Greetings! We are thrilled that you would like to be Water Baptized! Below, you will find a form that must be filled out in its entirety. Please take time to read over all the information, do the Bible Study and write down any questions that you may have. We ask that you please turn in this form two weeks prior to your water baptism.

Water Baptism is an essential part of the spiritual foundation of a new believer entering God’s Kingdom (Acts 2:36-38, Acts 10:47-48). We also see that according to Acts 2:38, Acts 18:8 and Acts 8:12, that water baptism is to take place only after a person has repented of their sins and has believed the gospel of the Kingdom. According to Smith’s Bible dictionary, washing before prayer or sacrifice was a custom among ancient nations, as a sign of spiritual maturity and physical cleanliness. To be baptized for (unto) Moses meant to become subject to the law of Moses; to be baptized for Christ, shows an intention to purify oneself from the world and become a true follower of Christ. We are also told that the waters of the Red Sea were a type of baptism for the Israelites from Egypt (1. Cor. 10:2). So also, the waters of baptism are to us an outward sign of an inward decision to cut ourselves off from the uncleanness of the world and separate ourselves unto God and the work of His Kingdom. Scripture Reading: Romans 6:3-6

We see, therefore, that water baptism first of all identifies us with Christ’s death.

Therefore, when we are immersed in the waters of baptism we are burying the old sinful nature by faith in the waters of baptism. And as we come up out of the waters free from this sinful nature we will be empowered to walk in the Christ’s resurrection life by faith.

We also see in that Peter refers to the deliverance from a wicked society, that the ark provided for Noah, as a type of baptism (separation/cutting away of Noah from the sinful nature of those around him). Note that Noah’s deliverance, however, depended on his willingness to do God’s will and the outward showing of this, required building an ark in the midst of a people who had never seen rain and mocked him during the entire 100 years of construction. Baptism gives us a new ability to “Put on Christ.” The word baptism in the Greek means to “immerse,” “douse,” or “saturate.” The New Testament method seemed to be that of immersion unto a large body of water…usually a river. Matthew 3:6, 13, 16 shows Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan River and in Acts 8:38 we see Philip baptizing the Ethiopian Eunuch in what appears to be a river.

We see, therefore, Jesus acknowledges us before the Father as we identify with Him through the waters of baptism. Martin Luther expressed the meaning of baptism powerfully, “Baptism signifies that the old Adam in us is to be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and perish with all sins and evil lusts; and that the new man should daily come forth again and rise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”