Get Baptized In 3 Easy Steps!

When you register, you will be contacted to set up an appointment to meet with a baptism team member to share your salvation experience. During your meeting, you will be able to ask any questions that you may have about baptism and set your baptism date. Children and students (up to 12th grade) will be contacted to attend an upcoming baptism class or if they have already attended, will set up a baptism date.

It is a spiritually meaningful, symbolic ceremony that publicly shows our desire to obey God and to follow Jesus.

Jesus commanded us to baptize (Matthew 28:19-20), and we are following His example when we do it (Mark 1:9). It is a symbol of how we were spiritually buried with Him and raised for new life when we accepted His salvation.

No. We are saved by faith and God’s grace, not by any religious works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Baptism is to salvation what a wedding ceremony is to a marriage. The wedding doesn’t legally make anyone married- that happens by the signing of a marriage license as witnessed by a church leader or court official. Baptism, like a wedding ceremony, is a public display of our love for someone- in this case, Jesus!

Almost all of the biblical examples of baptism show people doing it in public (Acts 2:41), because we are not to be ashamed of Jesus when we have become Christians. We should want to share our joyous decision with family, friends, and our church.

As we read the New Testament, we see people being taken down into water and brought back up (Matthew 3:16, Acts 8:38-39). The Greek word ‘baptizo’ means to immerse. Immersion is a picture of being buried and raised to new life in salvation (Romans 6:4). This is not a major doctrinal issue with us- we are more concerned with our hearts’ condition with Jesus. But, we want to practice scripture as closely as we understand it.

In the New Testament, we usually see church leaders baptizing (John 4:1-2, Acts 10:47-48, 16:33). Our pastors baptize, and will often invite lay ministers and family members to participate.

In the New Testament, we see people being baptized immediately after salvation, as a first and public step of obedience to Jesus (Acts 2:41, 8:38-39, 10:47-48). We would encourage you to be baptized as close as possible to your date of salvation. There is no scriptural reason for waiting.

Since baptism is the first step of obedience after salvation, the first time may have been a well-meant, but only religious activity. We would invite you to be baptized again as a new Christian.

Although the method of baptism is not a major doctrine to us, we do desire to practice the pattern found in the New Testament. So, we would invite you to be baptized by immersion.

In the New Testament, baptism is seen as a first-step, one-time ceremony. Since it is not a magical action that brings salvation or makes us closer to God, we would encourage you to not confuse yourself or others by being baptized more than once.

Although Scripture shows Jesus welcoming and blessing children, it does not show Him baptizing infants, nor are there any passages that show or command this practice. Since baptism is a step of obedience after salvation, and since (due to mental development) infants cannot make that spiritual choice, we do not baptize them. We do, however, dedicate infants to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:27-28). This is a special commitment ceremony where the parents and the church pledge together to spiritually nurture the infant as he or she grows, and we pray for their eventual salvation.

In the New Testament, new converts to Christianity are those who were baptized. If a child has understood and accepted salvation, then there is no reason that they should not be baptized. We ask children and students (up to 12th grade) to attend the “Splash Class” or “Student Baptism Class” where we educate them on the meaning of baptism before they get baptized.

John the Baptist began preaching for people to repent, and to show that inward heart change through an outward action. He baptized people at the Jordan River until he introduced Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus’ disciples continued the practice of baptism, Jesus commanded all of His followers to practice it, and the first churches in the book of Acts practiced it. It has been an ordinance of Christ’s church since then until today.

You will arrive 20 minutes before the service for check-in and a brief orientation. Please wear dark shorts and a dark t-shirt. Baptism is normally held at the beginning of the service (subject to change). You will be asked to step into the baptism tub where the pastor will briefly state your salvation experience, and then you will be dipped into the water and quickly raised back up, symbolizing Jesus’ death and resurrection.