How do I get baptized?

Talk to a local church you trust, tell a pastor or leader that you have come to trust Jesus and want to be baptized, and let them prepare and baptize you. Acts 2:38 links repentance, faith, and baptism at the start of the Christian life.

Do the different churches baptize the same way?

The core is shared, baptism with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), but the practice differs. Some immerse, some pour; some baptize infants, others only professing believers. Ask the church you join.

Do I need to understand everything before I am baptized?

No. A good church will explain what baptism means and answer your questions first. It is a step of faith and joy, not a test of knowledge.

First steps

How to Get Baptized

To get baptized, the simplest path is to talk to a local church you trust, tell them you want to be baptized, and let them walk you through it. Baptism is the first public step of a new believer, a picture of dying and rising with Jesus. Christian traditions practise it differently, by immersion or by pouring, for adults or for infants, and a good church will explain their way.

What baptism is

Baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality: being washed and joined to Jesus in his death and resurrection. It is a joyful first step of obedience, not a hoop to jump through.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 2:38

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:4

The practical steps

Find a local church. One that teaches the Bible and that you can keep belonging to.
Tell a pastor or leader. Say you have come to trust Jesus and want to be baptized.
They will prepare you. Usually a short conversation about your faith and what baptism means.
Be baptized. With water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

Traditions differ on the details, immersion or pouring, and whether infants or only believers are baptized. That is a good question to ask the church you join. The heart of it is the same across them.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get baptized?: Talk to a local church you trust, tell a pastor or leader that you have come to trust Jesus and want to be baptized, and let them prepare and baptize you. Acts 2:38 links repentance, faith, and baptism at the start of the Christian life.
Do the different churches baptize the same way?: The core is shared, baptism with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), but the practice differs. Some immerse, some pour; some baptize infants, others only professing believers. Ask the church you join.
Do I need to understand everything before I am baptized?: No. A good church will explain what baptism means and answer your questions first. It is a step of faith and joy, not a test of knowledge.

One small step from here: Do I need to be baptized? →

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Take the next step with people, not alone

Following Jesus was never meant to be done by yourself. The most helpful thing you can do next is find a warm, local church family who will walk with you, answer your questions, and pray with you. And read his own words in the Gospel of John. There is no rush and nothing to prove.

Find a church near you Read the Gospel of John Ask for prayer

Jesus Christ is Lord.

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