Church Actions

The kingdom of God is not a concept, but a living reality that surpasses human understanding. To explain this mystery, Jesus used parables – simple stories from everyday life. In the same way, he instituted certain simple actions for his church as signs of the power of his kingdom: the washing with water in baptism; the communal breaking of bread and drinking of wine at the Lord’s Supper; the laying on of hands to pronounce forgiveness or pray for healing; the granting of church discipline and reacceptance; and the joining of husband and wife in marriage. Since early Christian times, these actions have been known as sacraments: sacred symbols that give visible form to the hidden reality of Christ in our midst.

Is 55:6–11; Rom 11:33–36
Eph 3:17–21
Matt 13

These symbolic actions are nothing miraculous in themselves. Instead, they are signs of the prayer of the united church interceding for God to act, illustrating the working of Christ. They are seals of the authority he gave to the church by entrusting it with the keys of the kingdom. We may approach them only with the utmost reverence.

Acts 8:17–21
Jas 5:13–16
Matt 16:19; 18:18–20
1 Cor 11:27–32”
Heb 10:19–25, 12:28–29

Baptism is a command of Christ: “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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”

Matt 28:19–20 NRSV

In obedience to this commission, the church community offers baptism to every person who believes in the gospel of Jesus Christ and whose repentance comes from the heart, bearing fruit in deeds. In order to receive believer’s baptism as instituted by Christ for the forgiveness of sins, a person must have reached the age of accountability.

Mark 16:15–16; Acts 2:38–41
Matt 3:7–8; Acts 26:19–20
Rom 1:16

Anyone who has been commissioned by the church community may baptize people as John the Baptist did, “with water.” Then he will lay his hands on the newly baptized and pray that Jesus will fill them with “power from on high” – with the Holy Spirit.

Matt 3:1–11
Luke 24:49
Acts 10:44–48

The form of baptism was set by Christ himself: washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Immersion in water symbolizes dying, being reborn, and rising with Christ to a new life of righteousness, through Christ’s victory on the cross. The pouring over of water symbolizes the washing away of sins and the outpouring of the Spirit.

Matt 28:19
Rom 6:1–14; Gal 2:20
Matt 3:11; Acts 19:1–7; 22:16

The method of baptism that may be used – whether immersion or pouring over – is unimportant. What matters is the intervention of God to fully cleanse, forgive, and heal the one baptized.

John 4:23–24
John 1:12–13; 13:2–10

Baptism is the declaration of a good conscience with God. Through it the church witnesses to and seals salvation in the name of Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.” At Pentecost, when many in the crowd were “cut to the heart” after realizing their guilt for the death of Christ, three thousand were baptized in one day. Such repentance and the conversion that follows it are the only sure foundations for baptism.

1 Pet 3:21
Acts 4:12
Eph 2:8
Acts 2:37–41
John 3:1–8

True repentance is a gift of God. It is recognizable by a remorseful and contrite heart, a desire to confess one’s sins, and a changed life that shows fruits of a new spirit. One who truly repents will be determined never to sin willfully anymore, but rather to die than disobey God.

Pss 32; 51
Matt 3:6; Acts 19:17–20
2 Tim 2:19; Titus 2:11–14
Heb 12:1–17; 1 Jn 3:6
1 Pet 3:13––4:6

Baptism is a confession of faith – faith in Jesus of Nazareth , the son of Mary and son of God, who was born in poverty, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and will one day return to establish his kingdom fully on earth. Before a baptism is carried out in our church community, the candidate proclaims his or her faith in Jesus and affirms all the points of the Christian faith as stated in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.

Acts 22:16; 1 Tim 6:12–16
Phil 2:5–11; 1 Tim 3:16
1 Cor 15:1–8

Baptism is a pledge to follow Jesus, come what may, obeying him in everything. The early Christians taught that just as a recruit becomes a soldier through taking an oath of allegiance, so baptism enlists us as soldiers for Christ, sworn to his service even at the cost of our lives.1

Luke 9:23–25, 62
2 Tim 2:3–10; 2 Cor 10:3–5
Eph 6:10–20

Baptism is therefore also incorporation into the body of Christ, “for in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Through baptism we become fellow members with all believers through the ages, sharing in “one body and one Spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Anyone who belongs to Christ will join with others who also belong to him: “He who does not gather with me scatters.”

1 Cor 12:12–13 NRSV
Gal 3:26–28
Eph 4:4–6
Matt 12:30

On the last evening before his death, Christ asked his disciples to remember him with a simple meal of bread and wine. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper in obedience to him, seeking to keep to simplicity and reverence.

Luke 22:14–19

The Lord’s Supper is first of all a meal of remembrance: “Do this in remembrance of me.” Through sharing it, we are reminded of Christ’s life, his death, his resurrection, and his promise to come again.

1 Cor 11:24

The Lord’s Supper is a meal of communion with Christ, for while eating it with his disciples, Jesus said, “This is my body.…This is my blood. ” He also said: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” By partaking of the bread and wine, we renew our covenant of baptism, giving ourselves to Jesus in full surrender and declaring our readiness to suffer and die for him. We believe that he himself will be present among us with his power to heal the sick, forgive sins, and drive out evil.

Matt 26:26¬–28; 1 Cor 10:16
John 6:56
John 12:24–25; Col 1:24
John 14:11–14

The Lord’s Supper is a meal of unity. Together we declare ourselves united under God’s judgment and mercy.

1 Cor 10:17; 11:33–34

In this meal, the church is set apart from every other body and association. The early church taught that only those who are baptized, tested in daily life, and united in fellowship with the church community should take part.1 Out of the same reverence, we also celebrate the Lord’s Supper only with those who have received believer’s baptism, who affirm the same confession of faith, and with whom there is peace and unity. If before this meal we become aware of anything that stands between us and God or between us and brothers and sisters, we must first make peace so that we can come to Christ’s table with free hearts.

1 Cor 10:16–22; 11:27–32
Matt 5:23–24

According to an early Christian tradition, bread and wine are themselves a symbol of unity.2 To make bread, grains from different fields are harvested and baked into a single loaf; to make wine, grapes from different vineyards are collected and pressed to yield a single vintage. In the same way, the church is gathered from many lands and nations to be made one in Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is a meal of thanksgiving, a celebration of Christ’s victory over sin and death. Through it we proclaim his death until he comes again. This feast is a foretaste of his return – the great wedding banquet foretold in Scripture, when he will come as bridegroom to unite with his bride, the church.

1 Cor 11:23–26
Rev 19:6–9

Christ gives the church the authority to act on his behalf. The laying on of hands is a symbol of this authority, used from earliest times by the people of God to ask him to give his blessing, to set a person apart for himself in a special way, or to bestow the power of his Spirit.

Matt 16:19
Gen 48:14
Num 11:16–25; 27:15–23

Jesus and his apostles used this sign – sometimes together with anointing – to forgive sins, heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons, give blessings, commission messengers of the gospel, and pray for the Spirit to fill the believers. As members of Christ’s body, we are charged to do the same. Among us, this church action usually takes place in a worship meeting when a servant of the Word places his hands on the head of the person concerned and says a prayer of intercession.

Jas 5:13–20
Luke 4:40; 8:40–56
Acts 8:14–17; 13:1–3
Mark 16:15–18

The laying on of hands is also used to dedicate a newborn child. We do this after the example of Jesus, who laid his hands on little children and prayed for them. When parents present their baby to the gathered community, they acknowledge that the child belongs to God. In a special prayer, the child receives a blessing and the parents are commissioned to raise the little one in God’s stead.

Luke 2:22–38
Matt 19:13–15
Eph 6:1–4; Deut 6:7
Ps 78:4–8

Christ entrusted the church with the gift of church discipline, commissioning it to confront and overcome sin and to declare forgiveness in his name to the repentant: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Matt 18:15–20
1 Cor 5:1–13; Lev 19:17
Luke 17:1–4
Matt 16:19
John 20:23

To be a disciple involves discipline – training and correction – through Christ and his church: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.” We continue to need this gift throughout our lives. None of us is without sin, and there is no shame in admitting this.

John 15:1–4; Deut 8:5–6
Rev 3:19 ESV
Prov 3:11–12; Job 5:17
1 Jn 1:8–10

That is why Christ gave the church the power to forgive all sins in his name. Forgiveness is at the heart of his gospel, for those who are forgiven much love much. Christ teaches: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Luke 24:47; Acts 26:18
Luke 15; Mark 2:17
Luke 7:36–50; 1 Pet 4:8
Luke 15:7, 10
Mic 7:18–20

The New Testament instructs us to “confess your sins to one another.” Such confession is a fruit of repentance and must be entirely voluntary. It is necessary before baptism, and just as important afterward. If we do this with a contrite heart, in the determination not to sin again, the power of sin is broken.1

Jas 5:16
Ps 51; 2 Sam 12:13
Ps 34:18; Is 57:15
2 Cor 7:8–11

As the New Testament teaches, certain sinful actions are particularly serious. They affect not only the person responsible but also the whole church, harming its life and witness as the consecrated body of Christ. Those who commit such sins depart from the church’s peace and unity; in fact, Scripture warns that they place themselves outside the kingdom of God. To be restored to fellowship, such brothers or sisters need to give an account to the church for their actions and then reenter it through the same door by which they entered at baptism – that is, through repentance, confession, and forgiveness. This is possible through the gift of church discipline.

1 Cor 6:9–11; Gal 5:19–21
Rev 21:8; 1 Cor 5:6–8
Eph 5:8–17, 27
1 Pet 1:13–16; Lev 20:26
John 15:1–6
1 Cor 5:5; 2 Jn 1:7–11
Mark 9:42–50; Matt 25:1–13
Luke 13:22–30
2 Cor 2:5–11

Church discipline is available to an adult baptized believer who wishes to undertake a time of repentance in order to be reconciled to God and the church. It is a time of silent reflection when the person concerned steps back from full participation in the common life. Through silence, one gains freedom from everyday concerns so that the heart can become quiet. It is a chance to cleanse one’s conscience of all that burdens it and to stand before God. Throughout such a time, the church community shows its redoubled love to those in discipline, caring for their practical needs with special consideration and keeping them constantly in its prayers. We each stand with them in our need of God’s judgment and forgiveness.

Pss 62:1–2; 131
Joel 2:12–13; Ezek 36:25–27
Luke 15:22–24; Gal 6:9–10
Luke 18:9–14; 1 Pet 5:5–7

Understood rightly, church discipline is a grace, a sign of God’s mercy, and an act of hope. In our church community, the gift of discipline is granted only to those who desire and request it. It is not a punishment and has nothing in common with shunning, expulsion, or any kind of coercion; to abuse it for any such purpose is a sin. Rather, members who undertake a time of discipline remain our brothers and sisters and continue to be members in good standing.2 In seeking repentance, they do a service for Christ and his kingdom.

Heb 12:3–13
2 Thess 3:15
Rev 2—3

When a person in discipline has gained the assurance of a cleansed heart and God’s peace, he or she may ask to be reaccepted into the fellowship of the church community. The church then declares the forgiveness of sins, receiving the person back with joy and unreserved love.

2 Cor 2:5–11
Eph 4:30–32; Rom 15:5–7

Christ declared marriage to be the lifelong union of one man and one woman joined together by God, holy and instituted by him from the beginning: “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Mark 10:6–9 NRSV
Gen 1:27; 5:2
Gen 2:24

Jesus had great joy in marriage and performed his first miracle at a wedding by changing water to wine. We too rejoice whenever a man and a woman are led by God to love each other and vow to be faithful to each other for life. In the church community, marriage vows are made publicly before the gathered members as witnesses, and the marriage is then confirmed by the church through the laying on of hands.

John 2:1–11

As a creation of God, marriage is not a human invention. It is a sacrament that precedes and transcends the authority of the state. When a man and a woman become one flesh in marriage, their union has a deep connection with God. He made man and woman for each other, each in his image and likeness, and yet each incomplete without the other. He intended their union – a relationship unlike any other – for the bearing and rearing of children. In a true marriage, husband and wife will have an attitude of welcome toward the conception and birth of new life, even if this seems unlikely or impossible in their individual case.

Matt 19:6
1 Cor 11:11–12; Gen 1:26–27
Gen 2:18–24
Gen 1:28; 9:1
Mark 9:37; Ps 127:3–5

Christ honors the mystery of marriage so highly that he demands a life of chastity. Sex is a gift from God, but if it is isolated from him and his will, it defiles the soul; apart from marriage, it is sin. The Bible clearly requires abstinence before marriage and outside of it. In fact, Jesus warns us that even a lustful glance is adultery of the heart.

Matt 5:27–32
Song 2:16; 1 Cor 7:3–7
Heb 13:4; 1 Thess 4:3–8
Prov 5:1–20
Matt 5:28

Since marriage is the lifelong union between one man and one woman according to God’s creative will, and since God intended sexual love to be shared only between a husband and a wife, the church community can never recognize a homosexual relationship as a marriage, regardless of whether it is termed as such by law or society.

Matt 19:3–9
1 Cor 6:12–20
Rom 1:21–32; 1 Cor 6:9–11

We are called to represent God’s love toward every person, including those who experience same-sex attractions. We condemn no one. Yet Christ declares: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” He calls every disciple to keep to this narrow way. The church community welcomes into its midst all who are willing to accept Christ’s call and to forsake everything for him.

John 3:16–17
John 8:3–11
Luke 9:23 NRSV
Matt 7:13–14
Matt 11:28–30
Titus 2:11–14

With regard to divorce and remarriage, Christ says: “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Mark 10:2–12
Matt 5:32; 19:9; Luke 16:18

The church community must uphold Jesus’ teaching, which is the only stand consistent with real truthfulness and love. Even if separation should occur in isolated cases, no member of the church community may divorce his or her spouse. Further, no divorced member may remarry if a former spouse is still living.

Matt 28:20
Rom 7:1–3; 1 Cor 7:10–11

The callings of man and woman in marriage are different, yet equal in worth. According to the New Testament, the husband is to be the head of the family, and the wife his helper. He must never dominate her, but should cherish and serve her in humility. At a wedding in our communities, the bridegroom promises to always honor and respect his bride, and is reminded of the apostle Peter’s warning that if he neglects this, God may refuse his prayers. Likewise, a wife should support her husband in what is good. Above all, both spouses alike are charged with leading each other closer to Christ.

Gal 3:28
Eph 5:22–33
Col 3:19
1 Pet 3:7
1 Jn 4:7–21

Marriage is a great good, but not the greatest. For a believer, Christ must always come before everything, including the desire to marry (if single) or the commitment to one’s spouse (if married). In our communities, members can enter into marriage only with the blessing of the church community. Each of our marriages must be founded on a shared faith in Christ and dedicated to his service. At a wedding, bride and bridegroom promise never to follow each other in what is wrong, but to place obedience to Christ and his church above their bond to each other. This promise protects the foundation on which Christian marriage is built.

Matt 19:10–12
1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14–18
Eph 5:21
Luke 14:26

The New Testament speaks of the union of bride and bridegroom as a sacred mystery, a symbol of Christ’s love for the church. Jesus himself compared the kingdom of God to a wedding feast. Here we gain a glimpse of the deepest meaning of marriage: as a sign pointing to the coming of Christ’s perfect reign of love.

Eph 5:31–32
Hos 2:14–23
Matt 22:1–14; 25:1–13
Rev 19:6–7