We welcome both adults and children for baptism (the baptism of children is sometimes called ‘Christening’).
People are baptised when they decide to follow Jesus Christ and live their lives his way. It is a way of publicly showing this new way of life. It is impossible for very young children to be able to do this for themselves. Therefore when children are baptized, parents are stating publicly that this is their faith and that they wish to bring their child up as Christians too. We say more about this below.
What is Baptism?
The baptism service for children asks parents and God-parents to make a public declaration of their own faith. It also asks them to make a promise to:
Pray for their child
Be an example to them in living the Christian life
Bring them into the life of the church
Care for them within the life of the church as they grow up.
During the service your child will be:
Signed with the sign of the cross on their forehead – the universal sign of Jesus Christ
Baptised with water in the name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – to symbolise dying to sin and being raised to life with Christ
Given a lighted candle – a symbol of the light of Christ
What is Thanksgiving?
A Thanksgiving service provides families with the opportunity to celebrate the birth of a child, to name him/her, and ask God’s blessing on him/her. It is an honest alternative for people who want to thank God for the birth of their child, pray God’s blessing on them but who are not in a place to take on the commitments that baptism requires.
If you wish you can choose to have some significant adults called ‘sponsors’ or ‘supporting friends’ who take part in the service. Technically they are not called godparents but they can be a special support to you and your child. Just as in a baptism service your child’s name will be publicly declared and acknowledged. We pray by name that God would bless your child.
Can my child be baptised later on?
Of course! We hope that at a later date you will be able to make the promises asked of you in baptism, and then your child can be baptised. Alternatively your child may decide to get baptised themselves.
What do I do now?
We are here to help you in making a decision that is best for you. We hope however that you will think carefully and honestly so that you come to the right decision for you. Once you have come to a decision we will make a date for a service. We cannot promise to be able to do the precise date you would like but we will try and meet the needs of your families and other considerations. We usually conduct baptism and thanksgivings on Sundays. You may choose to have your service as part of the main service at either church or as a separate service at 12.45 pm.
Baptisms
