Thinking about Your Child's Baptism

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Welcome!

As members of the Christian community we are grateful to be able to celebrate with you on the happy occasion of the baptism of your child.

We believe that God is the creator of all things. Through the care and nurture of children he gives parents a share in the work and joy of creation.

But we who are born physically of earthly parents need to be born spiritually as well. In the gospel Jesus tells us that no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again. And so through faith in Christ God gives us the way to a second birth into a new life in relationship with him.

Baptism is the sign and seal of this new birth. In the Bible we read of the risen Christ commanding his followers to make disciples of all nations and to baptize people everywhere.

They obeyed his command and we read of Peter preaching in these words: "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and your children and to all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord calls."

Children who are too young to profess the Christian faith on their own are baptized on the understanding that they will be brought up to trust and follow Christ as their Savior and Lord within the family of the church.

As they grow up they need encouragement, teaching and help, so that they may learn to put their faith in God, to worship and serve him, and to take their place in the life of the church.

All this depends chiefly on the help and encouragement they receive from their parents and sponsors (godparents). As one bringing your child for baptism, it is important that you:

  • affirm your own allegiance to Christ, to trust him as your Savior and obey him as your Lord, and
  • be actively involved in the life, worship, and witness of the church.

You should be careful to choose sponsors for your child who can do the same.

At Messiah we try to help you at each step along the way. We encourage all parents to take part in a three-session baptismal preparation program. The program deals with these topics:

  • the basics of Christian faith
  • the meaning of baptism
  • the Christian family

What follows is intended to anticipate some of the initial questions most commonly asked about baptism at Messiah:

What if I am not a member of Messiah?

If you are not currently a member any church, we warmly invite you to join us. Why not come along to one of our services this Sunday?
If you are a member of another church (of any denomination), but would like to have your child baptized at Messiah, we require a letter of commendation from your pastor. We do this because baptism is the sacrament of entry into the church, and it is important that your local church be involved even when the baptism is not taking place there.

What about private baptism?

In baptism candidates are being welcomed into the fellowship of the church. It is important that the church be there to offer them that welcome. For this reason all baptisms at Messiah are public and take place when the congregation gathers for worship on Sundays.

How do we set a date?

We seek to be flexible at Messiah when setting a date for your child's baptism. However, there are certain seasons of the church year (such as Easter and Pentecost) that are especially appropriate. We try to find a date that will allow for adequate preparation, work well for the families involved, and fit in with other church activities and the season of the church year.

More questions?

The clergy at Messiah would be happy to chat with you. You may make an appointment by calling the church office on 651-698-2590.