If your family already owns a baptism gown, dressing your baby in it is a meaningful nod to tradition. A baby cannot do this, so he should not be baptized until he is old enough to choose for himself to do so. Canon 868.1 n. 1 states clearly that for an infant to be baptized licitly, at least one of the parents must give consent. On the other hand, the believers and the born-again Christians believe that a baby by his own will cannot … [Infants of Christian parents] belong to the covenant and people of God . You need to talk to your Catholic priest first though, because I don't think the Catholics would allow this, but I could be wrong. In the scenario with an emergency baptism for a baby in the hospital, Father Dave explains that typically when the child is well enough, he or she would be brought into a church for the rest of the ceremony to be performed — a baptism without the baptism part, strangely enough. (Psalm 25:14) This does not mean that a person will be saved just because he gets baptized. When Catholics baptize a baby it is like a dedication or christening to most Protestants. If Christian parents wish to dedicate their child to Christ, then a baby dedication service is entirely appropriate. M. However, many believers in your circumstance feel the need to express their own trust in Jesus and their own commitment to Him by being baptized as a believer, and we respect that. I remember attending youth group meetings, "lock-ins," and even a "purity" seminar (spoiler: it didn't work). Dedication Invitation wording would read something like this: Help us celebrate love and new life The same is true in the example of Samuel's "baby dedication" in 1 Samuel 1: Samuel was given into the priest's care for his upbringing, so that he grew up in the temple rather than in his parents' home (1 Sam. 5. Do babies go to heaven when they die? You see parents are dedicating themselves to raise the child in their faith. Notice, though, that this dedication was a specific call to a particular job or life. We have learned what God says people must do beforethey can be baptized, duringbaptism (the proper purpose), and afterbaptism. The ultimate answer to this question is found in the answer to another question: "Will not the God of all the earth do right?" Answer: If you were baptized as a baby, your parents dedicated you to the Lord, as a wonderful expression of their commitment to God on your behalf. by Pastor Art Kohl . Obviously that base is covered in this case. The first letter … If an adult concludes that they need to be re-baptized because they were baptized as an infant or as a sincere but immature child, we would encourage them to be immersed in faith and obedience. The Scriptures can also be using for reading at a baby dedication ceremony to speak God's truths and promises over the life of the precious child! Dedication is just a ceremony to say “hey! It is all about YOUR relationship with God. We can live in one house for a period of one or two years only. It is the family of the baby and the church making a public commitment to be good examples of Christ to the baby and to teach it all about Jesus. Why do all people need to repent? This ceremony is performed in Baptist churches, non-denominational churches and Assembly of God churches where it is believed that the individual should not be Baptized until he/she can make the conscious choice to do so. Christening, though looked at the same as baptism, in the eyes of the Church of England, has a similar purpose to a baby dedication. By baptism I mean a ritual that, by washing with water and a prayer to the Blessed Trinity, makes the baptized a member of the Church, cleanses the baptized of all sin (and remits all punishment due to them), and gives supernatural grace. Thus, they can be assured of the forgiveness of their sins. If you were baptized as a baby, you need to be re-baptized when you become a born again Christian. I decided for myself when I was 6 and was baptized. Your Protestant friends are believers in “believer baptism” therefore, they do not and will not baptize an infant because an infant can not “believe” just yet. Watching your loved one become baptized and begin this journey through faith is a beautiful and emotional experience. 1). To begin with, there is no requirement that both parents have to agree about their child’s baptism. Baby Baptism or Baby Dedication. Infant baptism is a religious rite practiced by many churches today, although there is not one example in the Scriptures of a baby being baptized. So my baby dedication was the same as the Methodist church MINUS the sprinkling. Q1: Can parents have their infant/child baptized in a parish other than the one they regularly attend? For what it's worth, I was dedicated as a baby and chose to be baptized when I was older (around 10 yrs old, I think), and I always appreciated that I got to make the choice for myself, though one could certainly argue that I was still too young to really have all the necessary information to make that choice. The choice is made by the parents. Most denominations that practice infant baptism would not allow this. April 7, 2010 at 8:42 pm. That baby is a living eternal soul. My husband is Lutheran, and I'm a Salvationist and we baptized her in his religion, and had her dedicated in mine. A baby cannot believe, therefore a baby would not meet this requirement for one to be baptized. Reginald_Plum October 29, 2008, 4:48am #2. Which is Biblical? Baby dedication does not secure salvation, rather it is a symbolic moment of entrusting the child's life to God's will. Eventually, we settled on a Lutheran church where I was baptized at the age of 13. Not all Christians agree on whether babies born to believing parents should be baptized, but Christians do agree that it's a huge privilege and responsibility when a child is born into a Christian family. we are dedicated to raising this child in church and to become a Christian” They see from a study of the Holy Scriptures overwhelming evidence that (1) no baby was ever baptized by the first-century Christians; (2) Christian baptism is not for washing away sins but is a symbol of a personal dedication to God, and (3) children of believing parents, without baptism, are … Debbie Stocking says: Hi, I was re-baptised last year on Mother’s Day. –Linda. It is an outward expression of the inward affirmation of being saved. 5 Before you can get baptized, you must come to know Jehovah and Jesus. 12. For immersion baptisms, the baby wears normal clothes to the ceremony and white garments afterward to signify purity and … Many churches that practice infant baptism do so with the understanding that the baby is being baptized into the family of believers and dedicated to the Lord. However, even if infants are dedicated to the Lord, when they grow up they will still have to make a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. Buried in the water, we arise to a new life in Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Having a newborn baby is a life-changing experience. For example, if you lived a sexually immoral life, then you would need to repent. It does not impart any forgiveness of sins, since only Jesus can forgive sins, and only His blood can wash us clean (Revelation 1:5). Q2: For around 20 years we have rented homes at different places within the territory of X parish, and also outside the parish. 12 There is something else that you must do before you can get baptized. they also are to be baptized as a sign of the covenant, to be ingrafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers, as was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, in place of which in the New Testament baptism is appointed. As Christians, we are baptized and participate in the Lord’s Supper as outward and public signs of what Christ has done within us. Some of the key elements to include are a personalized message or wish, advice for the future and an applicable bible verse for the occasion. They will recognize the baptism from the one church as being completely valid and not feel the need to rebaptize the baby … . I think is great you want to expose her to both your religions. Baptism symbolizes and declares our new faith in Christ and our trust in His forgiveness. No one should be baptized unless he has made such a commitment. The below Bible verses help celebrate the joyous moments of birth and parenting. The apostle Peter said: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out.”() What does it mean to repentIt means to feel very sorry for any wrong that we have done. Serap, These links should be helpful in understanding the Church’s teachings on the salvation of unbaptized children and baptism by the desire of others. Babies do not qualify in any of these areas. Code of Canon Law states, “Parents are obliged to take care that infants are baptized in the first few weeks; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it, they are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared properly for it” (CIC 867 §1). While baby dedication is not an officially instituted ordinance of the church, there does not seem to be any conflict with Scripture as long as parents do not view it as assuring the salvation of the child. . Babies can be baptized by immersion (the baby's body is placed in water) or by pouring (water is poured over the baby's forehead). What happens to the soul of a baby who is not baptized and has died? A baptized baby should always wear white from head to toe, which symbolizes her purity. Sometimes we get a rental home inside the parish territory and sometimes outside. Sometimes knowing what to write in a baptism card can be tricky. Thus it is an awesome responsibility a mom and dad face in preparing that child for this life and for the one to come. 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