Baptism
Baptism is an important step of obedience that shows others we have personally trusted Jesus for our salvation. Jesus was baptized when He was on the earth, and we do this to follow His example. When Christians are 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.
Questions About Baptism
Do I have to be a member of TRC in order to be baptized? You do not need to be a member in order to be baptized, although we would prefer that you attend regularly and consider The River Community your church home. If you have recently made a commitment to Christ here at the river, we would encourage you to be baptized as soon as possible, even if you have not been attending for very long.
Do I have to be baptized in water in order to be saved? No! Over and over again in the New Testament we find the same truth declared that's stated in Ephesians 2:8-9, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Water baptism is a sign that we have been saved — not a "good thing" we must do to somehow earn God's salvation. His salvation is a gift of grace alone. Say YES to the gift of salvation, then continue saying YES to Jesus, including being baptized in water.
Can children be baptized? Our practice is for parents to "dedicate" their children to Jesus after they're born, then for them to be baptized when they are old enough to understand what it means to make a public declaration of their faith in Jesus. There is not a particular age when all kids are ready to be baptized, but we've seen many children make this decision when they were between seven and ten years old. You'll know your child is old enough when they express a desire to be baptized and can tell you why.
May a person be baptized more than one time? Yes, this might happen for a few different reasons. First, someone may have been baptized as an infant and now wants to make their own personal decision to be baptized. Second, someone may have walked away from God and baptism could be a public statement of walking in renewed relationship with him. Third, there may be times when the Holy Spirit nudges a believer to be baptized again as a step of radical surrender and worship.
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