YOUR NEXT STEP
Ready to take the plunge?
Baptism is a simple but powerful way of saying publicly: I belong to Jesus, and I want to follow him.
WHY BAPTISM?
An outward expression of a life given to Jesus
For Christians, baptism has been part of following Jesus from the very beginning.
Jesus himself was baptised, he told his followers to baptise others, and throughout the New Testament we see people responding to faith in Jesus by being baptised.
Baptism isn’t about having everything sorted. It isn’t a reward for becoming a particularly good Christian, and it isn’t something you need to understand perfectly before you can start asking about it.
It is an outward expression of something that has happened on the inside: turning towards Jesus, trusting him, and choosing to follow him.
Being lowered into the water and raised back up is a vivid picture of the new life Jesus gives us — leaving the old behind and beginning again with him.
At Vineyard25, baptisms are some of our favourite Sundays. They are moments to celebrate what God has done in someone’s life and to stand with them as they take their next step.
Questions about baptism
You don’t need to have everything worked out before starting the conversation. These are some of the things people commonly ask us.
Could baptism be my next step?
If you are following Jesus but have never been baptised, we would love you to explore it.
You might have only recently become a Christian. You might have believed for years and simply never taken this step. You might still have questions about exactly what baptism means. All of those are completely normal places to start.
You don’t need to decide before speaking to somebody. Talk to one of the Pastors, speak to your Home Group leader, or send us a message. We would much rather have a conversation with you than expect you to work it all out by yourself.
What if I’ve been baptised or confirmed before?
You are still very welcome to have the conversation.
Some people were baptised or confirmed as children or teenagers. Others were baptised in a different church tradition, at a different stage of life, or before they really understood the decision they were making.
We don’t want to turn this into a rulebook. If being baptised now would be a meaningful expression of your own faith in Jesus, speak to one of the Pastors. We can talk through your story with you and help you decide what is right.
There is no awkward test to pass and no judgement about where you have come from.
What happens before I’m baptised?
Beforehand, we normally arrange a short baptism conversation or session. Exactly how that works varies a little between our sites, but it is deliberately straightforward.
We’ll talk about what baptism means, your own journey of faith, what will happen on the day, any questions or worries you have, and whether you feel comfortable and ready to go ahead.
This isn’t an exam or a theology course you have to pass. It is simply a chance to make sure you understand the step you are taking and have space to ask anything you need to ask.
What happens on the day?
We normally baptise people by full immersion in water — which is the churchy way of saying yes, we dunk you!
You will have people around you to explain everything and help you through it. You don’t need to worry about knowing exactly what to say or do; we’ll talk you through all of that beforehand.
Our baptism services are celebrations for the whole Vineyard25 family. We love hearing what Jesus has been doing in people’s lives, praying for them and celebrating together as they take this step of faith.