Pacific Community Church: Baptism Handbook

Transcription

1 Pacific Community Church: Baptism Handbook Last Update July 2009

2 Pacific Baptism Handbook Preparing for Baptism: A Little Q&A How we do baptism at Pacific Community Church? Some sprinkle but we like making a Big Splash during our Sunday Worship Service, and annually we even make a trek out to the beach! If you were a language expert you would know that one of the meanings of the Greek word baptizo is to dip, to plunge, to immerse, to bathe, and to overwhelm. Unless there are special circumstances our practice is to plunge a person under water to express their identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection and their decision to follow Him. Dunking (or immersion if you want to get theologically precise), in our mind, is the most graphic way of capturing the depth of meaning and purpose intended in baptism. Many churches do it this way and many do it another. For instance many churches sprinkle infants. This is not our practice. For a number of reasons we choose to baptize those who have made a personal decision to follow Jesus Christ. However, we do have a special ceremony where parents dedicate their new children to the Lord. It is a way to celebrate and commit to being godly parents and ask for God s blessing on our children. We believe there is sufficient biblical support to be comfortable that we are doing what Christ asked us to do. You can read these passages to study further: Acts 8:36-39 Philip baptizes the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 16:14-15 Lydia is baptized Acts 9-18 Paul s is baptized Acts 16:31 a jail keeper is baptized Who can get baptized? Our practice at Pacific is to baptize individuals when they have chosen to follow Jesus in their life, by turning from their old ways and choosing God s way and trusting that God s gift of the Holy Spirit will lead them. In many traditions this is called believer s baptism. Doing it this way gives a person a real sense that they belong. It also provides a datable time when they made a public commitment to follow Jesus Christ. As a result there is far less drop out in one s commitment when a person makes this public step. Can I get re-baptized? Technically (or theologically); no, if you reduce baptism to just a personal decision then you might argue that there was too little faith, or too little knowledge, too little water or too little feeling or However, baptism is not just our participation it also involves God and his actions. In fact the reason that a person later in life might consider being baptized again is a very real sign that God honors the promises made at the initial baptism. Does God need to do it over? Probably not, however it is our practice at PCC to give people the opportunity to recommit or to reenact baptism in order to mark their renewed commitment to follow God. Does baptism mean I am a member of Pacific Community Church? Becoming a Christian makes you a part of God s family and your baptism makes it public. As a result, you are a part of the unofficial worldwide church and thus considered a family member here at Pacific. In order to help people understand the basics of church membership we provide a Membership Handbook. To become a member a person needs to be baptized and to travel through the membership process. You are more than half done. The materials in the Membership Handbook give you a biblical point of view of church membership and also a basic overview of how PCC operates and works together. We highly recommend that you pick up a package as soon as you are able. It is a very good and necessary step after baptism because it will help you become especially connected to God s family. Your class leader will have some handbooks available or you can ask one of the pastors or the church office one. What if I was baptized as an infant? Because there are many traditions that flow into Pacific we do not desire to create unnecessary road blocks for people to enter fully into God s community here at PCC. At the same time we need to establish clearly what we do at Pacific. We put together a written statement about what we think and how we practice baptism that we believe honours other Christian traditions yet allows us to honour the practice that has been established by the C&MA. 2

3 Our Official Statement on Adults Who Were Baptized as Infants Pacific Community Church, which belongs to the Christian and Missionary Alliance, believes that baptism is an act of obedience for all believers. While other modes of believer s baptism are recognized, baptism by immersion is taught and practiced as the scriptural mode. Matthew 3:6; Acts 8: At PCC we practice baptism by immersion after a person has made a public declaration to follow Jesus Christ. We recommend that this Biblical order be practiced. We are sympathetic to those who have faithfully lived within and practiced a different baptism tradition, i.e. infant baptism. Within the broad protestant tradition which practices infant baptism, a critical step is the public profession of faith that generally occurs during the age of consent. Without this public profession, the person is unable to become a member of the church of Christ because they personally have not affirmed their commitment publicly. As a result, Christian parents who have children who avoid this stage of commitment, even though they have been baptized, grieve because they know that their children are not choosing to follow Christ and to become an active and committed participant in God s community. In regards to church membership, we will recognize a person s infant baptism only if they have since made a public profession of faith and become a practicing member of the church. 1. If they have not publicly professed their faith, we ask them to undergo adult baptism by immersion, not on the basis that infant baptism is wrong, but on the basis that adult baptism is one s public profession of faith and baptism by immersion is how it is practiced at Pacific Community Church. 2. If a person has publicly professed their faith within their church tradition and their life reflects a foundational commitment to Christ and His kingdom, we gladly welcome them into our community and invite them to go through the membership process at PCC. 3. With regards to the person who has been baptized and made a public profession of faith in a protestant tradition but feels it was ritualistic or meaningless, we recommend that the person be baptized again. We do not recommend second adult baptisms simply as a restatement of one s commitment. We encourage individuals to take the commitments they made to God and the promises He gives to them seriously. We welcome all who choose to follow Christ with all their heart, mind and strength and invite them to take the steps involved in becoming Members of Pacific Community Church. 3

4 Table of Contents Steps to Baptism Explore The first step in your exploration of Baptism is to attend a PCC Basics Baptism Class. This class explains what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. If you desire to be baptized, or are simply interested in knowing more...this is designed for you! Preparation Study Page 5 This study is designed to help you understand the purpose and meaning of baptism. It will answer many of your basic questions. Meet Before you are confirmed to be baptized we will invite the baptism candidates to meet the Board of Elders they are the spiritual leaders of our church along with the pastoral staff. They desire to give their blessing on your baptism. We will help schedule a meeting with one or two of our Elders before your baptism; it will be done as a whole group so it won t be like an interview. They will want to ask all candidates some of the questions that you find in this study. So you see it is important for you to work through this process. Perhaps you will be nervous - don t be. God is working in you something powerful and exciting the Board wants to hear it. So expect it to be a great meeting where they will surround you with all the blessings of the church. Meeting with the Board of Elders (Required) Confirm the next Baptism service scheduled Write Your Story: Testimony Tips Page 15 A testimony is your story of how God has worked in your life. We ask those being baptized to write out their story and then send it to the person leading the baptism class or the church office. Send your completed testimony to the church office at front.desk@pacificcommunity.ca The Big Splash: Last Minute Details Page 16 Now that you know the date of your Baptism, here are a few last things you need to know! 4

5 A New Citizen of the Kingdom One Way to Think About Baptism A guy with a Dutch accent recently became a Canadian citizen. After living in Canada for a while, he saw the light and decided to transfer his old loyalties to a set of new loyalties. Prior to being sworn in he had to understand what it meant to be a Canadian. He had to read and understand Canada s Charter of Rights and Freedoms along with a bit of Canadian history and then pass a simple knowledge test. Upon swearing in he assumed responsibilities that all Canadians are expected to keep. Legitimately, he can now travel the world with a Canadian flag on his suitcase and assume all its rights and freedoms. Even though he talks with a Dutch accent he is undeniably a Canadian and no one can take it away from him. He even gets bragging rights like that his country, Canada, designed the most advanced fighter plane in its time the Avro Arrow, and is home to Tim Horton s coffee. It s a big deal when you change your citizenship! Baptism is much like changing citizenship but even more so. You are publicly choosing a new set of rights, freedoms and responsibilities that surpass and shape all your other loyalties country, marriage, work, clubs, etc.. When a person is baptized they are declaring allegiance to God the creator of the universe and his son Jesus Christ. You, undeniably, enter the kingdom of God. It doesn t even matter if you speak with a funny accent or don t seem to look like the rest because when a person is baptized in Christ they belong and have the bragging rights of being a child of God. Baptism is a big event. We celebrate it. Since Jesus asked us to be baptized we invite every member of our church to be baptized. Each time we witness a baptism we celebrate our own baptism and we all rejoice together because ultimately, for those who follow Christ, our citizenship is in heaven. Together with this personal study and the class we believe you can make the first steps into an exciting and adventurous journey with God. At anytime you can phone one of the Pastors and ask questions. We love seeing people make big decisions that will change their life forever. What is Baptism? Baptism is a unique and ancient Christian practice that began almost two thousand years ago. Peter, a disciple of Jesus and one of the early church leaders, considered baptism a key step in becoming a Christian. Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Acts 2:38-41 We continue this practice of baptism for at least three reasons: It publicly identifies us with Jesus Christ. Baptism takes a simple everyday experience of washing and turns it into a visual by which we can understand how we enter a new life just by letting God s forgiveness clean our hearts. When a believer is baptized he is saying, Symbolically, these waters that wash over me express the truth that through Christ I have died to sin and am brought to a new way of life. Don t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:3-4 Jesus Christ required it as an act of obedience. Among the final words given to his followers Jesus commanded: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of this age. Matthew 28:

6 It blesses us with God s presence so that we are empowered to live extraordinary lives. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3: What excites you about being baptized? Personal Reflection 2. Do you feel any hesitation about being baptized? Yes or No? Explain (i.e. I don t feel worthy because, I don t deserve this because, I m not ready, I m not sure if ) 6

7 What you are saying when you get baptized? There are at least three things you are saying when you get baptized. It is a confession of a new direction (repentance and salvation). It affirms God s presence in your life. It is a public expression of your desire to follow Jesus with all your heart. Each of these statements is seen in the first Christian baptism that we read about in the Bible (Read Matthew 3 for the complete story). A confession of a new direction (repentance and salvation) Before the first Christian baptism took place John the Baptist was already baptizing people. This explains his name. God had a special purpose for Johnny B. He is like the demolition bulldozer that clears the way before the builder arrives. Before Jesus got busy with his stuff, John was busy preaching and baptizing people and shaking things up in his Jewish community, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Hardened religious leaders were upset because people from all over Jerusalem and the countryside were coming to the Jordan River to be baptized. Confessing their sins, the people left the empty religiosity of the old way to follow God with all their heart. Their baptism was a confession of sins (repentance) and cleaning up their act by admitting their wrongs and choosing what is better (salvation). In some ways, baptism is a humbling and public act that many refuse. Until Johnny B a Jew had never been baptized before in order to enter the kingdom of God they were just born in. Now John was saying something new. It doesn t matter if you are born in. What matters is if your heart seeks God at that time a radical message. It still is today. One day John noticed Jesus standing in the line to be baptized. Strange isn t it? Why would Jesus need to be baptized? What did he have to repent from? The Bible claims that Jesus did not sin. John was confused. He didn t get it and asked Jesus to baptize him instead. But Jesus refused and persuaded John to baptize him. This is one of the first hints why Jesus came to earth and why he willingly died on the cross to pay for our wrongs. Jesus decides to identify himself with us to be our friend. As our friend he was willing to undergo death and experience new life It makes you think. If Jesus, who is perfect, was willing to be baptized, what about us who really need to change from our old destructive ways to a whole new life? Perhaps one of the reasons Jesus chose baptism was to say to you, I am here with you. No matter how you fall, I will bring you back up again. Just as I rose from the dead and just as you come back up out of the water so will your life be lifted up when you trust in me. It affirms God s presence in your life. Before John baptized Jesus, John knew that this baptism was just a taste of what was to come. He looked forward to the gift of forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus would bring. In the verse below you can see that John was hoping for a more significant baptism than the one he was giving. In fact it was part of his message. I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Matthew 3:11 At the moment Jesus went under the water and as he came out dripping. at that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16-17 God the Father affirms that Jesus, his son, is his son and he loves him. God gives the gift of his Holy Spirit to Jesus to empower him for the life God is calling him to live. Christian baptism is our claim that God s presence and power will be a part of our life. God blesses his people with powerful resources to live life. He gives himself the Holy Spirit to dwell in our lives. 7

8 It publicly expresses your desire to follow Jesus with all your heart For Jesus, baptism is a very clear way of saying, God, I am your servant. Use me. Jesus chooses to make this clear to the world as he stands in the middle of the Jordan before a crowd of onlookers. This may be the most challenging part of baptism because it calls us to a life like Jesus where suffering and service may intermingle. Jesus invites us into a life not exactly like his life but one where we must be willing to serve like Christ in whatever circumstance we live in. Baptism is our testimony that we are willing. Choosing God s way will give you a whole new way of looking at life where you become creative with God s love. We are choosing to consistently lay down our own personal agendas in order to follow God s agenda which always turns out to be the better agenda. Baptism is where we clearly say to God and the world, I am your servant. 8

9 Personal Reflection 1. Describe the time where you made your big turn to follow God? 2. Where have you experienced God s presence in your life? Perhaps now you realize it though you didn t when you were in the middle of it. 3. God promises us that he will make our home with us. He will send us his Holy Spirit so that we will have strength, direction and peace to live the life God calls us to live. Read John 14:15-31 and John 16:5-16. Where in your life do you need the Holy Spirit to give you strength, guidance or peace? 4. Are you personally ready to give your full allegiance to God? Are there loyalties in your life that compete with your desire to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? 5. Are you ready to say, God, I am your servant, use me? State in a few sentences your commitment to follow God completely. 9

10 How baptism can be a prototype of your life? Car manufacturers show off their future design ideas at annual trade shows. They design and build a prototype of what they hope to develop in the future. In some ways baptism is like that. For instance, Jesus baptism declared the mission and purpose of his life. It wasn t until Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead that we understand how it finally worked out in real life. Jesus final three years was a time he showed people a whole new way to live, free from the weight of measuring up, free to accept the loving embrace of God, free to chose a life that honors God and make life full by loving God and others. In a sense, Jesus baptism was a small picture of Jesus life. Our baptism can also be a picture of our life, reminding us that we are citizens of a new way and are not bound to our old ways. Our baptism can help us to rethink and reconsider how we live; perhaps prompting us each day of our lives to act in new ways to live for him. Let s remember, Baptism doesn t make us perfect. Baptism is not even the magic, spiritual pill that will fix our lives. Rather it is a personal declaration that we are going to live life in a new way with the resources God promises us. Baptism is a Jesus ordained practice that expresses what we believe to be true that Jesus rescued us from an empty life to a new life shaped by God s love. Thus baptism is a great opportunity to celebrate the freedom and resources God gives to us to live in his kingdom. Paul was one Christian whose life was shaped by the decisions and promises of a baptized life. He wrote this prayer for Christians, which is found in the Bible, and it expresses the heart s desire to pursue a life shaped by Christ. Just reading it gives you the exciting sense of what a life in relationship to God is all about. I pray out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians) 10

11 Personal Reflection 1. How do you think your baptism will impact your life? If you look into the future where do you sense you will experience the most significant change? 2. Rewrite Paul s prayer as your personal prayer. (I.E. I pray that Lord you might give me out of all of your riches the strength I need to live life. Give me the strength of your Spirit..) Take time to talk to God using the prayer you just wrote. 11

12 What God is saying to you in baptism? Baptism is not just about us saying things to God and others but about God speaking deeply into our life. After all, baptism is God s idea and he wants you to be personally convinced that you are loved by him. The act of baptism is like a loud megaphone message to you from God. Perhaps he has already said these things to you and will keep on saying these things but baptism is like him saying loudly and clearly, Make sure you get this, you are loved, you are in, you are mine, don t forget it. Here are a few other things He is saying: I forgive you. If repentance is part of baptism so also is God s forgiveness. Just the act of being put under water expresses your desire for God to clean you and make you new. God s forgiveness does that. Even after we are baptized we will continue to fall and stumble that s just the way we are. But if after we have fallen we are able to confess our wrong and pursue God s way we are living out the kind of life symbolized in baptism. If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 1 John 1:9 I will bless you. God approaches us in complete love and desires to give us forgiveness, adoption, servant-hood, the Holy Spirit, new birth, eternal life and all the good things that come from God. When we are in the midst of challenging circumstances we can rightly ask for God s gifts in our life. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 I have given you new life. Christian baptism plunges us into the death and resurrection of Jesus. We bring our old life to the point of death which had little room for God and we open up to a new life as the presence of the Holy Spirit enters in. We are in fact dying and rising as Christ has the very heart of Christianity. Baptism is the gateway to a complete revolution in morals and lifestyle. Despite our imperfection we take aim at a whole new way of life which is to be like Christ in every part of our day. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 You belong to my family. Baptism is like a certificate of our belonging to God s family. The church becomes your spiritual home. Just like you, there are people in the church learning what it means to be God s children and being a family together. Together, despite our messiness, challenges, and immaturity, we grow. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. Ephesians 4:3-6 I will give your life a purpose. Christian baptism appoints us to serve in the kingdom of God. Baptism is the uniform we wear that is a sign to the world that our loyalty belongs to Jesus, the King of the universe. Our king commissions us to serve Him and others where he has placed us and where he will lead us. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 I will always be near you. Christian baptism gives us something to hold on to. In times of doubt or struggle we can claim God s love and faithfulness just as a Canadian who is in trouble in a foreign country can appeal to the Canadian government for help. Trust that God will keep his promise. He is trustworthy better even than our generally fair government. 12

13 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you trust him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 13

14 Optional Discussion Questions with Family and Friends For Continued Personal Reflection Use some of these questions as a way to discuss baptism with others or share your personal responses to some of the questions in the personal reflection sections above. Read Matthew 3:1-17 together Do it in a fun way by selecting people to read the different parts: Narrator John the Baptist Jesus God 1. Who has been a John the Baptist in your life? How did he or she prepare you to meet Jesus? 2. Who are today s Pharisee s and Sadducees? Have there been so called religious people in your life who have given you a bad taste? 3. When did you experience God s presence in your life? 4. What do the images of judgment mean? The coming wrath? The ax? The fire? His winnowing fork? 5. How is repentance linked to your experience of salvation: In the past? Now? Where does repentance, to God and/or others, still need to happen in your life? 6. What do you think God wants to say to you specifically (pg 12-13)? What would you like to hear from him but feel it is unlikely that you will hear it? 7. If you have been baptized what was it like? If you are preparing for baptism what is encouraging you? Pray for each other 14

15 Write Your Story Testimony Tips You can use the contents of your personal reflections to help write your story. Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind. 1. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and guidance as you write. 2. The Big Version. This will not necessarily be read publically. a) Keep it to one single-spaced page in length. b) Divide it up into 3 basic paragraphs: i. Your life before meeting Jesus and/or the circumstances that brought you to Jesus ii. The decision itself. Focus on what God has done in your heart and/or why you made the decision to follow Him. You may want to share and example of the significant change God has brought to your life. iii. Explain why you are getting baptized. I m getting baptized because If possible, include a verse of scripture that means something to you. (You may even find one in this document.) 3. The Short Public Version a) Type it onto a 3x5 card. b) Start it, Hi, my name is. c) Answer in one or two sentences, one of the following questions: Why are you a Christian? What lead you to your commitment to follow Christ? What is it about Jesus that provokes your allegiance to Him? OR Why are you being baptized? Examples: I am a Christian because I believe that Jesus Christ is God s son and that he died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead to give me His life. I am getting baptized today because Jesus has commanded me to, and I love Jesus. It symbolizes death to my old selfish life and being raised a new person in the power of the Holy Spirit. 4. Avoid beating up other churches from your past we don t want to offend people. 5. Avoid describing the Christian life as a bed of roses. Life may have changed in a million positive ways but life s circumstances continue to challenge you to depend on God. Besides, following Christ doesn t mean fewer challenges it usually means more just as any good adventure would. 6. Remember that the main point of your testimony is to highlight how good Jesus is particularly through your life. 7. Avoid excessive information that would take the focus off Jesus, placing it on your past sin. Be specific about Jesus and general about your past. 15

16 The Big Splash Last Minute Details When can I get baptized? Presently a baptism service happens 4 to 6 times a year. We have no schedule really. We simply respond to the demand which means we can do it monthly or weekly if we have to. Call the office to find out when our next scheduled baptism is (604) Who can I invite to my baptism? Everybody! Your baptism is an awesome opportunity to demonstrate to your friends and family your new faith in God. Pray that God will give you the courage to invite people who may be touched in a special way. God will use you in a big way. What do I wear? Shorts & a tee-shirt is usually the best. Make sure to bring a change of clothes, a towel and maybe a bathrobe. Don t count on the water being very warm. Who baptizes me? In general one of the pastors does the baptisms. However, at times there may be someone who was specifically involved in your decision to become a Christian and it may be appropriate for them to participate. Just bring it up with one of the pastors and we can discuss what might work. 16