What is baptism? Water + word

Baptism is water, together with the words of Jesus Christ. In baptism God acts to forgive your sin and make you right with him — it’s like you’re buried with Christ in the tomb and rise with him! It is a “holy” moment (“holy” means “special” or “set apart”), in which someone is welcomed into Immanuel congregation and the worldwide Christian church. The ancient word “baptidzo” means “wash.” The water reminds us of sin being washed away, and the new life that comes from Christ’s death and resurrection. Although some churches vary the method, baptism is the same gift in all churches that believe in Jesus Christ. So it’s not about being baptised “Lutheran,” it’s about being adopted into God’s family.

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Baptism is for everyone, baptism is for you!

We believe that baptism is for adults, teens, children, even infants — everyone. If you’re not baptised, then baptism is for you! God’s gift of grace is not reserved for anyone special, but is freely given to all who trust his word. But baptism isn’t “magic” — faith in Jesus Christ receives the gift that God gives through the water and word. Just as a seed needs water to grow, baptism needs faith to bear fruit. Therefore teaching always goes together with baptism — people are always baptised into a community of fellow followers of Jesus, who are constantly growing and learning.

 

What’s the process?

Here at Immanuel, we like to meet with you a few times: to get to know each other, to talk about what baptism is and is not, to walk through the Rite of Baptism, and basically make sure we’re all on the same page. You could come to our Church office, or we can come out to your place at a convenient time. We typically need two sessions of less than 1 hr each. At these sessions, we can talk about possible dates for the baptism.