BAPTISM

Pastor Craig does a deep dive on the ordinance of Water Baptism, WATCH NOW!

here at cla We are so excited about our Baptism Celebrations…

is your next step baptism?

here are some frequently asked questions about baptism.

  • It illustrates Christ´s burial and resurrection. “For when you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ.” – Col. 2:12

    It illustrates my new life as a Christian. “By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead… so also we may live a new life!” –Rom. 6:4

    Baptism doesn´t make you a believer – it shows that you already believe. Baptism does not “save” you, only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a wedding ring – it´s the outward symbol of the commitment you make in your heart.

    “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8,

  • Because Jesus was baptized that way… “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.” – Matt. 3:16

    Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion. The word Baptize means “To dip under water.” The Greek work Baptizo means “To immerse or dip under water”. It best symbolized a burial and resurrection

  • Every person who has believed in Christ. “Those who believe and accepted His message were baptized…” – Acts 2:41

    At CLA, we do wait until our children are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of baptism before we baptize them, which is usually around the age of 8. We do practice Child Dedication. 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/her own personal confession of Christ.

    *If the purpose of Baptism is to publicly identify a believer in Jesus Christ, you may well be asking yourself, “What was the significance of my Baptism as a baby?” In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them and prayed for them and told us to welcome them. But He did not baptize them, and He did not tell anyone else to baptize them. Baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation. If you were baptized as a child, it was the intent of your parents that you would one day be a follower of Christ. Your Baptism as an adult can be viewed as the fulfillment of your parents’ wishes. It in no way repudiates the Baptism you received as a child.*

  • As soon as you have believed. “Those who believe…were baptized…that day!” – Acts 2:41

    There is no reason to delay. As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you are “perfect”, you´ll never feel “good enough”!

a few more things to know about baptism.

  • Yes! If each family member understands fully 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. It is a wonderful expression of commitment.

    However, it is important to remember that baptism is a personal statement of faith, not a family tradition. It is usually not wise to delay your baptism while waiting on other family members to accept Christ, particularly children. This puts an undue pressure on them, and delays your obedience.

  • We want the focus to be on the celebration of your decision so we ask that you wear whatever you are comfortable getting wet while also being modest. Many have worn a colored t-shirt and shorts. Please bring a towel to dry off and a change of clothes.

    *For those that are spontaneous baptized, we can provide a towel and change of clothing*

  • Baptism is a church-wide celebration and we would be requesting that you share briefly with the church congregation your declaration of faith and possibly your favorite scripture. We will help you with this. This is because scripture calls us to make a public declaration of our faith.

    Sometimes this will be done live, or it can be pre-recorded on video. This is a great opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus and the church

  • The water baptism is very simple. At the beginning of the service, the Pastor will briefly explain the meaning of baptism. You will wait at the edge of the ramp or pool (this depends if its an indoor or outdoor service) for your turn to be baptized. Pastor Craig or another pastor will introduce you, ask for your declaration of faith. The pastor will ask you to hold one wrist, and with the other hand hold your nose. After this, you will be briefly lowered just under the water, and brought immediately back up. Done! Applause and praises! You can leave the water, dry off, and watch the others.

    Later you will receive your baptism certificate. We encourage you to invite family and friends to attend your baptism!