Life Events
marriage
Marriage is a reflection of the mutual love between Christ and his church. It is a beautiful, covenantal relationship of mutual submission and complementary love. If you are considering getting married or engaged, we encourage you to come to our pre-marital courses. They are usually offered on an as-needed basis, generally as Saturday seminars, running from 9am until 3pm, with lunch provided. If you would like more information about a pre-marital class, please contact our office.
baptism overview
Baptism is a sacrament long-observed by the Christian community. Here at Grace Toronto, we follow the historic Reformed tradition in that we practice both believer’s baptism (for new converts and adults) and infant baptism (for the children of believers). We believe that baptism is a demonstration of God’s free grace to us and is beautifully portrayed in both infant baptism and believer’s baptism. Baptism does not save anyone; instead, it reflects God’s promise to save.
We recognize that Christians have differences over who should be baptized and how baptism should be administered. We do not want this to be a divisive issue, and we allow for differences in conviction among our members and adherents.
believers’ baptism
Believer’s baptism is a picture of God’s gracious gift of cleansing by his Son and new life by his Spirit. In believer’s baptism, we see God’s grace displayed as we celebrate an individual’s journey from unbelief to faith, from doubt to trust, from insecurity about God’s love to assurance of it. We see a picture of transformation– of new life being given to spiritually dead people, of resurrection. It is magnificent.
If you are a believer in Jesus and have never been baptized, you need to know that Jesus commands those who believe in him to exhibit their faith by being baptized. Please consider his command and make arrangements to be baptized.
infant baptism
In infant baptism, we see another aspect of God’s grace. Through this practice, we celebrate the fact that the promises of God are held out to individuals who are weak, helpless, and still unable to believe. In this way, baptism replaces the Old Testament rite of circumcision. We remember that God took initiative to seek us before we sought him and that he intervened on our behalf to make us his own.
If you are a believer in Jesus and have children, the sacrament of baptism is open to your children. You are not obligated to have them baptized if your conscience does not permit it, but we invite you to explore the option and are willing to help you process this significant issue. For further reading on this topic, check out this article.
We have baptism services regularly throughout the year. Please contact our office for more information on the next baptism service.
