Holy Baptism is one of the major sacraments of the Church. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace. The outward sign in Baptism is water. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the inward grace is the promise of God's unconditional love, presence and forgiveness in our lives for all time, and that when we die we will be resurrected in heaven with God.
 
Baptism is also the church's official rite of initiation, signifying that the person is entitled to all of the benefits of church membership, such as receiving Holy Communion, participation in all activities and committees, and holding most elected offices. People of all ages from infants to seniors are welcome to be baptized. While the majority who are baptized are under two years old, it is very common to see older children, teenagers and adults baptized.
 
For teenagers and adults Baptism is the outward sign to the community that the person believes that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior; that through Christ the person knows this grace of God. For babies and young children Baptism is the outward sign promising God's grace forever. The parents and godparents promise to bring the child to church and teach the child the Christian faith until the child is of an age to proclaim it for themselves at Confirmation or reject it.

Scheduling a Baptism

Baptisms are performed during either the 9:45 or the 11:15 Sunday service, typically one Sunday per month. While it is most often the second Sunday of the month, the church office has the exact schedule of dates six months in advance. Call the church office 882-5352 to schedule a date. Once a date and time is determined you will be asked to meet with one of the clergy to go over the details of the Baptism and record vital information about the person being baptized and other family members. 

Choosing Godparents/Sponsors

For babies and children, the responsibilities of a Godparent fall to the parent(s). Therefore at Good Shepherd we ask parent(s) to be Godparents to their child. We also ask the parent(s) to determine who would have custody of the child if the parents were to die. These persons should be designated as Godparents to the child. Being a Godparent has no legal status. We strongly encourage parents to execute a Last Will and Testament, designating these people as legal guardians of their children upon their deaths. If there are any other friends or relatives that you would like to ask or need to ask under threat of being "excommunicated" from your family, they can be designated as additional Godparents.
 
If a teenager or adult is being Baptized, they are to choose a sponsor, whose primary role is to present them to be Baptized during the service. A sponsor must be a Baptized Christian.

Rehearsal

A rehearsal will be scheduled the day before the Baptism. All parents and Godparents/sponsors are to be at this rehearsal.