Baptism Service

What is Baptism?

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is your opportunity to show others that you have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ; to stand up and proclaim "I belong to Jesus!"

Baptism is not necessary for salvation, which comes only through faith in Christ. Romans 10:9-10 "9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

What is the biblical foundation for Baptism?

Baptism is at once an act of obedience, identification and submission.

Obedience - Jesus' final recorded words to His followers before His ascension to heaven express the importance He placed on Baptism. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His followers, "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Identification - Baptism serves to identify publicly the individual as a follower of Christ. In Romans 6:1-11, the apostle Paul describes the immersion of Baptism as a means through which the believer identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ: Going under the water represents Christ's death—and a believer’s death to sin; coming out of the water illustrates His resurrection and the believer’s new life in Christ.

Submission - Baptism is an act of submission to the "Name" of the Lord Jesus (i.e., a public acknowledgement of His Lordship over your life). Acts 2:38 says: And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Who should be baptized?

We believe that baptism is an important step of obedience for every person who has accepted Christ as his or her Savior, and we count it as privilege to walk with you as you take this next step on your spiritual journey.

How old should children be before being baptized?

There is no special age at which a child is "ready" to be baptized.  The Holy Spirit works differently in the lives of each believer, so understanding of baptism will vary from child to child.  As such, there is no "right" age for baptism.  However, we find that most children come to a good understanding of baptism, and are ready to be baptized, between the ages of 8 - 12.  We will consider children under 8 years old on a case-by-case basis.

Each child baptism candidate (and a parent) attends a short class in which baptism is discussed at length.  Watch the church calendar for upcoming classes.

Sprinkling or Immersion?

The baptism Jesus authorized and commanded is precisely what is indicated by the Greek word baptizo: immersion. The book of Acts contains multiple accounts of baptism, and in every instance, the candidate for baptism was immersed (see Acts 10:48; Acts 16:31-33; Acts 22:16).

What about infant baptism? 

There are no recorded instances of infant baptism in the Bible.  God teaches us that baptism should follow salvation through faith in Christ - it never precedes it.  Parents are encouraged to dedicate their infant children to the Lord during one of our Child Dedications (scroll down for more details).

If you were baptized as an infant, we would strongly encourage you to be baptized again. This time as a believer in Jesus Christ who is making a conscious decision to be obedient to Him, with a desire to make a public profession of your faith.