Baptism

FAQ

Who should be baptized?

Anyone who has professed their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior.

Baptism is non-saving but non-optional. In other words, baptism itself does not impart saving grace, but at the same time many think wrongly of baptism as if it were an optional “add on” for serious Christians. That’s not the way the Bible presents it. Simply stated, baptism is something God has commanded of those who claim to be a disciple of Jesus (Matt. 28:18–20).

What does baptism represent?

Baptism is a visual declaration of the gospel, and a ritual reenactment of what God has done for you in Christ.

Profession
When you profess your faith publicly at baptism, the church is receiving your testimony and affirming that your faith is genuine and redemption secure.

Immersion
When you are lowered down and raised up from the water, baptism symbolizes the way you have been united both to Christ’s death and his resurrection. It also represents the way your former way of life and unbelief has been put to death and the way you have been released from the mastery of sin (Col 2:12; Rom 6:3–4).

Declaration
When you are baptized in the name of the Triune God, you are visibly marked out—branded in a sense—as belonging to the people of God, welcomed into the church, and declared visibly to be a member of the Kingdom of God.

 

How old do I need to be?

We don’t think the Bible sets a specific age, and neither do we.

We try to balance what we find in Scripture—baptisms tend to occur soon after conversion but also following a clear and credible profession of faith. So we believe the normal age of baptism should be when the credibility of one’s conversion becomes evident to the church.

We’re trying to identify a clear (if age-appropriate) ability to articulate the gospel. That means we often take some extra steps when considering pre-adolescent children, but we will consider professing Christians of any age who present themselves for baptism.

Do I need to walk the aisle to be baptized?

No. We have a response song following the sermon each week, and we love to welcome and recognize people who present themselves for baptism. But we do not require it.

What if I was baptized as an infant?

As a church, we believe that baptism must be both by immersion and following conversion.

This is an area of honest disagreement with other Christian denominations who baptize infants. Simply stated, we don’t believe infant baptism is baptism, so we ask any who have not followed Jesus in what we call believer’s baptism to do so in obedience to his command.

What is the process for baptism?

This varies depending on the age of the person seeking baptism.

Adults
When an adult presents himself or herself for baptism, whether online or in-person, we schedule a conversation to learn more about them and make sure they are prepared for baptism.

Children
With children, the process is a little slower and a little more structured, depending on the age. This often involves a series of meetings with the child, his or her parents, and one of our ministry staff. It also often involves a guided study to prepare children for baptism and to make sure they understand and can articulate their faith.

Testimony
For everyone, part of the baptism is process is preparing a brief testimony you will share with the church at your baptism. We’ll work through that with you, and, once approved by our pastors, we will work to schedule a time for you to be baptized.