Valley Life Church exists to know and honor God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and to make Him known to the Willamette Valley and beyond.

We believe the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the final authority in matters of faith and how to live our lives.

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who was born to the Virgin Mary and became man without ceasing to be God. Jesus came to reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe His death on the cross provided the full payment for our sins. We believe Jesus rose from the dead three days later, ascended to heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of God. We believe that Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. We believe He dwells in all believers and seals unto the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit also empowers us to live a godly life. It is essential for the Holy Spirit to do His work of regeneration in order for lost and sinful man to obtain salvation.

We believe man is alienated from God, and that God provided for our salvation through the gift of His Son Jesus who shed His blood for our sins on the cross. We believe that salvation is by grace alone and is received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Baptism is considered of high value at Valley Life Church. We think of it as the Gospel seen.

Baptism is a public expression of our commitment to Jesus Christ. As Jesus followers, we want to be obedient to Him and follow the example He set. Here are the answers to some of the questions you may have about baptism.

1. What is baptism?

Baptism is one of two sacraments or ordinances we observe at Valley Life Church. (The other is communion.) It is a physical expression of a spiritual truth. Baptism is not about baptism, it’s about Jesus.

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)

Baptism is preaching the Gospel visually. As Romans 5: 11 (ESV) says, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” In baptism, being immersed under the water symbolises that death, coming out of the water signifies newness of life.

At Valley Life we baptize by immersion. The word baptism in Greek means to plunge, to dip, and to immerse.Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion.

“John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized.” John 3:23 (ESV)

2. What is baptism for?

Baptism is not the means of salvation, but rather a visual expression of the gospel. As John Piper says, “If you understand what baptism portrays, you understand what really happened to you when you became a Christian.”

Like a marriage ceremony, baptism is a public declaration of the relationship we have with Jesus.

3. Is baptism necessary?

Yes and no.

Yes…because Jesus said we should do it.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

No…baptism will not save you. The Bible is very clear that salvation is only through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:16

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says,’Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’” Romans 10:9-11 4.

4. Who can baptize?

In the Old Testament, the priests acted as God’s representatives on earth, but in the New Testament, all believers in Jesus are priests.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

At Valley Life Church, you can be baptized by one of the pastors but we especially encourage community group leader to baptize members of their group. Parents are welcome to baptize their children.