BAPTISM

Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into the Body of Christ (the Church Universal). Through this sacrament, the church recalls the sacred history of God's faithfulness to His people through the sign of the water: creation itself, the rivers of the Garden of Eden, Noah and the rainbow covenant, Moses and the miraculous division of the water, Jesus baptized in the River Jordan, Jesus washing his disciples' feet.

Baptism has a two-fold symbol. With children, the primary symbol is that God loves us before  we are able to respond. The parents make the vows, as does the church.  The baptized child will join the church later and make his/her own commitment to Christ at that time. When someone receives baptism as a youth or adult, that person takes the vows for him or herself. Baptism again becomes a sign of God’s love reaching us, only this time, we respond for ourselves. We understand God’s love for us while admitting that we are sinners. Water symbolizes that we are “washed” or “cleansed” from our sin.

Once baptized, always baptized! We recognize the baptism of other Christian churches as valid , and thus, if you were baptized before in another Christian church, you will not be “re-baptize.  With the sacrament of Baptism, it is very important to remember that it is not the volume of water used – the sacrament is an outward sign that tells others that we have trusted in Christ as our Savior.

At Severna Park United Methodist Church, the sacrament of baptism is offered to infants, children, youth and adults by appointment with the pastor who, with the family, will select a date (we baptize on all Sundays except the first  Sunday of the month).  At least one parent must be a member of Severna Park United Methodist Church.

After the date has been determined, the child's family and/or the adult to be baptized will meet with the pastor for a pre-baptism conference during which the meaning and practice of the sacrament will be reviewed.

For more information or to set-up an appointment with the pastor, please call the church office at 410-987-4700 and ask for the Pastor's Assistant, Loretta Koshkin.