Baptism?

Jesus commands those who follow Him to be baptized. Baptism is one of the first steps of discipleship and a public declaration that we belong to Christ. It also pictures our union with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection.

The New Testament speaks about baptism with great importance. Jesus commands His followers to be baptized, and the apostles consistently call new believers to respond in baptism. Passages such as Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1 through 4, Acts 22:16, and 1 Peter 3:21 show that baptism is not an optional part of the Christian life.

At the same time, Scripture is clear that we are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by the act of baptism itself (Ephesians 2:8 through 9). Paul even writes, "Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel" (1 Corinthians 1:17), showing that our hope rests in Christ and His finished work rather than in the water.

Rather than seeing faith and baptism as competing ideas, the New Testament presents them together. Those who trust in Jesus are baptized because they belong to Him. Baptism is the God ordained response of faith, publicly declaring our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

Anyone who has personally trusted in Jesus Christ and desires to follow Him should be baptized. Throughout the New Testament, those who believed the gospel were baptized as an expression of their faith and commitment to Christ.

Baptism is a picture of our union with Christ. Going under the water symbolizes our identification with Jesus in His death and burial, and rising from the water pictures the new life we have in Him. Baptism also reminds us that we have been adopted into God's family and are part of His new creation.

Many people who were baptized as infants choose to be baptized after personally placing their faith in Jesus. We'd be happy to talk with you about your story and help you think through this question from the Bible.

Yes. If you've trusted Christ but have never been baptized as a believer, baptism is still an important step of obedience. It's never too late to publicly identify with Jesus.

Baptism is for those who have personally trusted in Jesus and desire to follow Him. If you're wondering whether your child is ready, we'd love to help you think through that together. We encourage parents to attend our Baptism Conversation and speak with one of our pastors.

Towards the end of our worship service, everyone gathers outside where the baptisms take place. An elder will lead those being baptized through several baptism declarations before each person is baptized. Afterwards, we celebrate together and pray for everyone who has taken this step.

Men should wear a bathing suit and T shirt.

Ladies should wear a bathing suit, T shirt, and shorts.

Please bring a towel and a change of clothes.

Before being baptized, you'll publicly affirm your desire to:

• live as part of God's household, the church
• proclaim Christ through your words and actions
• rely on God's power to reject sin and pursue holiness
• pursue justice and peace while remaining faithful to Christ and His Church

That's okay. We encourage you to read our Preparing for Baptism guide and attend one of our Baptism Conversations. If you still have questions, we'd love to meet with you and talk through them.

Start by reading our Preparing for Baptism guide. If possible, join us for a Baptism Conversation. When you're ready, complete the interest form below. One of our pastors will reach out to hear your story, answer your questions, and help you prepare for Baptism Sunday.