|
BAPTISMS AT EVANGELICAL
We are happy and excited that
you want your child to be baptized at ELC. Parents desiring to have
their child baptized are encouraged to contact the church office as soon
as possible so that a date for the baptism can be arranged for you.
Parents will also need to schedule a pre-baptism appointment with one of
the pastors. The pastor will assist you in filling out the baptismal
information sheet, provide instruction on the meaning and benefits of
baptism, and answer any questions you may have about the service.
Baptisms take place during worship and can be scheduled on non-communion
Sundays, normally the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each
month, or on any Saturday evening worship service.
On the day of baptism,
seating will be reserved for you, your family and friends in the front
of the church. Please be at the church at least 15 minutes before the
service so that the pastor can go over the final details with you.
Immediately preceding the baptism, parents, child and sponsors will be
invited to gather around the baptismal font facing the congregation. You
will have a copy of “The Rite for Holy
Baptism” to follow during the baptism. You will receive a white towel
with a baptismal symbol embroidered on it as a gift. A representative
of the congregation will present you with a baptismal candle of behalf
of the congregation. Parents will receive a “water droplet” with your
child’s name on it, to be pinned to the baptismal banner.
Because
baptism is a worship experience, photos are not to be taken during the
service. Videotaping from the balcony is acceptable, and photos may be
taken after the service. Please inform any family members who are
worshipping with you of this practice.
A special note for families that live
some distance from Evangelical Lutheran Church:
Because
the promises made in baptism are important (see sections that follow),
we at ELC want to provide genuine encouragement to parents of the
baptismal candidate. This means that families living some distance away
from ELC who are unable to regularly participate in the life and mission
of this congregation will first be encouraged to pursue baptism at their
local congregation. The pastors will also gladly assist individuals in
finding a local congregation should they not be active members of a
congregation where they live. In special circumstances and upon
consultation and with the permission of ELC’s pastors and a pastor of
the families’ local congregation, the child may be baptized at ELC with
membership being transferred to their local congregation. All other
procedures listed in this guide would apply as well.
HOLY BAPTISM IS. . . GOD’S PROMISES –
YOUR PROMISES – CHURCH’S PROMISES
In
Baptism, God promises to:
Make your child a child of God, for your child will be
baptized in God’s name (Matthew 28:19)
Wash
your child clean of sin (Acts 22:16)
Give
your child the Holy Spirit, which will enable your child to call upon
Jesus as Lord (Titus3:5)
Make
your child a member of the body of Christ, the Church (Romans 6:5), and
Grant
your child eternal life (Mark 16:16)
In
birth, we join a fallen and needy human family. In baptism we are
brought by God into His family, there to be loved, cared for and
nourished by God. As the pastor pours water on your child and speaks the
Word of God, it is God who addresses your child with these promises and
who will faithfully accomplish them in your child. In this gift from
God, your child will begin a whole new life, a life led by Christ
instead of a life driven by sin.
In
presenting your child for Baptism you are doing a wonderful thing. You
are assisting your child to receive a precious gift, God’s gift of
eternal love. Through Baptism, for the rest of life, your child can be
sure of God’s faithful and unconditional love.
When you present your child for Baptism, you also
make very important promises. You promise to:
·
Help your child grow in faith by the devotional and prayer life
in your home.
· Help
your child grow in faith within the community of faith, the Church, and
· Take
every opportunity to show your child God’s steadfast love and mercy
given in Baptism.
When you
present your child to receive Holy Baptism, you take upon yourself the
responsibility to tell your child of the wonderful promises that God
gives in Baptism. You promise to do all that you can to cultivate in
your child the hope, peace, joy, love, and meaning that is part of the
life of a child of God. You are promising to do such things as read the
Bible with your child, worship regularly within a community of faith,
and teach them about the Christian faith at home.
You need
to consider the magnitude of the promises that God gives your child in
Baptism, promises more valuable than anything the world can give. You
also need to consider how foolish it would be for your child to live
even one day without knowing God’s love shown in Christ and through
Baptism. Truly, the promises you make when you present your child for
Holy Baptism are the most important promises that you will ever make to
your child.
The
occasion of your child’s Baptism deserves your careful, intentional, and
honest consideration on how you will fulfill your Baptismal promises.
This event also gives you an opportunity to consider your own Christian
life. For your own benefit and for the benefit of your child, please
answer the following questions. It can be a guide for you as you
faithfully try to live up to your promises.
Prayer is the way that we can talk with God. It is also a way for us
to share joys and sorrows with each other. When will you pray together?
Devotional times with your child are not only a time to share your
faith together, but they are also a good way to grow in faith. Reading
Bible stories and having daily devotions will help both your child and
your relationship. When will you have devotions together?
Worship participation
with your child is one of
the promises you make at Baptism. How often will you worship
together?
Christian Education
is essential
for your child. The church will help you by providing Sunday School,
Milestone Ministry, and other opportunities, but we also encourage you
to learn more about your faith so that you may be a better teacher for
your child. How will you and your child
participate in Christian education?
Service toward others
is one way we grow into
our Baptism and live out our faith. When your child is older, what
are some ways you can help others?
Celebrating Baptismal
Anniversaries will
be a great help for your child to realize and appreciate their Baptism.
What are some special things you will do to remember your child’s
Baptismal anniversary?
When
your child is baptized, we, your Christian brothers and sisters, promise
to:
·
Look upon your child as an important member of our
Christian community,
·
Support you in making God’s promises known to your child,
and
·
Support you in keeping the promises that you make to your
child at Baptism
When
your child is baptized during the worship service, we the members of
Evangelical Lutheran Church, give you and your child our word that we
will help you in the lifelong affirmation of faith.
One of
the ways that we help parents in passing on the faith is through a
program called Milestone Ministry. Beginning with baptism and at
various milestones in your child’s life, you and your child are invited
to attend faith learning events at ELC, and participate in worship
celebrations marking each milestone and reaffirming the promises of
baptism. The first of these milestones after baptism is called
Anniversary of Baptism, and is celebrated on Baptism of our Lord Sunday
(usually the first Sunday in January). As your child grows in years, you
will be invited to participate in other milestones such as beginning
Sunday school, receiving a Bible, first communion, and confirmation.
You and
your child’s regular attendance at the many worship opportunities we
offer will also be an important way to be fed with God’s Word and grow
in care and concern for each other and the world.
SPONSORS
People
often wish to have sponsors, sometimes called "Godparents", for their
child. The role of a sponsor is to aid parents in the promises they
make to God and their child. Sponsors, therefore, need to be baptized
Christians who view Baptism as a sacramental gift from God, who will
regularly pray for your child, who will remember your child on the
Baptismal anniversary, and who will provide a Christian witness in the
way they live. This usually means that a sponsor is an active member of
a Christian church. In addition to the sponsors you may choose, the
members of ELC will also be your child’s sponsors and promise to do all
these things for your child.
|
