At LifePoint Christian Church, we practice “believer’s baptism.” Jesus called the church to mark the beginning of each disciples’ choice to follow Him with baptism. It is the believer’s first opportunity to declare allegiance to Christ.

At the very beginning of his ministry Jesus himself was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:31-34). His last words to his friends before he ascended to heaven were the command to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19b-20a). In the New Testament, baptism is part of the conversion. So much so that the two were considered part of one event (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21). At LifePoint we understand scripture to teach that the act of baptism is a part of the grace and salvation process. It is an outward commitment of an inward work of grace that is taking place (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 6:3,4).

Thoughtful and committed Christians have disagreed about this question for centuries. The church understands the scriptures to teach that baptism is an expression of the commitment of the person being baptized. That is why we call it “believer’s baptism.” It is an expression of a person’s faith in Christ and a desire to follow Christ. Therefore, baptism ought to be restricted to someone who is mature enough to make that decision and that commitment. Baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation (Acts 2:38; 8:12; 18:8; 19:4; 22:16).