baptism
ready to get baptized
we are excited to partner with you
as you takE this step
in baptism we identify with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection and publicly declare our intention to follow Him.
Six Common Questions About Baptism
- Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a public declaration of how Jesus is changing your life.
- Being baptized shows that you’ve decided to follow Jesus as your leader and forgiver, and allows others to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34).
- Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection in your life just as Jesus was that first Easter.
- The power that brought Jesus back to life is the same power Jesus uses to change our lives – and that’s worth getting excited about!
- Jesus instructs us to be baptized and set the example by being baptized (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9).
- Obedience to Jesus shows we believe in and follow Him (1 John 2:3).
- Because Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him.
- Being baptized shows that we turn away from a life of sin toward Jesus, the only one who can change us (Acts 2:38-41).
- It also seems that God does something unique in us during our baptism. It marks us spiritually in a profound way.
- For everyone who decides to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step.
- Anyone who commits his or her life to following Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12).
- We believe baptism is a personal choice that happens upon someone’s confession of faith and they need to be old enough to make that decision themselves. We do offer Child Dedications – an opportunity for the child’s family to make a commitment to raise this child in a godly home. For information about Child Dedications, please go to: eastside.com/dedication/. As parents, we can help point our children to Jesus, but they are the ones to decide if they will commit their lives to Him (Romans 10:9).
- We have a mandatory baptism class for 5th graders and their parent or guardian must attend. This class can aid you in helping your child make the most important decision of their life. Please visit eastside.com/kids for more information and to register.
- Baptisms in the Bible were by immersion.
- The original word for baptism most often referred to being immersed or submerged in water.
- Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and rising out of it (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10).
- Submersion in the water symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
- Being submerged under water represents our death to sin and old way of life, and being raised out of the water is a picture of how Jesus raised us and gave us a fresh start in life (Romans 6:3-5).
- If you haven’t been baptized by immersion since you decided to follow Jesus, we want to help you take your next step in doing so. Once you’ve taken that step though, there’s no need to be baptized again. The work God does in baptism sticks.
- Even if you fell away from God for a while, the fact that you’re back is a testament to the work that God did in your life and in your baptism.
why i chose to get baptized today
"During the quarantine my parents found Eastside online, and we started watching the services. At the end of one of the services they were talking about saying "yes" to God. In that moment I thought, "I want to get baptized." I'd also started attending the Jr. High (services) online, and so I asked Montana (Eastside's Junior High Associate) to baptize me in a backyard pool. JHM makes you feel so welcome, and we have a chance to talk about what living for God looks like. It's a place where our small group talks about real life situations like anxiety, friendships and peer pressure."
Stella
"After 70 years of being a Christian, I was moved to make the decision today. I know my parents were doing their best - when they had us baptized as infants, however this was something I needed to do for myself. I did this because I now understand that baptism by submersion is a public declaration of our faith and something we do when we are old enough to make the decision for ourselves."
Peter
"I started coming to Eastside because a family member invited me and I stayed because my son loved Kidside, I connected with Next Steps and I just felt so accepted there. This summer was rough because I had a pulmonary embolism and had to have major abdominal surgery. When I woke up after surgery and was told I might need a ventilator from the intubation, it was a really scary time. During this period, I realized how much prayer helped me to stay calm, and I realized how grateful I am and I wanted to take that next step and get baptized."
Stephanie
"Everything changed, when a friend invited us to Christmas at Eastside in 2017. From then on, we knew we found what we had been missing....Jesus. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and it has been so amazing to have a personal relationship with God. My wife Jeannette, and I volunteer on the Parking Team and we have made so many friendships while serving! I took a huge step in faith and decided to get baptized in July 2020 in a backyard pool. I now look forward to coming to church, because it has absolutely changed our lives and we give God all the glory!"
Carlos
"I hadn't been attending church in a really long time but three years ago a friend invited me to the Christmas service. Gene's message and the worship time felt like it was speaking directly to me. I could literally feel the presence of the LORD in the room. To this day, I still remember how broken I felt when I first started attending church again. I had a health scare in 2020, but the pandemic really put things in perspective. I wanted a fresh start in 2021, and I felt I was ready to give my life to Him. The LORD has become my anchor and I now feel whole."
Cindy
"In January 2020, Eastside started a series called, "Anxious For Nothing" and after church they gave out Anxious For Nothing wrist bands. I had just quit vaping and smoking weed, so this physical reminder was exactly what I needed! I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart. and now for the first time, I truly feel like I have a personal relationship with God. During the summer Gene was reminding us church isn't a place and baptisms can happen anywhere. I figured I’d ask if Matt & Rachel were down to go to the beach to baptize me. Coming back into my faith has been a wild ride and I'm so grateful to Eastside."
Charles