Baptism is a public act of witness, so all baptisms take place during our morning worship service.
After you present yourself as a candidate for baptism, the pastor will help you schedule your baptism for a Sunday when family members and friends can be present.
A few days prior to your baptism, the pastor will meet with you to discuss both the meaning and the mechanics of baptism. You'll get a chance to tour the baptistry, and you'll be fitted for a baptismal robe.
The day of your baptism, the restrooms across the hall from the baptistry entrance will be closed to the public, and used as a dressing room for the baptismal candidates. We ask that you bring a dark pair of long pants, and a white shirt, to wear under your robe. You won't need shoes in the baptistry.
Prior to worship, you'll change clothes in the dressing room, and proceed across the hallway and up the stairs to the baptistry. The worship service will begin, and following the opening hymn, the pastor will enter the water and address the congregation, reading a passage of Scripture and sharing a baptismal devotion.
After the devotion, the pastor will invite you to join him in the water. He will ask, "Upon what profession of faith do you come to be baptized?"
Your response will be: "Jesus is Lord." It's an ancient baptismal profession of faith, reflected in Romans 10:9.
Then the pastor will say: "Very well, upon this your profession of faith, I baptize you my brother (or sister) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Then, he will lower you completely under the water, and, a moment later, raise you up out of the water.
Following the baptism, you'll return to the dressing room, dry off, change back into your "church" clothes, and go into the sanctuary for the remainder of the worship service.
At the conclusion of the service, during the invitation hymn, you'll sign the public copy of the church covenant.