Baptism is an outward demonstration of the inward response of a life committed to God. In water baptism, we publicly acknowledge the covenant that God has made for us through His Son, Jesus. It becomes an open and formal declaration that “I want to walk with God for the rest of my life.”
What Happens?
At Church of the Rock, water baptism happens during our weekend services, usually a number of times per year. Individuals wishing to be baptized will have attended a Baptism Class beforehand, and during the service they will come in front of the congregation, where the pastor will give them a chance to verbally tell everyone why they wish to be baptized. Then each person goes with the pastor into the water in the baptismal tank (about the size of a hot tub), where they declare their intention to follow Jesus for the rest of their life.
The pastor will assist the person in laying down all the way into the water until they are completely immersed, for this is symbolic of dying to sin and being raised again to new life in Christ. We will then take time to pray together with the individual and declare any prophetic words the Lord would give specifically for them.
To learn more about what Water Baptism means, why not come out to our next Baptism Class? Sign up below!
Why is Water Baptism Important?
The baptism of Jesus was of such importance that it was recorded in all four of the gospels (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:29–34). Within the New Testament, we find that water baptism was an important practice which Jesus commanded his disciples to perform as they went out teaching the Scriptures (Matthew 28:16–20; Mark 16:15–16). It is important to realize that not only did Jesus tell the disciples to baptize people, but also He allowed Himself to be water baptized. Therefore, He set the example for us to follow (1 John 2:6).
Who May Be Baptized?
Water Baptism is a next step for any person who has made the decision to follow Christ. The believer should be baptized, after salvation through faith.
We feel it is important for the person being baptized to be old enough to make this “for the rest of my life” decision for themselves, and we will baptize both teenagers and adults. (Parents of infants and young children may be interested in Child Dedication or planning Family Experiences to pass on your faith as your children grow.)
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