As
You Consider Baptism
We are excited that you are interested in baptism. At
New Hope, we believe that baptism is an important step
of obedience for every person who has accepted Christ
as his/her Savior.
The information below
explains the steps you should take in order to be baptized.
If you have further questions, please contact Mark
Pitman, Pastor of Community Life at 419.636.1362
x110, or use our contact
form.
The next available Baptism
date
will be August 17, 2008.
To participate, complete
the form below
and plan to attend the
Baptism Orientation meeting on
Sunday, August 10th at 8:30 AM in SC 105 (Starting
Point Room)
What
We Believe About Baptism Who Should Be Baptized
Christians are people who believe that the blood of
Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis
for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, salvation occurs
only when a person places his or her faith in the death
and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment
for his or her sin.
If you have accepted Jesus
Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to
be baptized, Just like a bride or groom show others
their love for one another by wearing wedding bands,
your baptism is your opportunity to show others that
you have accepted Christ and are now walking with Him.
To learn more about starting
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, read
more here or feel free to contact
us. We would love to talk with you.
What Baptism Symbolizes
Baptism is a way of showing others that a person has
entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It symbolizes
what took place in his/her heart at the time of salvation.
Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior.
Sharing in His death and resurrection
illustrated by going under the water (dead to our
old life), and then rising again (new life).
Being symbolically washed clean,
our sins being forgiven by His death on the cross.
Because
Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act
of obedience. While it is not necessary for salvation,
it demonstrates submission to God. We immerse and New
Hope because we believe Scripture shows that Jesus modeled
that for us as the way to publicly acknowledge our faith
in Him.
Infant Christening
In some denominations, infant christening represents
a decision made by parents that they are dedicating
their child to Christ. In many ways, that's the same
reason we do baby dedications at New Hope. It's a very
important time for parents to commit to raise their
children in accordance with the teachings of Scripture.
It is important to remember
that whether you were christened as a baby or your parents
participated in a baby dedication, that doesn't make
you a Christian. Only a personal acceptance of Christ's
death on the cross for your sins can do that. While
we recognize the right of other churches to practice
infant christening, we understand Scripture to teach
that only professing believers qualify for baptism.
The Baptism Process The baptism process at New
Hope has been designed to be both simple and meaningful.
From the registration form to the baptism meeting, each
step has been carefully planned with you in mind:
Complete the baptism registration.
Once we receive your registration form, we will
contact you to schedule your videotaping and baptism.
Read about
making your video. We want you to be as
comfortable and prepared for the video as possible.
Attend a meeting a film your
story. After we receive your registration
form, we'll contact you and schedule you for an
informational meeting where you'll also have your
testimony videotaped.
Get baptized!
Baptisms take place during one of the Sunday morning
services and include a showing of your pre-recorded
video.
Baptism Sermon If you think baptism is the
next step for you, take forty minutes and listen to
Pastor George's talk "Why Baptism?". In the
message, he answers some of the questions we most often
hear about baptism.
Making
Your Video One of the most powerful aspects
of baptism here at New Hope is the video testimony shown
right before each person's baptism. The video allows
each person to share how Christ has been working in
his/her life. Pre-recording allows them to do as many
takes as necessary, while sharing the message they have
thoughtfully and prayerfully prepared ahead of time.
Many people ask,
"Do I have to do the video?" The answer is
yes, if a person wants to get baptized at New Hope Community
Church. Baptism is meant to be a public profession,
and it is an incredible opportunity to share God's message
of redemption with hundreds of people. We are encouraged
to see the effect these videos have on people's lives.
Another important reason
for the videos is that we as a congregation grow in
our faith by watching these life-changing stories. It
allows friends, family, and even those you don't know
to celebrate the amazing transformation God has worked
in your life.
Some people are nervous
about taping their stories, but we work hard to make
the process both simple and fulfilling. We work diligently
with baptism candidates to go over everything they need
to know about the baptism process in general, and the
videotaping in particular. The video will be taped on
the day of your baptism meeting, which takes place a
week or two before your baptism.
We want baptism to be
a meaningful and enjoyable experience and we look forward
to walking through it with you! If you have any questions,
please contact Mark
Pitman at 419.636.1362 x110 or use our
contact form.
Because
Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act
of obedience. While it is not necessary for salvation,
it demonstrates submission to God. We immerse and New
Hope because we believe Scripture shows that Jesus modeled
that for us as the way to publicly acknowledge our faith
in Him.
