What is Baptism?
Baptism is the powerful sign of two things. From God’s side, baptism expresses God’s “yes” to us, God’s acceptance of us, the gift of God’s grace (unconditional love) to us in Jesus Christ. From our side, baptism is the sign that we (1) acknowledge the wonderful thing God has done for us in this gift and (2) commit ourselves to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in thankful response to this gift.
Baptism, thus, is the sacrament that marks the birth, or beginning, of a disciple (a committed follower) of Jesus Christ, at whatever age, and the entrance of that disciple into the Church of Jesus Christ, the covenant community that takes responsibility for bearing witness to God’s grace. Baptism may be thought of as the “enlistment ceremony” of a person onto God’s team (the church) to make God’s grace known to the world.
Because God’s grace is prevenient, (that is, it reaches out to us before we can reach out to it), we believe it is appropriate not only to baptize adults who have personally experienced God’s grace and committed themselves to discipleship, but also to baptize their children with the expectation that the parents make sure their children are surrounded by an environment of grace, both in the home and at church, that will naturally lead their children to accept the gift of God’s grace for themselves, profess their faith in Christ openly, and become committed members of Christ’s team, the church.
So What Does This Mean?
First, it means that baptism is a big deal! For that reason, we don’t rush through the ceremony. In fact, we schedule baptisms approximately one Sunday per month, in order to take more time in that service to give the sacrament the reverence and importance due it.
Second, it means that baptism is a (church) family affair! For that reason, the sacrament of baptism is normally celebrated within the context of Sunday worship, so that that the whole church can be present when an individual is enlisted on God’s team (though in unusual cases where the health of the person requires it, a person can be baptized outside the context of public worship).
Third, it means that baptism is for the seriously committed. For that reason, when an infant or child is presented for baptism, at least one parent (or guardian if there is no parent) must be an active member of First United Methodist Church, faithfully fulfilling the vows of membership to participate in the church’s ministries with his or her prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. When a child is baptized, parents must take the vows with the same degree of commitment they would make if they were becoming a Christian and being baptized themselves.
What does faithful commitment involve? While all five vows of membership (prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness) on the part of the parent are important, presence is fundamental. If the parents are not regularly present in worship and in small groups for study and fellowship, it is difficult for them or the congregation to fulfill the vows made at the child’s baptism; and, in the absence of regular participation in the life of the church, the child is unlikely to grow into the fully committed disciple that baptism anticipates. At FUMC, we use being present in worship at least twelve times a year (approximately once a month) as the benchmark to measure faithful fulfillment of the vow of presence. Of course, there are always rare instances where a parent’s work schedule prevents attendance at Sunday worship. In such cases, the pastors will be glad to discuss the situation with the parent or guardian.
Fourth, it means that baptism requires adequate preparation. For that reason, parents are asked to attend a two-hour baptismal class offered by one of the pastors approximately once a month to ensure that the parents understand the meaning and significance of baptism and are prepared to make the commitments which will be asked of them. Parents are asked to sign a baptismal covenant in which they commit themselves to the responsibilities that come with presenting their child for baptism. Childcare will be available for this session, so that parents can give their full attention during the session.
Some Practical Questions
- When should I/we sign up for the baptismal class? The sooner the better! Because the arrival of a newborn is a very busy time in the life of parents, you may want to sign up for the class even before the baby arrives. Dates for your baby’s baptism will be set after you have attended the class. To register for the baptism class, email Marilyn Good at marilyn@fumcaustin.org or call her at 478-5684, ext. 204. A schedule of classes is given below.
- What if we are not yet members of FUMC? Of course, you should not join the church just to get your baby baptized. If you are not yet ready to take the step of becoming a committed disciple of Jesus Christ, then, instead of baptism, a service of thanksgiving for the birth of your child is appropriate and can be scheduled with a pastor. But if you feel led to become a member here because you believe you can best live out your discipleship as a follower of Jesus Christ in this faith family, then by all means we want you to consider joining! Start by attending worship regularly. Then sign up to attend a “First Steps” session. You can do that by emailing Rev. Jen Stuart at jen@fumcaustin.org or calling her at 478-5684, ext. 203.
- How old should our baby be at his or her baptism? Any age is appropriate. However, because parents are often far more upset than the pastor by their baby being “fussy,” they may want to schedule their baby’s baptism when the baby is less than a year old. However, there should be no rush to have one’s baby baptized for fear that the baby “would not go to heaven” if something happened to it. United Methodists do not believe that baptism is necessary for a baby “to go to heaven.” In fact, while United Methodists encourage parents to have their children baptized as infants, they also respect the parental decision to wait until a child is old enough to seek baptism for him- or herself.
- What if I am an adult and want to be baptized? That’s great! The baptism of a person making a first profession of faith in Christ and committing him- or herself to the disciplines of being a follower of Christ is appropriate at any age. Adult candidates for baptism will want to attend our “First Steps” session, as well as the class on baptism.
Schedule of Baptismal Classes
Baptismal Classes are scheduled on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 in Room 213 of the Sanctuary Building on the following dates: December 7, and January 4, 2012, and on Sunday afternoon, October 23 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. So that parents can give their full attention in class, the church provides childcare. To make a reservation for childcare, contact Samantha Osgood at childcarefumc@yahoo.com.Schedule of Baptism Sundays
November 13, November 27, December 25, and January 15, 2012.
