Baptism at Redeemer
Baptism is a visible sign of being a member of God's kingdom. Not only did Jesus command us all to be baptized, but it also unites us into community.
Baptism at Redeemer
"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
Our desire is unity around the Gospel. Historically, faithful Christians have held varying views of baptism. Our church has a range of beliefs about the practice of baptism. Therefore, because of varying convictions, we offer three forms of commitment: Believer's Baptism, Infant Baptism, and Infant Dedication.
Believer's Baptism
Believer's Baptism is a visible symbol of being a member of God's kingdom and a Christian's union with Jesus. It is a step of obedience in following him and was commanded by our Lord and his apostles for those who, through faith and repentance, have become followers of Jesus Christ.
In believer's baptism, we bear witness using a physical sign to point to an inner spiritual reality. It should be understood that a person is not saved by baptism. Rather, baptism signifies that he or she has already believed in Jesus and is a public profession of their belief and faith. Those who are baptized have also been joined together with others who share a relationship with Jesus and follow him together within the life of the church.
Infant Baptism and Dedication
In infant baptism, we baptize babies of believing parents as a sign of entrance into the visible community and commit to aiding the parents in raising and discipling their children. It should be understood that a child is not saved through baptism. Rather, baptized infants are marked as having a special relationship with God's people through their parents, with the hope of their coming to faith in Christ.
In infant dedication, we dedicate babies of believing parents and commit to aiding the parents in raising and discipling their children. We do this for parents who hold to believer's baptism. Dedicated infants are marked as having a special relationship with God's people through their parents, with the hope of their coming to faith in Christ.
Whether we dedicate or baptize infants, we do so because we have a hope that they will come to saving faith in Christ. To facilitate this, 5th graders go through the Compass Class where we teach children how to live out their faith with the goal of students either coming to faith or making their faith their own.
Questions?
Redeemer lives in the tension of either dedicating or baptizing the children of believers. We do not consider this difference in biblical understanding to be an essential of the faith, and, therefore, we practice both to allow for the varying biblical convictions of our members and attenders.
We understand that this can be a divisive issue. We do not believe that it needs to be. Being a part of the EFCA, we are part of a denomination that practices both believer's baptism and infant baptism.
If you have any questions about how we practice or what we mean, speak with one of our pastors.
