Baptism is each Christian’s public announcement of their experience of coming to faith in Jesus Christ. More specifically, baptism is a picture of what happened in your life at the time of your conversion – you died to your old way of life apart from God and you came alive as a new person in Christ through the Holy Spirit’s presence in you (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Baptism is also a symbol of your identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. From the New Testament, it is clear that baptism is an important step for every believer.

Baptism is always a new believer’s first step of obedience after salvation. Baptism is a public proclamation of one’s faith in Jesus Christ and should always follow faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Baptism by immersion symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism by immersion also symbolizes a person’s dying to their old self and the beginning of their new life in Jesus Christ. At NorthStar, it is a membership requirement that every member should be baptized AFTER they have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior even though many of them may have been “confirmed” as children or “christened” as infants. This was the same step of obedience taken by members of churches in the New Testament. If you have already been baptized by another church AFTER trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, it is not necessary to be baptized again to join NorthStar Church. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:41, Acts 8:38-39, Acts 10:43-47, Romans 6:3-5, Colossians 2:12)