Why Baptism?

What are you waiting for?  Get up and be baptized.  Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’  (Acts 22:16)

• It was commanded by Jesus. (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:16; Jn 3:3-5)
• It was administered by the early church. (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27)
• It was connected to conversion as an expression of saving faith. (Acts 2:38; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21)

We believe that baptism is an ordinance of God by which those who have turned to Him, express their union with Jesus in His death and resurrection (Gal. 3:26-27), by being immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Baptism represents a burial and cleansing, and celebrates death to the old life of unbelief, and rebirth into a new life in Christ (John 3:3-5; Romans 6:4-6).

Baptism is for those who have made a decision, through faith, to follow Christ.  In baptism, scripture says, you are raised with Him through faith (Col. 2:11-13).  It is a moment of surrender, when you publicly declare “I am a sinner, and I know it.  My only hope is you Jesus.”

Though the Bible does not state a minimum age at which a person may be baptized, a believer should be old enough to understand the significance of baptism, and make this decision through their own faith.

What to Expect?

 A new believer in Jesus Christ should desire to be baptized as soon as possible. In Acts 8 Philip speaks the good news about Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, and as they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’”.  Right away, they stopped the chariot, and Philip baptized the man.

There is no need to wait for a special event.  If you feel the call to baptism, we can coordinate that on a moments notice.  The baptism may be conducted and facilitated by a pastor, or any believer in Christ.

Several times each year Refuge.Church holds baptism events, giving opportunity and encouragement for those who are ready to take this step of faith. At our baptism events we will pray, read scripture, commune and fellowship (Acts 2:42).  Those who desire to be baptized will enter the water with the person conducting the baptism and be asked to repeat this confession of faith:

I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, my Lord, and my savior.

The believer will then be immersed fully in the water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and then raised up from the water to new life as a part of God’s eternal family.