Baptisms at Redemption Tucson

Have you recently become a Christian?

Have you been a Christian for a while but never been baptized? 

Now is the time. On Sunday October 25th we’ll be celebrating baptisms in our services and would love to include you!

The process is simple:

1. Read the article below.
2. Fill out the Baptism Request Form.
3. One of our leaders will contact you to explain how to prepare and celebrate how God is working in your life.

____________________"18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”-Matthew 28:18-20Some of the greatest moments in the life of our young church have come during the Baptism services we have held. We make a big deal on these days, singing and clapping loudly as people enter the water to be 'dunked'. Personally, getting to baptize my three older children last year was one of the greatest and most joy-filled (and tear-filled) moments of my life. Pastorally, every time I have been honored to be part of a person's baptism I am humbled, honored, and over-joyed. Baptism is an emotionally high moment for the individual and the church he or she is part of. But the question remains, "Why Baptism? What is it and why is it important?"

BAPTISM IS:

1. Obedience to Jesus: In His famous Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus charged His followers to baptize and make disciples. Consistently, throughout the New Testament the charge for people is to repent (turn from sin and to Jesus), believe (transfer trust from self to Christ), and be baptized.2. Identification with Jesus and His people: In the New Testament baptism is the clearest display of one's association with Christ and unification with Him through His life, death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 2:28-41 & Romans 6:1-4).3. A public display of affection & identity: Like wearing the jersey of your favorite sports team, though much more significant, baptism is saying that you affirm the person, work, and teachings of Jesus. For Christians around the world today and throughout history, baptism is a public display of faith and trust in Christ.4. For believers in Jesus: We believe baptism is something a person does out of obedience to Christ to express his or her personal decision to trust, know, and follow Jesus. Therefore, we do not believe that infant baptism is honoring the biblical model and exhortation for followers of Christ. While we think this is an important issue, it is in no way to be a divisive one. We love and partner with churches who believe differently, and we even allow people to become members Redemption Church if they hold to paedobaptist (infant baptism) view, as long as they have a biblically informed defense for their position and agree not to be divisive in light of our expressed convictions and teaching on baptism.5. Not necessary for salvation: Some churches and denominations hold to what we believe to be a clearly unbiblical teaching of 'salvific baptism': which teaches that a person must be baptized in order to be forgiven of sin and accepted by God into eternal life. Jesus’ interaction with the thief on the Cross in Luke 23:32-43 is the best example of faithful-repentance being the necessary means of salvation. However, everything written above should show that it is nothing less than disobedience for a person who is able to be baptized to choose not to. Jesus modeled it, commanded it, and expects it of those who follow Him.At Redemption Tucson we are honored and grateful every time we get to witness a person being baptized. Informed by the rich historical and biblical teaching of baptism, we joyfully celebrate this incredible event in the life of a person as part of his or her church.Again, Our next baptism service is Sunday October 25th. If you are a follower of Jesus who has never been baptized and would like to please fill out this Baptism Request Form. Also, if you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to contact us.