Baby Blessing and Baptism

Sunday, May 17, was a day to celebrate the newest additions to our church family. We also welcomed many visitors who came to help them celebrate.


We don't baptize babies, but we do have a ceremony for the parents to promise to raise the child in a Christian home, and for the congregation to promise to provide support for the family. Annabelle Christine reacts to Jacque's questions, to the delight of DebE and Dave. Later we all sang Jesus Loves Me as Jacque walked up and down the aisle with a now quiet baby to introduce her to her church family.

We do baptize older children, youth and adults who confess their faith in Christ. Recently Michelle H, who has visited us with her daughter Madalyn for almost a year, came forward during the invitation. On Sunday she was baptized by the friend who brought her to our church, our student pastor, Lorrie.

As a congregation we remain in awe and gratitude for the many new faces that have joined us on our spiritual journey over the last 18 months or so, including the 4 babies born and the two most recent members, Michelle and Roberta T. During the summer months we are going to revisit our congregational vision through a series of small group gatherings. After the Compton Rising Process several years ago committed us to remain in ministry in the city, we found a new direction. Always in prayer and openness to the Spirit, we have been called, we believe, to become Open and Affirming, and then to extend hospitality further through our disability access project. Recently new members and visitors have brought us families with children, some with special needs. And we have those babies! What direction is our ministry being called to follow today? By early fall we will hold a retreat and seek the answers to this question.