What is baptism? The sacrament of baptism is a washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is a sign and seal that we are joined to Christ, that we receive the benefits of the covenant of grace, and that we are engaged to be the Lord’s (Westminster Shorter Catechism 94).
Baptism is a sign and symbol of God’s work of regeneration in the believer’s life and confirms our participation in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the receiving of his Holy Spirit.
If you have never been baptized and are making your first public profession of faith, most of all, praise God! In your membership induction service, you will be baptized after you verbally affirm your faith in Christ. If you have children, we also encourage you to have your children baptized at the same time and welcome them into the covenant family.
Baptism is for believers and their children.
- In the Old Testament, we see God identified the children of believers as his own and promised to bless them.
- In the New Testament, too, there are God’s promises for believers’ children: e.g. “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:3).
- In the New Testament, entire households were baptized by the apostles, including the children.
Kevin DeYoung, “A Brief Defense of Infant Baptism” (2015)