Baptism in the Anglican Church
Just as we are born into a biological family, we are born again into God’s family (John 3:3). Christians experience this rebirth through baptism, which is a sacrament. It is the outward and visible sign of our unity with Christ in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4) and our membership in his Body, the Church.
This is both a local and universal reality: Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is recognized by all churches everywhere (Eph. 4:5) but it is also experienced in the context of a local congregation. At every baptism, the community vows to “do all in our power to support these persons in their life in Christ” (BCP 165). This means we’ll support you as you follow Jesus with us. And if you’re baptizing your children (see below), we’ll be here with you as you raise them to know Jesus personally.
Baptisms are done publicly, usually during Sunday worship when the whole church is gathered, either by pouring at the baptismal font (see pictured) or immersion, which we do at the lake at least once per year for adults and older children. This illustrates that our personal faith exists in community. To belong to Christ is to belong to His people. For this reason, baptized Christians gather regularly for corporate worship that culminates in Table Fellowship (Acts 2:42). At Village Church, baptized children are encouraged to participate in Sunday worship and are welcome to receive communion at their parents’ discretion.
Signs and Symbols
Christian worship is rich with symbolism. Tangible elements like water, bread, and wine incorporate our senses and remind us that we are saved as embodied persons. At baptism, water symbolizes cleansing (Eph. 5:25-26) and rebirth (John 3:5). White garments and cloths, either worn by the baptizand or used by the priest to dry the baptizand’s head, represent the pure righteousness of Christ bestowed on us (Gal 3:27). The candle presented to sponsors, lit by the paschal or altar candle, symbolizes the light of Christ present in each individual Christian. It may be lit each year on the anniversary of the baptism to assist in remembering and retelling the events of the special day.
You may also notice that the baptismal font resides in the entryway of the church to serve as a reminder that we enter the community of faith by way of this rebirth. Children and adults are welcome to touch the water before entering the sanctuary to help them remember their baptism.
Almighty God, by our baptism into the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, you turn us from the old life of sin: Grant that we, being reborn to new life in him, may live in righteousness and holiness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For Parents
Why is it appropriate to baptize children?
This is question 108 in our Catechism and the answer given is this: “Because it is a sign of God’s promise that they are embraced in the covenant community of Christ’s Church. Those who in faith and repentance present infants to be baptized vow to raise them in the knowledge and fear of the Lord, with the expectation that they will one day profess full Christian faith as their own (Acts 2:39).”
Both the history of Israel and of the Church show us that the people of God have always embraced a corporate identity that included very young children. Jewish boys received the covenant sign of circumcision at eight days old (Gen. 17:12). At Pentecost, the promise of baptism was offered to those who believed and to their children (Acts 2:38-39). Baptisms were often performed households at a time (Acts 16:15, 33). To baptize young children is to welcome them into the community of faith and to vow to raise them accordingly. Parents and godparents vow to “see that this child is taught, as soon as he is able to learn, the meaning of these vows, and of the Faith that you will profess as revealed in the Holy Scriptures” (BCP p. 163). Baptized children are called to embrace Jesus personally as they grow and to publicly “confirm” their faith through the rite of confirmation as teenagers.
Godparents
The Book of Common Prayer states that “each candidate for Holy Baptism is to be sponsored by one or more baptized persons” (p. 160). In the case of young children, these sponsors are commonly called godparents, and they take vows along with the child’s parents on behalf of their candidate(s). Godparents do not have any legal responsibility nor do they need to belong to an Anglican church. However, godparents should be committed Christians who are willing to invest in the spiritual formation of your child and able to support you as you raise them to know Christ. The traditional pattern is to choose two or even three godparents. Here is a resource to share with godparents.
First Communion
The sacramental life of the church begins with baptism and continues with communion. All who are born into God’s Family are welcome at His Table and are encouraged to come and receive this special means of grace. Discerning the appropriate time to invite your baptized children to Holy Communion is part of your ministry as a Christian parent.
Some parents want their children to receive the elements as early as possible, since our reception of grace is not dependent on our merit or comprehension. Other families choose to wait until their children demonstrate a desire and/or readiness to receive Communion in personal faith. Please use this resource to prepare your child for first Communion and reach out to one of our clergy to schedule a Sunday for this wonderful moment!