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Are you seeking to have your child baptized? Or, are you considering taking the next step in your own faith journey through Baptism, Confirmation, or church membership? You've come to the right place! We're excited to journey with you as you follow Jesus on this path.

We believe that Baptism, Confirmation, and church membership have tremendous religious and spiritual significance. It is our view a person should only be baptized/confirmed/admitted to full membership when s/he demonstrates a sincere desire to maintain a vital and life-long connection with Christ’s Church. This is why the promises made during a service of Baptism, Confirmation, Re-affirmation of faith, or Admission are considered sacred and ought not to be made lightly.

These rites happen during a public worship service. Dates are set aside a few times a year to celebrate these rites as part of our regular worshipping life as a congregation. Please contact our minister for more information.

FAQ about ...

For newborns and small children

Since ancient times, the Church has had the practice of baptizing the children of believers as a sign of their status and inclusion in the covenant community. In our tradition, we have continued this practice as a normative part of our life together. 

Whereas for teenagers or adults, Baptism is a profession of one’s own faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, for an infant, Baptism is administered on the basis of his or her parents’ faith. It is also an act of faith—a “sacrament”, as the Church proclaims—in which God acts in the life of a person, and we respond to God’s grace in that act.

Confirmation is the rite through which those baptized as infants or children are admitted into full Church membership 

For infants, Baptism is the first step towards full membership in The United Church of Canada. The second step is to be “confirmed” at an age at which they are able to profess their own faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. In this sense, whereas Baptism is a “sacrament” in which God acts upon a person, Confirmation is part of that same person’s response to the grace of God. At Confirmation, we commit ourselves to the ministry of the whole Church.

For teens or adults who have not previously been baptized

In the New Testament era, people who converted to faith in Christ were typically baptized by full immersion in a body of water. The early Church spoke of this physical imagery as “dying and rising” with Christ in his death and resurrection. So, for older children, teenagers, or adults who have come to believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, Baptism includes a profession of their own faith.

In this sacrament, God acts in the life of a person, and s/he responds to God’s grace in that act. Since Believer’s Baptism is administered to those who are consciously making a choice for themselves and includes a profession of personal faith, a separate rite of Confirmation is unnecessary.

For those who've already been Confirmed or received Believer’s Baptism in another church

Under our church’s doctrine, a person who has already been baptized and confirmed in another church (or who has made a profession of faith and received Believer’s Baptism)* is eligible to be admitted to full membership in The United Church of Canada through a rite called “Re-affirmation of Christian Faith.” Please speak with our minister about this.

* The baptism must have been with water and administered using the Trinitarian formula.

Transferring from another congregation in The United Church of Canada

Members of any United Church congregation are members of the whole Church. As long as a member is in good standing with his or her previous congregation, s/he is eligible to request a certificate of transfer, issued by the minister of that congregation. Please speak with the church office or our minister about arranging this.

Transferring from another church/denomination

In most cases, members of other churches or Christian denominations are also eligible to transfer their membership into The United Church of Canada. Please speak with our minister about your circumstances and desire to become a member at North Lonsdale.