WATER BAPTISM

Baptism is a picture of Jesus' 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

Baptism is a picture of my new life as a follower of Jesus.

• “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
• “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9

Baptism does not make you a believer - it shows that you already believe!

Baptism does not "save" you! I become a follower of Jesus by (1) believing that Jesus is the Son of God, (2) asking Him to forgive me of my sins, and (3) asking Him to be my new master and leader and (4) following Him for the remainder of my life.

Like a wedding ring – baptism is the outward symbol of the commitment you have already made in your heart.

• “By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... so also we may live a new life!” - Romans 6:4

As you can see, the picture of being buried is present in baptism. You are buried under the water (don't worry, for a short bit), and then raised out of the water. This is a picture of the new resurrection life you share with Christ. Just as he was buried, so also you've been buried. And just as He was raised to life, so also, are you raised to new life!

When people were baptized in the Bible, they were dunked into and beneath the water. In fact, the Greek word, baptizo, actually means “to dip under water”. In addition, we “dunk” or immerse people because of the additional two important reasons:

(1) Jesus was baptized by being completely submerged under water.

• “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.” - Matthew 3:16

(2) Every baptism recorded in the Scriptures was by dunking a person completely under water.

• “...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

Every person who has believed in Jesus and has committed to following Him.

• “Those who believe and accepted His message were baptized…” - Acts 2:41
• “But when they believed Philip as he preached the Good News… and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” - Acts 8:12
• “Simon himself believed and was baptized…” - Acts 8:13

As soon as you have believed!

• “Those who believe...were baptized...that day!" - Acts 2:41
• “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 man 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 man answered, ´I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.´ So they went down into the water and Philip baptized him.” - Acts 8:35-38

There is no reason to delay. As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are "perfect", you’ll never feel "good enough"! If you're ready, just let us know and we'll get a water baptism scheduled. 

Some churches practice a "baptism of confirmation" for children. This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed.

This is different from the baptism talked about in the Bible which is recorded as only for those old enough to believe. The purpose of baptism is to publicly confess your personal commitment to Christ. We encourage you to be baptized the way Jesus demonstrated, even though many of us were "confirmed by baptism" as children.

Yes! If each family member understands fully the meaning of baptism, and each one has personally placed his/her trust in Christ for salvation, we encourage families to be baptized at the same time. It is a wonderful expression of commitment. However, it is important to remember that baptism is a personal statement of faith, not a family tradition. Baptism is for those who can articulate their faith and trust in the Savior, Jesus.

Parents, please click here to go to our kids water baptism page to learn more about assessing if your child is ready for water baptism. 

We have a special baptism tee-shirt for you, our "Raised to Life" tee-shirts, that you will receive on the morning you come for your baptism. Please plan on wearing this for your baptism. Please also wear dark shorts or swim trunks.

Bring a change of clothes, a towel, and a plastic bag for your wet articles of clothing. If you bring some family and friends to celebrate with you, that’s totally cool too! If you need help, we will provide postcards and stamps to help you spread the word about your big decision!

If you'd like to share some of your story, then yes! Work with a pastor to be prepared to share something before your baptism. If you'd rather not, that's fine too! The person baptizing you may ask you a few yes or no questions before baptizing you, such as “Have you committed to following Jesus?” Be prepared to answer honestly!