So, You Want To Be Baptized?

You’ve made a decision to follow Jesus, and you want to be baptized. That’s great!

But what are the next steps to receiving baptism from Holy Temple M.B. Church?

First, you should be prepared to talk to one of our pastors about your decision to put your faith in Jesus. Your story of how you came to faith is called your testimony. Baptism is an outward sign of God’s work of grace in your life. Faith in Christ is necessary to receive that grace.

In the New Testament, baptism is closely associated with belief in Jesus. People heard the good news, believed, and were baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:12–13). Baptism was the outward sign of their belief, indicating they had become part of Christ’s Church. Two thousand years later, baptism is still done to indicate someone is becoming a part of the Church.

Second, before your baptism is scheduled, we’ll set up a time to go over your testimony and answer any questions you have about baptism. When you’re ready to take that step, call or email the church office, so we can schedule a time to meet. During our meeting, we’ll also talk about when your baptism will take place.

Third, baptism involves getting wet. Our church baptizes by immersion, so you will get fully wet. If you have any concerns about being immersed (e.g., physical limitations, fear of water, etc.), please bring those up when we meet. On the day of your baptism, you should come prepared with a towel, a plastic bag for wet clothes, a complete change of clothes, and whatever else you may need like a hair dryer, brush, or comb. Wear the clothes that you will be baptized in. Please arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the beginning of the service, so we have time to go over a few instructions.

Fourth, we will record your testimony (video). So, you will be asked to share about your belief in Jesus. You may want to write out what you’ll say ahead of time. Your story should cover how you came to faith in Christ, what knowing Christ means to you, and what led you to want to be baptized. If you prefer, we can ask you questions about your story.

Visiting members and those connected to our members, gives us an opportunity to do the following things:

1. To show love

Hospital visitations create an opportunity to show love and care for people during times of pain and joy.

2. To provide encouragement

Hospital visitations give us a chance to provide encouragement through God's Word and our following of Scripture. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

3. To provide support

Hospital visitation is a chance for us to petition the Lord on their behalf. We seek to pray for them and their family but also take the opportunity to pray for their care providers.

What is Baby Dedication?

A baby dedication is an occasion where parents make a public commitment before the church to raise their child in the Christian faith. Often, the child is an infant, but parents may choose to dedicate a child at any time. The dedication is partly about dedicating children to God and partly about the parents’ promise to dedicate themselves to cultivating faith in their children. It is also an opportunity for the parents to acknowledge the child’s life is a gift of God and that the child’s life rightfully belongs to God (Ps 127:3).

The dedication of children is found in Scripture where Hannah promises to dedicate her son to God’s service (1 Sam 1:11) and Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple as a baby (Luke 2:22–35). Jesus also blessed children who were brought to him (Mark 10:14–16).

Since the purpose of a dedication ceremony is to hear the parents publicly commit their children to God and to raising them in the faith, the service usually involves the pastor asking the parents questions about their intentions in bringing the child for dedication. For example, the pastor may ask whether they are prepared to dedicate themselves to the task of raising their child in the discipline and instruction of the Lord or whether they commit to instructing their child in the faith and nurturing an environment at home of prayer and devotion to Christ.

The pastor will also generally express the church’s commitment to partner with the parents through encouragement and training to also nurture the faith of their children. In some churches, the congregation may also be asked to express their commitment through word or action.