“In the putting off of the sinful nature...having been buried with him in baptism (immersed in water) and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”

Col 2:11-12

“Jesus said...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.”

Matt. 28:18-20

Baptism is a public declaration of faith. It is a pronouncement of belief; you are sharing the message of Jesus through actions as well as words. It gives you a way to say and demonstrate to your friends and family, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” Baptism does not cause our salvation but it does declare that we have been saved.

When you are baptized, you are declaring:

• I identify with Jesus’ death as judgment for my sin. (Romans 3:23)
• I identify with Jesus’ burial as the death and burial of my sin. (Rom 6:11)
• I identify with Jesus’ resurrection as the symbol of my new life in Him. (Col 2:12)
• I identify with Jesus’ visible body, the church. (Eph 4:4-6)
• I am publicly saying “Jesus is Lord,” and believe that God raised him from the dead, and by this I am saved. (Rom 10:9)

Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward cleansing of sin. Acts 22:16 says, “Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name.” Baptism is a picture of God’s grace and His undeserved favor on us! It also symbolizes God’s forgiveness of our sins and His pleasure in us as His children.

Baptism and Repentance

Throughout the New Testament, baptism and repentance are linked together. Peter exhorted the people who believed his message about Jesus to “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).

Repentance means to have a change of mind; to turn away from something and turn toward something else. It means you turn away from a life of sin and destruction, and turn toward a life of following Jesus. So, being a Christian not only means repenting of sin but also putting your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

According to the Bible, everyone who believes in Jesus and has turned away from a life of sin should be baptized. It's important to understand that this doesn't mean perfection! Only that you've turned in a new direction, one that is heading toward Jesus instead of away from Him.

Baptism is also a matter of accepting the Lordship of Jesus in your life. For new believers, baptism is a first step of obedience. And just like the jailer in Acts 16, this act of public declaration in faithful obedience to God's word can release new joy and power into your journey with Christ.

What if I have already been baptized?

There is nothing in the Bible that says you can't be baptized more than once! For those who were baptized as an infant or have been away from the church for years, re-enacting one’s baptism can be a meaningful public declaration of what God has recently done in your heart, as well as your personal decision to follow Him.

We perform baptisms a few times a year, or as there is need, during our Sunday service in a baptismal near the stage. Usually, there are several people being baptized on the same Sunday. Before we begin worship, we give each person being baptized an opportunity to share something from his or her own story and why they decided to get baptized. Once worship begins, those being baptized step into the baptismal one at a time and are baptized by immersion by the pastor, or whomever they have chosen to baptize them. During ministry time at the end of service, a few people gather around each baptizee to pray for them.

If you are interested in being baptized, talk to a leader or David Stark, our Lead Pastor. If a group ceremony isn’t currently scheduled, other arrangements can be made.

Invite your friends and family

This is a prefect way to express your faith to friends and family, especially those who aren’t Christians. This is a great opportunity for them to see people committing themselves publicly to Jesus. We have found people feel honored when they are invited to someone’s baptism.