The Place Of The Infant In The Worshiping Community

Even the youngest children have an important role in the Christian community. Both parents and the church must be conscious of how important their actions are for encouraging the faith and the participation of infants. Premises About the Role of Infants in the Faith Community (1) The infant has full membership in a covenanting community. At birth the infant becomes a member of the family in which he or she is born. Likewise, baptism is the sign that the infant is born into full membership of the covenanting church community in which his or her parents are members. In the covenanting community, all members of every generation covenant to care and support one another. The infant not only receives this promise, but, as appropriate to his or her development, cares for and supports the other members of the community. All adult members of the covenanting community accept an active role in the nurture and care for the new member and the member's family. The infant, in turn, develops a su…