Baptism is undertaken as an expression of faith and as a means of initiating people into Christ and the faith community we call “the Church.”
It is a celebration of new life, specifically the new life we experience in the context of a life lived in Christian discipleship and Christian community.
The New Testament proclaims that Jesus urged His disciples to “baptize all nations” (Matt. 28). In other words, the new life is meant to be shared. God’s love is meant for the whole world, so in baptizing people, the Church is trying to be faithful to this mandate.
Undertaking Baptism is a sign of spiritual re-birth and a commitment to living intentionally for Christ in the context of the Church. In Baptism God’s grace is conferred, the flowing water symbolizing God’s faithful love for us, which renews us in life.