We believe in "believer's baptism" which essentially means that one must be able to personally understand as well as express their faith in Christ. Baptism services are held on Easter Sunday & Anniversary Sunday (in November).
4 Points of Agreement:
- Christ is divine, Creator and was present in the beginning with God. - Colossians 1:15-20
- I am a sinner by birth and by choice, and am in need of a Savior. - Romans 3:23
- Christ lived a perfect life and thus is the only perfect sacrifice that God would accept as payment for sin. - Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 2 Corinthians 5:21
- After being crucified, Christ rose from the dead on the 3rd day. - Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:17
In order to participate in a baptism service at FLBC you must attend the baptism class offered before the scheduled baptism. After the class you will be asked to submit a personal testimony to the pastor. You will end up reading this testimony to the congregation at your baptism.
In general we do not recommend the baptism of children younger than 10 years old. There is no age requirement in scripture, but only that children be able to "confess & believe" (Romans 10:9-10) on their own. In order for baptism to be marked and remembered as a significant step of obedience, it can be wise to have children wait until they are closer to the tween or teen years to publicly profess their faith before the church body.
If you have a child that has professed faith in Christ but aren't sure whether he/she is ready for baptism, we recommend the book "God...Should I be baptized?" by Life Song Publishers. This resource can be ordered at www.lifesongpublishers.com - children ages 10-12 who desire to be baptized at FLBC need to complete this book with a parent and then meet with the pastor before being invited to attend the baptism class.