BAPTISM

Baptism is going public about your faith in Jesus and communicating to the world your commitment to following Him. It's the next step after salvation.

We practice and teach that baptism is an external expression of an internal change that has occurred for those who put their faith in Jesus. Baptism serves as a symbol of our death with Jesus (submersion into water) and our being raised to new life with Christ (rising out of the water). Baptism does not save us. Our salvation comes through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins."
 - Colossians 2:12-13

If you’re interested in being baptized,


+ Please read through all the info on this page then sign-up!

+ We celebrate baptisms during our Sunday services and at our special Celebration Sundays held throughout the year.

sign me up!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why get baptized?

Do you baptize children?

Jesus instructs us to be baptized and set the example by being baptized (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9). Obedience to Jesus shows we believe and follow Him. (1 John 2:3). Because Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him. Being baptized shows that we turn away from a life of sin toward Jesus, the only one who can change us (Acts 2:38-41). Being baptized shows others that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and invites others to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34).

Instead of infant baptism, we invite families to be part of Child Dedications. We embrace the tradition of child dedication directly from Hannah’s (the Prophet Samuel’s mother) decision to dedicate her son back to God.
As parents, we can help point our children to Jesus, but they are the ones to decide if they will commit their lives to Him (Romans 10:9).
Any instance of baptism follows a person’s decision to trust Jesus for his or her salvation and commitment to follow Him (Acts 10:47-48). At Austin Oaks Church, we wait until children are old enough to express their own decision to follow Jesus and understand the meaning of baptism.

Sign-up for our next Children's Dedication here!

I was baptized as a baby / child. Can I be baptized again?

What if I'm out of town or can't make it to the next baptism service?

Yes! We have many people in our church who were baptized before they fully understood the choice they were making, and who elect to be baptized now, as a sign of their commitment to following Christ. Being baptized as an adult does not minimize the decision made by your loved ones when you were small, but instead marks your desire to publicly proclaim your faith as an adult.

If you’re out of town or do not want to wait, we completely understand. We believe that anyone who believes that Jesus is the son of God and the one way to Heaven can baptize you. You can have a friend or family member who follows Jesus, water baptize you at any time at any place - whether it be in a friend’s pool, a bathtub, a lake, etc.

I have circumstances that make baptism challenging for me (i.e. a disability, an injury, or other factor). Am I still able to get baptized?

Who will baptize me?

Yes! We will work with you to make baptism a great experience. We can help transfer persons from their wheelchair to the baptismal, provided people with extra time to get into the water due to an injury, and can sprinkle individuals with water if getting into the baptismal is simply not an option. When you complete your baptism registration, simply tell us your situation and we will make note of it for the baptism weekend!

We will have a pastor or church leader ready to baptize you. If you have someone who is close to you that you would like to be baptized by (a friend, parent, Small Group leader, mentor, etc.) that is wonderful too! This individual simply accompanies you to the tub on the day of baptism, and stands on the outside of the tub right next to you. If you sign-up ahead of time, there will be a section where you can let us know if you have someone in mind.