Selsdon Baptist Church
A church at the heart of the community
Selsdon Baptist Church is a Registered Charity No. 1126971 Copyright Selsdon Baptist Church 2009
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Baptism
What is Baptism?
As a Baptist Church we follow one of the key principles of the early church, in the
believers believed, repented and were baptised. What this means is that following
their acceptance of Jesus as their Lord, and their turning to new ways of living,
the early Christians celebrated and proclaimed their new faith by means of baptism
-
.
At Selsdon Baptist we have a baptistry set into the stage, and tend to have a baptism services two or three times a year. The baptismal candidates usually give a short testimony, explaining how they came to the decision to be baptised.
Who can be baptised?
There are no set age limits on baptism, although those being baptised are expected to be old enough to have an understanding of the action they are taking. In practice, the youngest is usually early teens, and there is no upper age limit.
The key requirement is to be ready to publicly declare your faith in Jesus as Lord
and to publicly commit yourself to Him. People come to baptism by many routes -
Thinking about Baptism?
If you are interested in being baptised, speak to our minister, Mike Elcome, or our youth minister. They run an occasional series of sessions with a small group of people thinking through the meaning and reasons for baptism.
Some people have special needs, and we make special arrangements. In 2009, Jake, who has cerebral palsy was baptised. The service was simplified, and immersion was not possible. You can see details of Jake's baptism here.
Recent Baptisms
Details of recent baptisms at the church are included in the website on the Headlines
page. More pictures of particular occasions are included here:-
- Pascale Evans -
September 2009 - Jake Sharp and Alison Grestock -
June 2009 - Ignite Youth Service Baptisms March 2009
To give you an idea of what happens at baptism, here are a couple of short youtube videos of Pascale Evans' baptism in 2009. Firstly, her testimony, and then her actual baptism. Testimony can be as simple or complex as one prefers.
Children and Babies
As explained earlier, we do not baptise or 'christen' babies or small children. Parents, however, often want to commit themselves publicly to the christian upbringing of their children, and give thanks for the gift of their little ones.
More information can be found about Dedication services if you follow this link.
Practical guide
Follow the link to the ‘On the Day’ page for the practical guidance we give for those who are to be baptised. This also give you an idea of what actually happens.