Christians are people who believe that the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, salvation occurs only when a person places his or her faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as the sufficient payment for his or her sin. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are ready to be baptized. Just like a bride and groom show others their love for one another by wearing wedding bands, your baptism is your opportunity to show others that you have accepted Christ and are now walking with Him. If you have any questions about how to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please contact us.

Baptism is a way of showing others that a person has entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It symbolizes what took place in his/her heart at the time of salvation:

• Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
• Sharing in His death and resurrection illustrated by going under the water (dead to our old life), then rising again (new life).
• Being symbolically washed clean, our sins being forgiven by His death on the cross.

Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act of obedience. While it is not necessary for salvation, it demonstrates submission to God. We immerse at Athens Church because we believe Scripture shows that Jesus modeled that for us as the way to publicly acknowledge our faith in Him.

In some denominations, infant christening represents a decision made by parents that they are dedicating their child to Christ. It’s a very important time for parents to commit to raise their children in accordance with the teachings of Scripture. It is important to remember that whether you were christened as a baby or your parents participated in a baby dedication, that doesn’t make you a Christian. Only a personal acceptance of Christ’s death on the cross for your sins can do that. While we recognize the right of other churches to practice infant christening, we understand Scripture to teach that only professing believers qualify for baptism.

The baptism process has been designed to be both simple and meaningful. From the registration form to the baptism meeting, each step has been carefully planned with you in mind:

    Step 1: Watch Andy Stanley’s “Going Public” message, located below.

    Step 2: Complete the baptism application. Once we receive your application we’ll contact you to     schedule a meeting time.

    Step 3: Meet with one of our staff baptism coaches, who will help you in preparing your story for     filming.

    Step 4: We will schedule your videotaping and baptism.

    Step 5: Get baptized! Baptisms take place during one of the Sunday morning services and     include a showing of your prerecorded video.