
BAPTISM
Baptism is an important step of obedience that shows others we have personally trusted Jesus for our salvation. Jesus was baptized when He was on the earth, and we do this to follow His example. When Christians are baptized they are submerged under water to identify with the death and burial of Jesus and raised out of the water to identify with His resurrection. We believe that water baptism is a public declaration of three important things: you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are beginning a changed life in Christ, and you are part of a new family.
BAPTISM PROCESS
We consider it a privilege to join with you as you publically share that you’ve been brought from death to life. Our baptism process has been intentionally designed for you. If you have made the decision to follow Jesus and want to be baptized, please read the following information and complete our baptism application.
-
Complete the online process and someone from our team will contact you with the details.
-
Invite your friends and family. Water baptism is a time of celebration and public declaration of new life in Christ. Bring your friends and family with you to VIVE so you can celebrate together.
- Don't worry about what to bring for water baptism. Our team is prepared with everything you need including a Baptism t-shirt you get to keep.
BAPTISM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I have a set of circumstances that makes baptism challenging for me (for instance an injury, disability, or another element), am I able to be baptized?
Yes, yes, yesss! We will work with you to make baptism a great experience. We have worked with individuals to help them transfer from their wheelchair to the tub/pool, provided people with extra time to get into the water due to an injury, and will even pour a bucked on individuals with water if getting into the tub is simply not an option. Simply tell us your situation and we will make note of it for the baptism weekend!
Who will I be baptized by during the service?
The person who baptizes you will be a member of the VIVE team. If you have someone who is close to you that you would like to be baptized by (a friend, parent, Connect Group leader, mentor, etc) that is wonderful too! This individual simply accompanies you to the tub/pool on the day of baptism, gets into the water with you, and you are good to go; just let us know ahead of time!
I was baptized as a baby (or as a child) when it wasn’t my choice, can I be baptized again?
Yes! We have many people in our church who were baptized before they fully understood the choice they were making, or walked away from Jesus completely and have now decided to make a brand new commitment to Him and elect to be baptized now, as a sign of their commitment to following Christ. Being baptized as an adult does not minimize the decision made by your loved ones when you were small, but instead marks your desire and decision to publicly proclaim your faith as an adult.
I am so nervous about baptism. What should I do?
We understand that baptism can cause nerves! Our VIVE team is here to support you, pray with you, and encourage you throughout this process. If you are nervous to be baptized, know that you are in good company (many, many, people are anxious as they sign-up for this milestone) but that there is no greater feeling than publicly professing your faith in Jesus, and marking your commitment to him in this way!
Do you baptize infants or young children?
We do not baptize infants until they are of an age when they can make a decision for themselves to follow Christ and be baptized. For infants, we embrace the tradition of child dedication which flows directly from Hannah’s (the Prophet Samuel’s mother) decision to dedicate her son back to God. We have a few Child Dedications throughout the year.
CONTACT
For more information about Baptism, send us a message here and someone from our team will get back to you soon!