Baptism

We baptize by immersion because: (1) Jesus was baptized that way (Matthew 3:16); (2) Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion (like Acts 8:38-39); (3) The word “baptize” means “to dip under water”; (4) Immersion best symbolizes a burial and resurrection (Romans 6:1-11).

The Bible teaches that followers of Jesus should be baptized. There is not a clear mandate that someone has to be baptized in a particular local church. If you have been baptized elsewhere, that was your act of obedience. If you have been sprinkled, we don’t discount the experience as a spiritual marker.

We do baptize children ages 5 & up. We have specific Sundays in our kids environment that have a salvation emphasis. If your child is asking questions & is curious about salvation, we encourage you to use the tools provided on our Baptism Resources for Parents. We want parents to be equipped to have these conversations with their children. The child and parent can then make the decision as to whether the child is ready for baptism. We want to ensure that a person understands the meaning of baptism before choosing to experience it. Our children’s pastor is also always available to meet with families during this process, contact her HERE.

Because we believe baptism should follow a personal decision to follow Christ, we do not baptize infants. We do have parent dedication several times a year. This is a special time for parents to make a commitment before the Lord to submit a child to God’s will and to raise that child according to God’s Word. For more information about our next parent dedication, click HERE.

Baptism is for anyone who has chosen to become a follower of Jesus. Baptism will not give someone eternal life. That comes through faith in Jesus. Baptism is a way of publicly identifying with Jesus. If we waited until we were perfect before being baptized, we would never be baptized!

At Grace we believe everyone has a next step in their relationship with Jesus, and we want to help you in taking those next steps. One of the next steps we want to help you take is your next step of baptism. We have 3 Sunday’s a year that we dedicate to telling your story and leading you in your next step of baptism. We have a pastor on staff personally connect with each person that feels they are ready for their next step of baptism. The pastor talks to each person about their personal testimony, why they feel called to be baptized, and what baptism means. You will then have the opportunity to take this next step at the baptism service you pre-registered for where your story will be shared, and your next step celebrated before family, friends, and the church.

If you believe you’re ready to take your next step of baptism please register by clicking the registration button above.