BAPTISM

Christians are people who believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, salvation occurs only when a person places his or her faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment for his or her sin. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to be baptized. Baptism is your opportunity to show others that you have accepted Christ and are now walking with Him. If you have any questions about how to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please contact us.

What Baptism Symbolizes

Baptism is a way of publicly declaring that a person has entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It symbolizes what took place in his/her heart at the time of salvation:

• Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
• Sharing in His death and resurrection illustrated by going under the water (dead to our old life), then rising again (new life).
• Being symbolically washed clean, our sins being forgiven by His death on the cross.

Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act of obedience. While it is not necessary for salvation, it demonstrates submission to God. We immerse at Access Church because we believe Scripture shows that Jesus modeled that for us as the way to publicly acknowledge our faith in Him.

Infant Christening

In some denominations, infant christening represents a decision made by parents that they are dedicating their child to Christ. In many ways, that’s the same reason we do baby dedications at Access Church. It’s a very important time for parents to commit to raise their children in accordance with the teachings of Scripture. It is important to remember that whether you were christened as a baby or your parents participated in a baby dedication, that doesn’t make you a Christian. Only a personal acceptance of Christ’s death on the cross for your sins can do that. While we recognize the right of other churches to practice infant christening, we understand Scripture to teach that only professing believers qualify for baptism.

The baptism process at Access Church has been designed to be both simple and meaningful. From the registration form to the baptism meeting, each step has been carefully planned with you in mind:

1. Watch the four-minute video below.
2. Complete the baptism registration. Once we receive your registration form we will contact you to help you share your story.
3. Read about making your video. We want you to be as comfortable and prepared for the video as possible. We know it can be daunting, but we've helped dozens of people do this and afterward everyone says it was much easier than they thought it would be! If you feel like you just can't make the video, reach out to us so we can talk about other options. We don't want anything to stand in between you and your special baptism event! 
4. Film your testimony. After we receive your registration form, we’ll contact you and schedule a time to make your video. 
5. Get baptized! Baptisms take place during one of the Sunday morning services and include a showing of your prerecorded video.

For questions please contact Rich Barrett at baptism@accesschurch.org

If you think baptism is the next step for you, take thirty minutes and listen to Rich’s talk, “What’s The Big Deal?”. In the message, he answers some of the questions we most often hear about baptism.

One of the most powerful aspects of baptism at Access Church is the video testimony shown right before each person’s baptism. The video allows each person to share how Christ has been working in her life. Prerecording allows them to do as many takes as necessary, while sharing the message they have thoughtfully and prayerfully prepared ahead of time.

Some people ask, “Do I have to do the video?” No. It's not in the Bible. But, we would love to convince you! Baptism is meant to be a public profession, and sharing your story is an incredible opportunity to share God’s message of redemption with hundreds of people. We have witnessed time and time again the effect these videos have had on people’s lives. Another important reason for the videos is that we as a congregation grow in our faith by watching these life-changing stories. It allows friends, family, and even those you don’t know to celebrate the amazing transformation God has worked in your life. Some people are nervous about filming their stories, but we work hard to make the process both simple and fulfilling. Afterward everyone talks about how easy it was! 

We want baptism to be a meaningful and enjoyable experience, and we look forward to walking through it with you! If you have any questions or need help preparing your testimony, please contact Rich Barrett at 904.647.1220 or baptism@accesschurch.org.