Baptism

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace - it is claiming God's blessing not our belief.  For those who can answer for themselves we celebrate Justifying Grace following a personal decision for Christ.  For those who cannot answer for them self, we celebrate Prevenient Grace - God's love for all of creation.
  • Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
  • Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:16).

A lot of symbolism (and dogma) surrounds baptism. You may be baptized at any age by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Through baptism you're initiated into Christ's holy and universal church - not a particular local congregation.  Those baptized as Infants (Prevenient Grace) will later need to be confirmed after making their own personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ (Justifying Grace).

Venues
  • CHURCH. Seats 150.  Rain, snow, or shine.
  • PARSONAGE. Small parties.
  • OUTDOOR. Limited only by your imagination.
  • YOUR VENUE. In and out of state.

Confirmation
Before baptism you will need to confirm your faith with pastor Jerry.  For adults, you'll be asked to share your spiritual journey including how and when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  For teens, a 6 week series of meetings will explain Christianity leading toward a profession of faith in Christ.  For infants or those unable to answer for themselves, the pastor will meet with the parents or legal guardian and explain Prevenient Grace and God's provision for all persons not just those of sound mind.

Reaffirmation
Since baptism is primarily God's activity you never need to be "re-baptized."  But, since we live in a cycle of Sin - Confession - Restoration, we need to celebrate God's continuing work of grace in our life. In reaffirmation we're asked to: "Remember your baptism and be thankful."

Facebook Live-Stream
Whatever your venue a great way to include family and friends is with a Facebook Live-Stream. During the current pandemic social distancing many are opting for this option and planning a larger in person celebration when it's appropriate to do so.