Trailside | Baptism Interest

This is a form for all baptism candidates to fill out. Parents, if you are filling this form out for a family member, please be sure to read the full packet and let us know if you have any follow up questions.

Congratulations on pursuing Baptism at Trailside!

You are about to take one of the most important steps in your life and we here at Trailside Church rejoice and celebrate with you.

This packet will give you the details you need about the baptism process and will help you begin to prepare for this very significant step in your life. We have also provided a FAQ to answer some commonly asked questions about baptism. Parents, if you are filling this out for a child between the ages of 4-13, please read all information but bypass the first set of questions and answer our second set, titled "Baptism for my child."

The attached application for Baptism provides a way for us to become acquainted with you and your spiritual walk. Please complete the application and bring it with you on Sunday, or email your response to us directly.

We look forward to walking with you on this journey!

Answering your questions about Baptism at Trailside Church

1. What does the word “baptize” mean?
It means “to plunge or to immerse.” At Trailside, we baptize by immersion; that is, the entire body is immersed in water. We realize that other groups baptize by “pouring” or “sprinkling,” but we do not. Every church—including those who baptize other ways—will recognize baptism by immersion.

2. Who should be baptized?
While we understand that there are different positions on baptism depending upon the faith tradition from which one comes, we at Trailside believe in and perform what is called “believer’s baptism.” Believer’s baptism means that only those who are able to articulate an authentic profession of faith should be baptized. In other words, only those who have placed their faith in Christ and received him to be their Lord and Savior are to be baptized.
The reason for this is that baptism is a visual representation of the transforming power of the gospel. It is a visible, outward symbol of an inner spiritual reality; is an outward expression of one’s decision to publicly identify with Christ.

3. Why should a believer be baptized?
Because it is a commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ...” (Matthew 28:19, ESV). If a new Christian disobeys this simple command of Christ at the beginning of his Christian life, he is not likely to be obedient to His other commands.

4. What does baptism actually picture?
Since the believer is totally immersed in water, the action becomes a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. When our Lord Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, He said, “...for in this way it is fitting for us (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Christ’s baptism in water was a picture of His “baptism of suffering” on the cross where He died for our sins (Luke 12:50). Our baptism in water is a picture of inner spiritual experience: we have had the old life buried with Christ, and we are raised to live in resurrection power (Colossians 2:12–15).
In Romans 6:3–4, Paul says “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life.” In light of this passage, baptism is the perfect symbol of one’s conversion. As we go down into the water, we are identifying with Christ in His death and burial; as we come up out of the water, we are identifying with Christ in His resurrection and desire to walk in newness of life.

5. Does baptism have anything to do with salvation?
In the Book of Acts, no one was baptized in order to be saved, but all were baptized because they had been saved. 1 Peter 3:20–22 makes it clear that baptism does not save us by washing away our sins, for only the blood of Christ can do that. Obedience in baptism does save us from a guilty conscience, because we know we have obeyed Christ’s command.

6. Aren’t there verses in the Bible that connect baptism with salvation?
There are verses which state “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3) and “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

7. Do I have to be baptized to be a member, or can I be baptized even if I haven’t joined Trailside Church?
At Trailside, baptism is not a requirement for membership; nor is baptism limited to those who are members, although one must be a regular attendee in order to be baptized. We encourage baptism for all believers because it is the Lord’s command, and we want to be obedient to Christ.

8. I was baptized as an infant; do I need to be baptized again? Or what if I was baptized before I was saved?
Because infants are not able to enter into a relationship with Christ, their “baptism” is not a sign of spiritual rebirth. Similarly, those adults who are baptized before they are saved are not indicating a new life. Baptism takes on new meaning for the believer because he or she knows this was done in obedience to God’s command. We encourage those who were baptized as infants to follow in believer’s baptism as a testimony of their own personal faith in Christ. This is the way to maintain a good conscience before God.

9. How many times should a person be baptized?
As a confessing believer of Christ, only once. We meet at the Lord’s Supper repeatedly to remember His broken body and shed blood, but we are baptized only once, since we are saved only once. If a Christian gets out of fellowship with the Lord because of sin, he can confess his sins and be forgiven (1 John 1:5–10), but it is not necessary to be baptized again. Water baptism is a once-for-all-time public testimony of a believer’s identification with Christ in His in death, burial, and resurrection. It is not a religious ceremony that washes away our sins.

10. Can I have my infant baptized?
Trailside Church does not practice infant baptism, as we believe that only those who are able to articulate an authentic profession of faith—which infants are obviously unable to do— should be baptized. We do celebrate the birth of children into the church family through Child Dedication, which is also available at any of our celebration services. For more information on child dedication, please check out https://trailside.church/our-beliefs/baptism_and_dedication/

11. Can my older child be baptized?
We treat the baptism of children with special care. When a child makes the choice to follow Jesus, he or she has the opportunity to declare his/her commitment to Jesus through baptism. Children being baptized at Trailside must understand what baptism means and must be able to declare their intention to follow the way of Jesus. If a child expresses a desire to be baptized, we ask that the parents of the baptism candidate explain the process and purpose so that each child may articulate and understand what baptism is before being baptized. We also encourage each family to meet with a pastor or staff member at Trailside in order to help clarify where there is need.

If you have any further questions about baptism, we will be happy to answer them for you. Please feel free to email us at Sean@trailside.church at any time.

Instructions for Baptism at Trailside Church

1. Baptisms take place at any of our celebration services, typically held once a quarter.
2. Prior to each baptism service, each candidate should read through and understand this document in order to be baptized. Due to the nature of baptism and a desire to appropriately disciple new believers, Trailside Church does not typically celebrate spontaneous baptism.
3. Baptisms may take place at either the 9am or 10:45am gatherings, at the request of the candidate or the candidate's family/guardian.

What you need the morning of your baptism:
1. Come to church in your regular clothes.
2. Please plan to wear shorts and a colored t-shirt during baptism.
3. Also recommended to bring: A large bath towel, Necessary toiletries,
and any grooming utensils, etc. It is also recommended for candidates to bring shoes that are easy to slip on/off.

Application for Baptism at Trailside Church (13+)

IMPORTANT: Please fill out ALL QUESTIONS. A baptism application is not considered complete unless all questions are answered.

Application for Baptism at Trailside Church (12 and under)

For parents to fill out in conversation with their children.

Please note, only legal guardians of extended family members may request baptism. If you are not their legal guardian, please contact Pastor Sean after submitting this application.

Thank you for filling out this application!

Congratulations again for pursuing baptism at Trailside Church! You should expect to hear from one of our pastors within 1 business day to confirm the next steps and answer any questions you may have.
Parents/guardians, please note that one of our pastors may want to meet with you and your child before the baptism. This is normal and has no need for any concern. We are so excited and honored to help you take this next step!

A copy of your responses will be sent to your email address.