"What's in the name 'Providence Baptist Church'?"

PROVIDENCE?

Churches often have names - ours happens to be Providence!  You may well be wondering what "Providence" is - well according to the dictionary it describes the "foreseeing care and guardianship of God".  Back in the 1850's when this church was first formed our founding fathers felt that "Providence" perfectly captured the amazing prevision and provision of God in getting this venture off the ground.  Since that day God has continued to guide and provide in a most amazing way - and like our forefathers we too are ever thankful for and indebted to the providence of God.

BAPTIST?

As a Baptist church we baptise people by total immersion upon their profession of faith.  We believe that baptism is a visual illustration of what has happened spiritually.  It represents our "burial" - that is our break from the old life - a washing away of our sins - and a "resurrection", to a new life.  We do not believe that there is anything magical either about the act of baptism or the water in which a person is baptised.  The key thing is not the baptism but the faith which precedes it - having believed in Jesus Christ and found forgiveness and newness of life, a person can be baptised.

Since this is our belief, it is not our practice to baptise babies, however we do hold thanksgiving services for babies in which as a fellowship we give thanks to God for the new life and pledge our support to the family and pray for God's blessing upon the life of the child.

CHURCH?

When the word "church" is mentioned most people tend to think of a building but in the bible the word is used to describe, not the building, but the people who gather.  So the church is not bricks and mortar but a community of people whose lives have been touched by God's life in Christ, changed by God's Spirit and who are being continually challenged by God's word.

Copyright © 2002 Providence Baptist Church. All rights reserved.