Congratulations on the birth of your baby! What an exciting time it is for you and your family. We are honored that you have chosen Mt Sinai to become your church home.
Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of faith. We are glad you wish to take that journey with us!
At the Baptism of an infant, parents make promises on a child’s behalf. They promise to raise him or her as a Christian. The child is invited to affirm that decision at Confirmation, when they are old enough to decide about church membership for themselves. Therefore, we fully expect that your family will worship with us; and that as your child grows, he or she will come to Church School, will participate in Vacation Bible School, and will make Confirmation when he or she reaches the 8th grade.
The United Church of Christ is a Protestant denomination formed over 50 years ago out of several smaller Christian groups. Today, it is a denomination of approximately 2 million people in the United States. As a member of the UCC, Mt. Sinai Congregational Church considers itself an inclusive community of God's people.
Ideally, you will baptize your baby in the church that you will call “home.” This way, your Christian family and friends can support you during the course of your lives. In some circumstances, we know that Mt Sinai is considered a family’s church home even though they have moved away and no longer live on Long Island. If your ties to our community are such that you prefer to baptize your child here, we will do our best to accommodate you, recognizing that active members of the congregation will have first choice of dates and services.
After your baby is born you will want to inquire with the church office about available dates for your child’s Baptism. Most of our Baptisms will be held at the 11:00 service, and we will not schedule Baptisms on the first Sunday of the month when we receive the Sacrament of Communion.
When you call, our church administrator will take some basic information and send you a booklet about Baptism. You will also be asked to schedule a pre-Baptismal counseling session with the pastor.
On the day of the Baptism, arrive 15 minutes early and identify yourself to the greeters as the Baptism family. Whenever possible, you will be the only family having a Baptism that day.
You will be seated in the front, center pew with your child’s Godparents or Sponsors. The minister will indicate to you when it is time to stand up. The order for Baptism will also be printed in the Sunday Bulletin. Please use it to follow along with the Worship service. We hope you will join in singing the hymns and reciting the printed prayers.
