Baptism

Baptism is a great celebration at Calvary. It is a celebration of the story of our faith. It is a celebration of an individual’s confession of belief in Jesus. It is a celebration of an individual’s commitment to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

Interested in baptism? Fill out this form.

At Calvary, the celebration of baptism is all out – or rather, all under! We baptize by full immersion (meaning, you’re going to get fully wet!). We don’t sprinkle water on you. We don’t pour water over you. We go all the way in – partially because that’s what our commitment is all about. God calls us to be immersed in the life of Christ. But we also practice baptism by immersion because baptism is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Going under the water symbolizes His death and coming out of the water symbolizes His resurrection. If you are interested we would love to explore this step of faith with you. Contact your gathering pastor.

Who should be baptized? It isn’t an age thing or a knowledge thing. You don’t need to be a certain age or have a certain level of spiritual or Biblical information. But you do need to be a person who has chosen to believe in and follow Jesus. If you believe that Jesus came for you, lived and died for you, and rose from the dead for you; if you believe that life now and forever is found in Him, then baptism might be the next step in your journey of faith.

What does baptism do? Does baptism save me? No. Faith in Jesus saves us. Baptism is not necessary for a new life in Christ (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 1:16). Baptism is a public declaration and a church family celebration of the decision that you have already made.  

Why do people decide to get baptized? Many believers are baptized simply as an act of obedience to Christ’s command in Matthew 28:19. In addition, others see it as a way to publicly confess their faith in Christ. It can be an outward sign to family members and friends that you have decided to follow Jesus. Water baptism can be a special moment where you physically sense what God has done for you in Christ.

What should I do if I want to be baptized? At Calvary, we will periodically plan baptisms during our corporate worship gatherings. Anyone considering baptism is asked to meet with one of our pastors prior to baptism to be sure they understand baptism and have their questions answered. During this time they are given further instruction as to the details of the baptism.