The word "baptism" means "to dip" or "submerge" and refers to the practice of submerging new believers in water and lifting them to new life. The practice of baptism wasn’t invented by Christians; Jews were doing it for many centuries before Jesus. But Jews would say that they didn't invent it either: baptism was invented by God. 

Baptism FAQs

• What is the theology behind baptism?

  Matthew 3:13-17 tells the story of Christ’s baptism like this: 

  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son; with him I am well pleased.”

  This is my beloved Son; with him I am well pleased. 

  It’s interesting, isn’t it, the moment when God tells Jesus he’s beloved. In this moment, Jesus is being prepared for what he’s about to do.  

  This story happens right at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry. But here’s the interesting thing.  At the time of his baptism, he hasn’t done any of that yet.  As far as we know at this point in the story, Jesus hasn’t healed any lepers or cast out any demons or preached any good news to the poor. 

  At this point in the story, Jesus hasn’t done anything to make God so delighted with him. God simply is delighted with him. This is my Beloved.  

  And that name is offered to us too. It’s offered to us right at the beginning of our stories - whether or not we read our Bibles every day, or will one day solve world hunger, or end climate change.

  When we decide to follow Jesus, our primary identity has nothing to do with what we have done or will do or can do. We simply are, without any of it, beloved of God. 

  When we are baptized, we publicly identify with that fundamental truth: that our old identity, our old sins, our old fears, our old shame, our old anxieties and ambitions —all— die with Christ – nailed to His cross and buried in his tomb. 

  And in his resurrection, we are adopted into a new identity and invited to bear his name: beloved.  

  The water of baptism symbolizes his death which cleanses us from sin and shame. And as we emerge from the water, we remember that death is not the end of the story. That we have been born into new life, into the family of the global Church, and into an eternal inheritance that will never perish, spoil, or fade.

  It’s this incredibly holy moment for those receiving this gift, but it is also a holy moment for those who witness it, because it’s so full of joy. We invite the baptismal candidates forward (if they’re babies, we also invite their parents and ask the parents to speak on the child’s behalf), and we’ll ask them a series of questions. 

  We invite them to renounce sin and death, and publicly declare their commitment to Christ. Then the Church takes a vow to walk with them in their faith journey, to uphold them, and be a witness Christ’s hope to them. 

  Then we baptize them in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and when the candidate comes up from the water, We say, “Rise to new life!”

  And everyone goes wild. 

  We don’t believe baptism itself saves you, or that you can’t know or follow Jesus without it. But we do believe baptism is what we call a “visible expression of an inward grace” - it’s a way to declare what Jesus has done and is doing and will do in your life. 

• Should I be baptized?

  If you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus and have never been baptized in any form in a Christian church, then yes! You should be baptized. 

  Please note that if you were baptized as an infant, we do consider that a valid baptism and will not baptize you again as an adult. However, if you would still like to express your adult commitment to the faith, we would encourage you to receive confirmation instead. Confirmation looks similar to baptism in that confirmands are invited to take similar vows before the congregation, but rather than baptizing you in water, we will invite you to “remember your baptism.”

• Do you baptize infants?

  Yes! Some people wonder why we baptize babies and infants when they clearly can’t understand these promises or do anything to earn this privilege, but that only proves that we don’t really understand what baptism is all about. 

  Baptism is always a gift God gives to those who don’t entirely understand it and haven’t earned it at all. God invites us to be born again as children into God’s family, makes us promises, and offers us an inheritance that we don’t have to earn. Perhaps it is for this reason that Jesus said "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). The practice of infant baptism is also widely attested in the history and tradition of the global church. 

  With this being said, the ECC denomination is unique in its commitment to maintaining unity within the church with regard to controversial issues; as such, the Covenant allows for both infant and believer baptism in local churches. In effect, what this is means that we are also open to performing baby dedications at Anchor Bay Church. Our pastors consult privately with each parent to determine the best mode of devoting your child to God.

  For more on the denomination's general perspective on welcoming children into the church and baptism, please see this Covenant denominational resource entitled A Theology of the Child.  

  Christian pastor, Frederick Buechner said it well:

  “Question: How about infant baptism? Shouldn't you wait until the child grows up enough to know what's going on?

  Answer: If you don't think there is as much of the less-than-human in an infant as there is in anybody else, you have lost touch with reality.

  When it comes to the forgiving and transforming love of God, one wonders if the six-week-old screecher knows all that much less than the archbishop of Canterbury about what's going on.” - Wishful Thinking
  
  We generally encourage parents who would like to baptize their baby to do so before the baby turns 9 months (to avoid stranger danger up-front!) and up to 2 years old. After a child turns 2, we’ll encourage the parents to wait until a child initiates believer baptism on their own, or during confirmation class during their pre-teen years.

• When do you do baptisms at ABC?

  Typically, we perform adult baptisms once a year on a Sunday during a regular service, usually in the spring around the season of Lent and Easter. We also offer more opportunities for adult baptism during the year whenever there is interest.
  
  Infant baptisms can be done on most Sundays throughout the year if planned and scheduled in advance, except for Communion Sundays (first Sundays of the month). We have special Baptism and Dedication Sundays throughout the year (check calendar) but will baptize other Sundays with advanced planning.

• What is the process for baptizing or dedicating your child at ABC?

  Connect with one of our pastors to share your interest in baptizing or dedicating your child! Parents will also be given some questions to answer about their faith, and their hopes and prayers for their child that will be included in an insert on the day of the baptism or dedication. If your child is to be baptized, they will be sprinkled with water rather than immersed.  

• What is the process for being baptized as a child or youth?

  We encourage children or youth who would like to be baptized to reach out to one of our pastors. We will meet with your child or youth one on one to talk about the faith and what baptism means. 

• What is the process for being baptized as an adult?

  We are thrilled to see you taking this next step! In order to be baptized, you must be a regular attendee of our Anchor Bay Church community. Our goal will be to encourage and nurture you in faith long after your baptism is over. To be baptized as an adult, there are three steps you will take. First, connect with one of our pastors to communicate your desire to be baptized. We will meet with you one on one to talk about the faith and the process of being baptized.

  On the day of your baptism, you will be immersed in water during a regular Sunday worship service. You will also have the opportunity to share your testimony with the congregation (in written form, pre-recorded video, or some other suitable format). At the end of the baptism, you will receive a personal baptismal certificate from Anchor Bay Church.

  Your baptism is one of the most significant steps that you will take in your life as a believer and we hope that you will invite your friends and family and celebrate it to the full. Any friends and family members you have who are not yet followers of Jesus may particularly benefit from the opportunity to hear your testimony and the clear message of the gospel proclaimed in the context of your own life story. Other ideas for making your baptism special and lasting include: taking photos of the event, going out for a special meal afterward, enjoying a birthday cake to celebrate your new birth in Christ, framing your baptismal certificate, and commemorating the day of your baptism each year with a special dinner or time of prayer and thanksgiving. 

• If I am baptized at ABC, am I automatically a Partner (member) of ABC?

  No, partnership is a different process – but we earnestly hope that you’ll become a Partner of the Anchor Bay Church Family! Baptism is the way that you are formally recognized into the worldwide body of Christ, but we have a separate Partnership class which we highly encourage you to take in order to become an official Family member of Anchor Bay Church. 

  This class covers important essentials pertaining to Anchor Bay Church’s history and our denomination. We typically offer Partnership classes twice a year (once in the Fall and once in the Spring): Check our calendar to see when the next Partnership class is being offered.