The Best Way To Announce Baptisms
The day of our physical birth is remembered every year because it is the day we received the gift of life. The day of baptism too is of great importance as it is the day we are reborn. It is a spiritual birth. We are born in Christ to a new life. In and through baptism we make a fundamental choice to life. When we look beyond the ceremonies and parties what remains solid is the Christian commitment made through this sacrament that guides us and motivates us. Christian faith is a communitarian one. So, baptism is a community event and never an individual affair. When one receives baptism one is spiritually and literally included into a community of believers. So the occasion of baptism is never held in secrecy. This aspect of community sense can be best accentuated by announcing it to all our near and dear ones, to the church and to the whole of humanity. Why Announce Baptism:
A baptism invitation is different from a baptism announcement. Baptism invitations are aimed at inviting select guests for the baptism ceremony and party. A baptism announcement is a proclamation that some one is going to be part of the Church. The announcement becomes vital in the case of adult baptisms and when a person gets converted from some other religion to Christianity. It is a legal requirement in some places to announce about it. This makes room for reporting of impediments and implications. Announcing child baptism too is important as it is the occasion when the whole church is made aware of a new arrival. This helps the church to welcome the new member with pomp and warmth. When a person joins the church he/she joins the universal church to become a disciple of Jesus. Christian discipleship is the act of the proclamation of the gospel. If the whole life is going to be a proclamation, the moment of entry needs to be announced solemnly to all. All may not be invited to party, but all are certainly party to praying for the new disciple. The Best way to Announce: The pulpit of the parish church is the best place of announcement. As the marriage banns are announced so are baptisms announced especially if the candidate is an adult or convert from another religion. This announcement can be complemented by flyers, banners, cards and posters depending on the intensity of the event. There are online helps available to find a perfect announcement card or poster. Most of them can be personalized according to one's needs and taste. Shops that sell religious articles have readymade announcement card that need just the mention of the name of the person, Church and the date of baptism. |