Growing up, water baptism was mostly for church kids and the occasional return of a prodigal. I was baptized by immersion at age 11 — old enough to know Jesus was in my heart. Yet I can’t say it was a particularly meaningful moment in my faith journey.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw a baptism service at Stone Creek Church (Assemblies of God) in Urbana, Illinois. It was 1999, and I was a new summer intern. It wasn’t the grandeur of the space that impressed me. (Lacking a permanent baptismal, the staff had rolled out a small, portable tank.) It was the response of sheer joy.

The band played in the background as each person shared his or her faith story. After the pastor said, “I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” and plunged the person under the water, the congregation cheered and applauded. The worship team then launched into a song of praise.

It was powerful. I vowed to myself that if I ever led a church, this was the way I would do baptisms. I’m not the only one who has had this revelation. Across the country, baptism and Holy Communion are receiving renewed focus.

Weighty Symbols

Baptism by immersion can be a catalyst for personal change in the lives of individuals, as they remember and publicly proclaim they are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ (Romans 6:1-4). It reminds churches of their God- given mandate to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them (Matthew 28:19-20).

Communion is a time of identifying with and participating in Christ’s sacrifice, proclaiming His message, remembering what He did for us on the cross, and anticipating His soon return (Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:16,19; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:24,26).

Both ordinances (sometimes called sacraments in other Christian traditions) of the Church draw attention to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In some ways, the ordinances are awkward. They don’t seem to fit with our neatly packaged weekly church production. Soaking wet people, splashing gallons of water on the carpet. Grape juice that represents blood. It may seem silly to some. It can be difficult to explain.

But these symbols remind us of our most fundamental beliefs. We should not shy away from them because of their awkwardness. The realities the ordinances represent should shake us from our routines, capture our attention, and inspire our worship.

Baptism and Communion do not in themselves offer any saving power, but they are public rites of identification for those who are believers. Baptism is a physical demonstration of the death of our old self and our new birth in Christ. It marks our incorporation into the Church, the body of Christ (Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 4:5-6).

Communion gives us pause as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice. It is a time for coming together, uniting our hearts in an act of worship and fellowship around the table of the Lord.

The fact that these are symbolic practices doesn’t mean we should dismiss their importance. We honor our national flag and cherish wedding rings because of what they represent. Similarly, the ordinances of baptism and Communion carry a weighty significance we must not overlook.

Why does the regular practice of these symbols matter? In generations past, there was a tacit understanding of Scripture and biblical principles. Even those who were not churchgoers had some knowledge of the Ten Commandments and other commonly cited Scriptures.

Today, we can no longer assume people know the Bible or that they understand the centrality of the Crucifixion and Resurrection to our faith.

Furthermore, the cultural messages of self-centeredness and self-love can crowd out the gospel unless we continually point back to the Cross.

Paul told the Corinthians, “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

Baptism and Communion in our services help keep the emphasis where it needs to be: on Jesus’ redemptive work.

It has never been more important for us to constantly remind people Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith. Giving congregants the opportunity to experience the Cross through all their senses — sight, sound, touch, taste and smell — strengthens their connection to faith.

Baptism and Communion, when regularly practiced in the local church, naturally foster a culture of Resurrection that keeps Jesus at the center of everything we do.

Water Baptism

Across the country, pastors have increasingly made baptism by immersion a time to celebrate, emphasize the Great Commission, and invite friends and family to services.

Churches are finding creative ways to highlight the importance of baptism. Some give T-shirts to candidates, which can later open doors for these new believers to talk about their decision to follow Christ in baptism. Others use video testimonies to help people share their salvation stories.

A baptism Sunday can bring in many visitors if the church helps the candidates get the word out. Invitation cards for friends and family can make it easier for them to ask loved ones to attend. Visitors can then hear the testimonies of lives transformed in Christ.

Portable churches are often creative by necessity, turning these events into church picnics and baptizing people in a pool, a lake or even the ocean. Some use a feed trough as a trendy baptismal tank; it can be stored outside and used either outdoors or indoors.

At Newhope Church (AG) in Puyallup, Washington, baptism is an important part of the discipleship process. The church hosts baptism services every two months at all five Newhope campuses. The process looks different for each age group, but it’s important for those considering baptism to understand what it means, according to Lead Pastor Jeffery Portmann.

On Easter, the power of Jesus’ resurrection is more deeply impacting when we stop to think about what it means to overcome death.

The church recommends dedication for children under age 8. Kids over age 8 through middle school take a class with their parents. They complete several devotionals as a family before they are able to sign up for baptism. High school students go through the information in their small groups, and adults complete a self-guided learning tool.

These steps help people understand the importance of baptism to their faith through Scripture passages and teaching. As candidates work through the process, the church connects them to small groups. Leaders also follow up on them after baptism.

Baptism can be evangelistic. It can be part of the discipleship process. It can also be spontaneous. It’s beautiful to see spontaneous baptisms for those who feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit to participate while watching others take this important step in their faith journey.

There are many ways to incorporate a greater emphasis on believers following Jesus in obedience by being baptized. The important thing is to provide opportunity, bring understanding, and make it a special celebration.

Holy Communion

In contrast to the celebration of baptism by immersion, Communion is a solemn encounter with God. Anyone who has experienced the death of someone close to them knows that remembering is a solemn experience, no matter how much of a celebration we may try to make it.

At our church, Saints Community Church (AG) in New Orleans, we initially began offering Communion weekly as a way to bridge the experience for people from a Catholic background. Now, eight years later, it has deeply impacted the way our church keeps Christ at the center. It is a simple way to talk weekly about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a built-in call to repentance and a visible affirmation of faith.

How do we make this work on a weekly basis? We stop after the second song and give a short explanation and instructions. People quietly come forward, where our leaders serve them the cup and bread. Then they go back to their seats to receive Communion in their own time. We have a minute or two without singing, with an acoustic guitar or a keyboard quietly playing in the background.

As a worship leader, I deeply appreciate that quiet moment where I am just a simple Christian, connecting with God during our service. I find that for many people, life is so full of noise. This may be the quietest moment of the week for them, which can open their hearts to hear God speak.

Churches practice Communion weekly in other ways as well. Some set the elements at the altar where people can serve themselves during worship. Others may not serve Communion on Sunday morning, but serve it regularly during the midweek service.

I’ve recently seen several churches serve Communion in families or groups around a table, which offers the communal experience of sharing it with other members of the body of Christ.

The regular practice of Communion brings our services back to Jesus all year long. On Easter, the power of His resurrection is more deeply impacting when we stop to think about what it means to overcome death. On Pentecost Sunday, we remember that the Holy Spirit came so we can be witnesses to Jesus’ story. On national holidays, the ordinances remind us of the spiritual freedom Jesus made possible. At Christmas, baptism and Communion point to the reason Jesus came into our world.

Ministers often ask me whether serving Communion weekly decreases the value or makes it more mundane. On the contrary, it has made it more meaningful for me personally.

In the same way I love to lift my hands and sing with all my might, or work my way through the Bible each year, I feel drawn to the practice of Communion. I think about the suffering of Christ every time I receive the cup and the bread. The practice challenges me to respond to my own sufferings like Jesus responded to the cross.

Remembering every seven days that Jesus was an innocent man who died a violent and unjust death has given me greater compassion for the innocent who suffer violence. As we share in Communion, I often think about the persecuted Church, unable to worship and sing, but able to break bread together.

On a recent Friday during our noon prayer time, I struggled to engage. The projects I was working on consumed my thoughts. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shift to prayer. Finally, I went to the church kitchen and prepared Communion for the 13 of us at prayer that day.

One by one, I served the elements to each person, speaking the blessing we regularly share over them: “This represents the blood of Christ, poured out for you. This represents the body of Christ, broken for you.”

This moment brought me down from the frantic thoughts of tasks and strategy to the place where Christ wanted to meet me. My prayers were no longer situational self-talk. Instead, I asked Jesus to make me more like Him. It wasn’t something magical that happened; it was simply an intentional reminder that shifted my mind into alignment with His Spirit.

Communion pulls me closer to the heart of God, where the pressures and distractions of ministry become muted for a moment by the embrace of His blood and His body.

Christ Centered

If people remember our churches more for the experience, gifts, blessing, production, politics, community or self-care, we’ve missed the mark. Pentecost without Jesus is just mysticism. Pentecost through Jesus is the greatest power for transformation in the history of humankind.

We must offer the bread of life — which is Christ — over and over, reinforcing that He is the bedrock of our faith.

Let’s create a culture of Resurrection, laser-focused on Jesus, girded by the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. Baptism and Communion bring to life my favorite Bible passage, Philippians 3:10-11: “I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”