God loves us deeply and baptism is a symbolic way for us to say that we understand how much God loves us. Baptism is our way of showing God and the world that we want to follow Jesus and love God and love others with our whole hearts, minds, souls, and bodies. When we are baptized, it is a decision that the whole community of faith celebrates; that's why we get baptized in front of the congregation during worship.
Open Baptism
At Calvary, we believe that baptism is a spiritual practice regardless of how old you were when it took place or if it was expressed in a different tradition than a Baptist church. We do not believe baptism needs to take place more than once in a person's life. If you were baptized as a child or in a different tradition and wish to be re-baptized you can contact Pastor Anne to explore what baptism at Calvary could look like, but we will reiterate that we believe your baptism is a valid expression of faith and your previous faith community's support of your discipleship.
Exploration of Baptism
If you are interested in exploring baptism in your discipleship journey and are over the age of 18, please contact Pastor Anne to schedule time to discuss this important expression of faith. Pastor Anne will meet with you to go over basic principles of faith, what it means to be Baptist, and any other aspect of faith you would like to explore.
If you are between the grades of 6th and 12th grades you are invited to participate in the yearly Pastor's Class. This class explores basic principles of faith, Baptist beliefs, and exploration of faith statements. The class is typically offered during February and March each year. Pastor Morgan leads this class.
We understand that the desire for baptism comes at different times for different people. If you are younger than 6th grade, please know you can contact Pastor Anne or Pastor Morgan to explore this expression of faith when you feel it is right for you.