Church Membership

The Bible teaches that local churches are comprised of baptized believers of the Lord Jesus who voluntarily assemble and cooperate for mutual spiritual benefit and the glory of God. We call those who voluntarily assemble and cooperate “church members.” CBC accepts new members by baptism, transfer of membership from other Southern Baptist Churches, and by statement of faith in Christ.

If you’re new to our area, we’d love to help you find a place at CBC.

Baptism

Jesus’ last instruction to His disciples on earth was to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19-20). We believe baptism is, then, an important public statement of a person’s decision to live for Jesus. Far from being a meaningless ritual, baptism is symbolic of a believer’s identification and participation with Christ and publicly demonstrates the spiritual reality that they have being raised from death to life (Rom 6:3–5).

How do i know if my child is ready to be baptized?

That’s a question that you, their parent, are best prepared to answer. Because we believe baptism symbolizes a believer’s participation in the resurrection life of Jesus, baptism should not be rushed into lightly. Here are signs your child is nearing the point where baptism would be appropriate:

  • Your child has expressed faith in Christ, including the acceptance of the truth that He has saved them from their sins.

  • Your child is “bearing the fruit” of the Christian life. Though they aren’t perfect, you see evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in them to create a trajectory of obedience, respectfulness, attention to God, and genuine sorrow when they do sin.

  • Your child is taking ownership of their faith by initiating conversations about God, participating more frequently in church, growing in their understanding of Scripture—even when friends aren’t around and you don’t prompt them.

  • They have expressed a desire to be baptized.

If you believe your child is ready to be baptized or you’d like help discerning if now is the right time, we’d love to help you!