Baptism
Jesus Christ instituted this outward washing and with it gave the promise that as surely as water washes away dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and Spirit wash away our impurities. We believe this promise is for us and our children.
The sacrament of baptism reminds and assures us that “as surely as water washes away dirt from the body, so certainly [Christ’s] blood and his Spirit wash away . . . all [our] sins” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. and A. 69). And because “infants as well as adults are in God’s covenant and are his people,” they, “no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin” and thus “by baptism . . . should be received into the Christian church. . . . This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism”
(Heidelberg Catechism, Q. and A. 74).
The usual method of baptism is by the sprinkling of water on the forehead of the person to be baptized. The CRC employs infant baptism (for children of believing parents) as well as adult baptism (for adults who join but have not previously been baptized in a Christian church); an adult who is baptized is also called upon to make a public profession of his or her faith in Christ.
Parents or adults are asked to contact us to learn more and have our senior pastor reach out to you to discuss the sacrament and its meaning and schedule a time when baptism will be administered.
