Through baptism, people are joined in faith with Jesus and accepted into the fellowship of the universal church. The water, words and actions of the sacrament are visible signs that remind us of the sacred stories of Jesus baptism, death and resurrection, some of the essential stories of the Christian church. The sacrament of baptism reminds us of Jesus baptism as His initiation into the meaning and mission of His life. The stories of death and resurrection are symbolic of our new life as children of God.
Baptism is a relationship.
It is both God's gift of forgiveness, strength, love and life, but also our human response to that gift. In the United Church of Christ people are baptized either as children or adults. Baptism with water and the Holy Spirit is the mark of acceptance into the care of Christ's church. It is a symbol of forgiveness and grace and an entrance into a life of faith, devotion and growth. In presenting a child for baptism parents promise before the congregation to assume responsibility for their child s religious growth and development.