Baptism
Baptism marks the
beginning of the journey of discipleship. It is
fundamentally a gift of God's grace (unearned love and
mercy). It is a sign of our acceptance by God and our
entrance into the Body of Christ, the church. It is one
of two sacraments recognized and practiced in the United
Methodist Church.
"Through the Sacrament
of Baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy church.
We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation
and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All
this is God's gift offered to us without price.
(Baptismal Covenant I, UM Hymnal p. 33)
At what age is Baptism appropriate?
Baptism is available
to persons of all ages. Infant baptism is the
predominate form in our church because it is the perfect
expression of the reception of God's amazing grace,
offered to us out of God's loving Spirit, not in
response to our faith or worthiness. As a sacrament,
infant baptism is about what God is doing in the life of
the child. The parents make a commitment to raise the
child in the church. Baptism, as a sacrament, is
distinct from "dedication" or "christening." At any
age, baptism is God's gift of grace to us and is
distinct from our profession of faith.
What do we believe about re-baptism?
Why is Baptism important?
How do I schedule a Baptism?
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Confirmation
Confirmation is a
course offered during the 6th grade year
wherein children learn the fundamentals of the faith and
Christian history. The Confirmation year culminates in
a worship service where children have the opportunity to
publicly profess their faith in God through Jesus Christ
and join the church. We believe that we are saved by
God's grace through our faith, so this public profession
marks the moment of justification/salvation that begins
the lifelong process of sanctification - growing more
and more like Christ until we genuinely love God and our
neighbor in all that we do.
Children who are
baptized as infants are expected to attend
Confirmation. Children who have not yet been baptized
can receive baptism in the Confirmation worship service.
What is Confirmation?
The word
"confirmation" literally means "to make firm."
Confirmation seeks to make firm that which has gone
before. It is closely linked to (and dependent on) what
has taken place in the individual's life already,
including God's prevenient grace, the sacrament of
baptism, the Christian nurture provided by the parents
and the home, and the Christian nurture provided by the
faith community.
What is the Confirmation Class?
The class will cover
what if means to be a Christian, what we believe as a
church, how we are to live our lives, what our church
history and heritage are and more!
Our church believes
sixth-graders are old
enough to contribute to the life of our congregation and
to live out their faith in the world.
What is the Confirmation Worship Service?
The purpose of the
confirmation service is to give the person the
opportunity to respond to God's call to discipleship and
to publicly respond and profess the faith.
Do you have to be baptized to be confirmed?
Yes, because you are a
Christian disciple first and then a member of a church.
If the student has not yet been baptized and wants to
be, the student can be baptized during any church
service. .
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