Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.  It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead.

No.  The Bible is very clear that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone.  Works, including spiritual works like baptism, do not bring forgiveness of sins or gain us right standing with God.  Baptism is an outward display of inward reality that has already occurred.

Baptism is an ordinance of the church where the church body gets to celebrate with you about God's work in your life.  It is meant to be a reminder of the gospel for believers and also an opportunity to publicly declare your allegiance to Jesus.

The word 'baptizo' in the New Testament literally means "immerse" and that is the method of baptism that we consistently see practiced in the Bible.  Also, being immersed in water best symbolizes a believer's union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection.

The pattern in the New Testament is someone hears and believes the gospel and then is baptized.  Baptism is a first and public step of obedience to Jesus.  Therefore, we encourage that you seek baptism as soon as possible after salvation.

Many people were baptized at some point in their life only to later realize that they had never really experienced the union with Christ that baptism was meant to picture.  Therefore, once you have understood the gospel and trusted Christ, we encouage you to be baptized as a new believer.

While the method of baptism is not a doctrine of first importance, we aim to follow the pattern of the New Testament as closely as possible and encourage you to be baptized by immersion.

The registration form will help you think through your story of coming to know and trust Jesus.  A pastor will follow up with you to set up a time to talk through your story, answer any questions you may have, and set up a time for your baptism.

You will arrive to the worship gathering 15 minutes early and be greeted by someone on our baptism team.  We will provide you with a baptism shirt, show you where to change clothes, and pray with you.  At the beginning of the service (subject to change) a pastor will explain to the congregation what baptism is, briefly tell of how you came to faith in Christ, and help you into the pool.  Once you are in the water you will be asked if you have repented of your sins and are trusting in the finished work of Christ alone for your salvation.  After your affirmation, you will be dipped into the water and quickly brought back up.

In the New Testament all those who heard the gospel and believed followed their confession of faith with baptism.  If a child shows evidence of genuine repentance and faith, there is no reason to not then follow their profession of faith with baptism.  In order to help children better understand the gospel and give room for them to display repentance and faith, we put together a Children's Baptism Booklet that we encourage parents to walk through with their child who is looking to be baptized.  We will will come alongside you as you use this booklet to help disciple your child in this most important area. Here is a helpful article as you discuss baptism with your child.