15 Worship Songs for Baptism Services and Celebrations

With the exceptions of Christmas and Easter, few church gathering lend themselves to celebration more than baptism services. This guide equips church leadership and worship teams with a variety of baptism songs that convey the spiritual significance of baptism while encouraging congregants and visitors to contemplate the tenets of Christianity, the truth of scripture, and the power of Jesus.

Baptism celebrations are public proclamations of allegiance to Christ and a physical symbol of turning from sin in pursuit of the Savior. Why not include a few of the following joy-filled songs in recognition of this life-altering moment?

1. Holy Water 

God, I'm on my knees again
 God, I'm begging please again
 I need you
 Oh, I need you
 
 Your forgiveness
 Is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips
 Like the sound of a symphony to my ears
 Like Holy water on my skin

 

Written and performed by We the Kingdom, Holy Water’s powerful lyrics remind worshippers that Jesus is the Living Water and the Resurrection. Find the song at Worship House Media: Holy Water.

 

 

2. Alleluia

 

I've got a God who is for me

And He's known for making a way

He fought the battle, so I wouldn't have to

All glory belongs to His name

 

And I've got a God who's been faithful, yes, He has

Far more than I could explain

And through every season, in spite of my weakness

He gave me a song I can sing

 

Mirroring its title, Alleluia’s lyrics are laced with praise, triumph and thanksgiving. Find the song at Worship House Media: Alleluia

 

 

3. What I See

Oh, I see lightning, I hear thunder
 Something stirring six feet under
 Dead things coming back to life again
 I believe there's about to be another resurrection

 Oh, I see signs and I see wonders
 I see bursts of living color
 Dead things coming back to life again
 I believe there’s about to be another resurrection

Even the most reserved believer will connect with the high-energy rhythm of What I See. Made popular by Elevation Worship, the hope-infused words bolster believers with reminders of God’s faithfulness. Find the song at Worship House Media: What I See

 

4. House of the Lord

 

We worship the God who was

We worship the God who is

We worship the God who evermore will be

He opened the prison doors

He parted the raging sea

My God, He holds the victory

 

There's joy in the house of the Lord

There's joy in the house of the Lord today

And we won't be quiet

We shout out Your praise

 

Songwriter and singer Phil Wickham wove themes of praise, God’s eternality, and His saving power throughout this song. It’s a perfect addition to your celebration of baptism. Find the song at Worship House Media: House of the Lord

Songs in this section reflect the believer’s shift in perspective as he or she discards the sin, hurt, and struggle of the past for a future of promise with Jesus.

 

5. Goodbye Yesterday

Goodbye yesterday
 I'm living in the light of a new day
 I won't waste another minute in my old ways

Praise the Lord I've been born again
 
 Goodbye yesterday
 I'm living in the light of a new day
 I won't waste another minute in my old ways
 Praise the Lord I've been born again

Filled with hope and expectation, this song fuses components of the perennial favorite, "I Will Follow Jesus," into its biblical lyrics. Find the song at Worship House Media: Goodbye Yesterday

6. Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
 That saved a wretch like me
 I once was lost, but now I'm found
 Was blind, but now I see
 
 My chains are gone, I've been set free
 My God, my Savior has ransomed me
 And like a flood His mercy reigns
 Unending love, amazing grace

This timeless hymn, written in the 18th century by former slave trader John Newton, incorporates a soaring refrain composed by Chris Tomlin and Lou Giglio. This adapted version of the original offers more than a comfortable, well-known tune. It conveys radical transformation. Find the song at Worship House Media: Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

7. I am Free

 

Through You the blind will see
 Through You the mute will sing
 Through You the dead will rise
 Through You all hearts will praise
 Through You the darkness flees
 Through You my heart screams
 You are free
 

John Egan’s worship anthem, later popularized by the Newsboys, encapsulates the idea that victory and freedom are rooted in the finished work of the cross—a fitting track for a baptism service. Find the song at Worship House Media: I am Free

8. Washed

 

I'm clean
 God how can it be
 I'm ransomed and redeemed
 I'm standing in Your victory
 Oh hallelujah

 I've been washed in the water
 Washed in the blood
 I'm as good as new
 Oh hallelujah

 

Written by a team of writers and performance artists, "Washed" aligns with 1 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Find the song at Worship House Media: Washed.

Candidates affirm their faith in essential church doctrines moments before their baptism. Worship songs that express those beliefs seem like a natural fit for inclusion in the order of worship.

9. This I Believe (The Creed)

Our Father everlasting
 The all-creating One
 God almighty
 Through your Holy Spirit
 Conceiving Christ the son
 Jesus our savior
 I believe in God our father
 I believe in Christ the son
 
 |I believe in the Holy Spirit
 Our God is three in one
 I believe in the resurrection
 That we will rise again
 For I believe in the name of Jesus

 

Based on the Nicene Creed, "This I Believe" encapsulates the gospel in one incredible declaration. Find the song at Worship House Media: This I Believe (The Creed)

 

 

10. Great Things

 

Come let us worship our King

Come let us bow at His feet

He has done great things

See what our Savior has done

See how His love overcomes

He has done great things

He has done great things

Oh, hero of Heaven

You conquered the grave

You free every captive and break every chain

 

Another of Phil Whickam’s songs, "Great Things" invites worship while emphasizing God’s faithfulness and power over death. Find the song at Worship House Media: Great Things

 

 

11. Glorious Day

I was buried beneath my shame
 Who could carry that kind of weight
 It was my tomb
 ‘Til I met you

 You called my name
 And I ran out of that grave
 Out of the darkness
 Into your glorious day

 

"Glorious Day," a high-energy tune released in 2017, conveys the remarkable gift of salvation and its connection to new life. Find the song at Worship House Media: Glorious Day

 

12. This is My Testimony

 

This is my testimony from death to life
 'Cause grace rewrote my story I'll testify
 By Jesus Christ the righteous I'm justified
 This is my testimony
 
 Come together sons and daughters
 Bought with blood and washed in water
 Sing the praises of the Spirit, Son, and Father
 Our God will finish what He started

 

"This is My Testimony" includes scripture-focused messages about God’s grace and justification through Christ. Find the song at Worship House Media: This is My Testimony

The slower tempo and rich text of the following traditional hymns add theological depth to a celebration of baptism while encouraging churchgoers to reflect on their beliefs and spiritual health. 

 

 

13. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing 

 

Come Thou fount of every blessing
 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
 Streams of mercy never ceasing
 Call for songs of loudest praise

 Teach me some melodious sonnet
 Sung by flaming tongues above
 Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
 Mount of Thy redeeming love

 

Written in 1758 by Robert Robinson, a pastor with a rebellious past, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" accentuates God’s faithfulness and the human bent toward sin. Find the song at Worship House Media: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

14. Nothing But the Blood of Jesus

What can wash away my sin
 Nothing but the blood of Jesus
 What can make me whole again
 Nothing but the blood of Jesus
 
 Oh, precious is the flow
 That makes me white as snow
 No other fount I know
 Nothing but the blood of Jesus

 

This beloved hymn, centered on Christ’s all-sufficient sacrifice, presents a clear picture of salvation that pairs well with baptism services. Find the song at Worship House Media: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus

15. Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
 Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine
 
 Heir of salvation, purchase of God
 Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
 
 This is my story, this is my song
 Praising my Savior all the day long

Fanny Crosby’s classic song "Blessed Assurance" mirrors the spiritual symbolism of baptism through lines highlighting salvation and personal surrender. Find the song at Worship House Media: Blessed Assurance

Creating a worship playlist for a celebration of baptism may not be as challenging as expected. Consider the themes and biblical content each song conveys. Remember to include a range of songs that encourage all congregants to praise God as witnesses of and participants in the beautiful act of baptism.