WHAT IS BAPTISM?

Baptism is a holy act (a sacrament) commanded by Jesus Christ. Through water and God’s powerful word, baptism welcomes us into God’s family, rescues us from sin and its consequences, and provides us with a way of living in faith each day of our lives. 

WHAT IMPACT DOES BAPTISM MAKE?

In baptism, God gives us the blessings that Jesus Christ won for us through his life, death, and resurrection— the gifts of life, forgiveness, and salvation. Through faith in Jesus Christ, the baptized person experiences a heart change. We daily repent of our sins (turn away from them) and place our faith (trust) in Jesus Christ. We daily die to sin and rise to live with him as God’s beloved children.

WHAT SHOULD FOLLOW BAPTISM?

After baptism, parents should be intentional to teach their children the Christian faith—the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. This will look differently as your child grows. At an early age, parents should read a children’s Bible with their children (we recommend The Hear Me Read Bible or The Jesus Storybook Bible) and share in daily prayers at meals and bedtime. As your child grows older, this will mean attending Sunday school and confirmation classes, while continuing to have faith conversations at home. Most importantly, this means sitting with your child at church each week. This is the single most important hour of the week for your child that will shape his/her heart to be a follower of Jesus! While children may sometimes be noisy or restless, they are always welcome in God’s house! To help you in the task of modeling and teaching the faith at home, our Director of Family Discipleship, Tais Brekke, will be in contact with you. She helps our families grow together at each age and stage of life.

Who is eligible for baptism at Holy Cross?

The children of parents who are members in good standing and consistent attendance at Holy Cross, or the children of parents who are in the process of becoming committed members at Holy Cross. For older children, teens, and adults, we provide some basic teaching in the Christian faith before baptism. The depth and duration of this teaching depends upon the age of the person. 

What if one parent is not a member or not interested in becoming a member?

We strongly encourage both parents to be growing in their faith at Holy Cross together as they raise their children in the faith. However, at times only one parent is committed to this process. This does not prohibit a child from being baptized. We are committed to praying for and conversing with your spouse if he/she is not a Christian, or if he/she is a member of another church. Our overall goal is that you would be supported in this journey so that your child receives consistent support and encouragement. For those who desire membership, we offer a quarterly H3 class, which goes over the head, heart, and habits of the Christian faith. This class also prepares adults for Baptism and Holy Communion at Holy Cross. 

Who should we choose as sponsors?

Baptismal sponsors will play a profound role in the Christian faith of your child. Sponsors will remind your child of his/her baptism, pray for his/her faith growth, encourage you to take your child to worship, and in extreme cases, will ensure that your children remain in worship and continue to grow as Christians in your absence. For this reason, sponsors should be chosen prayerfully and carefully. Sponsors should be members in good standing of a church in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). Sponsors should exhibit a mature Christian faith through consistent worship, prayer, and study of the Scriptures. In the event that family members or friends do not fit this description of faith, we encourage you to consider another member of Holy Cross to fulfill this role. 

Who baptizes at Holy Cross?

The called pastors of Holy Cross—Pastor John or Pastor Tim—perform all baptisms at Holy Cross. Since the pastors of Holy Cross will be responsible for the growth and development of your child, it’s proper that they would perform their baptism as well. If a baptism takes place outside of the congregation (for example, a child baptized shortly after birth due to emergency), this baptism will be publicly recognized in worship.

When do baptisms take place?

Normally, baptisms take place at one of the scheduled worship services. Since baptism is a public welcoming of a person into the body of Christ, it’s important that other members of the body be present. Doing so communicates the relationship baptism creates not only between us and God, but also between us and God’s community—the church. Private baptisms are discouraged and only permitted in the case of health concerns. Usually baptisms are scheduled on a non-communion Sunday (2nd, 4th, or 5th weekends of each month). This prevents services from going over on time, since communion services usually take longer. Baptisms also typically take place at the beginning of the worship service. 

When should someone come to baptism?

We encourage parents to bring their children to baptism as soon as possible after birth. Since baptism gives such amazing blessings, we don’t want to distance our children from these blessings for months or years after birth. For older children, teens, and adults, we encourage baptism to take place as soon as possible, but only after an opportunity to teach age appropriate basics of the Christian faith.