Believer’s Baptism

What is it?

Baptism is one of two special ways (sacraments) in which Jesus commanded us to declare our faith in him. (The other is Communion.) It is simply an outward act – being immersed in water – that displays an inward attitude – “I want to follow Christ for the rest of my life”. At New Life Baptist Church, baptism is encouraged for all those who have come to faith as an important step on the individual’s path of discipleship. We believe in the baptism by immersion of all those who have professed repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why should I?

Because Jesus was baptised
Although he did not need John’s baptism of repentance for himself, he was baptised to show his solidarity with sinful men and women and as an act of obedience to his Father’s will (Matthew 3:13-17). We are called to follow his example.

Because Jesus commanded it
His last instructions to his disciples were unmistakable: “Go and make disciples – baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). We demonstrate our love for Jesus in obeying his command.

What does it mean?

It is a picture of cleansing
It graphically illustrates that through the death of Christ our sins can be forgiven and our lives cleansed (Acts 22:16).

It is a picture of burying
In the same way that Jesus died and rose again, so by being baptised (buried under the water) we show that we want to die to our old sinful ways and come alive to the new way in Jesus (Romans 6:1-4, Colossians 2:12).

It is a picture of empowering
Just as the baptism of Jesus was a moment of empowering for his future ministry, so our baptism signifies God’s desire to fill us with his Spirit and empower us to live for him (Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 12:13).

It is a picture of belonging
Through our baptism we demonstrate our need to belong to God’s family, the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). To put this truth into practice we normally expect those being baptised to become church members here.

When should I be baptised?

Baptism in the New Testament is always a sign of beginning, so it is good for it to come in the early stage of your Christian journey. However, some come to baptism much later in their spiritual journey. It then becomes a marker of all that has gone before, as well as a renewed commitment for the future.

What if I was christened as a baby?

This is not a barrier to being baptised if you feel God is calling you to make a personal confession of your faith in Jesus.

What do I do if I want to be baptised?

We run an exploring baptism course for you to find out more about what it means to be baptised. Alternatively please come and speak to one of the Pastors who will guide you through the process and pray with you.
To sign up to our next course please click here.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

What happens on a Sunday? Where do I go? What about my children? What can I expect in a service?

When?

Our Sunday worship service is at 10:30am, finishing around 12 noon.

Where?

Morning worship services take place in the main hall.

Children:

Pre-school: go to the Basement, a cafe-style room downstairs which is accessed through the door to the left of the stage in the main hall. You are welcome to leave your child with the team on duty or stay with them during the session.

School years Reception-6: go upstairs to the upper hall which is accessed from the back of the balcony,
or going up the stairs through the doors either side of the foyer.

For more information visit our children's page.

Youth:

Ages 11-14: meet during the service in the youth room on the top floor, it will be announced from the front when it is time for them to leave to attend their group. Accessed from the back of the balcony, or going up the stairs through the doors either side of the foyer, then through the upper hall, follow the steps and into the youth room.

Ages 15-18: meet before the service for a breakfast club to have a chat with that mornings speaker
at 9:45am, this is also in the youth room, accessed as mentioned above.

For more information visit our youth page.

What?

Our services are informal- feel free to sit, stand, observe or join in!
Our sung worship is band led, contemporary in style, and there will be a time for prayer, testimonies, hearing teaching from the Bible as well as communion twice a month.
There is also opportunities for prayer ministry at the end of the service.

Accessibility:

The main entrance to our building has a ramp, we have a hearing aid loop in the foyer and main hall, most Sunday's include some makaton friendly worship and there is a disabled toilet located in the foyer.

We will do everything we can to help with access to other areas of our building. For further information, please contact the church office.

Welcome to New Life Baptist Church

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