Sacrament of Baptism 

Please consider this baptism policy carefully and prayerfully.

Once you have made the decision that you will request baptism, an appointment will be made with the minister and a member of the Worship committee. Once your request has been approved, we will work with you to establish the date and time when the sacrament will take place.

 

 

 

 A Guide to the Sacrament of Baptism 

at Brechin United Church 

In the United Church of Canada, and in most Protestant churches throughout the world, two sacraments are recognized. These are the sacraments of Holy Communion, and the Sacrament of Baptism for either infants (children) or adults. 

Baptism is the sole rite of initiation into full membership in the Christian Church. It marks the beginning of life within the community of the church, and is an act of welcoming, blessing, and belonging. 

At Brechin United Church our policy on baptism is overseen by The Worship Team which is responsible for approving requests for baptisms and reporting them to the Church Council. The Team is guided by the following policy: 

Brechin United Church will baptize all who seek baptism with the understanding that the candidate or parents of the child to be baptized are willing to make the promises in the baptism service in good conscience. The people of Brechin United Church in turn will commit to providing love and support to all who are baptized. The Minister will meet with all candidates for baptism and all families requesting baptism for their children to prepare them for the sacrament of baptism and to discuss the implications of the baptismal promises. 

Brechin’s baptismal policy is rooted in God’s grace and our belief that God’s love embraces all people. Whoever comes to the church must be welcomed, accepted, loved. 

Since baptism marks entrance into the church, it follows that baptism ought to take place as part of a church service. This allows members and adherents to promise to do their part to support the child or adult being baptized as all of us make our promises as part of the gathered community. Therefore, unless there are exceptional circumstances, baptism will occur during public worship. 

Information for Parents 

First of all, we rejoice with you in your happiness surrounding the life of your child. We believe that the love of God surrounds your child now and for all of life. As God's children we are created in God's image and we believe that God's love reaches us at every point in our lives. 

We at Brechin United Church believe that God loves every child, and as a congregation we promise to do our best to offer a loving environment so that each child may grow in Christian faith. During your conversations with our Minister in preparation for the baptism of your child, we will discuss with you our practice of naming a ‘sponsor’, a member of our congregation who will stay in touch with you and your child. 

This Guide to Baptism was revised and approved December 2018. 

Brechin United Church Mission Statement 

At Brechin United Church, we seek to know Holy Mystery as shown to us through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. On our faith journey, we endeavour to nurture spiritual development and growth and to be a just and loving example of service and discipleship that reaches out to community and all creation. 

(Revised October 2018) 

Core Values 

As people loved by God and as followers of Jesus we seek to: 

• welcome and accept all who come to Brechin 

• grow in our Christian faith through meaningful worship, music, prayer, and learning opportunities 

• nurture our faith community with genuine acceptance, through mutual respect, commitment, honesty, forgiveness, and gratitude 

• reach out with love and justice to the local community and to the world. 

 

(Revised October 2018)