What is a Baptist?

What is a Baptist?

If you've ever wondered, "What exactly is a Baptist?" the answer is simple: we are Bible-believing Christians who want to follow Jesus Christ in the way He teaches in Scripture.

The name Baptist comes from our commitment to baptizing believers by immersion, just like Jesus and the early church did. But being a Baptist is about more than a name - it's about building our lives and our church on the Word of God.

Here are a few things that make us who we are:

The Bible is our foundation.

We believe God's Word is true, powerful, and relevant for every part of life.

Salvation is a gift.

Eternal life cannot be earned by good works, church membership, or baptism. It is given freely through faith in Jesus Christ.

Each church is local and independent.

Rose Park Baptist isn't controlled by a denomination or hierarchy. We are accountable to Christ as the Head of the church.

Every believer has direct access to God.

You don't need a priest or go-between. Through Jesus, every Christian can pray, worship, and grow personally in their relationship with the Lord.

We follow Christ's two ordinances.

Baptism shows our faith in Jesus, and the Lord's Supper helps us remember His sacrifice. Both are powerful symbols, but neither saves us - only Christ does.

In short, being a Baptist means loving Jesus, living by the Bible, and enjoying the freedom to serve Him with joy.

What We Are Not:

There are a lot of ideas floating around about Baptists, and some of them simply aren't true. Let us clear up a few of the biggest ones:

We don't believe baptism saves you.

Baptism is important, but it's a picture of the salvation you already have in Christ.

We're not about rules for rules' sake. 

Yes, we believe in living holy lives, but that comes from love for God - not to try to "earn" His favor.

We're not joyless. 

The Christian life is full of joy, hope, and peace because it's rooted in knowing Jesus personally.

We're not all identical. 

Every Baptist church is independent, so while we share the same core beliefs, the details may look a little different from one church to another.

What kind of Baptist are we?

 

There are many different kinds of Baptist churches. At Rose Park we are:

 

Passionate about Jesus 

First and foremost we are a church that loves Jesus and gives Him first place. We make it ALL about Him.

 

Welcoming 

We love meeting new people and making new friends. Everyone is warmly welcomed here.

 

Bible Believing 

Simply put, we believe that God says exactly what He means and means what He says in the Bible. We don’t change it or try to explain it away, we preach and teach the doctrines and principles of the Bible for what they are: God’s eternal truth.

 

Independent

We are an independent, self-governing body of Believers. We are Baptist by our doctrine and practice. 

 

Evangelistic

We are zealous about the Gospel! Our mission is to personally deliver the gospel to every home in the greater Holland area and to partner with like-minded Believers to take the gospel to every corner of the world. 

 

Diverse 

You will find people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds at Rose Park. We come from different backgrounds but we are all united in Christ. 

 

Traditional 

We are unapologetically a church. The music is distinctly sacred and the preaching and teaching of God’s Word is the focus.

 

Caring

We are a body of Believers that cares for each other. We are a family of faith. 

 

Joyful

We are happy in Jesus! We are not enduring our Christianity, we are enjoying it! 

 

Engaged

We do more than talk about the community, we are involved and present in many ways to be a positive and contributing part of our community.