Copyright: © 1999 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. This document may be freely reproduced for non-commercial purposes with credit and mention of the Lift Up Your Hearts web site http://www.worship.ca/ as the source.

Contents

1. Towards a Baptismal Ministry for Our Children by the Rev. Don Johnson
2. Blessing of Parents Who Are Expecting A Child by the Rev. Don Johnson for the Task Force on the Adult Catechumenate
3. Welcome and Enrolment of Children As Candidates for Baptism by the Rev. Don Johnson for the Task Force on the Adult Catechumenate
4. Baptismal Practice by the Rev. Alan T. Perry

Towards a Baptismal Ministry for Our Children
by the Rev. Don Johnson

During the past few years as we have worked on the question of strengthening our baptismal ministry through the adult catechumenate, we have also been considering the question of our ministry to children and their families. It is true that in my place of ministry, Vancouver, we have very few people who come to get their children "done." The secularism of our city means that there are very few forces at work to bring pressure on parents to have their children baptized. Most come because they feel the call of God within themselves. Often they do not know what they are to do. Some have been outside the church for a long time. But they are ready and eager to learn.

In our parish, baptismal ministry has the following steps:

(a) The blessing of the parents who are expecting a child. This service is done on Sunday morning for those who expect a child through birth or through adoption. The congregation extends their hands and prays a blessing. In spite of all that we have done in medicine, there is still apprehension as the time of delivery draws near. The expecting parents are often glad to know that the congregation will support them in prayer.

(b) The second part of our baptismal ministry is bringing the children to the parish and welcoming them as candidates for baptism. Alternative forms must be used for infants or for adults. Other questions need to be asked of both parents and sponsors. We still welcome the child at the door of the church. This indeed gives the sense of entering. After the Creed, the child is brought forward. The sign of the cross is put on the child demonstrating how the call of God touches all of our senses and every aspect of our life. Then again the congregation extends its blessing on both the parents and the child. The child is given a Bible. We prefer to give a Bible storybook, which the parents can use when reading to the child.

We have a book in the church that is signed by all those who announce their intention to be baptized. The child's name is put in the book like the stories from the early church. For them life was more risky. They lived under persecution, and life was filled with disaster. But they said that if a person expressed their desire to be baptized and died before they were brought to the waters, they were considered full members of the church.

(c) Now follows a period of instruction for the parents and the sponsors. The meaning of baptism in the life of the church, the primary responsibility of the parents in bringing the child up in the faith, the help that the congregation can give -- are all part of the discussion. Sponsors also need to be instructed. I have been surprised that many people who become sponsors think that they are witnesses to the baptism and that is all. So we discuss remembering the baptism, praying for the child, speaking to the child about God, and encouraging the parents to help their child's faith grow.

After instruction, the time of the baptism is set. In former days the time was set in relation to which members of the family could be present. The important aspect of the time set by the congregation was often ignored. There are times when it is not appropriate to baptize, and there are other times that beg for a baptism. We also encourage parents to come and have their children baptized at the Easter Vigil. This is not always possible.

I am enamoured of the parishes who make each child a baptismal box and place letters and other things in the box as remembrances of the day. This box is large enough to hold other things as well. I can imagine the box following you all the days of your life.

(d) The final stage of our baptismal ministry happens when the child is three years old. Parents are invited to bring all the children who were baptized three years before to the church. The baptism is remembered, and we give to each child a book that speaks of both Baptism and Eucharist.

Baptism is a life-long journey. The congregation needs to support each other through every aspect of our life. We believe that the four stages of our baptismal ministry point us all to this life-long task.

The Rev. Don Johnson, author of Praying the Catechism, is pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Blessing of Parents Who Are Expecting A Child
by the Rev. Don Johnson for the ELCIC's Task Force on the Adult Catechumenate.

We invite your response to and critique of this draft rite. Send your comments to the Rev. Cindy Halmarson [chalmar@elcic.ca], Assistant to the Bishop, ELCIC, or directly to the Rev. Don Johnson [donj@towncore.com].

1. During the principle Sunday service people who are expecting a child by birth or adoption are invited to come before the congregation for a blessing. If sponsors for baptism have been chosen, they should also come forward and stand with the expecting parents.

2. Following the Creed the parents present themselves before the congregation. If there are other children in the family, they are also invited to come forward. During the prayer of blessing the congregation extends its hands in blessing over the expecting parents.

Prayer for those expecting the birth of a new child:

P     Even as God called Mary and Joseph to bring new life into the world and blessed them and guarded them, so may you, who have been called to bring new life into the world, be blessed and guarded by God.

P     The Lord be with you.
C     And also with you.

P     Let us pray.

P     Lord God, creator of all new life that comes in the world, we ask that you will bless these your servants who welcome the gift of a new child. Protect both mother and child at the time of birth. Help that this child be brought to the water of life and to the bread of blessing and to fullness of faith in you and your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer for those expecting to receive a new child through adoption:

P     Even as Joseph was called to receive the child born of Mary as his own, so you are called to receive a child as your own. Even as God blessed Joseph for this task, so God will bless you as you accept this child in hope and faith.

P     The Lord be with you.
C     And also with you.

P     God of mercy, guardian of the helpless and the homeless, we ask that you will bless this family as they anticipate the arrival of a new child in their midst. Help them to be loving parents and bless them. Bring this child to the waters of baptism and to the bread of the table and fullness of life in you, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

3. The Prayers follow the blessing. The Peace is exchanged. All return to their places.

The Rev. Don Johnson, author of Praying the Catechism, is pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Welcome and Enrolment of Children As Candidates for Baptism
by the Rev. Don Johnson for the ELCIC's Task Force on the Adult Catechumenate.

We invite your response to and critique of this draft rite. Send your comments to the Rev. Cindy Halmarson [chalmar@elcic.ca], Assistant to the Bishop, ELCIC, or directly to the Rev. Don Johnson [donj@towncore.com].

1. The following rite is intended to be celebrated at any time of year, whenever there are candidates who wish to begin to prepare for baptism. The rite is to be used during the principle Sunday service of the congregation.

2. If the names of the candidates for baptism in this congregation are to be written down as a part of the rite, a large, beautiful book lies open at a place in the midst of the congregation where it can be easily seen and used.

3. At the door, before the beginning of the service or rising in place following the prayer of the day, those who are preparing for baptism, with their parents and sponsors, stand before the congregation and its ministers. One sponsor says for each candidate in turn:

I present N as a candidate for holy baptism.

4. Parents and sponsors are asked the following questions, and answer on behalf of each child. (Alternative wording may be used.)

P     What do you ask of God's church?
R     To hear God's word with you.

P     What does God's word offer you?
R     Faith and fullness of life.

P     For whom do you ask such faith?
R     For this child, N.

5. The presiding minister continues:

P     Grace and mercy are given to all who call upon God's name. We await the baptism of N with joy. Now I ask you, will you regularly bring this child to hear the word of God and will you be faithful in receiving instruction?

The candidates respond:

R     I will, and I ask God to help me.

6. The presiding minister addresses the sponsors and the entire congregation:

P     Sponsors, you now present these candidates to us. All of you who are assembled here, you stand beside these candidates, their parents, and their sponsors. Are you ready to help them to hear the gospel of Christ and to come into the household of faith?
C     We are.

P     Let us pray.

P     Merciful God, we thank you for these your servants whom you have sought and summoned in many ways. You have called them today, and they have answered in our presence. We praise you, O God, and we bless you.
C     We praise you, O God, and we bless you.

7. The assisting minister continues:

A     Now, N and N (the names of all the candidates are repeated), come with your parents and sponsors into the church to hear the word of God with us.

The service continues.

8. Following the Sermon, during the Hymn of the Day, the candidates, their parents, and their sponsors come forward to the front of the assembly.

P     You have heard the holy and saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now receive the sign of that Gospel on your body and in your heart, that you may know the Lord and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings.

While the presiding minister continues, each candidate has a cross traced on his or her forehead by a sponsor.

P     Receive the cross on your forehead, a sign of God's endless love and mercy for you. Learn to know Christ and to follow him.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your ears, that you may hear the Gospel of Christ, the word of life.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your eyes, that you may see the light of Christ, illumination for your way.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your lips, that you may sing the praise of Christ, the joy of the church.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your heart, that God may dwell there by faith.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your shoulders, that you may bear the gentle yoke of Christ.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your hands, that God's mercy may be known in your work.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

P     Receive the cross on your feet, that you may walk in the way of Christ.
C     Glory and praise to you, Almighty God.

9. A representative of the congregation then presents a Bible to each of the candidates, saying:

A     Receive this Bible. With us, hear its word. Learn and tell its stories. Discover its mysteries. Keep its commandments. May God's life giving word, sweeter than honey, revive you and make you wise.

P     The Lord be with you.
C     And also with you.

P     Let us pray.

10. The presiding minister and sponsors then extend both hands over the candidates. If the candidates are few in number, the presiding minister may lay both hands upon each one's head. All the members of the congregation may also extend a hand toward the candidates during the following prayer.

A     Again and again, in ages past, O God,
you have saved the children whom you love.
The infant Moses you snatched from death,
with the help of his mother and his sister.
You accepted Samuel when yet a toddler,
Hannah his mother singing for joy.
You rescued Susannah from the abuse of the elders,
and the daughter of Jairus you raised from the dead.
As you blessed Mary and Joseph with your Spirit,
bless also this family, that,
renewed in their own baptismal life,
they may care for this child entrusted to them,
bring him/her to baptism
and to the bread and cup of blessing,
and help him/her to mature in the household of faith,
enlivened by the Spirit of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C     Amen.

11. The sponsors now write the name of the child in the congregation's book while the assisting minister calls out each name.

12. The assisting minister concludes with this dismissal:

A     God bring you in peace and joy to the day of your baptism and to fullness of life in Christ.
C     Amen

13. The service continues with the Prayers and the Peace. The candidates and their sponsors return to their places.

The Rev. Don Johnson, author of Praying the Catechism, is pastor at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Baptismal Practice
by the Rev. Alan T. Perry

The issue of baptismal discipline is rather a hot one as we watch the last throes of the Constantinian Church. Every so often someone tries to defibrillate the body, and often enough it's around the desire for 'cheap' baptism.

There are a number of issues:

One is the issue of the church's understanding of baptism, which is by no means uniform. Some will see it as rather a magical act performed by a priest or pastor at the request/demand of the parents. Others see it as a confirmation of an adult faith which has been confessed publicly according to a prescribed form. Most fall in between these two poles. But do we understand baptism as taking on a responsibility toward the baptized?

Second is the popular understanding of baptism as something that just has to be done to satisfy a racial memory or the grandparents' sense of propriety.

Third is the pastoral imperative. When someone comes looking for baptism, there is a pastoral moment. How can we best respond to this?

I can't speak for the Lutheran Church, but it was until frighteningly recently quite common in Anglican practice to baptize children on demand on the schedule requested, usually in a private ceremony. There are, I am ashamed to confess, still some Anglican parishes that have not yet eradicated this practice.

I also know of one diocese where the bishop has expressly forbidden private baptism, specifying that baptism -- except in emergency -- must occur in the context of the Sunday eucharist. The logic is quite simple: it's not easy joining the church if the church isn't there.

What I see as optimal practice is as follows:

(a) There should be parish baptismal sponsors in place whose purpose it is to make contact with, accompany, and support families bringing children for baptism, and beyond.

(b) There should be one or more laity involved in the teaching of a baptismal preparation program.

(c) Baptism should occur on the recommended dates in the church calendar (being primarily Easter Vigil, Easter, Pentecost, All Saint,s and the Baptism of the Lord - with a few secondary dates in case of great pastoral need). This accomplishes two things: first, it makes the scheduling of baptism predictable (I know of a parish that was doing so many baptisms on so many Sundays that they resorted to private baptism); second, it tends to batch multiple candidates together for the preparation and celebration processes.

(d) Baptism should happen after due preparation and exploration of what the parents are looking for, and clear outlining of what is expected in terms of ongoing participation in the life of the church.

(e) There should optimally be an alternative rite made available for people who want some form of recognition of the birth of their child, but who are not prepared to take on more serious religious commitments. Such a rite is that of "Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child."

One of the difficulties we face is that we are also in competition with neighbouring parishes. This is rather a vexing situation to me. For example, when I established a quite minimal preparation process, as well as the concept that the church would choose when it would celebrate baptism, I ran up against a fringe member (whose name was not even on the list, but who considered himself a member) who wanted a baptism on a specific schedule. First I managed to convince him that I would not do the baptism on Saturday afternoon. Next, I outlined the preparation process, which consisted of a single meeting prior to the baptism! Finally I offered a couple of possible dates. He said he would get back to me. Closer to the first of the potential dates, I called and was told that he had managed to procure the baptism -- no questions asked -- in a neighbouring parish. This has happened frequently enough that it seems to me advisable to have a coordinated baptismal policy throughout a diocese or synod.

It seems to me that we can each get serious about baptism on our own, and I would doubt that anyone would claim to be anything but serious. The questions are how we define the terms and how we coordinate our practices so as to present a unified face to the world. But, and I hasten to add this, how do we do so in such a way that people feel pastorally engaged and not simply made to jump through a bunch of hoops? 'cause people will jump through whatever hoops we put up to get what they want.

The Rev. Alan T. Perry is a priest serving the Anglican Parish of St Barnabas, Pierrefonds, Québec.