Water Baptism

A.    To follow the example set by Christ.
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the river.” (Mark 1:9)

B.    Because Christ commanded it.
“Jesus said, ‘Go then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciple, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2:38)

C.    It demonstrates that I really am a Believer.
“We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.” (1 John 2:3)

A.    It Illustrates Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
“Christ died for our sins… He was buried…and He rose again.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

“For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism, you were also raised with Christ.” (Colossians 2:12)

B.    It illustrates my new life as a Christian.
“When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. The old life has passed away and a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new Life.” (Romans 6:4)

C.    Baptism doesn’t make you a Christian. It symbolizes your faith in Christ Jesus.
Only your faith in Christ Jesus saves you. Baptism is like a wedding ring – it’s the outward sign of the commitment you have made in your heart (see Ephesians 2:8-9)

A.    Because Jesus was baptized that way.
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.” (Matthew 3:16)

B.    Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion. For example:

“Then both Philip and the man went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water…” (Acts 8:38-39)

C.    The word “baptize” means “to dip under water.”

D.    It best symbolized a burial and resurrection.
(See Romans 6:1-11)

E.    The founders of the major denominations agree:

Martin Luther (founder of the Lutheran denomination): “I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word imports and the mystery signifies.”

John Calvin (founder of the Presbyterian denomination): “The word ‘baptize’ signifies to immerse. Immersion was certainly the practice of the ancient church.”

John Wesley (founder of Methodist and Wesleyan denomination): “Buried with Him’ alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church.”

Every person who believes in Christ Jesus. A believer is someone who has realized that their sin separated them from God. They have given up all efforts to reach God through good works or religious activity. They have concluded that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for their sins is the only thing that can bridge the gap between them and God. A believer is someone who has decided to trust Christ alone for their salvation. If you have come to that point in your spiritual journey, then you are ready to be baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:2-13).

The New Testament shows no example of baptism when the person did not request it. All instances of baptism followed an individual’s decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation (Acts 2:41; 8:12; 10:47-48). We recommend that the child be old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of baptism before baptizing them. When a child makes a decision for Christ, we gladly baptize them into the Christian faith.

If your child wants to get baptized, contact the children’s ministry leader or Pastor Mike and they can help you.

In the Bible we find parents bringing children to Jesus. He held them and prayed for them and told us to welcome them. But He did not baptize them and did not tell anyone else to baptize them. So it is biblical to wait until after a personal decision to trust Christ as Savior has been made by the child.

Baptism is a public profession of salvation, so only people who have intentionally received salvation should experience baptism. We would love to discuss a Baby Dedication Ceremony for your infant and young children. Please contact us if interested.

As soon as a person decides to believe in Christ, they can and should be baptized.
“Those who believed…were baptized…that day!”  Acts 2:41

“But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name  of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Acts 8:12

“Then Philip began with the Scripture and told him the Good News about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, Look here is water! Why shouldn’t I be baptized right now? Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. The official answered I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.” Acts 8:36-39

The Bible teaches that baptism should follow your decision to become a believer. There is no reason to delay. If you wait until you are “good” enough, you will never feel ready for baptism.

There is no need to be baptized again. However, if you feel like you were baptized as a child and had not come to faith in Christ Jesus then, you are welcome to be baptized. If you were previously not baptized by immersion since you became a believer, you are welcome to be baptized again. It doesn’t devalue a prior experience but simply reflects your desire to be baptized in the same way Jesus demonstrated and commanded us to follow.

Not much! At the beginning of the baptism service, the pastor will briefly explain the meaning of baptism or show a short baptism video. Following that, the pastor will introduce you by name. You will then enter the water to be baptized. The pastor will quote scripture from Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (NLT) After the pastor will ask you a question,

Who is your Lord?"

Then the pastor will briefly lower you just under the water, and then you will leave the water, dry off, and watch with others. You are welcome to share briefly the transformation Jesus has made in your life since you gave your life to Him.

We are so happy you desire to follow the Lord’s example in baptism. Many people like yourself have been baptized in pools, lakes, and the ocean.

1.    Dress in clothes you don’t mind getting wet! You should wear dark-colored lightweight clothing to be baptized in.

2.    Bring a complete set of dry clothing to change into to wear home. You can use the restrooms to change in.

3.    Bring a towel to dry off after being baptized.

4.    Bring a plastic bag to put wet clothes in.

5.   Also, we will be giving you a Baptism Certificate and a  cool new T-shirt so you can tell the world about your baptism. You are welcome to wear the T-shirt when you are being baptized

Absolutely! We would love to have your friends and family there to celebrate with you.