Baptism has a
two-fold symbol. With children, the primary symbol is that God loves us
before we are able to respond. The parents make the vows, as does
the church. The baptized child will join the church later and make
his/her own commitment to Christ at that time. When someone receives
baptism as a youth or adult, that person takes the vows for him or
herself. Baptism again becomes a sign of God’s love reaching us, only
this time, we respond for ourselves. We understand God’s love for us
while admitting that we are sinners. Water symbolizes that we are
“washed” or “cleansed” from our sin.
Once baptized,
always baptized! We recognize the baptism of other Christian churches as
valid , and thus, if you were baptized before in another Christian
church, you will not be “re-baptized.” With the sacrament of
Baptism, it is very important to remember that it is not the volume of
water used – the sacrament is an outward sign that tells others that we
have trusted in Christ as our Savior.
At Severna
Park United Methodist Church, the sacrament of baptism is offered to
infants, children, youth and adults.
Parents who
wish to have their infants or children baptized need to attend a onetime
baptism class to learn about the sacrament of baptism and their role as
their child’s spiritual leader. The dates for future classes are shown
on the
Current Events page. Please
plan ahead for this important sacrament in your child’s life.
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