What does celebrating baptisms look like?
Mar 2 — Written by Esther Tom
As the semester continues, we’ve been reflecting on what a privilege it is to be part of God’s work. Hearing stories of lives changing as they surrendered their lives to Jesus or took steps of faith to follow him, it reminds us that this sort of transformation happens only because of Jesus. One special way we get to celebrate these stories is through baptism.
Most recently, in Fall 2025, we celebrated the baptisms of many of our friends, including student leaders and recent graduates. We heard each person’s testimony and the story of who they were before and after Christ. It was incredibly encouraging to hear how personal God is in reaching each person. They came from a wide range of backgrounds: some grew up in church, others came from atheist or Buddhist families, and some had little to no interest in religion at all. Beyond religious background, each person carried unique pasts and burdens. Regardless of all of it, God was faithful in each of their lives. What a privilege it is to play even a small role in their stories or simply to witness them!
While baptism services may look different each time, last fall we held a special Sunday service which included a message, and those being baptized shared their stories through pre-recorded testimony videos (which you can view here!). They were then baptized in the pool by Pastor Dan.
These services are especially meaningful because many friends and family members, including those who are not Christian, attend to celebrate. It’s a unique opportunity for them to hear powerful testimonies and, for some, to hear about God for the first time.
At Foundry, we define baptism, not as a requirement for salvation, but as a command to obey. Baptism is an important ceremony that Jesus instructed all Christians to do. Although not necessary for salvation, it demonstrates obedience to Jesus because you are publicly identifying with Jesus and showing other people that you have entered into a relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
The symbolism is highly significant as they go under the water and come up again; they are saying they are identifying with Jesus' death and resurrection. They’ve died to their old lives and now they are being raised to new life with Christ—the water signifying that Jesus has washed them clean from their sins. Baptism is a special chance for each of the candidates to publicly testify to how Jesus has made their lives new.
We praise God for all that he has and continues to do in each and every one of our lives. We invite you to join us next time! If you’d like to learn more about our church or about Christianity, join us at one of our events or fill out a connection form, and a mentor or student leader will reach out to you!
