“As many of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one. in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:27-28
GTCC is community centred. Everything we do is through that lens because it is what we do well. We are a group of people that value each other, who are honest with each other, and who hope to share in deep relationships with each other. Even though we come from different countries, different cultures, different generations, and different economic classes, we see ourselves as a family. We are committed to each other and therefore belong to and with each other.
But we say that we are more than just community centred – we are centred in Christ. In fact, we believe that we are all those things in the first paragraph and more because we are centred in Christ. We can be a diverse community crossing over the boundaries of class, culture, and generations because in Christ Jesus we are one. And what unites us as one – one faith, one Lord, and one baptism! Because of this there is no male and female, no slave or free, no ethnic divisions (even though we all retain those identities, they just don’t separate or define us anymore) because we are one in Christ. What unites us together is our faith in Jesus Christ and those with faith in Jesus Christ are united to him and to each other through baptism.
Do you see yourself as a part of this family? Do you see yourself as a part of Christ’s church? Do you see yourself, or at least find yourself wanting to be part of that family? We hope so! And if you do and you have not taken the step of being baptized, then we are inviting you to consider this. It is an important step in your journey with Jesus.
The choice to be baptized is the choice to say “Yes” to the invitation by Jesus and his people to be a part of this kind of family, community, and movement of God. While it is a way for the one to say “yes” within the community, it is also a way that the church says “yes, you are a part of the family of God” to the one. Here is a little more about baptism:
- Baptism is what marks us as followers of Jesus. It doesn’t save us, but it is a way of symbolically entering into that saving faith.
- Baptism marks the beginning of the journey, not the arrival at a destination. You don’t have to be done. It doesn’t mean you don’t have doubts or that you understand everything. It is an important step on the journey.
- Those who have chosen to follow Jesus, choose to be baptized as a sign of unity, commitment, and surrender.
- Baptism was something that Jesus did and something he commanded when he told his followers to go out and make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). So we join with Christ and his followers in the act of baptism.
- Baptism is, along with the Lord’s supper, a sacrament of the church which means “a means of grace.” It is a way that we practice an outward sign of the inward grace. While the act of baptism seems very individually focused, we emphasize the work of God before, in, and after baptism more than the work of the person to be baptized. A sacrament is a mystery and that mystery is Jesus giving himself to us in that baptism.
- Baptism symbolizes the joining of our lives with Christ. As we are dunked in the water, we die to ourselves and our sins. When we rise out of the water, we rise to new life in him.
- Baptism is a communal event not just an individual act. It is a way to invite the whole church into this grace which is why we do it as part of the Sunday morning service. It is an event of the church not just the pastor and the one being baptized.
If you have not been baptized, I invite you to consider being baptized. We would love to celebrate this step with you. We invite everyone who has already been baptized to consider what it will mean to be a part of a baptismal service which will give you the chance to renew your baptismal vows or even participate in an affirmation of those vows!
If you are interested speak with Pastor Andy or Pastor Michel
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