The Sacrament of Baptism

The holy sacrament of Baptism is God's word to us, proclaiming our adoption by grace, and is our word to God, promising our response of faith and love. Those within this covenant constitute the community we call the Church; therefore, the services of the Baptismal Covenant are conducted during the public worship of the congregation. Because baptism initiates us into Christ's whole Church and not only into a denomination, United Methodists recognize all Christian baptisms and look upon baptism as something that should unite, rather than divide, Christians.

Baptism is an act that looks back with gratitude on what God's grace has already accomplished, it is here and now an act of God's grace, and it looks forward to what God's grace will accomplish in the future. Baptism anticipates a lifetime of further and deeper experiences of God, further acts of Christian commitment, and ministries in the world. Confirmation, ordinations and consecrations to particular ministries, and all other steps in ministry grow out of what God has done as declared and signified in baptism.

Regardless of the age of the candidate, the Christian community responds in faith to God's grace by claiming and incorporating this new member of Christ's holy Church. The congregation corporately sponsors each candidate and takes vows at each baptism that are to be taken just as seriously as the vows of parents or individual sponsors. When someone is baptized, it is a crucial event in the life both of that person and of the Church. What happens to that member of the body of Christ will make a difference to every other member, and the rest of the Church can never again be the same. By the Sacrament of Baptism the Church pledges to that member: "Your joy, your pain, your gain, your loss, are ours, for you are one of us."

If you would like to talk about baptism for yourself or for one of your loved ones, please contact either Pastor Harlan Gillespie or Pastor Sherrie Ilg, or fill out or online baptism request.