Baptism

An Outward Symbol of New Life in Christ

Baptism Signup

If you are a follower of Jesus and have yet to be baptized, we’d love to see you through this step of obedience to Christ.

If you want to know more about why baptism is important, watch this brief video overview from Pastor Kip on baptism in the Bible and at Cornerstone. Then, sign up to take Baptism 101 as your first step toward getting baptized.

Baptism 101

Curious about the purpose of baptism or what it means, or planning to get baptized at Cornerstone? This class is for you! In this one-time class, we’ll cover what baptism is (and what it’s not), as well as common questions and important things to consider about baptism.

Teachers: Alanna Sellinger with Ministry Staff Leaders • Cost: Free

PLEASE NOTE:

If you desire to be baptized at an upcoming service, you must attend this one-time class prior to getting baptized.

Baptism FAQs

Why do you baptize by immersion?

First, every instance of baptism in the NT was done by immersion. From John the Baptist at the Jordan River (Matthew 3:6) to Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38), every instance of baptism in the NT happened by full immersion.

Second, the word in Greek (baptizo) literally means “to immerse.” It seems as if the translators of the NT into English could have more strictly translated passages like Acts 8:36 as “[…] The eunuch said, ‘Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being IMMERSED?'”

Is there a minimum age for baptism at Cornerstone?

While Cornerstone doesn’t hold to a strict “minimum age requirement,” our encouragement for baptism is targeted toward those who are 6th grade and older.

The core of our reasoning for this approach is grounded in an attempt to honor the seriousness of the commitment one is making in being baptized. As a church, we don’t believe baptism saves, yet it is an important, outward statement of faith and commitment to Christ. Why do we place commitment ceremonies like marriage into “older age” requirements? Because making a commitment necessitates an understanding of the depth of that commitment.

Ultimately, if an individual parent is convinced their child is ready to be baptized, we will defer to their parental leadership.

If you’d like to understand more on our approach, here’s a fuller paper describing how we have answered this question as a church.

What if I have been baptized as an infant? Should I be re-baptized?

First, we would encourage you to carefully study the instances of baptism in the New Testament, noting carefully who was baptized and the nature of their personal faith. We are convinced these passages clearly support the baptism of believers after their personal profession of faith.

If you were baptized as an infant, we would suggest that you should be baptized again as an adult, as your infant baptism was a symbol of your parents’ faith, not your own. In so doing, we would also encourage you to honor your parents and to express thankfulness for their desire for you to have faith in Christ.

If you were previously baptized by personal choice, but later have come to the conclusion that you were not truly born again when you were first baptized, we think that is an answer that should be approached carefully and with wise counsel.

In both instances, we would also recommend consulting this simple explanation from JD Greear.

I'm scared to talk in front of a big group. Do you hold private baptisms or baptism services in smaller settings?

We totally understand the fear of public speaking, and the crowds at Cornerstone are often very large for baptism services! However, we believe that identifying with Christ in baptism is meant to be a very public celebration for you personally and for the church corporately. We would encourage you to prayerfully ask Christ to empower you in spite of your fear. Scroll below to watch one of our past baptism services to stir your faith and help you to prepare to share your story!

Am I able to select the person(s) who baptize me?

You sure can! If there is a person who has been formative in your decision to follow Christ, we want you to feel freedom to have them baptize you. Due to the size of our baptism tank, we’d encourage those getting baptize to invite no more than two people to baptize them. And if you don’t have someone to baptize you, a pastor on our Cornerstone staff team will do so happily!

CELEBRATE ADVENT AT CORNERSTONE

sUNDAYS: 8:30, 10:30a

Christmas Eve: 3:00, 4:30P

Baptism

Baptism Signup

If you are a follower of Jesus and have yet to be baptized, we’d love to see you through this step of obedience to Christ.

Baptism 101

Baptism FAQs

Baptism Archives

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sUNDAYS:
8:30, 10:30a

Christmas Eve:
3:00, 4:30P