At Redeemer, we baptize adults who come to faith in Jesus and children of believers. The Bible tells us that God’s covenant family (the church) is made up of individuals and households (Gen. 17:9-11; Acts 16:15, 32-33; 1 Cor. 1:16. 7:12-14). In baptism, our children are received into God’s covenant family. The water of baptism symbolizes the water of cleansing for those who believe, but for those who turn away in unbelief the water symbolizes the reality of judgement.
When your child is baptized, they are given a life-long sign pointing to the gospel. They are also received into the church community – who makes a solemn promise to assist you in discipling your child in the gospel.
Many people argue that since every child needs to consciously profess their faith in Christ, baptism should be withheld until that time. At Redeemer, we recognize the importance for every child to make a profession of faith and to honor that profession with significance. We believe that the more appropriate expression of this is the child’s welcome to the Lord’s Supper. All of our children are encouraged to go through the communicant’s process (Exploring My Faith class) whereby they can make a profession of faith and are received as full members of the church in their own right.