What is “BBQ &
Baptisms”? At Eagle Pointe we try to make this joyous
occasion the celebration that it should be for everyone.
When one person puts their faith in Jesus Christ and follows
His example in baptism all of Heaven is celebrating, and we
believe the church should be celebrating as well. So, we
make our baptisms one big party! The whole church comes out
at
10:00AM sharp to cheer and
celebrate those being baptized. After that we fire up the
grills and have a big cookout. Everyone brings a side dish
and/or dessert to contribute the meal. (At Eagle Pointe we
are incapable of having a function that does not involve
lots of food ;-) In addition to the cookout, we play on the
beach, swim, go tubing, play volleyball, horseshoes, etc…
and relax and have fun. This is also a great opportunity to
get to know a bunch of people in our church family.
"Christ died for our sins… He
was buried… and He rose again." --I Corinthians 15:3-4
"For when you were baptized,
you were buried with Christ, and in baptism you were also raised with Christ."
--Colossians. 2:12
It illustrates my new life as
a Christian.
"When someone becomes a
Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. The old life has passed away and a
new life has begun!" --2 Corinthians. 5:17
"By our baptism then, we were
buried with Him and shared His death, in order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead… so also we may live a new life!" --Romans 6:4
Baptism doesn´t make you a
believer - it shows that you already believe. Baptism does
not "save" you, only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism
is like a wedding ring - it´s the outward symbol of the
commitment you make in your heart.
"For it is by grace you have
been saved, through faith… it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no
one can boast." --Ephesians 2:8,9
"As soon as Jesus was
baptized, He went up out of the water."
--Matthew 3:16
Every baptism in the Bible
was by immersion.
(Example) "...then both
Philip and the man went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came
up out of the water..." --Acts 8:38-39
The word Baptize means "To
dip under water". The Greek work baptize means "to
immerse or dip under water". It best symbolized a burial and
resurrection!
The founders of denominations
agree:
Martin Luther… "I would have
those who are to be baptized to be entirely immersed, as the
work imports and the mystery signifies."
John Calvin… "The word ´baptize´
signifies to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the
practice of the ancient church."
John Wesley… "Buried with Him,
alludes to baptizing by immersion according to the custom of
the first church."
Every person who believes and
has begun a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
"Those who believe and
accepted His message were baptized..." --Acts 2:41
"Simon himself believed and
was baptized..." --Acts 8:13
"But when they believed
Philip as he preached the Good News… and the name of Jesus Christ, they were
baptized, both men and women." --Acts 8:12
At Eagle Pointe, we wait
until our children are old enough to believe and understand
the true meaning of baptism before we baptize them.
Some churches practice a
"baptism of confirmation" for children. This ceremony is
intended to be a covenant between the parents and God on the
behalf of the child. This custom began about 300 years after
the Bible was completed. Instead of baptizing infants or
very young children at Eagle Pointe we hold Baby/Child
dedications where the parents and their children stand
before God and our church family.
The parents promise to raise their child in the faith
until the child is old enough to make his own personal
confession of Christ. Our church family also commits to do
everything they can to help these parents raise their
children in a way that honors God.
This is different from the
baptism talked about in the Bible which was only for those
old enough to believe. The purpose is to publicly confess
your personal commitment to Christ.
"Those who believe...were
baptized...that day!" --Acts 2:41
"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 man said, ´Look, here is water! Why
shouldn´t I be baptized right now?´ Philip said, ´If you believe with
all your heart, you may.´ The man answered, ´I believe that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God.´ So they went down into the water and Philip baptized him."
--Acts 8:35-38
There is no reason to delay.
As soon as you have decided to receive Christ into your
life, you can and should be baptized. If you wait until you
are "perfect", you´ll never feel "good enough"!
Yes! If each person
understands fully 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.
However, it is important to
remember that baptism is a personal statement of faith, not
a family or group tradition. It is usually not wise to delay
your baptism while waiting on others to join you. This puts
an undue pressure on them, and delays your obedience.
Women should wear shorts and
a top or a swimsuit. Men may wear shorts, t-shirts or a
swimsuit. Bring a change of clothes, a towel, and a plastic
bag for your wet clothes.
At the beginning of the
service, Pastor Howard will briefly explain the meaning of
baptism. You will wait in the water for your turn to be
baptized. The Pastor will introduce you, ask you – “if you
have committed your life to Christ and have decided to
follow Him?” All you have to say is, “Yes I have!” The
Pastor will then briefly lower you just under the water, and
then you can leave the water, dry off, and watch the others.
Later you will receive your baptism certificate. We
encourage you to invite all your relatives and friends to
attend your baptism.
