• Sacrament of Holy Baptism
  • What is Baptism? Holy Baptism is the washing with water as Christ was baptized in the Jordan River. In baptism Christ meets with us, giving us forgiveness for our sins in the washing of the water. We believe that this action is dependent on faith and that coming to baptism is only effective if you believe that Christ is present in that moment.
  • Who do you baptize? We baptize adults, children, and infants as scripture says in Acts 16:33 “…then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” We believe that “whole household” includes all persons present, including children. Baptism has the power to work faith even in the tiniest of children.
  • I’ve heard Lutherans don’t immerse, is this true? While it is true that most Lutheran churches (including Christ Community) practice baptism by “sprinkling” (the application of a small amount of water poured on the head), we also baptize by full immersion if that is desired! What is important is that water, along with the word of God, is applied and received in faith. The amount doesn’t change the effect of the baptism. If you would like to be baptized by immersion we are happy to do so!
    

• Sacrament of Holy Communion
  • What is Communion? On the night when Jesus Christ was arrested and went to the cross, he met with his disciples to celebrate the Jewish holiday of the Passover. At that supper, he took bread and wine and blessed it, giving it to his disciples with the words “this is my body” and “this is my blood.” We continue this celebration, believing that in the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine, Christ is truly present.
  • It is still bread and wine, is Christ really there? Yes he is! Though we do not know how God accomplishes this, we believe that when we eat and drink, though it remains bread and wine, Christ comes to meet with us through these elements. While we cannot explain HOW God does it, we believe HIS words that say HE IS THERE! It is one of the great mysteries of heaven.
  • I have heard that you use wine, why not grape juice? Actually, we offer both. If you come to the table, the majority of the cups will be wine. We use wine because that is what Jesus used. At the last supper when he instituted Communion, he passed around the cup at the table which, according to the tradition of Passover, would have been filled with wine. We follow that tradition. That said, we recognize that in this day and age there are many who cannot drink, or prefer not to drink, alcohol. That is why we offer grape juice as well. In the end, both are fruit of the vine, one is fermented, the other is not but they have the same base. We believe that this is an acceptable substitution. If you prefer grape juice, just look for the cups in the center which have white juice rather than red wine.
  • What is with the single cup? We offer two options to receive the blood of Christ at Communion. In recognition of the single cup that was passed around at the Last Supper, we also offer a single cup at Communion. BUT, we also recognize that many people would prefer not to share a cup with others and so we also offer individual cups. Just indicate to the server if you would prefer to wait for the common cup. Please note- that cup is only available with wine.