Baptism

The Bible clearly teaches that baptism is the first step of obedience after making a commitment to Christ. Baptism allows a believer to communicate to the world their heart-felt commitment to Christ. Baptism is an exciting milestone in the life of a Christian.

What is Baptism?

Baptism is an outward sign that a person has entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It symbolizes what took place inwardly at the time of salvation:

• Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
• Sharing in His death and resurrection
• Being symbolically washed clean Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is also an act of obedience.

While it is not necessary for salvation, it demonstrates submission to God. You can find out more about baptism and what scripture says about it by attending Starting Point, our membership class.

Baptism and Children

At FCC, we wait until our children are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of baptism before we baptize them (See Acts 2:41 & 8:12-13). Some churches practice a “baptism of confirmation” for children. This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on the behalf of the child. The parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed. This is different from the baptism talked about in the Bible, which was only for those old enough to believe. The purpose is to publicly confess your personal commitment to Christ.

It is a membership requirement at FCC that every member must have been baptized the way Jesus demonstrated, i.e., immersion as a believer, even though many of us were “confirmed” as children.

Contact us if you want to sign up for the next baptism celebration.