I Will, With God's Help (Small Group Study)

A 5-Week Study on the Commitments of the Baptismal Covenant

Baptism is one of the two great sacraments given by Christ to his Church, making it a foundational moment in the Christian life. In the Episcopal Church (and many others), the sacrament is accompanied by profound ceremony and meaning. Much of the ritual seen in Baptism is echoed in Confirmation, where individuals confirm and proclaim their mature decision to follow Christ.

The Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer (p. 858) describes Holy Baptism this way:

“Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.”

There’s a lot we can unpack in there, but at its core there’s this idea that we’re becoming part of something bigger than ourselves.

And I love this idea of being adopted as God’s children. As an adoptive dad myself, I can relate to this idea of adopting kids into my family. They are now full members of my family, receiving all of the benefits of being one of my kids (no different than my biological children). 

At the same time, they also accept the responsibilities of being a part of this family. In our family, we all carry our weight. We have chores to do in order to maintain our home. We treat each other a certain way. And we represent our family well to our neighbors. 

If any one of us fails at any of these things, does it mean they’re no longer part of the family? Of course not! They’ll always be part of the family, no matter what. But we all still work to do the things we need to do that makes this family successful.

And that’s what this small group study is all about. It’s about the commitments we make as Christians when we become part of God’s family through Holy Baptism.

This definition reveals the heart of Baptism: it is about joining something greater than ourselves—becoming part of God’s family.

In the Episcopal Church, the Baptismal Covenant found in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP p. 304-305) provides a structured way of expressing what this family membership means. The covenant consists of two key parts:

• A Statement of Faith: This is essentially the Nicene Creed presented in a question-and-answer format, where we declare what we believe about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
• Five Commitments: These are practical promises that guide how we live out our faith in our daily lives. Each begins with a question and is followed by the response, “I will, with God’s help.”

These five commitments serve as the framework for this study. Each week, we’ll explore one of the commitments in depth, reflecting on what it means and how it shapes our lives. They remind us that living the Christian life isn’t about perfection but about faithfulness and reliance on God’s grace.

The response “I will, with God’s help” is especially meaningful. It recognizes that we cannot live out these commitments on our own—we need God’s strength and presence. The commitments are big and can feel challenging, but they are always undertaken with God’s help.

As we study these commitments, we will see that they shape our relationships with God, with others, and with the world. This study isn’t about rules; it’s about nurturing a heart that reflects Christ’s love and grace. And through it all, we trust that God walks alongside us, enabling us to live into these commitments as beloved members of His family.