Belonging, Learning, Connecting in Grace

Baptism

Baptism in the United Church

When someone is baptized in the United Church of Canada, that baptism is recognized by all denominations of the Christian church that practise infant baptism. In the same way, if someone has already been baptized in another church at any age, the United Church recognizes their baptism and welcomes them as Christians.

Baptism is not a requirement for God’s love. We believe people who die without baptism are in no way condemned, lost, or damned, but that everyone is a beloved child of God.

Having said that, the United Church believes that baptism consists of important promises that are made between the person being baptised, the community of faith, and God. Those promises are about the kind of relationship we want to be in with God, through Jesus. We understand that baptism is one of the two “sacraments” of the church – rituals that Jesus himself directed people to do. We understand that a sacrament is an action making God’s love known that we do externally to recognize what God has already done internally.

Baptisms at Grace

Baptism is a celebration of thanksgiving for a new life entering the church community, recognizing that every person is a beloved child of God.  If you are thinking about having your child baptized, or being baptized YOURSELF, at Grace United Church, we invite you to give prayerful consideration to what you find here.