What is Baptism?
Baptism is a public declaration of your faith. It’s a way of saying “Jesus, I’m all in!”
The Bible says “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” – Romans 6:4
Baptisms at the Home Church are a celebration for the whole church community.
Water baptism is a public declaration that we have turned away from our old life of unbelief and sin, and put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord (Acts 2:38). Baptism identifies us publicly with Jesus Christ as His disciples, His followers. This is vital because Jesus Himself said, “If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on Earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in Heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
Obeying God in this way is an important step toward spiritual fruitfulness and the fullness of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Colossians 2:11-12). As we go down into the waters and come back up, we demonstrate that our old life of sin has been buried with Christ and we have been raised with Him (Romans 6:1-4). Baptism is a celebration of God’s grace and an expression of our desire and intention to follow Him!
Baptism doesn’t make you a believer – it shows that you already believe. Baptism does not “save” you, only your faith in Christ does that. We are saved by God’s grace as we trust in His son who died for us on the cross and was raised from the dead. Baptism is like a wedding ring – it’s the outward symbol of the commitment you make in your heart. (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10).
Baptism at the Home Church
Want to know about baptism at the Home Church? Check out our FAQ’s to the right.
Our baptisms are held in the Worship Center in a water baptismal. On occasion, we may conduct special baptisms at the beach or at someone’s home.
Women should wear a one-piece swimsuit with a dark shirt and shorts over it. Men should wear shorts or long swimming trunks and a t-shirt. There will be a restroom where you can change your clothes. Also, bring a change of clothes, a towel, and a plastic bag for your wet clothes. You may want to bring a hair dryer.
Yes! If each person understands fully the meaning of baptism, and each one has personally placed his/her trust in Christ for salvation, we encourage families to be baptized at the same time. It is a wonderful expression of commitment. However, it is important to remember that baptism is a personal statement of faith, not a family or group tradition. It is usually not wise to delay your baptism while waiting on others to join you. This puts an undue pressure on them, and delays your obedience.
Baptism is a church-wide celebration and we would be requesting that you share briefly with the church congregation your story of faith. We will help you with this. This is because scripture calls us to make a public declaration of our faith. Sometimes this will be done live, or it can be pre-recorded on video. This is a great opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus and the church.
The water baptism is very simple. The pastor will ask you to hold one wrist, and with the other hand hold your nose. After this, you will be briefly lowered just under the water, and brought immediately back up. Done! Applause and praises! You can leave the water, dry off, and watch the others.
Later you will receive your baptism certificate. We encourage you to invite family and friends to attend your baptism!
As an act of obedience, everyone who has come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, believing in His death, burial and bodily resurrection from the dead, and has decided to follow Him as Lord and Savior should be baptized.