Get Baptised

What is baptism?

Baptism is an ordinance: a command given by Christ for his people to observe until he returns. It is a visible sign and seal of the covenant of grace: a public declaration that you belong to Christ and are united to him in his death and resurrection.

Baptism does not save you. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Yet baptism is not optional for those who trust Christ. It is the obedient response of a believer who has already received the gift of salvation and wishes to follow the Lord's command.

Our church holds to the London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). Its teaching on baptism (Chapter 29) summarises what we believe: baptism is for disciples, performed with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and appointed to signify our ingrafting into Christ and admission into the visible church.

Who should be baptised?

We practise believer's baptism, sometimes called credobaptism. Only those who have made a credible profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should be baptised.

We do not baptise infants. In Scripture, baptism always follows repentance and faith. Before someone is baptised at Hope, the elders look for evidence of a genuine trust in Christ, a life turning from sin, and a willingness to walk in obedience to his Word.

How is baptism administered?

We baptise by immersion, placing the believer completely under water and raising them up again. This mode best pictures what baptism signifies: union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. As the apostle Paul teaches, we are buried with Christ through baptism into death, so that we too may walk in newness of life.

Baptism and church membership

At Hope, baptism and church membership belong together. Baptism is the front door by which a believer is publicly received into the fellowship of the local church. It marks you out as part of Christ's body here, accountable to one another, under the care of elders, and committed to worship, discipleship, and mutual encouragement.

As a congregational church, our members together affirm each profession of faith and welcome each baptised believer into the congregation.

Before you are baptised

We ask that those seeking baptism can give a credible account of their conversion and understand the basics of the gospel: who God is, the seriousness of sin, what Christ has done to save sinners, and how we receive that salvation by faith.

You do not need to have every question answered or every struggle resolved. But you should be able to say honestly that you trust Christ alone for forgiveness and eternal life, and that you intend to follow him as Lord within his church.

What happens at Hope

1. Express your interest. Complete the form below so our elders know you would like to be baptised.
2. Meet with the elders. An elder will arrange a conversation to hear your testimony, confirm your understanding of the gospel, and answer any questions you have.
3. Be baptised in gathered worship. When the elders are satisfied, baptism takes place during a Sunday service. The congregation witnesses your profession, welcomes you, and rejoices with you.