If you already are actively involved in our congregation, or if you have been involved in a United Church congregation in the past, you may be aware of the meaning of baptism from a United Church perspective. You also might have a clear idea of what baptism means for you. If this is the case, we are grateful for your careful consideration of an act that has great meaning for us as Christians. However, if you are not actively participating in a congregation, you may have some questions about baptism and about the commitment you are making in having your child baptized.  It is our hope that you will give your decision about baptism prayerful thought, and then, if you wish to go ahead with having your child baptized, that you will contact our church office to make an appointment to talk with the minister.

In the United Church tradition, baptism is a Sacrament. We have only one other Sacrament in the United Church, and that is the Sacrament of Holy Communion. A Sacrament has been defined as " an outward and physical sign of an inward and spiritual grace." This means that baptism is a sign of God's love present and at work in the child being baptized and in the congregation. Because baptism is a Sacrament, it is to be treated with great respect, and it is never to be entered into lightly.

Because baptism has become very common in our culture, and because different denominations have different understandings of what baptism is, it is important for us to state that in the United church tradition we believe that God loves every child whether or not that child has been baptized. We believe that God's love is active in every child from the beginning. God's love for the child does not begin at baptism. This means that according to United Church Beliefs, people who die without havinq been baptized will not be condemned, lost or damned because they have not been baptized. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation, nor a magic charm for life. Please give this point careful consideration when you are making your decision about your child's baptism.

In the United Church, as in many other Christian denominations, baptism is primarily an act of initiation. Through baptism Christians are made part of the universal Christian Church, and, specifically, of the United Church of Canada and the Burkholder congregation. In the United Church we believe that God's love is not in any way dependent upon our ability to understand it, and so we practise infant baptism as well as adult baptism. Because little children cannot themselves make the decision to be baptized, their parents or guardians and the church act on their behalf. In baptism, children officially become Christians. Our hope is that they will grow in the faith and that when they are old enough to decide for themselves they will choose to be Confirmed. Confirmation is an act through which people make public profession of their faith and are accepted as full members of the United Church of Canada.

When children are baptized, their parents make promises before God and before the entire congregation in a public service of worship. (We only baptize privately in extremely unusual circumstances, for pastoral reasons.) They make these promises by responding to .questions asked by the minister. The promises are that they believe in God, that they believe in Jesus Christ, that they believe in the Holy Spirit, and that they will do their best to provide a Christian home for their child and to raise their child in the Christian community. If you have difficulty understanding what any of these questions mean, you are asked to have a conversation with the minister. It is important for us to stress that the fourth promise - that the child will be raised in the faith - has consequences for you as.parent-in terms of your faith commitment. If you. decide to have your child baptized, you will need to work out for yourself what it means to raise your child in the church. We are understanding people, and we realize that it can be difficult to bring an infant to church every Sunday without fail. However, in baptism we as a congregation also make a promise that we will support you and your child and that we will provide Christian education for your child.. It become impossible for us to fulfil that promise if we do not see you and your child often enough to come to know you. We at Burkholder take our promises very seriously, and hope that we will be able to live them out in relationship with you and your child. We have a very well-staffed, well- equipped, friendly and caring nursery, and we have an active Sunday School with committed and competent teachers. We are a family-oriented church, and our hope is that you will truly be a part of our family. We do not have requirements with regard to regular attendance - it would be impossible for us to legislate such a thing, even if we wanted to - but we baptize children with high hopes and trusting that they will grow up in our midst. We hope that if you decide to have your child baptized you will do your best to make it possible for us to fulfil our promises. We also hope that you will consider Burkholder Church an extension of your family, and that you will call upon us when you need pastoral support of any kind. p>In response to frequently - asked questions:

We do not need to have two parents present at baptism, and we do not need to have two parents make the baptismal promises. Our concern is that your child will live and grow in a gentle and loving atmosphere, and that there will be support and encouragement at home for his or her growth as a Christian. We welcome the children of single parents, and make special arrangements for unusual circumstances.

Godparents are not a requirement in the United Church. In fact, Godparents are not an official part of our United Church tradition. If you wish to have people stand up with you at your child's baptism, you are invited and welcome to do so. However, any responsibilities with regard to guardianship of your child are strictly between you and the people you have asked to be Godparents.

Your child already has a legal name whether or not he or she has been baptized. It is not a part of United Church tradition to change a child's name at baptism.

Baptism in the United Church of Canada is recognized by all denominations of the Christian Church which practise infant baptism. This means that your child would not be baptized a second time if they changed denominations unless they'were becoming a member of the Baptist or Mennonite Church, or any other church which practises "believer's baptism' (which requires that those being baptized are old enough to decide for themselves). You will be given a Certificate of Baptism during the worship service, and your child's baptism will be recorded in our Baptismal Register. A copy of the Baptismal Register is sufficient proof of baptism for separate schools and for the courts.

There is no fee for baptism.

There are no requirements with regard to how a child is dressed for baptism.

Because of the sacred nature of baptism, we do not allow the taking of photographs during the service. You are welcome to pose for pictures at the front of the sanctuary when the service has ended. < p>We ask that you and all of your friends and relations who come to witness your child's baptism stay for the entire worship service. It is our custom at Burkholder to have coffee and tea following every worship service. You and your friends and family are most welcome to stay for this community time, but you are not required to stay.

If after reading this and considering its content you decide to have your child baptized, please call the Church Office at (905) 383-7332 and make an appointment with the minister or leave a message for him to call you. He will meet with you to discuss the commitment you are making, to walk you through the baptismal service and to set a date for the baptism. We would expect that you will attend our worship services prior to making your final decision. This would enable you to get a feel for the congregation and to meet the nursery staff. Our worship time is Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Let us assure you that we' re a welcoming and friendly congregation, and that we truly would like you and your children to become a party of the "Burkholder Family."  Our bottom line with regard to baptism is that we are flexible, understanding and realistic.