The Apostle John and a Vision of the Bride (Hope)
Pastor Kurt Ebert | December 1, 2024
During this season of Advent, Jesus comes to reorient our perspectives on our lives. Today, Jesus uses the vision of John the Apostle to refocus... More
We have a Prodigal ("lavishly extravagant") God who has spared no expense to seek us when we were lost and gather us to Himself as a people redeemed by His love (Luke 15:11ff; 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a; Luke 19:10).
As Lutheran Christians, we stand firm on God's gifts of...
Jesus calls all Christians to follow Him, as we begin an ever-growing relationship with Him, His church, and His mission.
For more information about the official teachings of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), please visit the LCMS “Belief and Practice” webpage at www.lcms.org.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His own loving-kindness. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (Titus 3:4-6).
Baptism is a sacrament—a “holy” (sacra) “action” (mentum)—of the church. In Baptism, our merciful God is acting in a special way to create a new spiritual life in the person being baptized. Baptism is our entrance into fellowship with God and into the Christian community of believers.
Lutherans baptize infants and young children because (a) we believe it is the command of Christ Himself in the Great Commission to make disciples of “all” nations (Matthew 28:19), (b) we believe it is God’s gift “for us and for our children” (Acts 2:38-39), (c) because it was a known practice in the earliest days of the church (Acts 16:30-34), and (d) Jesus welcomes the little children, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:16).
Since Baptism is a grace event, it is all God’s doing. It does not depend on our qualifications, any powers or goodness in us, or our mastery of religious teaching. God freely accepts all people through Christ, regardless of age or intellectual ability. Knowledge is important as a child matures, but God begins with a relationship. In the same way, a good human parent loves and embraces a child in relationship, and does not first require their baby to understand them, or even respond to them. Of course, we are thrilled whenever that happens and so is God. We, therefore, commit ourselves to raising our children to know and respond to God, and live under Him by faith.
BEFORE Baptism – parents are to understand what we believe and teach concerning Baptism. They are encouraged to choose Christian sponsors who will pray for, care for, and provide a Christian example for their godchild.
AFTER Baptism – Baptism is both a gift and a responsibility. God grants the gift of new spiritual life and also entrusts to parents a responsibility to nurture the seed of faith that He has planted in their child by living out their faith at home and in the church.
Ordinarily, Baptism takes place during one of our regularly scheduled worship services. In special cases, we can arrange for Baptism at times outside our worship schedule either in the home or at the church. The baptism service includes:
Sponsors, or Godparents, are called to witness that a child was baptized and to support their ongoing growth in the Christian faith. Following the Baptism, Sponsors are asked to:
Contact the church office 317-783-2000 to discuss questions you may have, possible dates that work both for your family and the church calendar, and other necessary contact and biographical information.
“For what I received from the Lord I also delivered to you…For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23, 26).
Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life. He says: “Come, for those who eat this bread and drink this cup will never hunger or thirst, but be raised up on the Last Day” (John 6). We believe Jesus when He says, “This is my body” and “This is my blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” We believe that we receive the true body and blood of Jesus when we eat the bread and drink the wine of the Lord’s Supper. Faith takes hold of the promised forgiveness that God’s Word has put into the Lord’s Supper.
Those who receive the Lord’s Supper should be believers in Christ (Hebrews 11:6); be sorry for their sins (Proverbs 28:13); believe that Christ offers His true body and blood with the bread and wine (1 Corinthians 10:16); and be willing to forgive those who have sinned against them (Matthew 6:14-15).
Gluten-free wafers are available for worshipers with a gluten allergy.
Non-alcoholic wine is offered in the center of each communion tray.
Please speak with one of the pastors before or after a service if you have more questions about the Lord’s Supper. You are also invited to find out more through our Foundations of Faith class.
The purpose of “Foundations of Faith” class is to:
Upon completing the class, there is no obligation to become a member of Calvary, but those desiring to do so will be received into membership during a Sunday morning service along with a special new member breakfast preceding the worship service.
Do you have a question about the Bible, the Christian faith, or our beliefs? Click the button below, fill out the form, and one of our pastors will respond.