So, what is baptism?
Baptism is a gift from God the Father, and commanded by God the Son, Jesus, for all those who follow him and live as his disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).
It is an act of washing with water and the promises of God’s Word where he marks us as members of his family, promising always to be our God.
It works faith in the hearts of those who receive it and unites us with all that Jesus earned through his death on the cross, that is, forgiveness of sins and a life in relationship with God that will never, ever, end (Mark 16:16, Titus 3:5-8).
So, who should be baptized?
All followers of Jesus Christ - from infants to elderly should receive God’s gift of baptism. In the book of Acts Peter, a disciple of Jesus, was speaking to a very large crowd of people interested in following Jesus. After sharing the message of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus, he tells them that baptism was their next “step” saying,
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)
Let’s take a closer look at those words:
- Peter tells those in that crowd, he tells us today, that baptism is for “every one of you”
- which would include all those in attendance.
- He also tells us that this gift of baptism gives “forgiveness of your sins” and God’s Spirit living inside of us.
- Peter also tells us that this promise - of all that baptism does - is for “you and your children.” In other words, baptism is for the whole family, regardless of age.
- Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Peter says that those who come to the waters of baptism - no matter who they are - have not been brought by their own will, their own decision, or even by their parents, but by God himself - he has called them (see also John 1:12-13).
As such, the church throughout history has baptized all ages, according to this promise (see also Luke 18:15-17; Romans 6:4).
How can I / my child be baptized?
At Living Water, there is no pre-requisite for baptism. That is, you do not have to be a “member.”
If you or someone in your family has never been baptized and you consider Living Water your church home, then baptism is for you!
We simply require that you fill out the BAPTISM FORM, then we will contact you to set up a baptism meeting where our beliefs concerning baptism are further explained and we walk through the details of how the baptism will be performed.
How do you baptize at Living Water?
Historically, the church has practiced two types or “modes” of baptism: sprinkle and immersion. Sprinkle baptism is where one is baptized by the pouring of water over the forehead in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Immersion baptism is where one is baptized by being immersed into and brought up out of a pool or body of water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
At Living Water we support both modes of baptism, but because we are currently renting our worship facility it works best for us to practice sprinkle baptism. In the future when the Lord provides us with our own facility we hope to offer the option of both sprinkle and immersion.
It is important to note however that there is no difference between the two. What matters most is not the “type” of baptism, but baptism itself with water and God’s promise, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What if I have more questions?
If you have more questions about baptism simply contact us at connections@livingwateraz.org. We would be happy to answer any questions about Baptism!
