Baptism is the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith. The sacrament of baptism gives us identity as the people for whom Jesus Christ lived, died, and was resurrected. In baptism we are incorporated into the community of God’s people, the body of Christ. Our United Methodist theology notes that it makes no difference whether you are baptized as an adult or as a child; we all start on that journey at baptism.

For the child, the journey of faith begins not only in the family, but also in the nurturing community of the church. This community promises to help nurture the child in their Christian faith. At the appropriate time, often between the ages of 11-14, the child will make his or her first confession of faith in the rite of passage the church traditionally calls Confirmation.

For the infant, the baptismal commitment is made by the parent(s) or guardian that they will raise their child in the virtues and values of faith. In the New Testament at the time of Pentecost, whole households were baptized – men, women, and children. We know, also, that Jesus said to “let the little children come to me.” Our congregational promise to all in this journey through baptism is to “help perfect them in love.” We will do our very best to walk with one another for all our days, holding one another accountable and living out our faith as contained in the Old and New Testaments.

At RRUMC, it is our privilege to baptize infants through adults. If you, or one of your loved ones, is interested in exploring baptism in our church, we encourage you to make an appointment with our Lead Pastor so that you may discern fully all that is at stake within this Sacrament.

RRUMC participates in multiple forms of baptism throughout the year – in our Sunday morning worship services, in local baptismal pools in neighboring churches, or down at the river! Contact us today to schedule your appointment and launch into this exciting “YES!” for Christ!