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Living Our Baptism

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Living our Baptism: Resources for Communities of Disciples

Baptism is the foundation and wellspring of our faith.

In baptism, God claims us and gives us new life. We are joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection, freed from sin, death and evil. We are reborn as God’s children and members of the church, the body of Christ.

In baptism, God makes a covenant with us and establishes a relationship with us. Empowered by the Holy Spirit given to us in baptism, we live out our faith as a way of life. We can even see connections between our synod values and these baptismal promises/practices:

Relationally-enriched

Live among God’s faithful people.

Grace-rooted

Hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper.

Christ-centered

Proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed.

Activated to serve

Serve all people, following the example of Jesus.

Spirit-led

Strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

Our baptism reminds us that we are one, connected to our siblings in Christ and our neighbors near and far.

We are all called into ministry, as individuals and as communities, through our baptism. Our ministry is wherever we are in our daily lives — at church, at work, volunteering, with family and friends.

God continues the work of Creation through us!

A man dressed in a Jedi costume stands next to a white car that has a glowing blue light bar inside the windshield.
A small group of people stands together singing. A man on the left plays an acoustic guitar while the others hold sheets of paper.
A wide shot looking down the center aisle of a church sanctuary, showing a pastor standing in the middle and members of the congregation posing together in the pews.
A group photo of about twenty-four people posing together in a community space with exposed brick walls. The group is arranged in two rows, with several individuals seated on a black couch in the front and others standing closely behind them. The back wall features a large panel of green artificial turf adorned with a glowing neon sign that reads
A close-up shot of a long folding table set up inside a room, displaying various items representing church programs, each marked with a handwritten paper label. The items include a basket with canned goods and a plush bunny (
A close-up selfie of a smiling woman in a clerical collar sitting in the cab of a tractor next to a man who is driving.
A smiling woman with light skin and brown hair tied back with a purple patterned bandana ribbon poses for a photo, making peace signs with both hands. She is wearing a bright orange T-shirt with a black lanyard around her neck.
A large group of about fifteen people of various ages stands together for a group portrait. A woman in a white liturgical robe stands on the far right.
A view from behind a long line of youth standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a dimly lit auditorium. They all have their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders or waists in a large embrace, facing forward toward a stage. Many are wearing matching t-shirts, some green ones with
A group photo of two adults and six teenagers posing together. In the front row, a smiling man sits on the left, a young man sits in the middle, and a smiling woman sits on the right, while the other teenagers stand or lean in closely behind them.
An indoor scene showing a man in a light blue clerical shirt and collar leaning over a long white dining table to sign a set of papers with a pen. The table is covered in a white tablecloth patterned with colorful polka dots and an illustration of an ice cream cone. Standing behind him and watching are a woman in a green sweatshirt that says
A large, multi-generational group of about twenty smiling people poses closely together inside a wood-paneled room. In the front center, a young girl happily holds a plush, red-and-yellow toy flame above her head. Flanking her on the floor are two young boys leaning over large, smiling cartoon-faced hot dog and hamburger inflatables. The group consists of men, women, and children of varying ages in casual clothing.
An indoor shot capturing a church choir and congregation members during a service. In the background, a standing choir of about eight older adults, holding black folders and sheet music, sings with open mouths. In the foreground, several people are seated in red chairs. A young man with blonde hair and an older woman in a red puffer vest are sitting next to each other, holding hands with eyes closed or looking forward in reflection.
A cardboard model of a red schoolhouse sits on a pedestal surrounded by school supplies and plastic grocery bags filled with donations.
A large group of children and adults of various ages pose together for a group photo around a picnic table in a wooded park or campground.
Three people sit closely together indoors at a casual gathering. The person in the middle wears a blue shirt, while the person on the left wears a pink shirt and denim shorts, and the person on the right wears a white shirt with green lettering. They appear relaxed and smiling.
A close-up of a child's hands and an adult's hands using markers to write out a Bible verse, Psalm 119:11, on a piece of paper.
A group of young children wearing backpacks stands together. One boy wearing glasses smiles while holding up a felt cutout of a flame above his head.
A group of people stands near a stone baptismal font. A woman stands in profile, holding a young toddler dressed in white. To the right, an older lay minister wearing vestments reads from a small booklet.
A woman dressed in a clerical shirt and collar throws her head back in laughter while sitting at a table between two men.
A high-angle shot of a group of nine teenage girls sitting in a circle on a polished wooden gymnasium floor with painted green and red court lines. The girls are casually dressed and actively engaged in playing a card game, with several small piles of playing cards spread out on the floor in the center of their circle. Backpacks and water bottles are lined up against the wall in the background.
A pastor stands behind a table speaking to a group of children who are gathered around with their backpacks under an outdoor pavilion.
A woman in a light yellow T-shirt smiles as she holds up her smartphone to take a group selfie. She is surrounded by a diverse group of smiling teenagers and young adults sitting on chairs in a dimly lit auditorium, all leaning in to fit into the camera frame.
A high-angle, wide shot from the back of a large auditorium filled with dozens of youth and teenagers facing a stage. They are standing between rows of red cushioned chairs with their hands raised in worship. On the stage, a leader with a guitar and another leader with a microphone lead the session. Two large projection screens on the front wall display song lyrics over a pink background.
A woman wearing a white robe with lace detailing and a bow in her hair leans down to point at a page inside a binder. A young boy with red hair stands next to her, looking closely at what she is pointing to.
An indoor shot of a spacious church lobby where a large collection of donated goods is gathered on the carpeted floor. In the foreground, several open cardboard boxes are filled with items like tissue boxes, dish soap, canned food, and packaged diapers. In the background, stacks of paper towels, laundry detergent, and toys are visible as several church members walk through or stand around conversing. A sign on the back wall reads
A woman and three young children kneel side-by-side at a wooden altar rail with their heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer.
An adult and three youths use rakes and shovels to spread fresh mulch across a playground area.
A high-angle selfie taken by a smiling man in clerical vestments in the foreground, looking up at the camera. Behind him, the shot captures the sanctuary of a church. A group of about six younger adults stands smiling in the center aisle between wooden pews, while more congregation members are spread out standing in the pews further back. A stack of metal communion trays sits on a small wooden pedestal to the right.
A group of nine smiling adults stands in a line, playfully tossing several colorful balloons — including red, blue, yellow, pink, and green — into the air.

Resources

The CaSTLE Project Resources

The CaSTLE Project resources from Wartburg Seminary for living our baptismal calling. More resources are available by creating a login and signing in to the platform, including the Leading Adaptive Change webinars and additional resources referenced in the Synod Day “Tools for Adaptability” workshop.

Webinars:

  1. Our Baptismal Calling
  2. From Gathering to Scattering
  3. What is Vocation?
  4. All In
  5. Equipping the Christian People through Spiritual Biography
  6. Sent to Serve

For further study

Tools for connecting with our broader communities

  • Community Conversation Questions: these can be customized for your context and used to connect with people in your broader community as a way of building relationships and collaborating for community wellbeing. (Questions courtesy of the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program.)
    • Why do you do this work in our community?
    • What are some of the strengths of our community that you observe from your work?
    • What keeps you up at night, i.e., what are real weaknesses in our community?
    • What could the faith-based organizations do (or not do) to better support you and your organization? 
    • What would you change in our community if you could snap your fingers and make it happen?
    • Who else should I talk to?
  • Data Hub: find the needs and trends in your county using these searchable tools.

Tools for recognizing our unique gifts for ministry

Feel free to contact me with questions and comments! I would love to help support you and your community in living out our shared baptismal call.

Blessings,

Pastor Kristen Schmid
Assistant to the Bishop for Transformational Communities

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