Baptism & Confirmation
Baptism
Baptism is one of two sacraments we practice at Bridges Church. We believe in one baptism to receive God's free gift of grace and salvation, and we recognize baptisms from other Christian traditions.
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace - a personal gift freely given to us by God, and received by us through our choice to accept the gift.
Confirmation
Confirmation is the 'confirming' of our baptismal vows, and can be done more than once. Traditionally, confirmation was done as kids moved to adulthood and allowed them to profess their faith and take on the responsibilities of being a member of the church they were baptized in.
Sometimes we go through significant transitions in life, and another process of preparation and confirmation is useful to share our faith in new ways. People from ages 12 to 92 and more are welcome to pursue confirmation.
Preparation
God is at work in us when we feel called to receive God's grace and profess our faith through baptism. At Bridges, baptism isn't just a momentary gift of grace and forgiveness, but the start of a relationship with God and a church community.
We don't want to get in the way of the work of the Holy Spirit, so we work with each individual or family to determine the best preparation for each candidate for baptism and confirmation.
Any Age
God does the work of grace in baptism, so we welcome people of any age to receive baptism. Families can bring infants to join God's family. Adults can feel the spirit move within and receive God's grace.
Any Water
Christians have used a variety of settings for baptism. Some have sprinkled water in a worship space. Some have poured from pitchers. Some have gathered at pools or rivers for full immersion. We support and offer many choices for the setting for baptism, including the Mississippi River in good weather.