Thinking of Baptism
If you are thinking about getting baptised, these notes will help you understand the spiritual
significance of the event and also some of the practicalities of what happens.
What Is Baptism?
The Greek verb ‘baptizo’ means to dip or to submerge. The Greeks used it to describe the
dyeing of a garment; the garment would go into the dye one colour and come out another.
When you are baptised, you are momentarily submerged in water. Baptism has been
described as ‘an outward sign of an inward faith’. Faith is an invisible, intangible thing and
needs to be expressed in action. We can show people what they cannot see; that our faith is
in Jesus Christ, by choosing to be publically baptised.
In baptism we identify with Jesus in His three great acts that made us alive to God - His
death, burial and resurrection. Paul sums up the Christian message by linking these
together:- “Christ died for our sins … he was buried … He was raised on the third day…”
(I Corinthians 15:3,4)
As we go down into the water, we are saying in effect, that just as Jesus Christ died for our
sin on the cross, so we have died to sin in our lives. Following Jesus is about laying down our
lives so we can come alive to God’s purpose for us.
Just as Jesus was buried in the tomb, when we are lowered beneath the water our past lives
are regarded as put out of sight. When we are lifted from the water it signifies we now live a
new distinctive life in Jesus.
Who Can Get Baptised?
Baptism follows belief in Jesus Christ. This is a simple but very important principle that is
stressed again and again in the New Testament. We must become a follower of Christ
before we can think about being baptised.
In Mark 16:15-16 Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved…”
Acts 18:8 “…and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptised.”
Although baptism is often linked with salvation, the Bible never suggests that we can
experience a spiritual change of heart by being baptised. A person is not baptised to make
them a follower of Jesus, but rather to show that he or she has already started following
Jesus. The water doesn’t have the power to change our lives but is symbol of our continuing
desire to follow and be transformed by Jesus.
If you have come to believe in Jesus and have decided to follow him then we would love to
encourage you to get baptised. It is a powerful public statement of what you believe and a
deeply symbolic act of faith.
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Thinking of Baptism
Baptism FAQ’s
What if I don’t like water?
You are only under the water for a moment and you can hold your nose if you want you to.
The water is warm and you will be securely supported by the two people baptising you.
Will I have to talk in front of the church?
Part of being baptised is telling people your story of how you came to be a follower of Jesus.
In the weeks before the service we encourage you to prepare a brief testimony (3-5
minutes) with the help of your cell leaders or friends. We then arrange to video you telling
your story so that we can play it in all of our Sunday services. You also have the option of
telling your story live in the service when you are getting baptised.
When you are preparing your story you are essentially answering three questions:
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What was my life like before I met Jesus?
How did I meet Jesus and what happened?
What is my life like now?
The important thing is not to get worried about this. Your story is precious and unique and
God will use it to touch many other people’s lives, so tell it with pride.
I was christened as a baby, can I still get baptised?
Yes. We believe that full-immersion baptism is distinct and follows a conscious choice by a
person to follow Jesus.
I don’t feel good enough to get baptised?
When we choose to follow Jesus he begins a process of change in us that lasts a lifetime. In
the bible many people chose to believe in Jesus and follow him. They then got baptised very
quickly afterwards, so we can assume that they certainly weren’t perfect when they were
baptised. All we would encourage is that if you want to get baptised is that you are
committed to following Jesus and allowing his transformation in your life.
If I want to get baptised what do I need to do next?
Please get in touch by contacting us at [email protected] or phone the
church office on 0121 622 1230 and we’ll arrange things from there.
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