Baptism

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…

Matthew 28:19

Baptism is a significant moment in a Christian’s life and our church is thrilled to be able to celebrate with you as you take this step in your faith.

The Bible says that all professing Christians should be baptized (Matthew 28:18-20). Whether you’ve been following Jesus for a long time and never got baptized or you are a new Christian, we would be honoured to baptize you!

Baptism FAQ

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What is water baptism?

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Jesus introduced water baptism in connection with His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). He said that new disciples were to be baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe Jesus meant for this to be a permanent practice in the church and we encourage all believers to be baptized in water!

Baptism is for Believers. In New Testament times, baptism followed repentance and faith. Peter invited his listeners on the day of Pentecost to “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Three thousand people responded to the invitation, and “those who accepted his message were baptized” (Acts 2:41).

What does baptism mean?

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In early times baptisms were held in public places where family and friends could gather. This public witness marked the believer as a follower of Christ. Today, baptisms often take place in church buildings for the sake of convenience, but a public statement still is part of the meaning. The person who is baptized identifies with Christ as Saviour and Lord.

The apostle Paul explained that baptism also symbolizes the believer’s union with Christ: “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father; we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:3-4).

Immersion in the baptismal waters symbolizes the end of the old way of life. Coming up out of the baptismal waters pictures the new life found in Christ. The person who was previously dead in sin has been made spiritually alive by the same power that raised Jesus from the grave. Water baptism identifies a person as a disciple of Christ and celebrates the passage from an old life into a new life in Christ. It is an outward sign of an inward change.

How should you be baptized?

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The Bible word for “baptize” means to “immerse, douse, or saturate.” In the two full descriptions of baptism found in the New Testament, individuals were immersed in water. Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River to identify Himself as God’s Son: “As soon as he was baptized, [he] went up out of the water” (Matthew 3:16).

The apostle Phillip baptized the Ethiopian by going down into a body of water and coming up with him (Acts 8:38-39). In both of these examples, a large enough quantity of water was required to immerse the person.

Because of the meaning of the word baptize and the mode of the first baptisms, we practice baptism by immersion.

Practical Advice

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Baptism is not required to receive God’s salvation. However, we encourage all who have trusted in Christ for eternal life to be baptized as a step of obedience.

Though the Bible does not state a minimum age at which a person may be baptized, a believer should be old enough to understand the significance of baptism.

Those who were baptized as believers before affiliating with RHPC do not need to be rebaptized.

In cases where immersion is impossible due to physical limitations an alternate mode is acceptable.

Baptism Requirements

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