what is baptism?

Jesus challenged his first followers to “go and make disciples [followers] of all peoples, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. ...” (Matthew 28:19+20) Baptism has for adults always been associated with a decision to become a disciple of Jesus and marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves turning away from the darkness of self-centredness, turning towards Christ and becoming a member of the local and worldwide Christian family. It is natural for adults who have faith for themselves to seek baptism for their children since they are brought up within the church and in a Christian household. While most people are familiar with being baptised as a child, baptism can happen at any age. What matters is that those concerned believe it is right to ask for baptism. You can only be baptized once, but if you want to renew your commitment, there are ways to do this too. Baptism is considered by the Church to be a 'sacrament'. In other words, it is a visible sign of something that God's love is doing on the inside. In baptism, we are thanking God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledging his love. We are acknowledging that we all need to turn away from the darkness of evil and to make a new start with God.