Baptism

Baptism

“Child of blessing, child of promise,  baptized with the Spirit’s sign;  

with this water God has sealed you  unto love and grace divine.”

 Our next scheduled Baptism date is May 10, Mothers’ Day.  Please contact the church office if you are interested in having a child baptized.

Ben is Baptized while Guy the Giraffe looks on.

Baptism is one of two sacraments the United Church of Canada recognizes. (The other is communion.) A sacrament is a visible sign of God’s love for us. Baptism is not something we must do in order to convince God to give us salvation. It is what we do because we already know God’s salvation. It is not a spiritual vaccination against evil. We are baptized into Christ because of the good news that we belong to God. Together we respond to God’s love through our gifts and our service. Through baptism we become members of the Christian Church.

During baptism, vows are made by the parent(s), guardian(s) or baptismal candidate. The parent(s), guardian(s) or candidate proclaim their belief in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They promise to show their belief through words and actions, following in the way of Jesus. The congregation sponsors each candidate and also makes vows at each baptism. The congregation promises to support the parent(s), guardian(s) and candidate, and live with them in faith and love. An ongoing relationship is encouraged. These congregational vows are taken just as seriously as the vows made by the parent(s), guardian(s) or candidate.

Baptism is the sacrament of “joining the universal church.” Persons of any age are invited for baptism because the Church is a great family that welcomes people of all ages.