Next Steps
What Baptism Symbolizes
Baptism is often described as an outward demonstration of an inward change. It symbolizes that a person has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that their old life has been put to death, and that they have been given new life in Christ. Baptism is the first step of obedience for a believer and a meaningful way to publicly express faith in Jesus.
The Method of Baptism
Baptism is a picture of a believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. The word baptize in the New Testament means “to immerse,” “to submerge,” or “to place under.” Scripture tells us that Jesus “came up out of the water” when He was baptized.
At Edgewood, we practice baptism by immersion because we believe Scripture shows this as the example Christ modeled for us. Immersion clearly reflects the biblical picture of dying to the old life and being raised to new life in Him.
Is Baptism Required for Church Membership?
At Edgewood, we ask that those who have not been baptized by immersion take this step as part of church membership. If you would like to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism, we invite you to speak with our pastor or one of our deacons. You may also respond during the invitation at the conclusion of a worship service.
An Invitation
If you have questions about baptism, are considering taking this step of faith, or would simply like to talk more about what baptism means, we would be honored to walk with you. Please feel free to reach out to the church office or speak with one of our pastors.
We would love for you to join the Edgewood family! There are three easy steps to becoming a member.
You may let us know of your desire to join in a couple different ways. You may contact the pastor to let him know of your decision, or you may respond during the ministry time at the end of one of our worship services. When you come forward, the pastor will greet you and introduce you to one of our deacons who will talk to you one-on-one about your decision. This usually takes only a few minutes. At this point, you will become a candidate for membership.
There are several ways you may choose to begin the membership process:
- By accepting Christ as your Savior (To find out how to do this, click here.)
- By being baptized by immersion (For details on baptism, click here.)
- By requesting a transfer of your membership letter from a church with a similar belief system
- By a statement of faith in Christ as your Savior (stating that you have previously accepted Christ as your Savior and been baptized by immersion)
If you have children in our nursery or children’s programs, a teacher or volunteer will stay with them until you pick them up.
We believe baptism is the first act of obedience after receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you have never been baptized (by immersion) as a believer, you will need to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.
All adult candidates for membership are encouraged to complete Church Membership 101. In this class, Pastor Tucker will explain what it means to be a member of Edgewood, including the privileges and responsibilities of membership. To find out about upcoming Church Membership 101 classes, contact tucker@ebcdurham.com.