A lot! It is first seen in Matthew 3:1-12 (and Mark 1:1-11; John 1:19-34), when John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River. John was preaching that all needed to repent and receive the forgiveness of the coming messiah. This is what made Jesus’ act of being baptized so remarkable. John hesitated to baptize the sinless Christ, but Jesus insisted on it. This act gave his approval to John’s message of repentance. It also gives an example for Jesus’ followers to follow. And then Jesus himself instructed his followers to baptize others as they invited them to believe in the good news of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).

Throughout the book of Acts, the early Christians followed Jesus’ instructions for those who follow him to be baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36-38; 9:18; 10:44-48; 16:14, 15, 30-34; 18:8; 19:4-5). It is not something you do to earn God’s acceptance—it is something you do because you have received the free gift of God’s acceptance through faith in Christ. We become Christians when we admit our need for Jesus and trust him as our Forgiver.

Baptism can happen anytime and anywhere, but we most often celebrate baptisms as part of our Sunday worship services throughout the year. Come to a few services and chances are that you’ll see someone taking this big step (and our church cheering them on!). Typically one of our pastors will baptize the person with a few of their family members or friends close by to support them. It’s a beautiful and powerful expression of the way God meets us and changes our lives.

Sometimes people wonder if they are too young or too old to be baptized. Sometimes adults may feel embarrassed to take this step especially if they’ve been a Christian for a long time. Remember, the point of baptism is to follow the teaching and example of Christ, who was baptized even as the Son of God. Every baptism is a powerful and unique story of someone wanting to follow the example of their Savior. Even if you’ve been a believer in Jesus for much of your life, baptism can be a meaningful step in your faith journey!

When children express a desire to be baptized, it’s a great opportunity for parents/guardians to talk with their kids so that it is a thoughtful decision their child is making on his/her own behalf. It’s not uncommon for children to want to be baptized because they want to please their parents or because they saw someone else do it. Rather than rush into this step, this can be a special time in which parents talk with their children about what a relationship with Jesus is, and how baptism is a meaningful way to symbolize that. The best way is to read some of these Bible passages with your child. Have them put into their own words what baptism is and why they want to be baptized. Does your child not only love God, but also understand their sin and need for God? Ask your child what it means to them to follow Jesus. The goal is not to “pass a test.” But it is a wonderful opportunity for parents to walk with their child as they grow in their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

There are two methods of baptism that have been practiced by churches over the years: Immersion and Sprinkling. In our services, we primarily practice baptism by immersion because the baptisms in the Bible were done by immersion (Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 8:36-39). In addition, the word baptism comes from a Greek word that means “to immerse, dip or plunge.” Immersion into a pool of water pictures our identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 6:3,4; 2 Corinthians 5:17). The “old” you has completely passed away, the “new” you has been raised. Ultimately, the amount of water used in baptism is not the issue—an obedient heart is.

Sometimes a person who was baptized as a baby wants to be baptized later in life, after they’ve become a Christian as a way to symbolize or celebrate that decision. If so, this isn’t a rejection of the baptism their parents’ did for them earlier in life. In fact, it can be seen as honoring that decision their parents made when they were an infant. However, this is something to pray about. Spend time with God to discern if getting baptized again would be a meaningful step for you. And of course, our pastors are happy to help talk with you about this.

For parents of infants, Heartland offers a separate child dedication and baptism ceremony to demonstrate the parents’ declaration and desire to raise their child in the love of God. Infant baptism and dedication are two different traditions seen in different heritages, but each focuses on the parents’ intention to raise and nurture the child in Christ. Click here learn more about this opportunity for parents.