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Baptism

Baptism is an initiation ceremony. This is a ceremony that makes a person a member of something. In this case, someone who is baptized becomes a member of the Christian community.

A number of Christian traditions teach that baptism is a sacrament, which means that it is an outward sign of giving of God’s grace and salvation to a person. Christians look upon baptism as the beginning of a life-long relationship with God.

Baptism signifies the beginning of new life, so Christians believe it right that children should be received into the family of the Church at an early age. This way, they could then grow up surrounded by the beliefs and teachings of the Church. Nowadays, infant baptism is the most familiar Christian initiation ceremony. Many traditions baptize young children, including:

Children are usually baptized by the sprinkling of water on the head. However, in the Orthodox Church, young children are fully immersed in the water.

As the infant is too young to make statements of beliefs and vows to God, and parents are the most significant inspiration on a child’s life, they are the ones who are responsible for making sure that the child is bo


It is the baptism of those who are old enough to make their own decision. The candidate understands the commitment being made. The method of baptism is by total immersion. The ceremony may take place in a pool inside the church building. The pool is called a baptistery, it is positioned at the front of the building to show the importance of baptism in that tradition. When it is not in use, it is covered. A candidate may also be baptized in a river, swimming pool, the sea or any other source of running water.

There is a clear pattern running through stories of baptism in the early Church. One experience naturally leads to another:

Repentance of sins and God’s forgiveness

The Salvation Army and the Society of Friends (the Quakers) do not hold services of baptism because they think it is unnecessary to have outward, visible symbols of their commitment. It is not the ceremony that is important, but the person and close relationship each believer has with God.

It unites a Christian with other Christian worshippers.

Many Christians believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given at baptism. The Holy Spirit enters the baptism person and gives new life; their life is dedicated to God. The ceremony marks a new beginning in the Christian’s life. It is a fresh start.

There are a number of occasions in the New Testament which show the importance of baptism for the early Christians. Mark records that many people came to John (the Baptist) in the desert to repe

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