Baptism

             This is a ceremony that makes a person a member of something. In this case, someone who is baptized becomes a member of the Christian community.
             A number of Christian traditions teach that baptism is a sacrament, which means that it is an outward sign of giving of God's grace and salvation to a person. Christians look upon baptism as the beginning of a life-long relationship with God. .
             Baptism signifies the beginning of new life, so Christians believe it right that children should be received into the family of the Church at an early age. This way, they could then grow up surrounded by the beliefs and teachings of the Church. Nowadays, infant baptism is the most familiar Christian initiation ceremony. Many traditions baptize young children, including:.
             Anglican.
             Methodist.
             Orthodox.
             Roman Catholic.
             United Reformed Church.
             Children are usually baptized by the sprinkling of water on the head. However, in the Orthodox Church, young children are fully immersed in the water. .
             As the infant is too young to make statements of beliefs and vows to God, and parents are the most significant inspiration on a child's life, they are the ones who are responsible for making sure that the child is bought up in a Christian environment. At infant baptism, the parents declare their own faith and agree to pass on that faith to their child.
             Believers" baptism is practised by the following traditions:.
             Baptist Churches.
             Pentecostal Churches.
             Other Evangelic traditions.
             It is the baptism of those who are old enough to make their own decision. The candidate understands the commitment being made. The method of baptism is by total immersion. The ceremony may take place in a pool inside the church building. The pool is called a baptistery, it is positioned at the front of the building to show the importance of baptism in that tradition. When it is not in use, it is covered. A candidate may also be baptized in a river, swimming pool, the sea or any other source of running water.