The C&MA teaches that there are two ordinances (not sacraments in the Roman Catholic sense) ordained by Christ for the church: baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are symbolic actions that commemorate and apply truths of the gospel, not means of grace that convey salvation. Baptism is a public declaration of prior personal conversion to Christ, not a salvific act. The C&MA has traditionally practiced believer's baptism, affirming that only those who have personally trusted Christ should be baptized.

However, the C&MA is somewhat flexible on baptismal mode: while many C&MA churches practice immersion, sprinkling and pouring are also recognized as valid practices. This reflects the C&MA's conviction that the essence of baptism lies in its meaning (public confession of Christ and identification with his death and resurrection) rather than in the precise mode of administration.

The Lord's Supper is celebrated as a memorial of Christ's death and a means of grace through which believers remember Christ's redemptive work and renew their covenant with him. The C&MA affirms the real spiritual presence of Christ in the Supper but not a material or substantial presence (rejecting transubstantiation and consubstantiation). Additionally, the C&MA practices infant dedication, a public blessing of children born to believing parents as a commitment to raise them in the faith. Infant dedication is not baptism and does not confer grace, but is a service of thanksgiving and commitment.