Baptism Application

We’re thankful for your interest in being baptized. Baptism is a joyful step of obedience and a testimony of God’s grace at work in your life.

As you complete this application, please answer the questions as best as you can. This is not a pass-or-fail exam. The purpose is simply to help us understand your story, your understanding of the gospel, and how we can best encourage and walk with you. If you’re unsure how to answer a question, that’s okay—just let us know.

If you have any questions about baptism, we would be glad to walk through Scripture with you and help you grow in clarity and confidence in Christ.

Basic Information and Background

Date

Your Understanding of Baptism

Jesus commands baptism in Matthew 28:19 for every Christian, as a public demonstration of our identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is therefore an important first step of obedience for the believer.

At Desert Hills, we believe that baptism is by immersion (Mark 1:5; John 3:23) and is reserved for those who are born again—those who have placed their trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Testimony of God's Grace

Everyone has a different story about how they came to Christ. Not everyone has a dramatic experience. This is not a time to discuss the sins of your past but rather to focus on the new life you have in Christ. Since baptism is a public confession of faith, we expect every person being baptized to verbally tell those witnessing that their faith is in Christ alone for salvation and that they have repented of their sin and are being baptized out of obedience to Christ.

How was your sin shown throughout your attitudes, behavior, etc?

Baptism is a public profession of your faith in Christ. It symbolizes dying to your old life and living in new life through Christ. Although everyone getting baptized is a sinner, life in Christ should be seen in our daily life.

What to Expect Next

Within a few days of submitting your application, a member of our administrative team will reach out to you to schedule a meeting with an elder. This meeting typically lasts about 30 minutes.

During the meeting, the elder will walk through your application with you, listen to your testimony, and answer any questions you may have. Next steps will be discussed during that meeting.

Our second service is always live-streamed and recorded, including baptisms and testimonies. If you have a personal or safety concern about being recorded, please let us know ahead of time. We are happy to talk with you and will do our best to accommodate your situation.

We will do our best to honor your request.

Pastor Jason will help you if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for filling out this application and wanting to follow the Lord's command to be baptized. 

Date