Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

458 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

express desire to walk in unition with Christ’s Body the Church. Through baptism and through faith God establishes a bond with us, himself, and his people that cannot be broken. We ask that each candidate for Believer’s Baptism be sponsored by one or more baptized persons, those who can vouch for their faith and new life and Christ. Sponsors of adults and older children present their candidates and thereby signify their endorsement of the candidates and their intention to support them by prayer and example in their Christian life. Infants may be dedicated by their parents, who select sponsors commonly called godparents, who present their little ones to the Lord, with their godparents making promises to guide, watch, and protect those so dedicated until they come of age to place their faith in Christ in voluntary faith. Every candidate for Baptism signifies in their obedience their commitment to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ in the Church, to seek God as Christ’s follower, and to fulfill with zeal and love their responsibilities as members of Christ’s Church. S CRIPTURE R EADING The Celebrant (or someone appointed) reads select Scriptures relevant to the theme of Baptism in the presence of those gathered: Matthew 28.18-20 (ESV) – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Romans 6.1-8 (ESV) – What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried there fore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.