Baptism is one of the first steps of faith in Jesus and is a way of publicly declaring that we are giving our whole lives to following him.

Jesus himself was baptised, and he commanded his disciples to baptise those who responded to him. In the New Testament, a decision to follow Jesus was typically followed by baptism.

The word Baptise means to submerge in water. It’s an outward sign of an inward faith, and acts as a way of symbolising dying to our old life and being born again to a new life in Christ. Different churches practice baptism in different ways, and at Barton it tends to involve a big pool of water and getting very wet! We believe that this stays closer to the original meaning of the word, as well as being a better way of symbolising what Jesus intended baptism to mean.

Baptisms are an important event for the church, as celebrations of God’s transforming love and an opportunity to hear the unique ways in which people have come to know Jesus.

If you are serious about wanting to make Jesus the Lord of your life, then baptism is for you. If you have any questions, or would like to be baptised, please do speak with one of the church leaders.