Baptism and the Lord’s Supper #

We believe that these two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which some among us call “sacraments,” are bound to the Word by the Spirit as visible words proclaiming the promise of the gospel, and thus become places where recipients encounter the Word again. 

We believe baptism and the Lord’s Supper communicate life in Christ to the faithful, confirming them in their assurance that Christ, the gift of God for the people of God, is indeed “for us and our salvation” and nurturing them in their faith. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are physical focal points for key Reformation insights: the gifts of God and the faith that grasps their promise. 

We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are tangible expressions of the gospel insofar as they vividly depict our dying, rising, and incorporation into Jesus’ body, truly presenting Christ and the reconciliation he achieved on the cross. 

We believe baptism and the Lord’s Supper strengthen the faithful by visibly recalling, proclaiming, and sealing the gracious promise of forgiveness of sins and communion with God and one another through the peace-making blood of Christ.