Believers Baptism
Jesus himself taught that baptism would be the first step on the journey of following him (Matthew 28:19). Simply put, baptism is the sign that you have become a follower of Jesus.
But it is more than only a sign: being baptised is a powerful moment of demonstrating your commitment to Jesus and of receiving God’s love and forgiveness. Baptism doesn’t make you a Christian (faith in Jesus does that); but nor is it an optional extra, or something for Christians who have got it all together! Rather, baptism is*…
A Step Away
Baptism publicly marks our first step of faith away from a life governed by our own ambitions, and desires. Being ‘buried’ in the water of baptism is a symbol of dying to self-centred living, and a moment to experience God’s forgiveness for all our past mistakes.
A Step Into
Jesus instructed that all his followers should be baptised ‘into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:19). This is a way of saying that we now have a new identity. We are now defined by our relationship to God: we are ‘Christ-ians’! Baptism is the moment when we publicly step into that new identity.
A Step Forward
In baptism we express our commitment to live as someone joined to God’s love and given to God’s purposes. As we come out of the water, we step into our new God-led life.
*See Romans 6: 3-5
If you have never seen a baptismal service, you can view our Easter Day 2025 baptismal service here.
If you’d like to know more about baptism, you can contact the church office to request to speak with one of the elders, or to ask for a free copy of the booklet ‘Baptism, Belonging and Breaking Bread’. Having read the booklet, if you would like to consider baptism, then again, ask to speak with one of the elders at TBC who will be happy to meet with you and talk things through further.