Baptism Header Image
“For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.”
Colossians 2:12
In the Bible, people are baptized at the first available opportunity after they have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ. At Bridge City, we have the same open invitation for baptisms and child dedications. No need to wait for an announcement of when these special services will take place, let us know you are ready to take the next step and we will get you scheduled.
The Bible teaches that baptism is the first step of obedience after making a commitment to Jesus Christ. Jesus was baptized when He was on the earth, and we do this to follow His example. When one is baptized, they are submerged under water to identify with the death and burial of Jesus and raised out of the water to identify with His resurrection. Baptism does not save you, but shows the world that you have already been saved. And while baptism is not required for salvation, it is a biblical command and demonstrates your love and obedience to Christ. Whether you recently accepted Christ or have been a Christ follower and have not been baptized, today is the day for you to take the next step! Register and Pastor Luke or someone from the ministry leadership team will contact you.
Banner for Baptism Registrations (Linked to Bapt Registration) - Banner for Child Dedications (Linked to Dedic Registration)
Baptism Facts
Why Baptism?
First, “We believe that baptism is an ordinance of the Lord . . .” What we mean by this is that the Lord Jesus commanded it — he ordained it — in a way that would make it an ongoing practice of the church. We find this most explicitly in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Second, baptism “expresses union with Christ in His death and resurrection.” The clearest teaching on this is Romans 6:3–4:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Third, we believe this expression of union with Christ in death and resurrection happens “by being immersed in water.” The clearest evidence for this is Romans 6:3–4 which describes the act of baptism as burial and rising from the dead. This is most naturally understood to mean that you are buried under water and then come out of from the water to signify rising from the grave.
The word baptism in Greek means dip or immerse. And most scholars agree that this is the way the early church practiced baptism.
Can children by baptized?
Each week our City Kids are given an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Having a relationship with Jesus and following it the public declarartion in baptism is an individual decision and must not be forced on a child. We believe that children have the ability to truly grasp the meaning of being a Christ follower at a certain age, which we call the age of accountability. This is when a person is capable of understanding sin and repenting of it and varies from child to child. If you believe that your child has reached this age of accountability, has accepted Christ as their Savior, and expresses a desire to be baptized, Pastor Luke or someone from the ministry leadership team will connect with you.
What if your child is not at the age of accountability? Dedicating your children to the Lord is a great next step for your family. When you dedicate your child, you are committing to raise them in an environment where they hear about Jesus and have an opportunity to accept Him. Not only are you making this commitment, but your church family will also make a commitment to lock arms with you a.