What is the Lake Avenue Church Position on Baptism?

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all the nations and to baptize them. Because Lake Avenue Church (LAC) is committed to the authority of the Scriptures, we adhere to that biblical mandate. LAC follows this practice of the historical Christian church, where Christians for the last 2,000 years have believed baptism to be an act of obedient identification with Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What is the Meaning of Baptism?

It is important to understand that baptism does not make you a believer, neither does it “save” you! Only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is simply an outward sign of a personal confession of an individual’s repentance of sins and faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Some biblical illustrations:

• Of Christ’s burial and resurrection - "By our baptism then, we were buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was raisedfrom the dead so also we may live a new life!" - Romans 6:4
• Of your new life as a Christian - "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 2:9

How does Lake Avenue Church Baptize People?

LAC uses the public immersion or "believer’s baptism" method. We currently perform baptisms during worship services in the Worship Center, the Warehouse and in the Chapel.

The biblical basis for baptism by immersion refers to the word used for baptism in Matthew 3:16, Matthew 28:19, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12 and Acts 2:38. There, the Greek word baptizo means “to immerse or dip under water.” It best symbolizes a burial and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Some biblical illustrations:

Jesus was baptized this way - "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water" - Matthew 3:16.

Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion - "...then both Philip and the man went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water..." - Acts 8:38 - Acts 8:39

Some churches and denominations practice baptism either through "sprinkling' or "pouring". Lake Avenue Church also recognizes those methods as being part of the historical tradition of the Christian church.

Who Should be Baptized?

Every person who believes in Christ. The Bible teaches that baptism follows conversion and is associated with believing in Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is essential that you be a believer in Christ to be eligible for baptism. This is why the term "believer's baptism" was initiated. Some biblical illustrations: "Those who believe and accepted His message were baptized." - Acts 2:41

When Should I be Baptized?

Why wait? As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your life, you can and should be baptized.

What About Baptizing Children?

At LAC, we wait to baptize our children until they are old enough to believe and understand the true meaning of the experience. We encourage our children beginning at six years of age to consider being baptized as a step of obedience after they have received Christ into their lives. They receive instruction on its meaning and then are usually baptized either with or by their parents.

While recognizing the right for other churches to practice infant baptism if it conforms to their theologies, LAC understands Scripture to teach that only professing believers qualify for baptism. In the Bible, we find parents bringing their children to Jesus. He held them and prayed for them and told us to welcome them, but He did not baptize them and did not tell anyone else to baptize them.

If you were baptized as an infant, it was the intent and hope of your parents that you would one day be a follower of Christ. Your decision to be baptized as an adult can be viewed as the fulfillment of your parents’ wishes and in no way rejects the baptism you received as an infant.

If you were baptized as an infant in a church where this form of baptism was the only one practiced, IT IS NOT REQUIRED that you be baptized again in order to become a member of LAC. The primary issue is whether you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not the method of baptism.

What About Parent-Child Dedication?

We practice "baby dedications", a.k.a. parent-child dedications, on a regular basis in our worship venues. This ceremony is intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on behalf of the child. Parents promise to raise their child in the faith until the child is old enough to make his or her own personal confession of Christ. This custom began about 300 years after the Bible was completed and is different from the baptism talked about in the Bible, which was only for those old enough to believe.

We see dedication as a lifestyle rather than as an event. It’s a covenant between parents, God, and the church body on the behalf of their child/children!

We all have different stories that have led us to the desire to have our children dedicated, but I believe we all can agree on the desire for our children to know the Lord. In these verses in Deuteronomy we talk about hearing, loving, and impressing/teaching our families about the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 states: “These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

How is Baptism Performed at Lake Avenue Church and By Whom?

LAC strongly believes in the biblical principle of "...the priesthood of all believers..." and therefore does not require that an ordained pastor be the one to baptize believers. In fact, anyone who is a Christian and in good standing with the church is invited to do the actual baptism. That means parents may baptize their children, and friends may baptize their friends. Entire families can even be baptized together, as long as each family member understands the full meaning of baptism and is a Christian.

I'm Ready. What Do I Need to Do?

Anyone wishing to be baptized at Lake Avenue Church can connect with either a member of the congregation or any LAC pastor. Either one will refer you to the Membership Office, where you can fill out an Application for Baptism and sign up for the next Baptism Orientation Meeting.

When Can I Be Baptized?

Baptisms are performed at regular times throughout the year. To find out the next date for baptism in the LAC Worship Center, please contact one of the pastoral staff below.