What is baptism?

Baptism marks the start of a new life in Jesus Christ and serves as a symbol of your relationship with Him. We believe that our faith should be personal, but not private. Baptism is a public representation of personal life change.

Baptism is our first step of obedience after making the decision to follow Jesus. Being fully immersed in water during baptism is a picture of your old self passing away and being raised to walk in newness of life with Christ.

Why Should I Be Baptized?

Baptism Unifies us with Christ. In Matthew 3:16, we learn about the time when Jesus Himself was baptized before He started His ministry on earth. If the Son of God pursued baptism, so should we. Later, Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19-20 He wants us to spread His message of good news. He told us to continue baptizing and being baptized!

Baptism is a Public Representation of Personal Life Change. Making the decision to become a follower of Christ is the best decision you’ll ever make. When you make a life-changing decision like this, you want to tell everyone about the new hope you’ve found in Jesus! You want to let people know you believe God is real. Our faith should be personal, but not private. Baptism is about going public with your faith.

Baptism is a Powerful Symbol of What Jesus Did for Us. When we’re baptized, we’re reminded of what Jesus did for us. When we go down into the water, we’re reminded of Jesus’ death on the cross and His payment for our sins. But when we come out of the water, we’re reminded that three days later, Jesus rose from the dead! 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that if we’re in Christ, we’re new creations. Baptism reminds us that the old is gone, and the new has come!

Getting baptized is important, but it does not save us. The grace of God through faith in Jesus is what saves you. Baptism is the first step of obedience after accepting the Holy Spirit. Getting baptized is all about telling the world about the change that’s already happened inside of you!

If you’ve decided to get baptized, we want to celebrate! Click the button below so we can walk with you as you walk with Jesus.

NEW MEMBER CLASS

We would love to get to know you more and allow you an opportunity to learn more about who we are and what we do because of what God has done for us. We have a New Members Class every month that is available for anyone and this is also our first step towards church membership.

myNLBC

Our church family is invited to join our online church member community. In myNLBC, you can engage our church by connecting with other members, leaders, ministries, and LifeGroups to help you grow in your faith.

We need people like you to help us reach our world like never before! With over 20 teams to be a part of, we have a place where you can use your gifts and passion to make a difference. Press the “LEARN MORE” button below to take your first step!

THIRD THURSDAY MISSION

This summer, our church has the opportunity to partner with the City of Benton to reach our neighbors at the Third Thursday Benton Street Festival. We will praying with people, providing a Kids Zone with inflatables, popcorn, and snow cones, and also inviting others to our church. To volunteer, stop by any of our Welcome Centers or volunteer by clicking the button below.

OUTSIDE THE WALLS

Every Monday night at 6:00 p.m., OTWM host a service and serve a meal at the Helping Hands ministry center near downtown Benton. It’s life changing! If you would like to serve and get involved in ministry outside the church walls, see Bob McDaniels or any of our staff.

Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at 1212 W South St in Benton.

ADDICTION RECOVERY

Every Tuesday, we host a recovery ministry to Saline County at the old skating rink in Downtown Benton. This is organized and lead by John 3:16 Ministry graduates within our church to provide life-changing truth which empowers men and women struggling with drug and/or alcohol addiction to restore their relationship with God and live the life He always intended. For more information see Joseph Johnson or Bob McDaniels.

Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at 1212 W South St in Benton.

Healing is not easy. It’s a long, sometimes painful process. We want to help you on your journey toward recovery by providing ministries you need to draw closer to Christ.

GRIEFSHARE

GriefShare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.

It may be hard for you to feel optimistic about the future right now. If you’ve lost a spouse, child, family member, or friend, you’ve probably found there are not many people who understand the deep hurt you feel.

GriefShare seminars and support groups are led by people who understand what you are going through and want to help. You’ll gain access to valuable GriefShare resources to help you recover from your loss and look forward to rebuilding your life.