Alice's baptism

yesterday Alice was baptised by Grandpa Thomas. Grandpa was recently ordained in our denomination (PCA), so we were very excited for him to be able to baptise our daughter. it was also special that Alice was wearing a gown made from Grandma Thomas's wedding dress. more pictures here (some of them arent so great but I havent had time to find the best ones yet).

it was all a bit of a whirlwind, as it was a little stressful getting everyone successfully out of the house. Caleb is almost never in the church service with us (something we'll probably start sometime this year), so he was a little bit antsy. and to top it off, Alice filled her diaper and spit up right before we went up to the front. mama successfully kept her from crying too much while we were up front, but she wailed a bit once she was handed over for the actual baptism.

but of course it was a very good thing to receive God's promises and take vows to Him and Alice. since it was a little crazy while it was going on, I'm putting a copy of the vows here for the record, and for our reference.

1. Do you believe in one God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and do you confess Jesus Christ, God’s Son as Lord and Savior?

2. Do you acknowledge that although our children are conceived and born sinners, and therefore subject to the miseries of the fall, yet Christ calls them holy because of their relation to you as members of His church?

3. Do you believe God’s covenant promise to be your God and the God of your children and thus present your child for holy baptism as the sign and seal of his/her reception into the covenant family of God?

4. Do you promise, with the help of God, to bring up your child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, to pray for him/her and with him/her and to make every effort so to order your own lives that you will not cause this little one to stumble?

5. Have you so kept the vow you made before God with your previous child that you can take this vow with a sincere and clear conscience?

6. Do you promise to encourage him/her as soon as he/she is able to comprehend its significance, to confess his/her own faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and become an active member of Christ’s Church, serving faithfully in her fellowship?

7. (To the congregation, from Pastor Cal) – Do you receive Alice as an infant member of this church; do you promise to surround him/her with Christian love and to pray for him/her; do you promise to set before him/her such an example of Christian love and virtue that he/she will early in life know the reality of personal salvation and rich fellowship in the Kingdom of God? If you can so answer from your hearts please answer “amen”.

8. What name has been given this child? (Alice Florence Wiegers)

9. Alice Florence Wiegers, child of the covenant, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.