BAPTISM
What is Baptism?
As you read the New Testament, you will find Baptism dis- cussed often. Whether it’s Jesus being baptized himself at the start of his ministry (Matthew 3:13-17) or his command to baptize those who believe in him (Matt. 28:19- 20; Acts 2:38-41). In a practical sense, baptism is a celebration. The person being baptized is immersed in water as a way to publicly declare they have been transformed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a declaration of confession and repentance of sin (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Historically, the Church baptizes those who chose to follow Jesus as a recognition of their entrance into the family of the Church. Symbolically, baptism rep- resents many biblical images and metaphors. One significant biblical symbol in baptism is the modeling of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:1-9, Colossians 2:11-15). When someone goes into the water it symbolizes being buried with Christ in his death. When they rise out of the water, it illustrates that we have been raised to life in Christ Jesus.
Who Should be Baptized & When?
While not mandatory for salvation, every follower of Jesus should desire to be baptized following their decision to trust in Jesus (Acts 2:41; Acts 8:38-39). Baptism should be made early in your faith journey out of the excitement for what Jesus has done, but can be done at any point. Mature faith and advanced knowledge of scripture is not necessary. Faith in Jesus and a desire to follow him is all that is needed!
Why Full Immersion?
We practice full immersion baptism, which means you will be completely covered by water. We use this approach to baptism because it is how Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:16), it best symbolizes his burial and resurrection, and the word used in the New Testament “baptizo” literally translates to “immerse under water”. We do not consider baptism by other means as inappropriate, but we will baptize a believer who was previously baptized as a child and now wants to make a declaration as an adult.
I Want to be Baptized! What Now?
If you desire to be baptized, there are two easy ways for you to let us know! You can speak to one of our pastors or staff members, or you can visit the find the link to sign up on our website!
There are a few things that we’ll ask you to do in preparation for your baptism. First, we’ll ask you to film a short baptism testimony video about your story of what Jesus has meant to you and why you want to be baptized. After you’ve let us know you want to be baptized, we’ll reach out to you to schedule doing this before the baptism service.