Baptism
Have you considered baptism? For you as an adult or your child? It is an important step in your own personal life and the church community a day and occasion worth celebrating together with your family, friends and community. Please contact our office or pastor for further information.
Martin Luther writes a short description of what baptism means in the so-called Small Cathechism:
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM
What is baptism?
Baptism is not merely water, but it is water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s Word.
What is this Word of God?
As recorded in Matthew 28:19, our Lord Christ said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
What gifts or benefits does Baptism bestow?
If effects forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and grants eternal salvation to all who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare.
What is this Word and promise of God?
As recorded in Mark 16:16, our Lord Christ said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
How can water produce such great effects?
It is not the water that produces these effects, but the Word of God connected with the water, and our faith which relies on the Word of God connected with the water. For without the Word of God the water is merely water and no Baptism. But when connected with the Word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul wrote to Titus (3:5-8): “He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This saying is sure.”
What does such baptizing with water signify?
It signifies that the old Adam in us, together with all sins and evil lusts, should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance and be put to death, and that the new man should come forth daily and rise up, cleansed and righteous, to live forever in God’s presence.
Where is this written?
In Romans 6:4, St. Paul wrote: “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Confirmation
At St. John’s we offer regularly every first or second year a confirmation course. A faith course for young adults. In and during the confirmation-time we intend to discuss different themes and topics of the Christian faith and discover many different aspects and groups of St. John´s. The faith in Jesus Christ is just like a long life journey and during the confirmation-time, we are together on this journey for a short period of time.
What happens on confirmation day? During the confirmation service, the confirmees speak together with the whole congregation the apostolic creed, confessing their Christian faith and celebrating together Holy Communion. The confirmees will receive a blessing for their life journey. Through the confirmation, every confirmee will receive the right to be a Godparent.
The confirmation is in this way the “confirmation” of the baptism received as a child. If a confermee is not baptised the confirmation will be celebrated as baptism.
Our meetings will be bilingual and often times in collaboration with the Trinity congregation.
Weddings
If you would like to celebrate your wedding day at St. John´s in a German Lutheran Tradition and setting we encourage you to contact our office or our pastor. They will contact you a soon as possible and arrange a first meeting.
Funerals
A religious funeral is a ceremony where loved ones and friends gather to mark the passing of someone who was important to them together as a community. At St. John´s religious services can be held in our church or at another location, both in English and German. Religious funerals vary in their customs, but there are universal similarities that you can expect. Our pastor will meet with you and organise together with you the funeral service.
Please contact our office or our pastor if you wish to receive more information.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5,4