In a contemporary Christian environment, one of the most important practices having a significant contribution to Christianity as a living religious tradition is baptism. Baptism is of the utmost importance to most Christian denominations. This has deep meaning for the person being baptized and is also important for the Christian community as a whole. As a sacrament of initiation, baptism calls its adherents to become missionary disciples of Christ. It is with baptism that the journey of faith begins and Christians are called to follow and live their lives in the light of Christ. Baptism plays a vital role in the development of Christianity as a living religious tradition in most faiths. It is the ritual used in the majority of Christian denominations to officially signify the initiation of an individual into the beliefs and practices of the Christian community. Baptism is also an authentic rite of passage. It marks the individual's transition from one stage or state of life to the next. In terms of the Christian community, this marks the transition of a person from outside that community to a fully initiated member. For most faiths, it also has meaning as a statement of a person's beliefs in the Christian tradition and is an integral part of our salvation and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Baptism also allows Christians to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ and cleanses people from the stain of original sin. The act is either committed by immersion (generally practiced by the Eastern Orthodox), by sprinkling or by affusion depending on the branch of Christianity. Commonly, this practice is usually carried out among infants, but some variations of Christianity like the Pent...... middle of paper ......ly by the faith of the community. It is the role of the community to nourish the faith of the newly baptized, to support them and lead them to Christ by witnessing to the love of Christ in the observance and celebration of the Christian life. Furthermore, this exclusive membership calls the community to witness its mission of transmitting the Gospel to others by being “missionary disciples” and thus greatly enriches Christianity as a living religious tradition. Furthermore, “baptism celebrates the union of the sinner with the savior” (Max Lucado) since adherents physically participate in the same ritual as Jesus (“I need to be baptized” Matthew 3:13), thus establishing a connection with the community and Christ. Thus, it can be seen that community is a key aspect of both baptism and the sustenance of Christianity as a vibrant and living religious tradition..