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If you are anticipating baptism for your child/ren, classes are offered 4 times per year, August, November, January and May. The class includes three different but related experiences:
- A workbook designed to help parents or individuals anticipating baptism to grow in their own relationship with Jesus and write their own faith story.
- Three large groups sessions to explore what Baptism is and isn’t and how to partner with God in raising their children to know Christ and live in a relationship with Him.
- Each large group session is followed by a small group time to share and connect with others. The discussions will focus on what it means to follow Jesus in everyday life as families and individuals.
To register for the class, you can link from the baptism page or call the church office. During the class, the process to schedule the baptism will be shared along with the forms.
Large Group Sessions:
August 12, 19, 26 - (Wednesdays) 210-211 - 6:30-8:00 pm
November 4,11,18 - (Wednesdays) 210-211 - 6:30-8:00 pm
January 27, Feb 3, Feb 10 - (Wednesdays) 210-211 - 6:30-8:00 pm
May 3, 12, and 19 - (Mondays) 218-219 - 6:30-8:00 pm |
What is “baptism” and why do we do it?
Since the time of Jesus, people who follow him have been baptized. “Baptize” is a Greek word that means to dip or immerse something in water. According to one version of the story, the last command Jesus gave to his followers was, “As you are going, make disciples of all the nations; do this by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to obey all the things I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus commanded his followers to baptize as a part of “making disciples” or recruiting people to be followers of Jesus.
Today nearly all Christian churches practice some form of baptism. At Central, we usually baptize babies, but older children and adults are sometimes baptized as well. We most often baptize by “sprinkling,” that is, pouring a little bit of water over the head of the person baptized.
What does baptism mean?
If you are baptized, two things happen. First, God claims you as his very own. He is your God and you are his person. Second, either you, or if you were very young when you were baptized, someone who spoke for you, made promises to God. Parents promise to raise a baptized child in faith, teaching them what it means to live in a relationship with Jesus. They promise to provide their child with a Bible, to teach them to pray, and to bring them to worship.
These two things are the two important sides of baptism. God makes promises to us and we respond by making promises back to God.
What does the Bible say about baptism?
The Bible has many helpful things to say about baptism. One of the most interesting passages is in the book of Romans in the New Testament, in chapter six. Paul writes that “you were buried therefore, through baptism into death, so that just as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.” In some way, baptism joins us to Jesus’ death and his resurrection. Paul goes on to say in the next couple chapters that because we have died in baptism and God has given us a new life, we are now to turn from our old rebellious ways and live our lives focused on God, by the power of his Holy Spirit who lives in us.
The Bible never promises us that baptism is an automatic guarantee to heaven. The Bible does not say that not being baptized will keep someone out of heaven. Rather, the Bible seems to say that baptism is a benefit not for those who are dying, but for the living. We need all the strength and help we can get to walk with Jesus each day – and the gifts of God, given to us in baptism, equip us for this life!
Why do we baptize infants at Central?
In the time when the early church was just starting out, most of the people who were baptized were adults. Because people were hearing about Jesus for the first time, there were no “Christian” families. There are a few stories, however, of whole households being baptized, and we can assume that these households included small children and even babies.
Infant baptism became a fairly common practice when committed followers of Jesus had children. It was natural to assume that these children would be raised in a relationship with Jesus. Why not baptize them?
This is still the reasoning behind infant baptism today. We baptize a child not based on their own faith, but based on the faith of their parents and on the commitment the parents make to raise that child knowing Jesus. Parents have a huge impact on their children, and committed Christian parents most often raise committed Christian kids.
Do we baptize adults and / or older children?
If a person has not been baptized in a Christian church, we will baptize them at any age. Though it only happens a few times a year, we love to baptize adults and older children. We’ve even had the privilege of baptizing a parent on the same day – in the same water! – as their child.
I was baptized as an infant, but I don’t remember it and want to be baptized again. Some churches allow or even encourage believers to be baptized more than once. Baptism in these churches becomes a public statement that God has done something remarkable in my life. At Central, we believe that baptism is a one-time deal. In other words, even if you don’t remember it, you can still put your trust in the promises God made to you in your baptism. God’s promises don’t depend on your memory – thank goodness!
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been baptized. What can I do?
We’d love to help. First we’ll try to figure out whether you’ve been baptized or not. We might ask parents or check church records where you grew up. If we can’t find out anything for certain, we can do a provisional baptism – meaning that we baptize you and claim God’s promises for you, recognizing that it might have been done before. Many people in this situation appreciate the peace of mind a “provisional” baptism gives them.
What are “sponsors” and who can serve in this way?
When a child is baptized, parents make promises to raise him / her in the knowledge of Jesus. To help put those promises into practice, most parents choose sponsors – sometimes called “godparents.” Many years ago, when life was much less certain, godparents would take responsibility for a child’s spiritual (and sometimes physical) well-being if the parents died. Today, sponsors are most often an additional resource person to help the child grow closer to Jesus. It is still important to choose sponsors who will take this duty seriously, rather than simply choosing them to honor a favorite relative.
What promises does God make in baptism?
In baptism, God joins us to the death and resurrection of Jesus. He promises to adopt us as his children. He claims us as his own and he offers himself to us, because we are now part of his family.
In some ways, the baptism of a child or infant is much like when parents adopt a child. The child doesn’t choose the parents. When the child grows older, he or she may rebel against being part of this family. But that doesn’t mean that he / she is no longer part of the family.
Another promise God makes is that in baptism we receive the Holy Spirit – that is, that God puts his Spirit inside the baptized person. If you have been baptized, the Holy Spirit lives within you. The Bible encourages all believers to be continually filled with the Spirit, so this is not a “once for all time” thing. But it is an important beginning.
It is important that parents and sponsors teach their child about the promises God made. It is not God who fails to make baptism important – most often it is the parents who fail to teach their child what baptism means. We need to take Jesus’ command seriously on behalf of our children – that we are to make disciples of our children through two practices – first, baptizing them, and second, teaching them to obey Jesus. In this way, our children are equipped to know God’s love and to experience all the good things he promises in baptism!
What promises do parents and sponsors make in baptism?
During the baptism service, parents and sponsors reject the devil and all his empty promises. By doing this we acknowledge that we live in a world where evil is a reality, and that we choose to be on God’s side. Parents and sponsors also promise to help their child grow to know Jesus personally. Some specific ways we do this are to bring our children to worship, to teach them to pray, to read the Bible with them. At Central we are committed to helping parents do these things. If you want to help your child know Jesus, please ask for help. We have many people on staff who would be very excited to support you in this process!
I’m a parent – how can I influence my child?
Parents’ actions speak louder than their words. Parents may say church is important, but if they drop their child off for Sunday School and then go out for brunch each Sunday, the child will learn that church IS important – until you’re about 15. Then brunch is important. The best way to help your child grow in faith is to be growing in your own faith! We also have many opportunities at Central to help you do just that.
One great way to grow in your faith is through Alpha. Alpha is a basic, practical introduction to the Christian faith. Even if you’ve been a Christian for decades, you’ll learn new things. Better yet, you’ll make friendships that are centered in talking about who Jesus is and some of the hard questions of life. Your child will certainly grow as they watch you grow!
Why do we baptize by “sprinkling” instead of “immersion”?
As far as we can tell, the early church practiced baptism by immersion – that is, dipping the whole body in a lake, river, etc. In deserts or during droughts, church leaders recognized that the amount of water was not important – it was any amount of water, together with God’s word proclaimed, that made baptism valid.
The Lutheran churches in the 1500’s and beyond developed mostly in countries in northern Europe – countries where the winters can be cold, and immersing a baby in January might not be a good idea. So we adopted the common Roman Catholic practice of sprinkling. Lutherans recovered the emphasis on proclaiming God’s word – his promises – as part of baptism. But though Martin Luther himself recognized that immersion is a better symbol of dying and rising with Christ (see Romans 6), he said that sprinkling was certainly good enough.
Today, we could certainly build churches with heated tubs. But generally, we have chosen to focus on God’s word rather than the amount of water. If you feel strongly that you want to be baptized by immersion, we can find a way to arrange that (probably during the summer!) – talk to one of our pastors. But for now, we will continue to proclaim God’s promises and splash a little bit of water – still enough to make a mess – over those who are baptized.
What about a “private” baptism?
Once in a while we get a request for a private baptism. Usually there are a couple reasons for the request. Most often, someone is embarrassed to be in front of a crowd. If this is the issue, please contact Pastor Jeff Krogstad.
The other reason we get this request is that someone has family coming in from out of town for a very limited period of time for a family reunion, etc. There are two questions to ask at this point. First, who is going to be the primary “family of faith” for the baptized person? Baptism carries with it the idea of being involved in a community. If it’s only about the family reunion, and the baptized person and / or family will never be involved at Central, then it is hypocritical to insist on involving the church and getting a pastor to do the baptism. Have Grandpa do the baptism during the reunion. If Central is going to be the primary “family of faith” for this person, then we’ll work with you to find a way to enable as many family members as possible to attend a baptism at a worship service.
The second question to ask is, how does your family – especially the parents, if the baptized person is very young – live out a relationship with Jesus right now? Is your faith a “private” thing? It’s been said that there is no such thing as “private Christianity.” Either the Christianity destroys the privacy, or the privacy destroys the Christianity. Christianity is a public commitment. So we encourage people to make baptism a public act.
Having said all that, we have done a few baptisms for very small groups of people. Usually we ask the person being baptized and / or family members to do some extra preparation so we’re sure there is a clear faith in Jesus present in this family. Sometimes we do these baptisms to accommodate an awkward medical condition or some other extreme situation. And we try in every case to have representatives from the congregation present, so the baptism does not take place “in private” but in the public life of Central Lutheran – even if the “congregation” at that baptism is only a handful of people.
How can I learn more about baptism?
Pastor Paul Johansson or Pastor Jeff Krogstad would be happy to visit with you on the phone, in person, or via email to discuss baptism or any other concern. We also have some great material to help families prepare for baptism. Several times during the year, we offer a “pre-baptism class” for parents of children or for older individuals who are anticipating a baptism. We talk about what baptism means and how families can help each other grow in relationship with Jesus. Anyone is welcome to attend these classes. Call the church office to register.
I’m a parent – what can I do to make my child’s baptism special?
Start by thinking and / or talking about your own baptism. When was it? Who was there? Where did it take place? Do you have photos or other memorabilia?
Then talk with your family or with your child about the upcoming baptism. What does it mean? Why is it important to you?
Third, attend the pre-baptism class at Central. You’ll receive some helpful materials on baptism as well as guidelines on how to share your faith with your child.
Fourth, plan to purchase a videotape of the baptism (pre-order at least a couple weeks in advance, please) or – better yet – have people who are at the baptism share their memories on video, in writing, etc. Keep those memories alive and share them with the person who was baptized at an appropriate time.
One thing you can do if you have a small child being baptized is to remind them whenever you bathe them of their baptism. Tell them the story and pour water over their head. Remind them that because they were baptized, God made a promise to them that he loves them very much and they are part of his family.
How does baptism connect with Confirmation?
When small children are baptized, their parents make promises on their behalf. When a child grows into their teen years, it is important for them to understand why their parents had them baptized – to help them grow closer to Jesus – and then to take ownership of that relationship. Instead of being Mom’s or Dad’s faith, it needs to become their own. Confirmation is ideally a time when teens examine Christianity and (hopefully!) take ownership of their relationship with Jesus.
Read the Top Ten Ways to live out your baptism!
- Learn to pray. If you already know how, spend more time in prayer.
- Read the Bible. Find a group of people who are reading together and join them.
- Start a daily time with God. Get a devotional book or read a few Bible verses each day. Ask him to help you grow closer to him.
- Take the Alpha course or another class that will help you grow.
- Make a commitment to worship God each week, then follow through on that commitment.
- Volunteer at your church. Call the office and find out how you can help.
- Volunteer in your community and look for chances to share your faith with others, either through words or actions.
- Give a percentage of your income to your church. Increase it by a percentage point each year until you reach 10%.
- Talk with others about what they think of Jesus.
- Talk with other believers about how their relationship with God is growing.
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