names and I put that
they're from the Lads toLeaders.
I also have a ladies Bibleclass Tuesday morning Bible
class that does the same thing.
I get the cards ready and thenI put them in the envelopes and
(05:16):
then I address them.
After that I just have themmade ahead instead of trying to
do them as they come in.
BT Irwin (05:25):
Yes.
Lorraine Smith (05:26):
And the ladies Bible class also does.
Those I send to some prisonsand so I use the ladies Bible
class for those.
I do not use any of thechildren's cards for that.
But my grandson said, my oldestgrandson.
(05:47):
He said, grammy, you know thatthere's two things that
everybody has to do death andtaxes.
He said actually there's threeand it's death taxes.
And Grammy's got cards to sign.
BT Irwin (06:02):
Oh, wow.
So how many of these do youthink you've sent total since
you started?
Lorraine Smith (06:08):
I have sent, as of today, 6,681 cards 6,681
cards for 6,681 baptisms.
BT Irwin (06:19):
And where are you getting all the addresses now?
You don't have to.
We're not asking for addresseshere, but no, no, how do you?
Find out that people arebaptized.
And then how do you find out?
Lorraine Smith (06:30):
where it's been, the Church of Christ website
that I told you about.
It broke off and IsaiahLeninger has a website called
Souls being Saved and he pullsevery Sunday and Sunday night.
(06:53):
On Monday there'll be 20 or 30on there and I take it off there
and I'm in contact with him onthese things.
I also find on Praise Report,church of Christ.
Steve Gill is the administratorof that and I get a lot from
(07:16):
him that are different.
And then Rob Whitaker sends outa newsletter each week that I
had been.
Matt Wallen got me in contactwith him and he gives a weekly
update of differentcongregations that he's been
working with and I get some fromthere and I also get some from
(07:40):
the Christian Chronicle.
They have just a small littlesection Most of the time.
I've already got those people,but I've had some come from
there and then word of mouth.
BT Irwin (07:54):
Yeah, and now that people know you're doing this, I
bet you get a lot more word ofmouth, don't you?
Lorraine Smith (07:59):
Yes, paul Mays.
I don't know if you know PaulMays.
He sends me, he does a TikTokthing and when he has someone on
there, then he sends it to meand I send them a card.
BT Irwin (08:21):
You may know better than anyone else in the country
right now, and I love thisbecause you mentioned that the
Christian Chronicle publishesbaptisms and it's a monthly
print issue and it's always justa few names and that's just
what we hear of at the ChristianChronicle.
So you just mentioned 6,681people who have been baptized
(08:45):
since you started doing this.
I love that because one itmeans that more people are
coming to Christ than we know,and you may be the one person in
the whole country who's gotyour finger on the pulse more
than anyone else about how manypeople are giving their lives to
Christ.
Lorraine Smith (09:12):
So that's wonderful.
Well, you'd always hear thatchurches are dying every day and
closing their doors, andthere's just not anybody
accepting the gospel.
And that gets depressing.
I get encouraged by all of this.
We've sent 1,382 since January1 of this year Wow, so I'll try
(09:33):
to keep a total of everything soI know I can look back and get
excited about it and I can tellthe kids or tell the ladies
Bible class.
We've done this many cards.
We get responses back every nowand then from someone and we've
had some amazing responses andfinding addresses.
(09:56):
I've had some amazingconversations.
BT Irwin (10:00):
Are there any responses that you can share
without giving away names?
That just amazed you.
Lorraine Smith (10:08):
We had sent some to a prison in Florida.
They had 30 baptisms, 30 menbaptized.
Three congregations work inthat vicinity and go in and
teach a Bible class and do aSunday service and then they've
(10:29):
got prisoners that have beenconverted, that are also doing
some, and around Thanksgivingthere were 30 men posted.
So I got in touch with one ofthe fellows that was working
with it and I sent individualcards.
I had to do individual cards toeach one and send them, not in
(10:53):
a package, individually.
We received back from one ofthe inmates that was baptized, a
young man that had an eightpage handwritten letter in
pencil about his story and hewanted to tell us his story,
(11:17):
which was an amazing story.
I mean he starts off by sayingI was a liar, I was a cheat, I
was a crook, but he wanted toshare his story so that we would
share it at church with whoever, that they would not take the
(11:37):
path he took.
BT Irwin (11:39):
Yes Wow.
Lorraine Smith (11:41):
And so we're corresponding with him.
Now Some of our ministers hereare corresponding with him.
We've had I had one young ladysend us her prom picture because
she wanted us to see what shelooked like prom picture,
because she wanted us to seewhat she looked like.
(12:03):
We've had there was SteveBriggs.
Our minister sent me a pictureof a man with tattoos, lots of
tattoos, and he was beingbaptized at the time and I
(12:25):
recognized the background, thepictures, stained glass pictures
in the background, but Icouldn't I've got probably 600
address cards and I couldn'tplace my finger on it.
And he said I would love toknow this man's story.
Well, I looked and I looked andI couldn't.
(12:46):
I knew the fellow that wasbaptizing him.
He was familiar but I couldn'tfind it.
And about three weeks later thatcongregation had another
baptism of a young lady.
That congregation had anotherbaptism of a young lady.
So I sent Steve a message and Isaid I found it, I found it, I
(13:07):
found it and I sent him a cardwhen I sent the fellow that was
baptized and I sent him a cardand I sent the young lady a card
and, um, so about two weekslater we got a response from her
(13:28):
dad, the young lady's dad, andhe was ecstatic.
He sent us a four-page letterand it was.
It was just about how much itmeant to do it.
And then, toward the end hesaid, and also, the young man
that was baptized had justgotten out of prison, he had
(13:50):
finished his sentence and he'dbeen studying the Bible and he'd
been out of prison 18 hours andhe came to them to be baptized.
BT Irwin (13:58):
Wow.
Lorraine Smith (13:59):
And that was in Oklahoma.
BT Irwin (14:05):
Wow, oh, if God's not in that, I'll tell you what
that's fantastic.
Lorraine Smith (14:28):
Let me ask you real quick what kinds of things
do you write in the cards thatyou and your friends send.
Well, I send, I just do a cardand usually whatever I can find.
We've gotten to the point wehave to make our own cards now
and we take and cut up old cards, but anyway we put inside the
card welcome to God's amazingfamily, or incredible family.
We try to do each one a littledifferently.
I always, in every card that Isend, there's two verses that I
(14:50):
always use, and one is Ephesians3, 14 through 21, which is
talking about God's love and hisabundance and what he's going
to do for us and how much hecares for us.
And then I send, I put a pieceof paper, it's a half a sheet of
paper and it says every day Godthinks about you, and it gives
(15:13):
Psalms 68, 19,.
And the verse is written outand every hour God looks out for
you.
Second Thessalonians 3, 3.
Every minute God cares for you.
First Peter 5, 7.
And because every second heloves you, and that's increased,
(15:34):
it's Jeremiah 31, 3.
He, that goes in every card.
And then I'll add another verseor two, but I like to put the
little business card verses.
It's like the size of abusiness card, something that
they can keep in their wallet,and it says different things
(15:58):
like this.
One says fear not, for I haveredeemed you.
I have called you by your name,you are mine.
Isaiah 43, 1.
And I have a bunch of those.
On the back of that I alwaysput 1 Corinthians, 2, 9, which
says no eye has seen or ear hasheard, nor mind has conceived
(16:19):
the great things that God hasprepared for those that love him
.
Talking about heaven, I try tobe as encouraging as possible.
Sometimes if I have tohandwrite all the cards I'll
also put in about being hismasterpiece and how unique he is
(16:41):
, and just a packet full ofencouraging things.
BT Irwin (16:48):
Yes, what do you hope that God is doing and will do
through this ministry?
Lorraine Smith (16:56):
I know he's using me as a tool.
I hope he has blessed me farbeyond what I can imagine.
Every time I get a littleoverwhelmed or maybe get to
(17:19):
thinking, well you know, maybethis is not what I should do or
nobody really cares, get tofeeling pity party.
Something wonderful happens.
I meet someone or I talk tosomeone that have turned to find
an address, and I come awayfrom that blessed and excited
(17:45):
again.
He's worked so many ways inthis ministry.
In the summer of 23, faulknerUniversity football team was
baptized 36 members.
And so I got in touch with theathletic director and I asked
him could I send cards?
(18:06):
And he said that would be agood thing.
So I stayed up all night andindividualized each card so that
they didn't say the same thingand I mailed them off.
And so I told Steve Griggs, ourminister, and I said well, I
sent 36 off this week yesterdayand told him about the 36
(18:32):
baptisms and he said well,you're going to need some
postage.
I turned around and I walkedinto the hallway and one of our
ladies walked up to me and shesaid I just want to ask you
something, said we've got somepostage from when we did World
Bible School.
That is like airmail stamps andwe can't, you can't do anything
(18:57):
with them because they'rethey're certain like 90 cent
stamps and they won't give you.
The post office won't takestamps back.
And she said can you use them?
I said sure, they gave mealmost $1,800 worth of stamps.
Oh my, wow.
And I've been using those on mymultiples when I have two or
(19:21):
three and have to send out.
I went to Give Kids the World inFlorida last summer with our
youth group to do mission workand while I was down there I
carried cards for the kids tosign.
Down there I carried cards forthe kids to sign and one of the
(19:44):
ladies walked up to me and shesaid can you use any cardstock?
And I said, well, of course Ican.
She said, well, we had aprinting company years ago and
I've got all this cardstock.
So she has given me probably4,000 pieces of card stock.
(20:07):
So I know I'm not supposed tostop.
I know that I know I'm notsupposed to stop yet so the Lord
provides, does he not?
Yes, he does, and, and everytime I say that it comes in in
the bucket fulls.
BT Irwin (20:27):
I think one of the things your story emphasizes to
all of us is that just startdoing something and God is
already out ahead of you.
You know, this is really good.
I want to just change gears alittle bit here and talk about
baptism, um, because I thinkit's a conversation that that we
(20:52):
, we need to have and, uh, soI'm going to.
I'm just going to ask you acouple of personal questions, um
, first, what's the mostmemorable baptism you've ever
witnessed in your life?
Lorraine Smith (21:09):
Maybe my own.
BT Irwin (21:10):
Okay.
Would you tell us that story?
Lorraine Smith (21:13):
Well, when I was 12, we had a minister that
would pester you to death aboutbeing baptized.
Would pester you to death aboutbeing baptized.
He would every service.
He would come up and he wouldsay don't you think it's time
you should be baptized?
(21:33):
So I did it just to get him toleave me alone.
And when I got to FreedHardeman, everything changed.
I had grown, I was 19.
And the summer I came home thatI was 19,.
My dad baptized me for theright time, for the right
(22:01):
reasons, and he became an elderabout two weeks after that, and
so my brother and sister hadalready been baptized, but he
re-baptized me and he was anelder for about 45, 47 years.
BT Irwin (22:16):
Wow, that's a long time.
Lorraine Smith (22:19):
That was probably my most memorable.
That was probably my mostmemorable.
But then again, my son-in-lawwas baptized in 2016.
And he had been studying withone.
He was not a member when theymarried and was keeping the
(22:41):
youngest grandson, the one thatgot baptized and helped start
this card.
This is another God thing.
I was keeping him while he washaving Bible study and they
called me one evening and theysaid can you come up here?
Said Patrick's going to bebaptized, and I said I'll be
there in a few minutes, yes, soI told Carter.
BT Irwin (23:02):
I said I'll be there in a few minutes.
Lorraine Smith (23:03):
So I told Carter .
I said we've got to get yourdad some clothes.
He's going to be baptized.
And Carter was about.
Let's see, he was probablyseven or eight.
BT Irwin (23:19):
And he looked at me and he said well, it's about
time.
Lorraine Smith (23:21):
And we grabbed his clothes and he said let me
get his shirt.
And he came out with a Supermanshirt and he said dad's
Superman today and that's why heneeds this shirt.
So, then, when Carter Patrickwas baptized, he turned around
and baptized my granddaughter,who was the oldest grandchild,
(23:41):
his daughter, and baptized mygranddaughter, who was the
oldest grandchild, his daughter.
And so that was, and Carter wasstanding up at the baptistry
watching.
This was so yeah, my philosophyon baptism is Satan's, not
(24:04):
after you if you're not aChristian.
BT Irwin (24:07):
But when you're baptized.
Lorraine Smith (24:08):
he's going to come at you with everything he's
got.
He will come running at you andhe's going to throw everything
he's got at you.
BT Irwin (24:25):
And I think anybody that's baptized needs any kind
of encouragement that they canget and to know that they're not
in this alone.
You mentioned thanks forsharing your own story baptized
when you were 12 to get thepreacher off your back.
I think a lot of peoplelistening to this actually
understand that very well.
And then you said you went toFreed Hardeman College.
Everything changed, and so youcame home 19 years old and your
(24:49):
dad baptized you.
What do you remember about thedays, weeks and months after
your dad baptized you?
Lorraine Smith (24:57):
when I was a different person.
It made a big difference.
I didn't really understand at12 what was going on.
(25:23):
And at Freed Hardeman, we wouldhave devotionals every night.
You had chapel every day andthere was a closeness to God and
an emphasis on God every day,and that was something that I
didn't have before.
BT Irwin (25:49):
And that's something that I've tried to keep ever
since.
Was there any?
You mentioned that when someoneis newly baptized, to keep
going and to prepare them forthat?
Do you feel like in the daysand weeks and months after your
(26:12):
baptism, that Satan came afteryou in a particular way?
Lorraine Smith (26:16):
Yes, Is that a story you want to share?
Is that a story you want toshare?
I had been dating a young manand I lot of anger in some of
(26:50):
that.
So, yeah, I know he did.
BT Irwin (26:59):
So if you could, you're not 19 anymore.
It's been a few years sincethen.
So if you could go back in time, as you are now, knowing what
you know now, and meet with your19 year old self at the time of
her baptism, what would youtell her?
Lorraine Smith (27:17):
Oh me, never take your eyes off the prize.
Just remember always firstCorinthians two nine, as long as
you love God.
You only have to imagine whatthe great things are going to be
(27:37):
and hang in there.
You can do it.
BT Irwin (27:44):
And you have hung in there.
Lorraine Smith (27:46):
I've tried yes.
BT Irwin (27:49):
We're all trying.
We're all trying with God'shelp, aren't we?
I, because baptism has becomesuch a big part of your life
over the last couple of years,and you are.
This ministry is is wonderful II'm so glad I found you,
because I can't remember if Isaid this already in the
interview or if we were talkingabout this before we started to
(28:09):
record.
I mentioned there was a womanin my church when I was growing
up who wrote cards to everybodyon every occasion, and every
person who was baptized got acard Over the last few years.
Whenever someone is baptized atour church, I wonder are they
hearing from anyone?
And of course, what I'm hearingis a nudge, you know, a tap on
(28:31):
my shoulder.
They need to hear from you,right, and so writing cards and
writing letters is a lost art,maybe, but it's become such a
powerful ministry, not only fromyou to these new Christians,
but from them to you, as you'vedescribed.
I feel like sometimes we givemore intention to the showers we
(28:55):
take in the morning than we doto the baptisms that happen in
our congregations.
How might we, how do you think,just asking you for ideas here
how might we elevate baptismback to its rightful place in
the life of the believer, in thelife of the church.
What do you think?
Lorraine Smith (29:15):
I have always felt like that.
We kind of fall short.
Sometimes with baptism.
It's kind of a catch andrelease Okay, you're baptized,
here, you go back out into theworld, and it shouldn't be that
way.
I would really love to seeeveryone get to have a what
(29:42):
happens now class.
What's expected of me now?
Well, I don't have to sing.
I mean, yes, you do, I don'thave to attend, I don't need the
fellowship.
I've been baptized, yes, you do.
You need the fellowship tocarry on.
And I just want people to knowthat they're not doing this by
(30:06):
themselves, that there's someonethere that they can lean on.
If you've got a question, askit.
But I would really love to see,after every baptism, somebody
have something.
They're just not thrown outthere and said, ok, you're done,
(30:26):
check the box and you're gone.
BT Irwin (30:29):
Yeah, I think one of the things that we know from
observation and research is that, especially young people but I
think this applies to everyone,to everyone once they are
baptized and or they join thechurch, a congregation, a local
(30:50):
congregation the relationshipsthey have with mentors, people
who are older than them in theirfaith, who put their arm around
them and say come on, I'm goingto show you the way and I'm
going to connect you, thosepeople stay, they stick around.
Those that don't feel like theyhave a connection, or someone
who's putting their arm aroundthem and saying, hey, come with
me, I'm going to show you howthis works those are the ones
(31:11):
that tend to drift away, and soit's amazing that you and the
women at your congregation, andthe kids and lads to leaders,
y'all are those arms that arecoming around new Christians and
saying hey, we're going to bethere for you, follow me.
And that is such a crucial,crucial ministry that maybe many
(31:32):
of us have overlooked for along time.
Lorraine Smith (31:36):
I agree wholeheartedly.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I agree wholeheartedly.
BT Irwin (31:41):
So let's say, someone's listening to this and
they are inspired by what y'allare doing with God and they want
to do something with you orlike what you're doing.
Lorraine Smith (31:56):
How would you recommend they get started or
get involved?
Well, first of all, make upyour mind and do it.
I pray each time I go to themailbox.
I pray for every person thatI'm sending a card to that God
will give them the strength andthe courage to do this and I
(32:18):
feel like that helps me stayfocused on what I'm doing.
I feel like that helps me stayfocused on what I'm doing.
But if they want to get started, buy a box of cards and get
started.
Start small, God will provide.
BT Irwin (32:32):
It's taken over.
That's good.
Well, take care of that wrist,Lorraine.
It may be the most valuablewrist in the Church of Christ
these days.
Certainly so many people are sograteful to you for how you
have used that to encourage themand start them on their way in
their walk with Jesus Christ.
So thank you for sharing yourstory with us today.
(32:53):
Thank you for what you're doing, and I'm sure that the people
who are listening to this allover the world are giving thanks
for you today and praying foryour ministry to continue to
flourish for those that God soloves.
Lorraine Smith (33:06):
Well, thank you, and I thank God every day that
he's allowed me to do this,because it is all to his glory.
BT Irwin (33:17):
Amen to that, thank you.
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of Christ congregations, membersand ministries around the world
since 1943.
The Christian Chronicle'smanaging editor is Audrey
(34:21):
Jackson, editor-in-chief BobbyRoss Jr and executive director
and CEO Eric Triggistad.
The Christian Chronicle podcastis written, directed, hosted
and edited by BT Irwin and isproduced by James Flanagan at
Podcast your Voice Studios inthe Motor City, detroit,
michigan, usa.
Until next time, may grace andpeace be yours in abundance.
Family and friends, neighbors and, most of all,
strangers.
Welcome to the ChristianChronicle Podcast.
We're bringing you the storiesshaping Church of Christ
congregations and members aroundthe world.
I'm BT Irwin.
May what you are about to hearbless you and honor God.
If you've been baptized in thename of the Father, the Son and
(00:24):
the Holy Spirit for theremission of your sins, what do
you remember about the days,weeks and months that came after
your baptism?
My friends and I have oftentalked about a letdown that came
when the afterglow of baptismwore off.
Eventually, the world crashesback in and we face the real
challenge and difficulty oftrudging the way of Jesus Christ
(00:47):
, day after day, week after week, year after year.
We need encouragement andwisdom most of all when we're
just starting out in theChristian life.
A couple of years ago, one womanset out to give that kind of
encouragement and wisdom to newChristians.
Whenever she finds out thatsomeone submitted to baptism,
she writes them a personal card.
(01:07):
You may think she's doing thatfor those who are baptized at
her home congregation, centralChurch of Christ in Dalton,
georgia, and you would be right,but she also writes a card to
every new Christian she findsout about no matter where in the
world that new Christian lives.
In just the last couple ofyears she has written thousands
upon thousands of cards to newChristians upon their baptisms.
(01:31):
Maybe she even sent one to you.
Her name is Lorraine Smith andshe's here with us now.
Lorraine, thank you for joiningus today.
Lorraine, tell us about yourministry and how it all started
about your ministry and how itall started.
Lorraine Smith (01:51):
In January, the 4th of 2023, my youngest
grandson was baptized His name'sCarter and about two weeks
later, on Wednesday night, hecame up to me with a card, just
a little small card, and it hadjust a Florida address and it
had just first names in it andit was thanking him for his
baptism and congratulating him.
(02:11):
And it had a little bookmark init and we went around to the
congregation and asked everyoneit had come to the church
building and we asked everyonewe knew and nobody knew where it
had come from and the onlything we could figure was maybe
it had been posted on Facebook,on the church's Facebook page,
(02:34):
that maybe they had gotten itoff that.
But he looked at me and he said, grammy, just imagine someone
far away in Florida is thinkingabout me and congratulating me
on my baptism.
And it tickled him pink.
I mean, he was really, reallyexcited.
(02:56):
He still has the card to thisday.
And I had been wanting to dosomething.
I I teach Bible class and allthese right lessons and things
like that.
But I've been wanting to dosomething extra and I've been
praying about it and I thought Ican do this.
(03:18):
I can do cards, because I havea ton of them at my house that I
haven't used, because I have aton of them at my house that I
haven't used.
So I started in on January the18th and that week there was a
website called.
(03:38):
Church of Christ Lessons andInformation, and they would post
some baptisms on there, and soI pulled about eight off there
and I sent cards to them Wellfinding addresses.
You know, I had to do a littleprivate eye work.
BT Irwin (03:52):
Yes.
Lorraine Smith (03:53):
And so I sent, I sent those eight cards and the
next week it was a little moreand that was the least amount
I've ever sent was eight cards.
And that was the least amountI've ever sent was eight cards.
The most I have sent in the twoyears and two years and a half
or so that I've been doing ithas been 159 cards.
(04:14):
Wow.
BT Irwin (04:15):
Wow.
Lorraine Smith (04:20):
That's a lot, but anyway that's how I got
started and it has blossomedfrom there.
So I have involved everybody Ican think of at church.
I've gotten the lads to leaders, they sign cards that we send
out and I have all the mailinginformation.
(04:40):
But that's how we got started.
BT Irwin (04:45):
Wow, so is it?
You mentioned Lads to Leaders.
Has this ministry grown beyondjust your congregation now?
Lorraine Smith (04:53):
We do.
We do it in our Lads to Leaders.
I get the cards ready over theweek and then I lay them out and
they come and sign them justtheir first names and I put that
they're from the Lads toLeaders.
I also have a ladies Bibleclass Tuesday morning Bible
class that does the same thing.
I get the cards ready and thenI put them in the envelopes and
(05:16):
then I address them.
After that I just have themmade ahead instead of trying to
do them as they come in.
BT Irwin (05:25):
Yes.
Lorraine Smith (05:26):
And the ladies Bible class also does.
Those I send to some prisonsand so I use the ladies Bible
class for those.
I do not use any of thechildren's cards for that.
But my grandson said, my oldestgrandson.
(05:47):
He said, grammy, you know thatthere's two things that
everybody has to do death andtaxes.
He said actually there's threeand it's death taxes.
And Grammy's got cards to sign.
BT Irwin (06:02):
Oh, wow.
So how many of these do youthink you've sent total since
you started?
Lorraine Smith (06:08):
I have sent, as of today, 6,681 cards 6,681
cards for 6,681 baptisms.
BT Irwin (06:19):
And where are you getting all the addresses now?
You don't have to.
We're not asking for addresseshere, but no, no, how do you?
Find out that people arebaptized.
And then how do you find out?
Lorraine Smith (06:30):
where it's been, the Church of Christ website
that I told you about.
It broke off and IsaiahLeninger has a website called
Souls being Saved and he pullsevery Sunday and Sunday night.
(06:53):
On Monday there'll be 20 or 30on there and I take it off there
and I'm in contact with him onthese things.
I also find on Praise Report,church of Christ.
Steve Gill is the administratorof that and I get a lot from
(07:16):
him that are different.
And then Rob Whitaker sends outa newsletter each week that I
had been.
Matt Wallen got me in contactwith him and he gives a weekly
update of differentcongregations that he's been
working with and I get some fromthere and I also get some from
(07:40):
the Christian Chronicle.
They have just a small littlesection Most of the time.
I've already got those people,but I've had some come from
there and then word of mouth.
BT Irwin (07:54):
Yeah, and now that people know you're doing this, I
bet you get a lot more word ofmouth, don't you?
Lorraine Smith (07:59):
Yes, paul Mays.
I don't know if you know PaulMays.
He sends me, he does a TikTokthing and when he has someone on
there, then he sends it to meand I send them a card.
BT Irwin (08:21):
You may know better than anyone else in the country
right now, and I love thisbecause you mentioned that the
Christian Chronicle publishesbaptisms and it's a monthly
print issue and it's always justa few names and that's just
what we hear of at the ChristianChronicle.
So you just mentioned 6,681people who have been baptized
(08:45):
since you started doing this.
I love that because one itmeans that more people are
coming to Christ than we know,and you may be the one person in
the whole country who's gotyour finger on the pulse more
than anyone else about how manypeople are giving their lives to
Christ.
Lorraine Smith (09:12):
So that's wonderful.
Well, you'd always hear thatchurches are dying every day and
closing their doors, andthere's just not anybody
accepting the gospel.
And that gets depressing.
I get encouraged by all of this.
We've sent 1,382 since January1 of this year Wow, so I'll try
(09:33):
to keep a total of everything soI know I can look back and get
excited about it and I can tellthe kids or tell the ladies
Bible class.
We've done this many cards.
We get responses back every nowand then from someone and we've
had some amazing responses andfinding addresses.
(09:56):
I've had some amazingconversations.
BT Irwin (10:00):
Are there any responses that you can share
without giving away names?
That just amazed you.
Lorraine Smith (10:08):
We had sent some to a prison in Florida.
They had 30 baptisms, 30 menbaptized.
Three congregations work inthat vicinity and go in and
teach a Bible class and do aSunday service and then they've
(10:29):
got prisoners that have beenconverted, that are also doing
some, and around Thanksgivingthere were 30 men posted.
So I got in touch with one ofthe fellows that was working
with it and I sent individualcards.
I had to do individual cards toeach one and send them, not in
(10:53):
a package, individually.
We received back from one ofthe inmates that was baptized, a
young man that had an eightpage handwritten letter in
pencil about his story and hewanted to tell us his story,
(11:17):
which was an amazing story.
I mean he starts off by sayingI was a liar, I was a cheat, I
was a crook, but he wanted toshare his story so that we would
share it at church with whoever, that they would not take the
(11:37):
path he took.
BT Irwin (11:39):
Yes Wow.
Lorraine Smith (11:41):
And so we're corresponding with him.
Now Some of our ministers hereare corresponding with him.
We've had I had one young ladysend us her prom picture because
she wanted us to see what shelooked like prom picture,
because she wanted us to seewhat she looked like.
(12:03):
We've had there was SteveBriggs.
Our minister sent me a pictureof a man with tattoos, lots of
tattoos, and he was beingbaptized at the time and I
(12:25):
recognized the background, thepictures, stained glass pictures
in the background, but Icouldn't I've got probably 600
address cards and I couldn'tplace my finger on it.
And he said I would love toknow this man's story.
Well, I looked and I looked andI couldn't.
(12:46):
I knew the fellow that wasbaptizing him.
He was familiar but I couldn'tfind it.
And about three weeks later thatcongregation had another
baptism of a young lady.
That congregation had anotherbaptism of a young lady.
So I sent Steve a message and Isaid I found it, I found it, I
(13:07):
found it and I sent him a cardwhen I sent the fellow that was
baptized and I sent him a cardand I sent the young lady a card
and, um, so about two weekslater we got a response from her
(13:28):
dad, the young lady's dad, andhe was ecstatic.
He sent us a four-page letterand it was.
It was just about how much itmeant to do it.
And then, toward the end hesaid, and also, the young man
that was baptized had justgotten out of prison, he had
(13:50):
finished his sentence and he'dbeen studying the Bible and he'd
been out of prison 18 hours andhe came to them to be baptized.
BT Irwin (13:58):
Wow.
Lorraine Smith (13:59):
And that was in Oklahoma.
BT Irwin (14:05):
Wow, oh, if God's not in that, I'll tell you what
that's fantastic.
Lorraine Smith (14:28):
Let me ask you real quick what kinds of things
do you write in the cards thatyou and your friends send.
Well, I send, I just do a cardand usually whatever I can find.
We've gotten to the point wehave to make our own cards now
and we take and cut up old cards, but anyway we put inside the
card welcome to God's amazingfamily, or incredible family.
We try to do each one a littledifferently.
I always, in every card that Isend, there's two verses that I
(14:50):
always use, and one is Ephesians3, 14 through 21, which is
talking about God's love and hisabundance and what he's going
to do for us and how much hecares for us.
And then I send, I put a pieceof paper, it's a half a sheet of
paper and it says every day Godthinks about you, and it gives
(15:13):
Psalms 68, 19,.
And the verse is written outand every hour God looks out for
you.
Second Thessalonians 3, 3.
Every minute God cares for you.
First Peter 5, 7.
And because every second heloves you, and that's increased,
(15:34):
it's Jeremiah 31, 3.
He, that goes in every card.
And then I'll add another verseor two, but I like to put the
little business card verses.
It's like the size of abusiness card, something that
they can keep in their wallet,and it says different things
(15:58):
like this.
One says fear not, for I haveredeemed you.
I have called you by your name,you are mine.
Isaiah 43, 1.
And I have a bunch of those.
On the back of that I alwaysput 1 Corinthians, 2, 9, which
says no eye has seen or ear hasheard, nor mind has conceived
(16:19):
the great things that God hasprepared for those that love him
.
Talking about heaven, I try tobe as encouraging as possible.
Sometimes if I have tohandwrite all the cards I'll
also put in about being hismasterpiece and how unique he is
(16:41):
, and just a packet full ofencouraging things.
BT Irwin (16:48):
Yes, what do you hope that God is doing and will do
through this ministry?
Lorraine Smith (16:56):
I know he's using me as a tool.
I hope he has blessed me farbeyond what I can imagine.
Every time I get a littleoverwhelmed or maybe get to
(17:19):
thinking, well you know, maybethis is not what I should do or
nobody really cares, get tofeeling pity party.
Something wonderful happens.
I meet someone or I talk tosomeone that have turned to find
an address, and I come awayfrom that blessed and excited
(17:45):
again.
He's worked so many ways inthis ministry.
In the summer of 23, faulknerUniversity football team was
baptized 36 members.
And so I got in touch with theathletic director and I asked
him could I send cards?
(18:06):
And he said that would be agood thing.
So I stayed up all night andindividualized each card so that
they didn't say the same thingand I mailed them off.
And so I told Steve Griggs, ourminister, and I said well, I
sent 36 off this week yesterdayand told him about the 36
(18:32):
baptisms and he said well,you're going to need some
postage.
I turned around and I walkedinto the hallway and one of our
ladies walked up to me and shesaid I just want to ask you
something, said we've got somepostage from when we did World
Bible School.
That is like airmail stamps andwe can't, you can't do anything
(18:57):
with them because they'rethey're certain like 90 cent
stamps and they won't give you.
The post office won't takestamps back.
And she said can you use them?
I said sure, they gave mealmost $1,800 worth of stamps.
Oh my, wow.
And I've been using those on mymultiples when I have two or
(19:21):
three and have to send out.
I went to Give Kids the World inFlorida last summer with our
youth group to do mission workand while I was down there I
carried cards for the kids tosign.
Down there I carried cards forthe kids to sign and one of the
(19:44):
ladies walked up to me and shesaid can you use any cardstock?
And I said, well, of course Ican.
She said, well, we had aprinting company years ago and
I've got all this cardstock.
So she has given me probably4,000 pieces of card stock.
(20:07):
So I know I'm not supposed tostop.
I know that I know I'm notsupposed to stop yet so the Lord
provides, does he not?
Yes, he does, and, and everytime I say that it comes in in
the bucket fulls.
BT Irwin (20:27):
I think one of the things your story emphasizes to
all of us is that just startdoing something and God is
already out ahead of you.
You know, this is really good.
I want to just change gears alittle bit here and talk about
baptism, um, because I thinkit's a conversation that that we
(20:52):
, we need to have and, uh, soI'm going to.
I'm just going to ask you acouple of personal questions, um
, first, what's the mostmemorable baptism you've ever
witnessed in your life?
Lorraine Smith (21:09):
Maybe my own.
BT Irwin (21:10):
Okay.
Would you tell us that story?
Lorraine Smith (21:13):
Well, when I was 12, we had a minister that
would pester you to death aboutbeing baptized.
Would pester you to death aboutbeing baptized.
He would every service.
He would come up and he wouldsay don't you think it's time
you should be baptized?
(21:33):
So I did it just to get him toleave me alone.
And when I got to FreedHardeman, everything changed.
I had grown, I was 19.
And the summer I came home thatI was 19,.
My dad baptized me for theright time, for the right
(22:01):
reasons, and he became an elderabout two weeks after that, and
so my brother and sister hadalready been baptized, but he
re-baptized me and he was anelder for about 45, 47 years.
BT Irwin (22:16):
Wow, that's a long time.
Lorraine Smith (22:19):
That was probably my most memorable.
That was probably my mostmemorable.
But then again, my son-in-lawwas baptized in 2016.
And he had been studying withone.
He was not a member when theymarried and was keeping the
(22:41):
youngest grandson, the one thatgot baptized and helped start
this card.
This is another God thing.
I was keeping him while he washaving Bible study and they
called me one evening and theysaid can you come up here?
Said Patrick's going to bebaptized, and I said I'll be
there in a few minutes, yes, soI told Carter.
BT Irwin (23:02):
I said I'll be there in a few minutes.
Lorraine Smith (23:03):
So I told Carter .
I said we've got to get yourdad some clothes.
He's going to be baptized.
And Carter was about.
Let's see, he was probablyseven or eight.
BT Irwin (23:19):
And he looked at me and he said well, it's about
time.
Lorraine Smith (23:21):
And we grabbed his clothes and he said let me
get his shirt.
And he came out with a Supermanshirt and he said dad's
Superman today and that's why heneeds this shirt.
So, then, when Carter Patrickwas baptized, he turned around
and baptized my granddaughter,who was the oldest grandchild,
(23:41):
his daughter, and baptized mygranddaughter, who was the
oldest grandchild, his daughter.
And so that was, and Carter wasstanding up at the baptistry
watching.
This was so yeah, my philosophyon baptism is Satan's, not
(24:04):
after you if you're not aChristian.
BT Irwin (24:07):
But when you're baptized.
Lorraine Smith (24:08):
he's going to come at you with everything he's
got.
He will come running at you andhe's going to throw everything
he's got at you.
BT Irwin (24:25):
And I think anybody that's baptized needs any kind
of encouragement that they canget and to know that they're not
in this alone.
You mentioned thanks forsharing your own story baptized
when you were 12 to get thepreacher off your back.
I think a lot of peoplelistening to this actually
understand that very well.
And then you said you went toFreed Hardeman College.
Everything changed, and so youcame home 19 years old and your
(24:49):
dad baptized you.
What do you remember about thedays, weeks and months after
your dad baptized you?
Lorraine Smith (24:57):
when I was a different person.
It made a big difference.
I didn't really understand at12 what was going on.
(25:23):
And at Freed Hardeman, we wouldhave devotionals every night.
You had chapel every day andthere was a closeness to God and
an emphasis on God every day,and that was something that I
didn't have before.
BT Irwin (25:49):
And that's something that I've tried to keep ever
since.
Was there any?
You mentioned that when someoneis newly baptized, to keep
going and to prepare them forthat?
Do you feel like in the daysand weeks and months after your
(26:12):
baptism, that Satan came afteryou in a particular way?
Lorraine Smith (26:16):
Yes, Is that a story you want to share?
Is that a story you want toshare?
I had been dating a young manand I lot of anger in some of
(26:50):
that.
So, yeah, I know he did.
BT Irwin (26:59):
So if you could, you're not 19 anymore.
It's been a few years sincethen.
So if you could go back in time, as you are now, knowing what
you know now, and meet with your19 year old self at the time of
her baptism, what would youtell her?
Lorraine Smith (27:17):
Oh me, never take your eyes off the prize.
Just remember always firstCorinthians two nine, as long as
you love God.
You only have to imagine whatthe great things are going to be
(27:37):
and hang in there.
You can do it.
BT Irwin (27:44):
And you have hung in there.
Lorraine Smith (27:46):
I've tried yes.
BT Irwin (27:49):
We're all trying.
We're all trying with God'shelp, aren't we?
I, because baptism has becomesuch a big part of your life
over the last couple of years,and you are.
This ministry is is wonderful II'm so glad I found you,
because I can't remember if Isaid this already in the
interview or if we were talkingabout this before we started to
(28:09):
record.
I mentioned there was a womanin my church when I was growing
up who wrote cards to everybodyon every occasion, and every
person who was baptized got acard Over the last few years.
Whenever someone is baptized atour church, I wonder are they
hearing from anyone?
And of course, what I'm hearingis a nudge, you know, a tap on
(28:31):
my shoulder.
They need to hear from you,right, and so writing cards and
writing letters is a lost art,maybe, but it's become such a
powerful ministry, not only fromyou to these new Christians,
but from them to you, as you'vedescribed.
I feel like sometimes we givemore intention to the showers we
(28:55):
take in the morning than we doto the baptisms that happen in
our congregations.
How might we, how do you think,just asking you for ideas here
how might we elevate baptismback to its rightful place in
the life of the believer, in thelife of the church.
What do you think?
Lorraine Smith (29:15):
I have always felt like that.
We kind of fall short.
Sometimes with baptism.
It's kind of a catch andrelease Okay, you're baptized,
here, you go back out into theworld, and it shouldn't be that
way.
I would really love to seeeveryone get to have a what
(29:42):
happens now class.
What's expected of me now?
Well, I don't have to sing.
I mean, yes, you do, I don'thave to attend, I don't need the
fellowship.
I've been baptized, yes, you do.
You need the fellowship tocarry on.
And I just want people to knowthat they're not doing this by
(30:06):
themselves, that there's someonethere that they can lean on.
If you've got a question, askit.
But I would really love to see,after every baptism, somebody
have something.
They're just not thrown outthere and said, ok, you're done,
(30:26):
check the box and you're gone.
BT Irwin (30:29):
Yeah, I think one of the things that we know from
observation and research is that, especially young people but I
think this applies to everyone,to everyone once they are
baptized and or they join thechurch, a congregation, a local
(30:50):
congregation the relationshipsthey have with mentors, people
who are older than them in theirfaith, who put their arm around
them and say come on, I'm goingto show you the way and I'm
going to connect you, thosepeople stay, they stick around.
Those that don't feel like theyhave a connection, or someone
who's putting their arm aroundthem and saying, hey, come with
me, I'm going to show you howthis works those are the ones
(31:11):
that tend to drift away, and soit's amazing that you and the
women at your congregation, andthe kids and lads to leaders,
y'all are those arms that arecoming around new Christians and
saying hey, we're going to bethere for you, follow me.
And that is such a crucial,crucial ministry that maybe many
(31:32):
of us have overlooked for along time.
Lorraine Smith (31:36):
I agree wholeheartedly.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I agree wholeheartedly.
BT Irwin (31:41):
So let's say, someone's listening to this and
they are inspired by what y'allare doing with God and they want
to do something with you orlike what you're doing.
Lorraine Smith (31:56):
How would you recommend they get started or
get involved?
Well, first of all, make upyour mind and do it.
I pray each time I go to themailbox.
I pray for every person thatI'm sending a card to that God
will give them the strength andthe courage to do this and I
(32:18):
feel like that helps me stayfocused on what I'm doing.
I feel like that helps me stayfocused on what I'm doing.
But if they want to get started, buy a box of cards and get
started.
Start small, God will provide.
BT Irwin (32:32):
It's taken over.
That's good.
Well, take care of that wrist,Lorraine.
It may be the most valuablewrist in the Church of Christ
these days.
Certainly so many people are sograteful to you for how you
have used that to encourage themand start them on their way in
their walk with Jesus Christ.
So thank you for sharing yourstory with us today.
(32:53):
Thank you for what you're doing, and I'm sure that the people
who are listening to this allover the world are giving thanks
for you today and praying foryour ministry to continue to
flourish for those that God soloves.
Lorraine Smith (33:06):
Well, thank you, and I thank God every day that
he's allowed me to do this,because it is all to his glory.
BT Irwin (33:17):
Amen to that, thank you.
We hope that something youheard in this episode encouraged
, enlightened or enriched you insome way.
If it did, thanks be to God andplease pay it forward.
Subscribe to this podcast andshare it with a friend.
Recommend and review itwherever you listen to your
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Your subscription,recommendation and review help
(33:38):
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Please send your comments,ideas and suggestions to podcast
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So if you like the show and youwant to keep it going and make
(33:59):
it better, please make atax-deductible gift to the
Christian Chronicle atchristianchronicleorg.
Slash donate.
The Christian Chronicle podcastis a production of the Christian
Chronicle Incorporated,informing and inspiring Church
of Christ congregations, membersand ministries around the world
since 1943.
The Christian Chronicle'smanaging editor is Audrey
(34:21):
Jackson, editor-in-chief BobbyRoss Jr and executive director
and CEO Eric Triggistad.
The Christian Chronicle podcastis written, directed, hosted
and edited by BT Irwin and isproduced by James Flanagan at
Podcast your Voice Studios inthe Motor City, detroit,
michigan, usa.
Until next time, may grace andpeace be yours in abundance.
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!