BAPTISM

Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God it is life-giving water which by grace gives new birth through the Holy Spirit.
– Martin Luther, The Small Catechism

In Christian baptism, some very important promises are made! So everyone involved in this important sacrament understands and takes those promises seriously, Trinity Lutheran Church offers baptism preparation and instruction on the meaning and responsibility of baptism. Every family scheduling their first baptism at Trinity is required to participate in completing a Baptism Milestone kit and attending a meeting with a pastor.

So what are the important promises made in baptism?

  • First, in or through baptism we hear God’s promise (through the church and the pastor’s words) that we are children of God, loved and embraced for all eternity. We baptize infants because this promise of God is given to each person even before they can comprehend what it means. What a gracious and loving God!
  • The second promise is our pledge, as parents, sponsors, and congregation, to support, nurture, and teach each child baptized, to model and share the meaning of God’s love, grace, and promise. How else will they know?  As each child grows in years, this partnership between parents, sponsors, and the congregation explores the instruction of the Christian faith across generations through worship, faith formation, sacrament, service, and justice.
  • Finally, we believe that parents are the pastors of their families and the primary influencers in the faith. Parents and sponsors promise to not just bring their children to church, but to continue to grow in their own faith as well, watering and nourishing the seeds of faith that God has planted in your beloved family.

God’s promise and our pledges make baptism a significant and sacred milestone in the lives of the whole body of Christ at Trinity.

Some details to assist you in planning:

  1. Consider who you wish to have as baptismal sponsors. Sponsors or God-parents are people who promise to pray for, support and encourage the child in their faith formation and development. Usually one or two people serve in this role and are typically 18 or older.
  2. There are two steps to the current baptism process at Trinity: 1) Pick up and complete the Baptism Milestone kit which walks you through an orientation and overview of God’s vision for us through Water and Word. 2) Attend a meeting (about 45-minutes) with the “baptizing” pastor, who will walk through the nuts and bolts of sponsors, gifts/certificates, and the order of the service, as well as answer any questions you might have.
  3. Contact Jeannie in the church office to start the process.

We are so excited to walk with you through this new birth in the Body of Christ at Trinity. We hope and pray that you are uplifted by this community and that we together bear God’s redeeming love in Christ to the world.