Robyn Lebron their desire that he or she be baptized, and they are sprinkled with water in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit When an infant or child is baptized, the church commits itself to nurture the child in faith When adults are baptized, they make a public profession of faith Baptism is God’s gift of grace and also God’s summons to respond to that grace Baptism calls to repentance, to faithfulness, and to discipleship The water that is used symbolizes three accounts from the Bible’s Old Testament: the waters of creation, the flood described in the story of Noah, and the Hebrews’ escape from slavery in Egypt by crossing the Red Sea All three stories link humanity to God’s goodness through water Unlike some denominations, Presbyterians not require a person to be entirely immersed in water during baptism Baptism is received only once The Presbyterian Church believes that persons of other denominations are part of one body of Christian believers; therefore, it recognizes all baptisms with water in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit administered by other Christian churches Initiation, Baptism, or Confirmation Thirty-five-week confirmation classes provide youth in early adolescence with a consistent standard of education regarding Presbyterian beliefs and a Reformed understanding of scripture Confirmation is the time when young people claim the promises that were made on their behalf in baptism Without that public profession of faith, baptism is like a gift that remains unopened When confirmation is done with integrity, it can convey to our young people that membership in the church of Jesus Christ is a serious core commitment of their lives Marriage Presbyterians consider the marriage ceremony sacred, but it is not considered a sacrament They teach that a Christian marriage performed in accordance with the Directory for Worship can only involve a covenant between a woman and a man, it would not be proper for a minister of ~ 190 ~