The decision to be baptized is one of the most significant choices you’ll ever make. And I need to tell you, if you commit your life to Jesus and accept His leading, you have an exciting journey ahead of you!
Preparation for baptism is a process--sometimes very short as in the example of the jailer at Phillipi (Acts 16:33), and sometimes over a longer period of time. Baptism is entrance into God's church and it is a joint venture between the church and the person who wants to be baptized.
Preparation for baptism, which Jesus calls the new birth (John 3) of being born of the water and of the spirit, is a process to be directed by a spiritual leader appointed by the church. Once you have made a choice to accept Jesus, simply ask your pastor or local church elder to lead you through the preparation process.
It’s a mistake to think that you have to be perfect, or close to it, before you are ready to be baptized. Satan will try to discourage you and tell you that you are not worthy or fully prepared for baptism. Don't let him discourage you. Listen to and accept the guidance from the church leader who takes you through the preparation process. Then, as quickly as possible, schedule your baptism and begin your new walk with Jesus.
Is it necessary to be baptized in order to be saved?
The answer is both simple and complex. On one level, the answer is “Yes.” The Bible commands it (Matthew 24). Jesus gave his own example by being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Matthew 3; Mark 1), and the early church directed people to repent of their sins and be baptized (Acts 2). Note the words of Jesus (Mark 16:16): "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." The Apostle Peter says that Jesus’ own life is an example that we should walk as He walked. His example was to walk into the waters of baptism.
But the Bible gives a few examples of death-bed conversions in which the individual accepts Jesus in their dying moments and has no opportunity to follow in obedience to the command of baptism. The thief dying on the cross with Jesus is one of the clearest of such examples. Circumstances prevented the thief from being baptized. But you can be sure that if he had lived, he would have wanted to follow the example and command of Jesus by publicly demonstrating his desire to begin a new life in Christ.
Do you have to be a baptized member to hold a position in the church or be part of a committee?
Usually, yes. Of course there are some exceptions. Baptism is a public declaration that you are accepting God’s gift of salvation, and are preparing to begin a new life with Jesus as your top priority. It also shows that you are committing yourself--your time and your abilities--to help build up God’s church. With baptism you accept the rights and responsibilities of church membership, and enter a new phase in your walk with Jesus.
Typically someone who wants to participate in the activities and life of the church would also want to be a member of the church. Why choose to stand on the edge of the action when you can be a baptized, fully functioning member of Christ's family?