Baptism - NHCC

We rejoice at the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of baptism with members and friends of this parish. Baptism is God’s gift, celebrated and sealed by our action. It is one of two sacraments in the Protestant church, and baptism with water and the Holy Spirit that includes the traditional Trinitarian formula is recognized across denominations and divisions of the Christian family. In many ways it is the one thing on which we (almost) all agree. You are baptized once and for all, and even if you change churches it doesn’t need to be repeated.

For baptism at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC, we ask that you meet with a pastor and establish some relationship with our worshipping community. We hope that you will come for more than just one day, but since we see baptism as God’s gift we know that it is given beyond simply our own membership walls.

Since baptism is a sacrament, there is no charge for it. It is undertaken occasionally as the request arises, generally not on the first Sunday of the month when we celebrate communion. In addition to the traditional Trinitarian formula (“in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit…”) our pastor has embraced the use of a several-decades-old additional prayer: “… one God who is Mother of us all.” This maintains our historic faith and recognizes both our inclusive spirit and our theological awareness and growth.

Is baptism only for infants? Absolutely not. Infants, children, teens, and adults all have special opportunities to receive this gift. Our pastor has baptized folks in their eighties, which is quite a celebration!

To learn more about baptism, please contact us.

The Meaning of Baptism

Baptism is the sign of new life through Jesus Christ. It unites the one baptized with Christ and with His people. The New Testament scriptures and the liturgy of the Church unfold the meaning of baptism in various images that express the riches of Christ and the gifts of his salvation. These images are sometimes linked with the symbolic uses of water in the Old Testament.

Baptism is participation in Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12); a washing away of sin (1 Cor. 6:11); a new birth (John 3:5); an enlightenment by Christ (Eph. 5:14); a reclothing in Christ (Gal. 3:27); a renewal by the Spirit (Titus 3:5); the experience of salvation from the flood (1 Peter 3:20-21); an exodus from bondage (1 Cor. 10:1-2) and a liberation into a new humanity in which barriers of division whether of sex or race or social status are transcended (Gal. 3:27-28; 1 Cor. 12:13). The images are many but the reality is one.