Baptism

What Is Baptism?

Baptism is an important step of obedience that shows others we have personally trusted Jesus for our salvation. Jesus was baptized when He was on the earth, and we do this to follow His example. When Christians are baptized, they are submerged under water to identify with the death and burial of Jesus and raised out of the water to identify with His resurrection. We believe that water baptism is a public declaration of three important things: you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are beginning a changed life in Christ, and you are part of a new family.

Baptisms FAQ

Baptism is a profound biblical mandate commanded by Christ that has been practiced by his followers for thousands of years. It is a public act of confession, repentance, and faith that acts as the great hinge of a believer’s life: The old life of sin and death has gone, and the new life of union with Christ has begun. In baptism, the church commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus while also celebrating the radical commitment of believers who are raised to walk in newness of life with him.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’” —Matthew 28:18–20
Water baptism is a public declaration of three very important things:
  • You are a follower of Jesus Christ.

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.” —Acts 2:41

  • You are beginning a changed life in Christ.

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order 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

  • You are part of a new family.
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” —Galatians 3:26–27

If you were previously baptized by personal choice, we first encourage you to carefully study the instances of baptism in the New Testament, noting who was baptized and the nature of their personal faith. We are convinced these passages clearly support the baptism of believers after their personal profession of faith. Secondly, we encourage you to seek counsel from the elders who can provide wisdom in making a decision to be baptized again.

We believe that anyone who makes a personal profession of faith in Christ and repents of his or her sins should be baptized—no matter their age.
Jesus indicated that true, saving faith could indeed be present in a child’s heart. In fact, he indicates that unless faith is similar to that of a child’s, it is not real, saving faith (Matthew 18:3)!

We encourage any parents to partner with our Kids Ministry leaders to guide your children through these decisions of faith.

Throughout the New Testament, the Bible shows that baptism happens on the heels of a believer confessing their own faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that a child should be old enough to express their faith in Christ on their own terms and in their own words. 

For children who are too young to make a personal profession of faith, we do encourage parents to dedicate their children to the Lord during one of our Child Dedication services. Child Dedications are represented by a prayer of faith and commitment to raise their children to know and follow the Lord. While the parents are making a public commitment to do so, the church body is simultaneously making the beautiful commitment to support and encourage the parents in this endeavor.