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We are pleased to welcome baptism enquiries,
and we can usually arrange a date to suit your needs. Baptisms can take place either in the morning service on Sunday, or
at 12.30pm. Please contact Wendy our parish administrator using the form at the bottom of this page to arrange a baptism.
What does baptism mean?
In baptism, you as parents are: thanking God for his gift of life, making a decision to start your child on the journey of faith and asking for the Church's support.
For your child, baptism marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves turning away from all that is evil, turning towards Christ and becoming a member of the local and worldwide Christian family.
Baptism is a 'sacrament' a visible
sign of God's love. In baptism, we are thanking God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledging his love. We are acknowledging
that we all need to turn away from selfishness and evil and to accept God’s offer of a new start.
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In baptism your child is: Signed with the cross To show that we belong to Christ who died on the cross. As an act of dedication in the service of Christ. As a sign of God’s love for us, a love which is stronger than death. “I sign you with the cross, the sign of Christ” Baptised with water As a sign that we are made clean through God’s love and forgiveness. As a sign of God’s life-giving power. As a symbol of our new life, won for us when Jesus rose from the dead. “I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Given a lighted candle As a sign that God has shown himself to us in Jesus, to be the light of the world. As a symbol of the promise that God will guide us with his light if we trust in him. As a sign that we may all grow to reflect the light of Christ in our lives. “Receive this light…. Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.” Welcomed into the Church family We worship God. We teach the Christian faith. We try to care for others. We serve the world in the name of Christ. “We welcome you into the Lord’s Family.” Your baby’s baptism is a time for celebration and joy. And, naturally, you want the best for your baby. We hope to help you plan and prepare for baptism in the best possible way.
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Parents and Godparents promise to help in three special ways: Prayer Even if you don’t find prayer very easy it is still important to teach your child to pray. Prayer can help your home to become a place of love, security and trust. Prayer helps your children to grow up to know and love God through his Son Jesus. Prayer is always there when you need it! Family prayers needn’t be long or heavy. A good pattern is to encourage children to say a short prayer of their own about anything they choose, then you can say one, and perhaps finish with the Lord’s Prayer. Example The best example you can give is to come to church as a family, where your children can come and meet God in other people and know what it is to belong to a wider family. Worship comes in many forms to suit your different needs. The best example of God’s love we have is in the life of Jesus. If we try to live by his standards we will be giving our children the best example we can. Jesus taught us to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves. Teaching Most people find it difficult to teach their children about the Christian faith, but don’t be put off, the family of the Church can help you begin. We welcome children to all our services, and especially to our All Age and Family Services where we try to present the faith in simple and practical ways.
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