There will be a great opportunity for students who want to Follow Christ in Baptism on the Sunday morning of Disciple Now. What a great weekend to show the ‘world’ that uFollow!  Griff will leading this Baptism opportunity and will be glad to answer any questions that you might have. I have listed some info concerning Baptism below:

WHAT IS BAPTISM? Baptism is the act of a BELIEVING Christian who wants to publicly confess their personal commitment to Jesus Christ. It is the symbolic WASHING AWAY of one’s old, sinful past and the RISING again to LIFE, God’s way. The act of baptism can be defined as an outward expression of an inward decision.

WHAT DOES BAPTISM MEAN? Baptism illustrates Jesus’ BURIAL and RESURRECTION. Christ died for our sins... He was buried... and He rose again. (1 Cor. 15: 3-4).

Baptism illustrates NEW LIFE as a Christian. By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... so also we may live a NEW LIFE. (Romans 6: 4). Baptism does not make you a Christian. It is a demonstration that you already believe. It is important to understand that baptism does not “save” you. You are “saved” only by your faith in Jesus.

WHY DO WE GET BAPTIZED? To follow the example set by CHRIST & because Christ COMMANDED it. Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan river..(Mark 1: 9). Jesus said, “Go then, to all people everywhere and make them my disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 28:19-20).

WHAT IF I WAS BAPTIZED AS A BABY? Some churches baptize infants, at First Baptist Church we don’t. We only baptize those who have made a decision to believe in Christ’s death as th payment for their sin. In the Bible, men and women baptized following their belief in Jesus. The custom of infant baptism began about 300 years after the Bible was completed. It’s a ceremony intended to emphasize a commitment between the parents and God on the behalf of the child. During this ceremony, the parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal confession of Christ. At First Baptist Church, we have a dedication service for infants and children that emphasize the parent’s role in raising a child to follow Christ. Therefore, if you were baptized as a baby, we encourage you to be baptized by immersion as a believe

WHY DO WE “DUNK”?
1) Because Jesus was Baptized that way!
2) Every Baptism in the Bible was by “dunking” or immersion.
3) The word Baptize actually means “To submerge in water”
4) Baptism is a symbol, the symbolism of burial and resurrection fits immersion.

We have a great document that discusses Salvation and Baptism available in a printable download.