The Sacrament of Baptism

Baptism is the time at which God embraces us as His own and overwhelms us with more grace than we can even imagine.  It is an act of God that unites us with the risen Christ and makes us members of God’s family. With that understanding, we baptize children and adults of all ages.

If you are preparing for the birth of a child, have a child who has not yet been baptized, or considering baptism for yourself, we hope the following will be of help.

The First Step

The first step is to make contact with one of our pastors (see below). They will gladly meet with you to answer questions, and, if you are ready, schedule further instruction (if needed/requested), and schedule a baptismal date. If the child to be baptized is old enough, it's best that they be included in the conversation, as well. 

Why infants?

We believe that baptism is God’s way of adopting us into his family. It is an acknowledgement of God’s first step in our relationship with him – a relationship that began long before we were in our mother’s womb. Infant baptism has been a practice of the church throughout its history. The book of Acts indicates that “entire households” were baptized, which would seem to indicate the inclusion of young children.

The baptismal commitment

While we celebrate God's first step in our lives, baptism invites us to make our own promises to God. The following is asked of the parent and/or person to be baptized:

 "In Christian love, you have presented your child for Holy Baptism.  You should, therefore, faithfully bring her to the services of God’s house and teach her the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed and the Ten Commandments.  As she grows in years, you should place in her hands the Holy Scripture and provide for her instruction in the Christian faith, that, living in the covenant of her Baptism and in communion with the church, she may lead a godly life until the day of Jesus Christ."

What happens at baptism?

Baptism is a public event. In it the entire Christian community pledges to join that child/adult in the journey of faith. Therefore, baptisms are normally held during Sunday worship. Following the sermon, the candidate and family/sponsors join at the baptismal font. When it is time to baptize, we invite the children of the church to  gather around the Baptismal font so that they might participate. After the water portion of the baptism (when sins are "washed clean") , the pastor will anoint the head of the child/adult with oil ("you are sealed in the Holy Spirit"), and give a lighted baptismal candle symboling Jesus as the "light of the world ... the light no darkness can overcome."  The child/adult is then welcomed by the entire congregation with warm applause and/or embrace.

A Celebration

Baptism is a celebration that should be shared with friends and family.  On the anniversary of your child’s baptism each year, we invite you to light the baptismal candle and share special prayers of thanksgiving and re-commitment.

Martin Luther called baptism, “the daily garment which the Christian is to wear all the time.”  In fact he encouraged Christians to remember their baptism every day -- "every time you wash your face." His point is that each and every day is a new experience of the cycle of grace: when we remember that we are beloved children of God, humbly recognize our need for God, and give thanks for God's promise of renewal and strength. 

Want to know more? Ready to take the next step?

Contact one of our pastors. We'll take it from there!