Sin means “missing the mark.”

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23

Believing in Jesus is more than just knowing he exists. It is placing total trust and faith in Jesus.

"They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved... ' Acts 16:31  

Confessing Christ means accepting His plan for your life.

"If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

What Is Baptism?
Baptism is an outward symbolic act that shows our desire to obey God and to follow Jesus. When you are baptized, you enter a pool of water, go under the water and come up out of the water. This symbolizes dying with Jesus and raising again to new life (See Romans 6:4). Jesus was baptized by immersion by John the Baptist at the beginning of His earthly ministry (Matthew 3:16).

Why Do We Baptize?
Jesus commanded us to baptize (Matthew 28:19-20), and we are following His example when we do it (Mark 1:9). It is a symbol of how we were spiritually buried with Him and raised for new life when we accepted His salvation (Acts 2:41).

Is Baptism Necessary To Go To Heaven?
No. We are saved by faith and God’s grace, not by any religious works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Baptism is to salvation what a wedding ring is to a marriage. The wedding ring does not make you married. It is powerful symbol of your commitment expressed through vows before God and others. Wearing a wedding ring will not make you married, but it becomes a powerful symbol of your marriage. Baptism, like a wedding ring, is a public display of our love for someone- in this case, Jesus!

Why Is Baptism Done Publicly?
Almost all of the biblical examples of baptism show people doing it in public (Acts2:41), because we are not to be ashamed of Jesus when we have become Christians. We should want to share our joyous decision with family, friends, and our church.

Why Do We Baptize By Immersion?
As we read the New Testament, we see every baptism was by immersion (do a word search for baptism, baptized). The original Greek word we translate as baptism is ‘baptizo’ means to “go under.”
Immersion is a beautiful word-picture of being buried with Jesus in His death and being raised as He was resurrected to new life (Romans 6:4). The founders of denominations agree: Martin Luther ... "I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the word imparts and the mystery signifies." John Calvin ... "The word `baptize' signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient church." John Wesley ... "`Buried with Him' alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of the first church."

What If I Was Baptized Before Getting Saved?
Since baptism is a first step of obedience after salvation, the first time may have been well-meant. We would invite you to be baptized again as a new Christian.

What if I was not immersed ("dunked") for baptism?
Although salvation is not dependent on baptism or a specific type of baptism, we do desire to practice the pattern found in the New Testament. So, we would invite you to be baptized by immersion. If you wish to become a member of Celebration Baptist Church, baptism by immersion is required.

Should infants be baptized?
Although scripture shows Jesus welcoming and blessing children, it does not show Him baptizing infants, nor are there any passages that show or command this practice. Since baptism is a step of obedience after salvation, and since (due to mental development) infants cannot make that spiritual choice, we do not baptize them. We do, however, dedicate infants/children to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:27-28). This is a special time of commitment where the parents and the church pledge together to spiritually nurture the infant/child as he or she grows, and we pray for their eventual salvation.

Can children/students be baptized?
In the New Testament, new converts to
In the New Testament, new converts to Christianity are those who were baptized. If a child has understood and accepted salvation, then there is no reason that they should not be baptized. Contact Pastor Tommy for children and Kaitlin for students to learn more about being baptized.

What happens during baptism?
You will arrive 20 minutes before the service starts to check in. Please wear dark shorts and bring a change of clothes with you. You may choose to wear a robe, or we provide dark grey t-shirts. Baptisms usually take place during the worship portion of our service- during the first 20 minutes. You and the Pastor will walk into the baptism pool. The pastor baptizing you will briefly introduce you. You will be immersed into the water and quickly raised back up, symbolizing Jesus’ death and resurrection. After baptism you will go back to the changing room, change in to dry clothes and then slip back into the service.