Indoor Baptism Service Information at South Barrington

Indoor Baptism Services
Baptism celebrations occur several times a year, at Willow Creek’s Weekend services. This allows for life change to be celebrated frequently.

The Elders strongly encourage those choosing to be baptized to participate by immersion. We do recognize, however, that some individuals may request baptism by sprinkling on the stage because of a strong personal preference, particularly those based on a compelling physical reason or disability. In these cases, the elder’s ask that a brief explanation be given in the registration form.

In order to make the Baptism celebration more personal, we will accept the first 50 people to register per month.

What to Expect
For Baptism celebrations, we are going to center our theme on Christ’s payment for our sins through His death on the cross. We need your participation in order to communicate the symbolism of how our sins are nailed to the cross when we come to Christ and are forever forgiven.

We request that each person being baptized take the time to sit down with a piece of paper (any kind or color is fine) and write out specifically the sins you can recall committing. Obviously, there will not be room to list them all, so stick to the highlights. Please bring this paper with you to the service.

When it is your turn to be baptized, you will enter from one side of the baptism pool and exit from the opposite side. You will meet the pastor in the middle of the pool. The pastor then will ask you a question regarding your decision to accept Christ. For example, “Mary, have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior?” or “John, have you died to self and given your life to Christ?”

After you say “Yes,” the pastor will say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The pastor will then immerse you backward into the water. This is quick; do not worry, you won’t be underwater long. Afterwards, a guide will direct you to a spot where you are to move to.

What to Wear: You are advised to wear a dark shirt, pants, and slip off shoes. Clothing made of material that retains minimum amounts of water is recommended. Ladies, we encourage you to wear a one piece bathing suit under your dark t-shirt. Please wear these clothes to the service and bring a change of clothing for afterward.
We will provide you with a towel to dry off, and an area located near the stage where you will be able to change.

Guests: We will reserve special seating for your guests in the front of the auditorium.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail baptism@willowcreek.org or call the church at (847) 765-5000. We'd be happy to help you!