Baptism is a vital step of obedience, showing others our identification with Jesus and forgiveness of sins.
Baptism places you into the body of Christ, joining you to the beginnings of the Jesus movement, and His legacy of hope for humanity.
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Baptism FAQ
WHY BE BAPTIZED?
Those who are baptized are following Jesus’ example and obeying His command, just as the church has done from its beginnings.
“After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.’” — Matthew 3:16-17 NLT
“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” — Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
“Then Peter asked, ‘Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?’ So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” — Acts 10:47-48 NLT
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM?
Water baptism is a public declaration of three very important things:
You believe the Good News that Jesus Christ has forgiven the sins that separate us from God.
“Peter replied, ‘Each of you must repent of 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. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.’ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” — Acts 2:38-39, 41 NLT
You are beginning a changed life in Christ.
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” — Romans 6:4 NLT
“For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.” — Colossians 2:12-13 NLT
You are part of a new family.
“For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.” — Galatians 3:26-27 NLT
Are there any requirements to be baptized at city grace?
The early church seemed to look for two key requirements in people wanting to be baptized:
Requirement 1 || Faith in Jesus as the Son of God, God’s promised rescue for fallen humanity
God originally created people good and in His image, but we all have chosen to walk away from God’s design. We end up behaving in hurtful ways that God never intended. When Jesus came claiming He could save people, He wasn’t only talking about an afterlife; He was offering to save us from living a broken and empty version of life. He came to show people again what that image of God looked like in human form.
Believing that Jesus is the Son of God is how we find the way back to our good God’s design for a good and rich kind of life. So we believe that Jesus is a picture of God, gifted to us by God, so that we can reflect God again in our values and behaviors.
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” — Genesis 1:27 NLT
“… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.” — John 14:9b-10 NLT
“Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” — John 10:9-10 NLT
Requirement 2 || A sincere desire to leave our ways of living and surrender completely to His way of being alive
If we believe that Jesus is the picture of God we are created to reflect, then all of His life and words are the truth about who we are meant to be. And wherever we find our lives in conflict with Him, our genuine belief in who He is will cause us to ask for His forgiveness, and cause us to ask Him for Grace to go forward in a new kind of life.
“But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” — 1 John 2:4-6 NLT
“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” — Ephesians 4:13-15 NLT
Will I have to say anything?
You will not have to say anything at your baptism. Before your baptism you will answer a few questions privately with a member of our Pastoral team. You will be asked the following questions:
Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?
Do you surrender your life to Jesus as your Savior and King?
Have you asked God's forgiveness for your past sins, and for Grace to overcome future failings?
How will I be baptized?
We baptize by full immersion (dunking under the water), and by calling on the name and authority of Jesus just as Jesus and the early church showed us.
“As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, 'Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?' 'You can,' Philip answered, 'if you believe with all your heart.' And the eunuch replied, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.” — Acts 8:36-38 NLT
“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 NLT
What should I wear when I am baptized?
We recommend modest clothing - remembering that wet clothes become transparent and sticky. A dark t-shirt will be provided for you. Shorts and jeans are commonly worn.
We suggest bringing:
A change of outer- and under-clothes
Any toiletries you might require
A plastic bag for wet clothes
I HAVE ALREADY BEEN BAPTIZED. SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED AGAIN?
Your baptism should have come from a firm faith that Jesus Christ died and rose again to provide a covering for our sins, and that His name and authority are the only means for restoration with our Creator God. Baptism signifies you becoming a follower of Jesus, beginning a changed life, and uniting with a new family.
If your baptism did not source from that faith in His name or reflect this change of life, we encourage everyone to be baptized again.
Can my family be baptized together?
Yes. If each family member understands 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.
CAN MY infant/CHILD BE BAPTIZED?
With parental consent, we will baptize anyone over age 7 who understands what baptism symbolizes and wants to make that personal public declaration. We encourage any parents to partner with our Kids and Student ministries to guide your children through these decisions of faith.
The first members of the Jesus movement taught that baptism is made effective by saving faith in Jesus Christ. We understand that some churches practice “baptism of confirmation” for children. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed and is different from the biblical examples of new believers being baptized as a public profession of their faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sins.
At City Grace we choose to provide opportunities for infant/child dedications, but not baptism. This ceremony is intended to be a commitment between 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 or her own personal confession of faith in Christ. To schedule a baby dedication, email the church office at hello@citygrace.church.
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