Norwich United Church          

I Was Wondering...

• Question: I have a six month old baby and would like to have her Christened. Could this be done in your church?
• In the United Church of Canada, we use the term baptism, not Christening. It is the expectation that the baptised parents of the child are active members of a congregation. Sometimes the grandparents sponsor a child to be baptised in their church. The baptism is always performed as part of a Sunday morning service. Baptism is the sole rite of initiation into the Christian community. The service of baptism celebrates God's initiative in calling and claiming us, to which initiative we, as individuals and as community, respond in faith. Baptism is a sacrament, shaped and formed by God's liberating activity, especially by Christ's death and resurrection. A Christian is someone who "by water and by word" has begun to live the death and resurrection of Jesus in his or her own life. We, the congregation members, renew our baptismal covenant with the family and child.
• Question: What do I have to do to join the church?
• If you have never joined a Christian Church before, you are advised to have a visit with the minister and join the next confirmation class. At the end of the course you can decide if you want to be confirmed in the Christian church... or not. At the time of the confirmation service you will also be baptised. A good book to read to learn all about the United Church is "This United Church of Ours" which you can find in our church library.

If you have a question, send it to the email address on the contact page of the website.