To bring people to Jesus Christ
and ADOPTION into His family, Lead them into a Christ-like LIFESTYLE,
Equip them for their
INVOLVEMENT in the ministry of the church,
Challenge them to have a VISION for the World, and To EXALT Almighty
God.
Emmanuel is ALIVE.
Understand that we at Emmanuel desire to honor Jesus Christ, that we are under the authority of the Scriptures, and that we are dependent upon the controlling power of the Holy Spirit, the vision of Emmanuel incorporates these 10 core values:
Because you want to
follow Christ's example:
"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized
by John in the Jordan river."
Because Christ Commanded
it:
Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy
Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
- Matthew 28:19,20
Because it shows you are
a believer:
"...many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were
baptized" - Acts 18:8
Because obeying Christ's
Command shows you know him:
"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey his commands."
- 1 John 2:3
It is a symbol of
Christ's burial and resurrection and of our spiritual baptism - our
identifying with Christ in our salvation:
"Christ died for our sins...he was buried...and he was raised on the
third day." - 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
"...having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him
through your faith in the power of God, who raised him
from the dead."
- Colossians 2:12
It is a symbol of your
new life as a Christian:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old
has gone, the new has come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in
order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the
glory of
the Father, we too may live a new life." - Romans 6:4
Baptism doesn't make you
a believer. It shows that you are already one! Nor does baptism
"save" you. Only your faith in Christ
does that. Baptism is like a
wedding ring -- it is the outward symbol of the commitment you have
already made in your heart:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...it is the
gift of God, not by words, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians
2:8,9
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you
and your household." - Acts 16:31
In the same way Jesus
was baptized - by being immersed in water:
"As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water." -
Matthew 3:16
Every baptism in the
Bible was by immersion under water:
"...Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and
Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water..."
- Acts
8:38,39
The word "baptize" from the Greek word "baptizo", means "to dip" or "to immerse" under water.
Immersion is the best
way to picture a burial and resurrection:
As the person being baptized goes under water, he is identifying himself
with the death and burial of Christ. As he comes up
out of the water ,
he is identifying himself with the resurrection of Christ.
Christian leaders in
history agree:
"I would have those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed,
as the word imports and the mystery signifies." - Martin Luther
"The word 'baptize' signifies to immerse. It is certain the
immersion was the practice of the ancient church." - John Calvin
"Buried with Him, alluding to baptizing by immersion according to
the custom of the first church." - John Wesley
Every person who has
believed in Christ:
"Those who accepted his message were baptized." - Acts 2:41
"But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they
were baptized, both
men and women." - Acts 8:12
The one requirement for
baptism is belief in Christ! We do not baptize children until
they are old enough to understand
and believe:
Then Philip began with the Scripture and told him the good news
about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came
to some water
and the eunuch said, "Look , here is water! Why shouldn't I be
baptized?"... Then both Philip and the eunuch
went down into the water
and Philip baptized him. - Acts 8:35-38
Our church recommends
that you be baptized again if you have not been baptized by immersion
since you became a believer.
It does not devaluate a prior
experience but simply reflects your desire to be baptized in the same
way Jesus was baptized.
Yes! If each
family member fully understands the meaning of baptism, and each one has
personally placed his/her trust in
Christ for salvation, we encourage
families to be baptized at the same time. It is a wonderful expression
of commitment.
We ask each person being
baptized to share briefly when and how they came to put their trust in
Christ. In short, tell your own
story of salvation in such a
way that anyone in the congregation could understand how to become a
Christian:
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
- Romans 10:9
Yes
As soon as you have
believed! You shouldn't delay:
"Those who accepted his message were baptized...that day!"
- Acts 2:41
Check our
Church Calendar (from the Home Page) for the schedule of Baptismal Services. For more
information, contact
the church office at (814) 266-4117.
Child dedication ceremonies are held Saturday and Sundays throughout the year. These ceremonies are held for parents to publicly profess their desire to raise their children in accordance with the principles outlined in the Bible. To check the availability of a particular month, contact the church office at (814) 266-4117 or e-mail: church@emmanuelbaptist.net.
As resource for further study about Christianity we provide the following links:
Campus Crusade
for Christ - Who is Jesus?
An excellent page describing the nature
of Christ
NavPress -
Current Thoughts & Trends
Concise, timely, thorough summaries from
today's media with a Biblical perspective
Christian
Research Institute
Equipping the Christian for today, The
Bible Answer Man etc.
Reasons to Believe
Whether you are looking for scientific
support for your faith or answers to questions about God and science,
Reasons To Believe exists for you.
The
Kristo.com
(EWT) - Excellent Witnessing Tool!