Baptism is a joyous celebration in which we become a child of God and a member of the Christian Church. It is meant to be shared by family, friends, and the faith community. For this reason, Baptism normally takes place during a regular worship service. This enables the members of the Christian community, to which you or your child is entering, to witness the event and offer their prayers, love, and support.
In the Lutheran Church, baptism is a sacrament: a special act commanded by Christ, given with a physical element, and a means by which God gives us grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Baptism is a gift and is the starting point of the Christian life. At Baptism, we are called by name into God’s family. The Holy Spirit, working through God’s Word and the water, claims us as a child of God, and we are marked with the cross of Christ forever. Through God’s grace, we are named as an inheritor of all the good gifts the loving Creator has to give. It is a visible sign of God’s invisible gift of acceptance, forgiveness, adoption, and love. It is the beginning of a life lived in relationship with God through Christ. Within this caring community, the baptized child of God will have a chance to develop and mature, becoming all that God intends him or her to be.
When choosing sponsors for your child, it is important to first look at your family and friends who are worshiping, active Christians. When asking a person or couple to sponsor your child, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts about the commitment involved in baptismal sponsorship. Ask them if they would be able to make this commitment to your child:
- To pray for this child regularly;
- To remember this child’s baptismal anniversary and birthday every year with a card or letter;
- To be a model of love, care, and Christ-like kindness;
- To encourage the parents and the child to grow in the Christian faith, read the Bible, receive the sacraments, and to worship and participate in education classes regularly.
If you want to be baptized or arrange for baptism for your child, please speak to the Pastor (610-446-6398).
