Baptism...

[Eviee]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

 

[Key]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

This is one of the things you really need to ask the Church you plan to attend. As many churches have diffrent views on this, I do not want to give you an answer.

The Only answers I shall give you, are CS (Common Sense) answers.

Do not get Baptized by a Church untill you feel comfortable with them.

There are No Classes, but ask the church what type of Baptism they require. Some only require some water poured over your head, others require full body submerson.

Unless you have no idea how to deal with water being poured over your head, or can't hold your breath, there is nothing you need to learn.

I am sure that there are some issues with Doctrin regarding the Chruch, but the pastor will supply all the information you seek.

Many times they will just love to talk with you about it, because you are a "Lost Sheep returning to the Fold" as such, you are a big deal to many of them expecally the Pentecost, and someone worthy of attention.

Hope I have Helped you.

God Bless
Key

 

[bumblebee62331]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

Hi Evie.

I can only give you answers from my personal experience in the Anglican church.

You are baptised when you are born, a few weeks after, or a month or so. Basically asap after birth. During baptism, your parents and Godparent/s make the promises to the religion and God on your behalf.

However, when you are older, I can't remember the exact age, but around fifteen onwards, you can make the choice to be "Confirmed". This means that you are basically confirming what your parents made on your behalf when you were a baby. You have grown in your spiritual faith enough to want to confirm that you have made up your own mind now, and you want to show everyone that you are making the choice to God.

I haven't been confirmed. There are no classes for baptism, but for confirmation, there are classes over about a month, I think. You get a booklet and you go in groups to your church and you learn about God and what it means to be confirmed etc. I did the classes but pulled out at the last minute. I wasn't ready to be confirmed. This is a good thing because you shouldn't confirm your beliefs until you totally understand and acknowledge them.

Hope this helps! We had three people confirmed at one service - they were aged 18, 22 and 36, so the age doesn't matter really, as long as you're over about 15 (so you can totally understand the magnitude of what you are doing!)

EDIT: I'm not sure about how long you must belong to a church before getting baptised. I think you can just go to one and ask to be baptised. I'm not sure. I've only belonged to one church my whole life, so it's hard to tell.

It's usually done just within a normal church service, with the baptism service added in around the middle. Water is poured over your head, or the priest's fingers are dipped into the blessed water and put on your head. Some churches (not Anglican in my experience) actually have a little pool that you walk into and put your head under.

I think it's up to you. Ask them how they do their baptisms and find something that you would like to do.

 

[Godslilgurlalways]

What is your relgion most relgions do it diferent like the person below me was talking about confimation (mostly catholics do this). Which type of baptism are you talking about? There is a water, spirit, and another? I will ask one of my buddies to come here I think he can help you more than me

 

[gracechick]

If you're wondering about water baptism, like they said, the easiest thing to do is probably going be to ask your church.
Some believers baptise infants while others will simply bless & dedicate the baby to God & then when they are old enough to make a confession of faith then that person can seek water baptism.
My experience is there are a few classes that the church will offer to believers that want baptism. & if the church is fairly large the pastor will have baptism services throughout the year for whatever size group of people that are desiring to join the family of believers & local congregation.

Blessings to ya Evie

 

[Eviee]

Hi again,
Thank you all for responding, I am attending a Pentacostal Church for those who asked..

 

[12volt_man]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

In our church, because the vast majority of people being baptised are new Christians, we do ask that you take a four to six week class before you're baptised.

It's not mandatory and there are certainly no negative consequences if you don't, it's just something that we feel is for your own benefit.

After all, baptism is a public testimony that you've chosen to follow Christ. It's hard to give a testimony to that unless you know what all it entails.

Usually, I'm the guy who teaches the class, so you know it's pretty informal.

We go over a brief history of the church, basic Christian doctrine, the Baptist Distinctives, and things like that.

In our denomination, baptism (or a letter saying that you've been dult baptised in another church) is required for membership, but there's no set amount of time you have to be attending in order to be baptised.

 

[ITBM]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

When: In the Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20) Jesus says we should baptize people AFTER they profess faith in Jesus Christ. However, it is important that the person understand WHY they are getting baptized.

Where: The location doesn't really matter. It can be in a bathtub in a house, a pool in your backyard, a local river, or a baptismal tank in a church. It's always great to have your spiritual family nearby (local church) when making a big step (marriage, baptism, etc).

How: This may be different based upon which church you attend. Some sprinkle, others have your whole body go under. In my church, we go under (or get dunked) 3 times. Since each person of the trinity is individually named then we believe the person is to be baptized in the name of each.

The important part is that you know and understand what baptism is about and that you are doing it of your own free will and in obedience to the command of Jesus. My church does have a quick Bible study to go through concerning Baptism. I don't think their is a time frame for having to belong to our church. The important part is that you are a professing follower of Jesus Christ. However, we normally have a baptismal service every 2 or 3 months where any number (usually 4 or 5) of people will get baptised.

Even though my church's stance is triune baptism, we accept other baptisms (sprinkling or single dunk) as long as the person understood what they were doing and why.

I hope that helps you.

 

[thepianist]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

Hello Evie!

I can only speak for the Baptist church. Baptism is done after we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. Usually a person is baptized in the baptistry that has been installed in the church. Normally, the pastor of the church is the person that does the baptisms. There are not classes and you don't have to be at the church for a certain period of time. The only condition that needs to be met is that a person is saved. Baptism is done as a first step in obedience to Christ and it is the doorway to church membership. There is absolutely NO salvation in being baptized.

Almost forgot the how: Baptist believe in immerision - all of the person's body goes underwater - and the pastor raises them back up. Hope this helps.

 

[revmalone]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

Greetings

I agree with my Brothers and sisters that each church seems to do it different. I'll try to explain what it means.

When you step into the water, you and the water have formed a cross.
Your standing up and the water line is side way, forming a symbolic cross, when you go under the water it is a symbol of your death from your old ways, just like the Death Of Christ, put the human or old man behind him.

example: is a plus sign your the upright and the water the level line, just like the plus sign +

When you rise up it is a symbol of the ressurection of Christ.

This is were you start you long life process of being changed by the Holy Spirit, his goal is to conform your character in the Character like Jesus Christ had.

Now;
Your making a public profession just by being baptized, why a profession of faith? Jesus told us if we confess him before men or women--ha ha he will confess us before his Father in heaven.

Deny him before man and he will deny you before his Father.

Being baptized is being buried, raised in new life, and public profession of your trust in Christ. Most will want you to join there church, warning some may not baptize you unless you going to join there church, no that's not right, at least to me.

Cause did John the baptist say join my mud hole or you want be baptized- ha ha ha Sorry That cracked me up.

God Bless you, do it following Jesus is a adventure you'll never forget
God Bless all my family in Christ
Merry Christmas
Bro Malone

 

[MariaG]

Hi again,
Thank you all for responding, I am attending a Pentacostal Church for those who asked..

Please make sure your church uses a trinity formula. Some Pentacostal churches, "Oneness" pentacostals, deny the Trinity, and the divinity of Christ. This of course would then not be a Christian Church.

I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[FireOfGod]

Hmmm. Nope. I've seen people baptized in pools and bathtubs before. Doesn't matter when/where, just do it.

 

[ccastellow]

We in the UPC church feel very strongly about baptism. It says in numerous scriptures that we are to be baptized with water and the Spirit. We do full immersion because the Bible says to. If you read Acts 2:38 you will see what we stand for, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

This you must do for salvation as it says to in the Bible. Once you have completed the baptism, your sins have been washed away and the New Birth has occurred. We won't get into the baptism of the Holy Ghost here, but I hope you receive it. Words cannot describe the feeling!

 

[12volt_man]

This you must do for salvation as it says to in the Bible. Once you have completed the baptism, your sins have been washed away and the New Birth has occurred.

The Bible tells us that we're saved by virtue of Christ's atonement on our behalf, not any works that we perform.

We won't get into the baptism of the Holy Ghost here, but I hope you receive it. Words cannot describe the feeling!

The only baptism of the Holy Ghost is the infilling of the Holy Spirit that every believer receives at the moment of salvation.

 

[AllTalkNoAction]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

The main point is that you see that you can bury the old life without God and have a new one - God's.
Getting baptised *with this understanding* will help you and give you a "clear conscience" so that you can go forward without doubt or confusion.

"baptism does now save us . . . the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3v21)

The word means to immerse or dip as a garment which is being dyed a different colour.
Bible descriptions show people getting into and coming out of water and there being "much water there", it symbolises burial. 1 Peter 3v20-21 relates baptism to the Flood which was NOT just a sprinkling !

Here are 4 questions people often ask, with the bible answers:-

Q - Who should get baptised ?

A - believers in Jesus Christ only:-
Acts 8:35: Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
:36: And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what hinders me to be baptized?
:37: And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may
(see also Mark 16v16, Acts 2v37-38)



Q - Why bother ?

A - Jesus did it saying "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness" (Matt.3v15)
Showing that he was not relying on his natural abilities that he inherited from Adam through Mary, but on His Father who annointed Him with the Holy Spirit to reveal God's nature.

It shows that you choose to obey God rather than your own opinion of what seems right or feels right to you.
It is a putting down, indeed, a burial of the natural man. (see also Romans 6v3-4, Colossians 2v12)



Q - does it matter who/what church baptises me ?

A - Yes ! Paul's first question to people seeking baptism was:-
"Unto what then were ye baptized?" (Acts 19v3)
These people hadn't been taught properly about receiving the Holy Spirit
so Paul told them and re-baptised them and followed this with prayer for
them to receive the Holy Spirit.
That's what it means to "baptise in the name of Jesus" / "in the name of
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". (Matt. 28v19)
You are seeking to enter into the Family of God through Jesus death and by receiving the Holy Spirit.
We see here in Acts 19, as in earlier cases (Acts 10v44-48 -Gentiles and Acts 2v4-Jews) that all knew precisely when they receive the Spirit !
- they speak in tongues - just like a voice was heard when Jesus was anointed, or like a baby cries when it is born (see also Galatians 4v6, John 3v8).

We are called to love God by being faithful to him and avoiding those who "have the form of God, but deny the power thereof" (2 Tim.3v5)
Who "preach another Jesus" other than that which the apostles preached - one of new life and signs-following, not words-only (1 Cor. 2v4-5, 2 Cor 11v4)



Q - When should a believer get baptised ?

A - a.s.a.p.:-
Acts 22:16: And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
(see also Acts 2v37-38, 10v44-48...)
Note: "calling on the name of The Lord" is praying to receive the Holy Spirit. Some people say that any believer who is baptised has already received the Spirit but the above scriptures show that they are sepatare events (see also Acts 8v12-18).


* * * *

You don't have to do it publicly, it's between you and God, not other people.
Neither is it some sort of vow to God that you will be a perfect christian !
- God says you won't, but he asks you to believe he can perfect you and your faith in him, like a child learning to walk.

 

[winsome]

I was just wondering when/where/how this takes place?? Do you go to classes? Is there a time frame tha you have to belong to a church for?? Just curious....Evie

Classes?
It depends. I can only speak of the Catholic Church

Firstly infant baptism. There may be a few sessions with parents to explain
a) what Baptism is all about - what it means
b) what promises the parents are making on behalf of the infant (to bring them up in the faith)
c) what the ceremony involves; the significance of any rituals
These may be done by lay people, or the may be just be one session with the priest. It can vary a lot from parish to parish.

For adults who wish to be baptised most people will go through an RCIA course - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. This has many stages and will ideally culminate in Baptism at Easter.

 

[Seekin'God]

God says you won't, but he asks you to believe he can perfect you and your faith in him, like a child learning to walk

How much faith does one need? Can one question parts of the bible and still have enough faith to get baptized?

 

[heron]

Of course! Many of us who have been Christians for decades are still exploring concepts.

You need enough faith to decide that yes, you do want to move in this direction. You do want Jesus to give direction to your life. You're willing to take some risks to see what that means. You are willing to let go of some things you were headstrong about, in favor of things that help serve others. You're willing to accept His love.

 

[AllTalkNoAction]

How much faith does one need? Can one question parts of the bible and still have enough faith to get baptized?

So long as you don't mis-trust God, it's normal to admit you don't understand everything.

Out of interest, what parts do you question and why ?

 

[heron]

When I ask God to help show me thing that don't make sense, He readily brings information and insights to me.