The Well Community Church

Baptism

We are thrilled you have chosen to pursue the sacrament of Baptism. Baptism is a celebrated step of obedience for you, as a believer, to publically declare God’s work in your life. It will serve as a benchmark in your walk with God and will be an event to remember for the rest of your life.

Part of the importance of Baptism is the way in which it identifies a believer with the community of believers around him or her. For this reason, we want Baptism to be celebrated in the setting of a Life Group or small community gathering. Our hope is your Life Group or your faith community of family and friends would host your Baptism. What does that look like? Keep reading.

There is a four-step process for being baptized:

  1. You know the why – to publically declare God’s work in your life. Now, read the what, who and where (below). We also encourage you to read an abridged version of “A Statement on Baptism and practice of the sacrament in the life of The Well Community Church,” or if you prefer, the full version.
  2. Submit your Baptism request by clicking on the link for your Campus on this page. You will be asked to share your faith journey. See How to write the story of my Faith Journey below. You may also submit your Baptism request on an Info Card at your Campus Info Hub.
  3. You and the person you have asked to perform your Baptism will discuss the contents on this page, including your faith journey story, and plan the event and celebration with your Life Group and/or faith community of family and friends.
  4. Capture the event on an iTouch, iPhone, hand-held video camera, etc. See How to capture your Baptism below.

WHAT is Baptism?

The word Baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means to dip or immerse. In the Old Testament and Jewish writings, there are four types of Baptism mentioned: purification, initiation, repentance, and identification. In the New Testament, there is one primary type of Baptism mentioned. It is a Baptism that symbolizes identification into a community of followers by immersion under water. Commonly, in the New Testament, Baptism immediately followed conversion of an individual who place his/her faith in Christ. Baptism is symbolic of new life in Christ. In every New Testament command and instance of Baptism, repentance and faith precede Baptism.We strongly encourage all those who profess faith in Christ to be baptized as a sign of obedience.

WHO will baptize me?

This is where it gets fun.

You do not need a pastor, the Pope, an elder, or an ordained priest present in order to be baptized. Scripture says that every believer is part of the "royal priesthood" of God (1 Peter 2:9) and thus, an eligible baptizer. So, you need someone who loves Jesus. You may consider a Life Group leader, a mentor, a close friend, or a person of spiritual influence.

If you do not have a Life Group or community of believers, The Well staff will come alongside and help you in the process of getting baptized. However, we strongly encourage you to consider joining a Life Group at The Well.

WHERE should I be baptized?

Consider two questions:

  1. Is the area large enough to gather my community of family and friends? We suggest you throw a party. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, mother-in-law, Life Group, etc. Your Baptism is definitely something to celebrate, so mark the moment with food and friends.
  2. Is the water deep enough for me to be completely immersed? Your Baptism can take place in a pool, spa, lake, river, or an ocean. We ask that you have the upper and lower parts of your body covered. And, no white t-shirts. Bring a towel, change of clothes, and any toiletries you may need.

How to write the story of my Faith Journey

Your story is the journey God has taken you on. We ask you to write your story because the process of writing helps crystallize your thinking. When you are forced to look back, you can see with clarity what God has done.

There is power in every story, whether ordinary or extraordinary. Once you know and understand your story, it allows you to share what Christ means to you. We encourage you to be as vulnerable as possible and use language that is simple and easy to understand.

As you think through your writing, here are some helpful prompting questions:

  • What do you mean when you say you have placed your faith in Christ?
  • What was your life like before coming to faith in Christ?
  • What made you sense the need for a Savior?
  • When did you begin your personal relationship with Christ and start following Him?
  • How has your life changed because of your relationship with Christ?

Still feeling stuck? Read an example faith journey story.

The Baptism request form (found by clicking on the link for your Campus on this page) will ask you to tell the story of your faith journey in 500 words or less, which is approximately one page of single-spaced type. The Baptism request form will time out at approximately 15 minutes without warning, so you may consider drafting your story beforehand and copy/paste into the form.

A copy of your faith journey story will be shared with the person you have asked to baptize you.

How to capture your Baptism

We encourage you to capture this moment in your walk with God. Make sure to capture your dunking and the celebration, and share your response (thoughts, feelings, etc.) to being baptized.

Capture the event with your personal iPhone, iPod touch, etc. After you have downloaded the video file from your camera to your computer, simply, upload it to largefilesasap.com (allows up to 2GB).

  1. You will be prompted to enter:
    • To: kham@thewellcommunity.org
    • From: [Your email address]
    • Subject: Baptism Video
    • Message: [Name(s) of who is being baptized]
  2. You be asked if you want to purchase optional upgrades, otherwise, this service is free.
  3. Attach your video file and send.

If you do not have access to a smartphone, you may pick up a hand-held video camera at The Well office by contacting your Campus Pastor or Ministry Director’s administrator. After the event, return the camera and we will transfer the footage for you.

For more information on the process of Baptism, call our office at 559.326.5100.