Baptisms & Dedications

WHAT IS BAPTISM?

​The Covenant Church celebrates the sacrament of baptism for adults, youth, children, and infants as well as the dedication of infants and young children. This resource is meant to help prepare yourself or your child for that sacred moment in your life and faith. Parents, we value our partnership with you and entrust to you the decision of when your child should be baptized. We encourage you to teach and prepare them well for their baptism. So what is baptism?

Baptism is the sacred use of water, commanded by Jesus Christ, to signify God’s cleansing of our sins and our welcome into the family of God. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

While we prefer immersion (going all the way under water), the Greek word baptizo can describe other methods for baptism including sprinkling, pouring, or washing; and can be a method utilized for babies and anyone who may have concerns about being immersed. Since baptism is not the means of salvation (because we are saved by faith), nor is water the active agent in the cleansing of our sin (because it is God who cleanses us of our sin through faith), the method of how one is baptized is not as significant.

We often will describe baptism as a visible sign of God's invisible grace. It isn’t just about what you’re doing by being baptized, but about proclaiming what God has done and is doing in you. What do these signs point to?

• Baptism is a sign that God has cleansed you of your sin. Acts 22:16 says, "So what are you waiting for? Get up and call on his name. Be baptized. Have your sins washed away.” What is sin? Sin is all thoughts, words, or actions that go against God's plan for us. When we are baptized, it's important to recognize that the water does not wash your sin away. Rather, it is God who washes your sin when you put your faith in Jesus. The water simply represents that washing.

• Baptism is a sign of your faith in Jesus and that you are a follower of Jesus. Romans 6:4 says, “By being baptized, we were buried with Christ into his death. Christ has been raised from the dead by the Father’s glory. And like Christ we also can live a new life." Do you believe God raised Jesus from the grave to save us? When we go under the water, it represents both Jesus going into the grave and God putting your sin to death. Coming up out of the water represents Jesus raising back to life and God raising you to new life, free from slavery to sin. Have you put your faith in Jesus as your Savior? If yes, then you should be baptized!

• ​Baptism is a sign that you are a child of God and welcomed into the family of God (the Church). 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says, "There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink.” All of us, young and old are in the same family, baptized by the same Spirit, into the same faith. Baptism shows that we all belong to the family of God. Do you see yourself as a child of God and a part of our family?

 WHAT ABOUT INFANT BAPTISMS & DEDICATIONS?

​In the Covenant Church we practice both infant and believer baptism. Sincere Christians have differed on infant baptism for centuries. However, we have chosen to focus on what unites us rather than be divided. And so, we as Covenanters give one another the freedom to choose and encourage parents to discern for themselves whether they'd prefer to baptize or dedicate their child before our church community. Our study of the Scriptures leads us to understand that baptism is not simply the public proclamation of our faith in Jesus Christ with the emphasis on what we're doing (publicly proclaiming). Rather, our study of baptism in scripture reveals a couple of observations.

First, for the adults of the New Testament, baptism followed their faith. However, for the infants of households that were baptized together (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Corinthians 1:16; see also possibly Acts 10:47-48), baptism would have preceded their child’s faith. Baptism in the New Testament serves as the mark of belonging among God's people in the same way that circumcision (which occurred when an infant was 8 days old) served as the mark of God's people in the Old Testament (Colossians 2:11-12). Second, for the adults in the New Testament, baptism pointed backward to the moment they put their trust in Jesus and received God's grace by faith. For any infants in those New Testament households that were baptized, that mark would have pointed forward to the moment they put their trust in Jesus and received God's grace by faith.

On the other hand, the service of dedicating a baby is rooted in the biblical celebration of the blessing of birth and life. It recalls Jesus’ blessing of the children as a sign of the kingdom of God (Mark 10:13-16). It proclaims the message of God’s saving deeds in Christ for all, including children. Dedicating your baby is a special celebration for those parents who want to have this blessing of God be upon their child, but believe that baptism is to be reserved for those who make a conscious choice in confession of faith. Grateful for the gift of a child (Psalm 127:3), the parents are accepting their responsibility of nurturing the child, filling their home with the love and grace of God and naturally seeking God’s help and wisdom.

When God has blessed us with the precious gift of a child, it seems right to respond to God with thankfulness and a fresh commitment. The emphasis in the baby dedication is on the personal pledge of parents to raise them in a way that is pleasing to God. This baby dedication is an indication of the parent’s desire for their child to one day make that personal commitment of faith in Jesus Christ. Parents who dedicate their child look forward to the day when the child hears the word, repents, believes and is baptized.

The difference between an infant baptism and an infant dedication is found in this: with infant baptisms, the emphasis is completely on what God has already graciously done for us through Jesus Christ, fully recognizing that one day this child will still have to choose Jesus for themselves. In infant dedications, the emphasis is on the personal pledge of parents to raise and nurture their child in a loving Christian home. As parents, you get to decided which one is best for your family.