WATER BAPTISMS

WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Baptism is the public celebration announcing your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

WHAT IT’S NOT
Baptism does not save you: this means that it doesn’t purchase your way to heaven, assure you a personal relationship with Jesus, and does not wash away your sins. Baptism is in obedience to Christ and does not automatically make you a member of any denomination.

WHY DO IT?
Because Jesus did it. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17

Because Jesus commands you to do it in obedience. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matthew 28:18-20

HOW TO DO IT
Followers of Jesus in the Bible were plunged into water. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. Acts 8:35-38

The original word in the Bible for Baptized is “Baptizo” and its specific meaning is “to immerse in a body of water.”

Being plunged into water is symbolic in two ways:
It symbolizes Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection
It symbolizes your death to sin and your new life in Jesus
D on’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 glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:3-4

ARE YOU READY TO BE BAPTIZED? 

Our next Beach Water Baptism will take place on Saturday, April 18th at 10am at Bill Baggs State Park in Key Biscayne. Please click here to register.

All candidates must take an orientation class prior to baptism.  Details on the class will be emailed to you once your registration is complete.

BABY DEDICATIONS

Why ‘Dedicated’ And Not Baptized?

Children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3 proclaims that “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.” As believers, we are called to recognize that children belong first and foremost to God. God in His goodness gives children as gifts to parents. They not only have the awesome responsibility of caring for these gifts, but they also have the wonderful privilege of enjoying them. Because children belong to God and are given by grace as gifts to parents, it is only proper and appropriate that children be dedicated back to Him.

The Bible calls for every person who has believed in Christ to be baptized. “…those who believed and accepted his message were baptized” ( Acts 2:41). “But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). “Simon himself believed and was baptized…” (Acts 8:13). The one requirement for baptism is belief in Christ. Therefore, we do not baptize children until they are old enough to understand and believe. Until that time, we dedicate these wonderful gifts back to the Lord.

What are the qualifications of a child being dedicated at Metro Life?

In order for your child to be dedicated you must be the parent of the child and a contributing member in good standing who regularly attends our services. If you are not a member, you can become one by going through Champ Life. Parents must also attend a 30 minute orientation prior to the dedication.

To register your child for our next dedication please send an email to our main offices at info@metrolifechurch.com.

WEDDINGS

A wedding at Metro Life Church is intended to be an act of worship, a religious covenant whereby the union of a couple is affirmed within the context of the covenantal relationship with God. When a man and woman express their desire for their marriage to be solemnized by a ‘church wedding’, the church immediately becomes a party to the wedding and a participant in the formulation of plans affecting the wedding. Below is our policy for church weddings at Metro Life Church.

Availability
Weddings at Metro Life Church (MLC), its sanctuaries or facilities, in any of its campuses will be only for active and contributing church members in good standing. Weddings are not permitted or performed for non-members. This active and contributing membership must be displayed for a period of at least six months prior to applying for a wedding date to be posted on the Church Calendar.

Pastoral Participation
It is not mandatory that an MLC pastor performs the ceremony, however no wedding will be held at the church without involvement of a member of the pastoral staff. Any non- MLC Pastor wishing to perform the ceremony must have the approval of the Metro Life Church Pastoral staff. Pastoral participation in wedding ceremonies is a ministry, not a mandatory obligation. In order for us to adhere to the tenets and beliefs of our faith all weddings will be strictly Christian in nature.

Weddings meeting the above requirements are still subject to the conditions stated below.

The Pastoral Team involved with the premarital class, the ceremony, and/or any other aspect of the actual wedding, reserve the right to make decisions based upon each case regarding, but not limited to:

• The ability to perform the wedding at all.
• The ability to actually have the wedding in our Sanctuary or facilities.
• Any other aspect of the wedding that reflects on the overall Christian witness of the marriage, consistent biblical teachings and the overall testimony of Metro Life Church regarding marriage, home and family.
• The commitment displayed by both the Bride and Groom to Christ.
• Completion of Pre-Marital Classes with the Pastoral Team.

We at Metro Life Church want your wedding to be a beautiful and memorable occasion. The following information was given to help you plan for this important event.

Please call our church offices at (305) 274-3400.