Celebrating and remembering together as a community
The body of Christ comes together to celebrate, remember and commit afresh to follow Christ at key moments in life: milestones and seasons where we gather both in joy and in grief, bringing our lives to the Good Shepherd.
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Baby dedications
"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" - Matthew 19:14 (ESV) Parents are welcomed to dedicate their children to the Lord during a special ceremony. If you're interested in celebrating the life of a new little one, and committing yourself as a parent to the Lord in this season of life, feel free to contact the Church Office for more information. water baptismS
"Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4 (KJV)
Baptism is a symbolic act where a believer publicly professes his or her faith in Christ. The believer is immersed in water as a sign of new birth and regeneration: an act demonstrating that our sin has been put to death, and we have been raised to walk in newness of life as we participate in Christ. Baptism is a rite of initiation. We are grafted into the body of the Church. Baptism is a sign of new life; it is an act of commitment on the behalf of the believer, and an act of adoption, transformation and sealing of faith by God in our lives. We practice 'believer's baptism'. Anyone who has received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and saviour, and committed themselves to obediently follow Him as disciples, is invited to fulfill the biblical mandate of Christ to follow Him in the waters of baptism. If you are interested in water baptism, we invite you to attend a baptism class, and contact the Church Office for more information. weddings
"Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." - Genesis 2:24 (RSV) Marriage is God's good gift to us. It is a symbolic image of our communion and participation in the life and love of God: a picture of his self-giving love for us and his commitment and faithfulness to us. Therefore, marriage is not about our own benefit, choices or self-fulfillment. Marriage is about glorifying God, as a covenant couple, participating in the service and stewardship of God's creation together. This task involves the joys of intimacy and life together, and, in many cases, can include raising a family. It will also involve living the Christian life together as a declaration of the Gospel, extending the love of God through one's home, vocation and relationship to the world. Marriage is also a picture of the union between Christ and his Church. The love between husband and wife is a visual expression of the love between Christ and his Church. With this in mind, we are convinced that the most important and effective thing we can do to support your marriage is to point you to Jesus Christ and to His word written in the Bible. This is the way to help you grow in your relationship with Christ and with each other. (Look up Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:21-6:4). If you are considering getting married and beginning a new life together, we want to come alongside you to help you build a strong, faithful and lasting marriage. Our ministers will invite you to join them for pre-marriage counselling, where you will talk about how to start your marriage well, and come to Jesus in a deeper way: as the centre of your lives and marriage. For more information, please contact the Church Office. funerals
“I am the resurrection and the life”, says the Lord. “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”— 1 John 11:25-26 Christian funerals are occasions of both sadness and joy. While we mourn the loss of a loved one, we can rejoice in this promise of our Lord. Therefore, we attach great importance to conducting funerals at DFGC. Funerals include: - A meeting with the family - Funeral planning - Conducting the funeral - Funeral follow-up to help families and individuals come to terms with their grief and the hope that Christ gives them. |