There is one Body and one Spirit;

There is one hope in God’s call to us;

One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism;

One God and Father of all.

Just as we are born into a biological family, so also we are born again into God’s family (John 3:3). Through putting our faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins, we are set free from sin and death, and then called to publicly confess this faith in the sacrament of Baptism (Acts 2:38). This sacrament is an outward and visible sign of what has happened when we are 'born again', being united to Christ, who was also baptized, in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4) and made a member of His people, the church. This is both a local and universal reality: baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is recognized by all churches everywhere (Ephesians 4:5) but it is also experienced in the context of a local congregation. At every baptism, the community vows to “do all in our power to support these persons in their life in Christ” (BCP 165). This means we’ll support you as you follow Jesus with us. And if you’re baptizing your children, we’ll be here with you as you raise them to know Jesus personally. Baptisms are done publicly and not privately because this illustrates that our faith exists in the community. To belong to Christ is to belong to His people.

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