Baptisms
-Cliftondale Congregational Church Application for Baptism or Dedication-
Processing instructions: Applicants should fill out this form and bring it to the church
office. The minister will schedule, arrange for a parent interview appointment,
sign the approval, and coordinate with the Board of Deacons.
After the ceremony, the Church Clerk will record the event in the church ledger.
Today’s date of application____________________________________________
1) Request is for:
q Your child to receive (circle one): Baptism -or- Dedication
q You to receive baptism by (circle one): sprinkling -or- immersion
2) Schedule preferences:
q 1st Sunday date preference:___________________________________________
q 2nd Sunday date preference:___________________________________________
(Note: We do not normally schedule baptisms on Communion Sundays, the 1st Sunday of the month (except in July). Private baptisms are discouraged, as we prefer you’d want to share this with your church family. Due to our many major events around Christmas and Easter, we may be unable to schedule baptisms during these periods.)
3) Minister preference:
q No preference
q Rev ___________________________________________________________
Note—the Deacon of the Month will be assisting in the ceremony/ordinance.
4) Information about the individual being baptized / dedicated:
Name__________________________________________________________________
Print name exactly as you want the name to appear on the Certificate
Date of Birth_____________________ Place of Birth__________________________
Father’s Name____________________________________________________________
Print name exactly as you want it to appear on the certificate
Mother’s Name_________________________________________________________________
Print name exactly as you want it to appear on the certificate
Parents’ Address:_______________________________________________________________
Telephone_____________________ Email___________________________________________
Are you members of Cliftondale Congregational Church?
________Father
________Mother
If not, how long have you been attending? ____________________
If you are not presently attending, do you plan to attend our church?_______________________
Are you members of another church? If so, which one?_________________________________
Have you read and agree with our Statement of Faith?__________________________________
5) Names of Godparents:_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________ Print names exactly as you want their names to appear on the Certificate
6) Approval (signature of Minister)________________________________________________________
1For your information:
q Photos--Photography during the ceremony is permitted. If possible, provide the church with a digital photo of the one being baptized, and it will appear in the church bulletin, on the actual certificate, and in our church newsletter, the Highlights.
q Attire--There are no dress requirements for those being baptized.
q Bookkeeping--Although the Church Clerk keeps records of baptisms in our church ledger, we do not maintain copies of the certificates. We recommend that you make a few copies and secure them with your important papers.
q Scheduling—There are seasonal times of the year when the church is especially busy, and we cannot always guarantee that we can do the baptism on the Sunday you’d most prefer. We’ll do our best. We only schedule one baptism per worship service—we want to take our time with each child and not rush through, nor do we want to look like an assembly line. We do not schedule baptisms on the first Sunday of the month (Communion Sunday).
q Participation—Normally the parents, child, other children, and godparents stand before the congregation for the ceremony, but if there are others you’d like to have join you for the baptism, that is fine with us.
q Private ceremonies—We believe that baptism is a very public commitment and we discourage private ceremonies. We may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
q Reception--If you are planning a reception away from the church afterwards, let the minister know if he is invited. You are welcome--though not obligated--to provide a sheet cake to mark the occasion for the fellowship time after church; please let us know if you’re intending to do so.
q Fees--Our minister does not charge for baptisms; however you are certainly welcome to make a donation in honor of the occasion to the church.
q Flowers--You may also wish to dedicate the church flower arrangement that day in honor of the one being baptized. The sign-up sheet for church flowers is in the fellowship hall. You’d be welcome to bring the flowers home with you.
To parents…What is infant baptism?
Is it “fire insurance”? A rite-of-passage? A ritual/procedure? Something people do out of a sense of tradition or obligation (to appease our relatives)? An excuse to have a party afterwards? A means of making sure our children will go to Heaven? Is it “checking the block”, a way of getting our spiritual ticket punched?
Baptism is many things…
Ø It is a way of introducing your child to your community of faith--your church family. As fellow parents, the people of our church are ready to encourage you and pray for you. They are good people to go to when the challenges of parenting are frustrating you. They’ve “been there,” and they care.
Ø It is a special dedication of your child, a way of asking God to bless this miraculous gift, this special individual you’ve been given.
Ø It is also a dedication of yourselves as parents. By bringing your child before the church for baptism, you are making a public commitment, a promise to raise your child in a Christian home, creating a spiritual environment. You’re saying that you intend to pray with and for your child, to read Christian books in your home, play Christian music, teach the Bible, and actively participate in your church (where you can grow as well).
Ø It publicly confirms your commitment to Christ. The faith of parents qualifies children to be baptized. By bringing your child to the waters of baptism, you are personally proclaiming your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. This profession is similar to your wedding vows—a solemn, serious, sacred pledge.
Ø It is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. However, baptism does not save, nor does it change us; it is not the power of water that saves, transforms us and gives us eternal life, but rather the power of God through faith. There is no magic in this ordinance. One translation of the word baptism means “identification”; we identify with the Lord Jesus Christ as His disciples.
We do not require you to be a member of our church…however, if you have no plans to be part of our church in any way, you may want to re-think why you’re requesting baptism. We’ve had people take advantage of us. If you’re not committed to Christ and have no intention of becoming involved in any church, then the only thing a baptism accomplishes is this – your child gets wet. Rituals and procedures do not save. But if you want to follow Jesus, with His help, your child’s baptism can be the first chapter in an exciting journey of faith. The values your child learns will shape his/her character. Our beliefs determine our behavior. You are your child’s spiritual caretakers. Without a religious upbringing, children are left to choose their own rules in life, or to reject all authority. A few drops of water alone will not ensure that your child will mature into a virtuous person of faith. However, when we follow Jesus, we are given direction – enough light to take the next step, and the power to live secure, effective, successful lives for God’s glory.
What We Believe—Cliftondale Congregational Church
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
Statement of Faith:
1. We believe the Bible consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God written.
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the deity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
4. We believe that for the eternal salvation of lost and sinful humankind, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by Whose indwelling power and fullness Christians are enabled to live a godly life in this present evil/fallen world.
6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life eternal and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation, eternal separation from God.
7. We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Statement of Polity:
1. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of His Body—the Church universal (fellowship of all believers)—and of each local church.
2. We believe that each local church is in itself a complete church, and therefore autonomous and possesses all rights and responsibilities of the church by the Holy Spirit as set forth in the Holy Scriptures.
3. We believe that Jesus Christ exercises His authority in each local church by the Holy Spirit and through the Holy Scriptures.
4. We believe that each local church is ultimately answerable only to Jesus Christ, and not to any association, conference, council, synod or any other ecclesiastical body.
5. We believe that it is proper and beneficial for each local church to seek fellowship, counsel and cooperation of other such local churches.
-Baptism liturgy for parents, Cliftondale Congregational Church-
Service of Baptism…
“Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these’. Then He placed His hands on their heads and blessed them” (Matthew 19:14-15).
Pastor: Joseph and Mary took the infant Jesus to the Temple and dedicated Him to God; in similar fashion, _________ and_________ have brought their son/daughter, ________ before God for baptism in the hope that his/her life might be lived according to God’s eternal plan. ________ is a special child, a miraculous gift. This ordinance of baptism today is also for ________and________. They are dedicating themselves as Christian parents, committed to Christ, His church, and His will for their family. Theirs is a solemn, serious, sacred pledge.
__________ cannot express faith in Christ this day; his/her life is like unmolded clay that you will shape by what you teach and by how you live. Whether he/she comes to saving faith in Christ and lives as His follower depends in part on the prayers and teaching of her parents, grandparents, and the influence of her extended family, this church. So I now ask _________ & __________:
Do you now promise to raise your son/daughter in a Christ-centered home as his/her spiritual caretakers, where by instruction and example, and your participation in church, God’s word will be communicated, so that the love of our Heavenly Father is clearly revealed, and His will made known, in order that your son/daughter may grow in faith, to the glory of God?
Parents: Yes, by the grace of God, we make our solemn pledge.
Pastor: You who stand as Godparents, do you promise to assist ________&_________ as they seek to carry out their vows, and will you faithfully encourage them and pray for them?
Godparents: By the grace of God, we will.
Church covenant (Members in Unison): As part of your extended church family, Cliftondale Congregational Church, we rejoice and join with you in the holy covenant you have made this day on behalf of your son/daughter. We recognize our relationship to you and your family as a sacred responsibility of our church. Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to empower us, we promise to make every effort to encourage you, ________&________, and we hope that through our joint efforts, and as you participate in our fellowship,___________ will increase in his/her knowledge of God and choose to live for Him. We celebrate and rejoice with you this special day!
The Baptism of _____________ and presentation to the church.
Children’s Choir sing: “Little ____________, Welcome”
Presentations by the Pastor, Deacons, and Christian Education Director
