Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change that publicly declares our commitment to Jesus. Following in Christ’s example, McDowell practices full-immersion water baptism, symbolizing His death and resurrection. If you have given your life to Jesus, then you should consider baptism as the next step in your faith journey.
Let your friends and family know so they can join you for this significant step in your faith journey.
Celebrate the new life you have in Jesus!
Those who have personally placed faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10)
Scripture does not have any accounts of infants being baptized. For this reason we do child dedication, where families commit to raising their kids to know and experience God’s love (1 Samuel 1:26-28, Deuteronomy 6:4-5). As kids get a little older and can make a decision to follow Jesus themselves, they might be ready for baptism! Contact karley@mcdowell.church if you think your child is ready for baptism.
As soon as you decide to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step. There is no reason to delay unless you are wanting to participate in one of McDowell’s baptism services. (Acts 8:12)
McDowell typically does two baptism Sundays a year, where you can celebrate your life change with others from McDowell during one of our services. To find out when the next baptism is, email cameron@mcdowell.church.
The Greek word from which we get the word baptism is “baptizo”, which literally means “to immerse”. All water baptisms in scripture were by full immersion. Jesus was water baptized by being fully immersed in the water and rising out of it. (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Acts 8:38-39)
We hold baptisms at McDowell so that we can handle all the preparations for you, but you can be baptized anywhere there is water! Find a pool, river, or head to the ocean. It is not about a specific body of water, but about the condition of your heart. (Romans 10:9-13, Matthew 3:13-17)
That being said, baptism is also a public declaration of faith. The stories of baptism in scripture were written and shared to encourage future followers of Jesus. There is value in having others witness your baptism and hear your story. If you get baptized somewhere else, have a friend take a photo or video of your baptism and send it to cameron@mcdowell.church so we can share it in our next baptism video.
We understand you may have questions and we would love to connect with you. Sign up for one of our upcoming baptism classes or email cameron@mcdowell.church.
We understand you might need to try a few groups before finding the right fit. So we have created easy on-ramps and off-ramps. Every Spring & Fall we have a semester that can be divided into two 6-8 week sessions. Our Spring groups usually begin mid-January and end in May, and our Fall groups begin in September and end early December. Life is busy and our schedules and needs may change, so this makes it easy to join a group without feeling like you’re committing for life.
