Childlike Faith

Forrest and Deanna Whittington met at First Baptist Dallas. Today, they are married and raising their three children here—Caroline, Madelyn, and Drew. Deanna grew up at the church, and their children represent the sixth generation of their family at First Dallas. From generation to generation, their family’s greatest joy is seeing faith take root in the heart of their children. That has happened in a powerful way for eight-year-old Caroline.

Last summer at Vacation Bible School, Caroline made a profession of faith. “She could tell us the gospel before that,” Deanna shared, “but she hadn’t responded yet.” On Thursday during VBS, something changed. Caroline chose to follow Christ. On November 2, she stood before her church family and was baptized, publicly declaring her faith as her own. 

It was a moment she wanted to share. Caroline told a friend from her soccer team, “I’m getting baptized on Sunday,” which led an entire family to visit First Dallas for the first time. Forrest said, “I took her lunch at her public school, and she was telling her friends about her baptism. The family she invited said they would make the drive down. It was all Caroline’s initiative. That’s just her heart.”

Caroline continually looks for opportunities to tell others about Jesus. She hands out church flyers and invitations to classmates. She has invited her soccer team to Fall Fest. She even used photos from her baptism for show-and-tell at school. In an art contest, she drew three crosses and wrote, “I belong to God,” explaining how excited she was that Jesus died for her sins and that she wants others to know Him too.

As parents, Forrest and Deanna see the critical role the church plays in shaping Caroline’s faith. “Every parent prays, from the time they’re expecting a child, that they will know Jesus,” Forrest said. “The church has played a key role in developing that in her.” Deanna agrees because of what the church and the Children’s Ministry stand for. “It’s biblically sound and based on God’s Word. The heart behind it is intentional.”

Each time Caroline invites a friend or classmate to church, the entire Whittington family views it as their ministry to cultivate those relationships and to share the gospel. Forrest explains, “As parents, it’s about making sure we’re there to welcome the ones she’s inviting and using it as a witnessing opportunity.”

Palm Sunday and Easter are opportunities for all of us to imitate Caroline’s childlike faith. In her boldness and joy, she embodies what our church’s One Life emphasis is all about. There is no minimum age requirement to invite someone to church, so they can hear the good news of what Christ has done (1 Timothy 4:12). Who is your One?