“By water and the Holy Spirit we are made members of the Church which is the body of Christ.”
You know how some people always cry at weddings? Well, I cry at baptisms. Every time. It doesn’t matter if I know the family, or if I have even met them, something about the sacrament just gets to me.
In preparing for our upcoming cottage meetings on Faith Formation at St. Andrew, the steering committee has relied on the promises made in baptism as our guide. We seek to identify the gifts and passions of our congregation in order to fulfill the promise that we all, as a church, make to those baptized. These are not casual, “Give me a call if you need a hand” type of words, they are promises made before God, as deeply sacred as wedding vows.
Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, some teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” How shall we equip one another for this vital work? How do we nurture the faith of all members of our church family? The promises of baptism are not just made by parents to their child, they were made to each of us, by one another, at our baptisms.
I encourage you to prayerfully consider what gifts God has given you that can be used to help us fulfill these baptismal promises to our children and each other. The children of St. Andrew are valuable members of our congregation, and must be given every opportunity to grow in their faith so that they may share the joy of the Good News with the world.
We look forward to identifying our assets as a congregation, starting with the cottage meetings and surveys. Times and dates are below, sign up sheets are at church or you may call the office.
Next time we welcome a new brother or sister into God’s family, bring a few extra tissues for those of us who get a little emotional!
Peace,
Susan Gray