Baptism is a personal decision to follow Jesus. If you were baptized as a baby, you may not have made that choice yourself—so we encourage you to take that step now as your own declaration of faith.

The answer is simple: because Jesus commanded us to! To understand more about baptism, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with Romans 6:1-4.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Baptism is a joyful occasion for you and those who will be celebrating with you. For some, it may be hard to share with family and friends, but know that God is with you in this. If you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, and are ready to be baptized, talk to a mentor, group leader, or pastor about it, who can lead you in the steps to baptism and pray with you.