Worship with us Sundays at 9:30 am

Sacraments

Sacraments are ancient practices rooted in the life of Jesus as recounted in the Bible. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace—a way in which we can use our human senses to comprehend God’s divine love. Sacraments also remind us of the holiness of the ordinary, mundane elements of our lives—bread, juice, water. At DCC, in accordance with the United Church of Christ, we celebrate two sacraments: baptism and communion (the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper).

Baptism

The model for our baptisms is taken from the gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. In those stories, the heavens open up and God’s voice can be heard, saying, “You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.” In baptism, we name God’s love for each of us.

In the sacrament of baptism, we recognize a covenant between God, the community, and the one being baptized. Because of the central role of the community of faith, we celebrate baptisms during our worship services and welcome the newly baptized as members of our church family. We baptize people at any age. When a child is baptized, her family makes promises on her behalf, and we all bear witness to the grace of God that comes to us before we can even ask. When an adult is baptized, he makes promises himself, and we all bear witness to faithful living in response to God’s love.

If you would like to speak with one of the pastors about baptism for yourself or your child, please contact the church office.

Communion

When we celebrate communion, we remember the last supper Jesus shared with his disciples, as well as his life, death, and resurrection. We also make a bold statement about our belief in the future, in a time when God’s realm of love and justice for all will be established here on earth. Communion unites past, present, and future, bringing together faithful people in every time and place to be nourished by grace and made new by God’s love.

We believe in radical hospitality where all are invited to share at the table. Following the example of Jesus, we welcome everyone—young and old, gay and straight, believers and doubters, happy folks and sad folks, sinners and saints. In keeping with our belief that all are welcome, the elements we share in communion include bread, grape juice, and gluten-free crackers.