Baptism at Bethlehem

Holy Baptism is one of the two sacraments of the Lutheran Church. Baptism is our entry into the Family of God. We practice infant baptism in order to stress that Baptism is a gift from God, and it is primarily something that God does. Therefore Baptism can be done at any age.

We leave the decision up to the parents about when they want to have their child baptized. Parents should not feel pressured to have their baby baptized “right away”. When the parents feel they are ready to have their child baptized they should contact the church office and arrange for a meeting with the pastor. At this meeting materials about baptism are shared. Parents are reminded of their responsibilities in raising their child in the life of the church. And the order of service for Holy Baptism is reviewed.

Parents are encouraged to choose baptismal sponsors for their child. These sponsors stand up with the parents at the time of baptism and they present the children for baptism. They play a key role in the spiritual development of the child.

​Except in extreme circumstances Baptism is always conducted during the regular Sunday morning worship service. This is done in order to stress the importance of the role of the congregation, as the child’s spiritual family, in supporting the child in his or her spiritual growth, and supporting the parents in their raising of the child in the life of the church.
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When an adult wishes to be baptized, he or she should contact the pastor to arrange for classes in faith formation. The baptismal candidate may also want to consider a “mini” confirmation service as part of the baptism.

Contact Pastor Rich for more information.