Holy Baptism

What is Baptism?
Baptism is the beginning of a journey  -  a journey of faith.

This journey involves turning away from the darkness of self-centeredness, and turning towards Christ and becoming a member of the local and worldwide Christian family.

In Baptism God takes us and makes us one of His children. We become a member of the Church.

Baptism is a proof that God truly loves us. He reaches out to us and helps us journey with him for the whole of our earthly life, so that we may also be with him after our death.

Baptism is not just for children, adults are baptised too.

But adults are only baptised when they have been regularly worshipping with the Church for some months, and have undergone a period of instruction.

Baptism is a sacrament
A sacrament is a visible sign of God's love and grace

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 the darkness of evil and to make a new start with God.

Baptisms only take place at a public service on Sundays.

People often say that Baptism gives them a feeling of cleansing.  Did you know the word ‘baptism’ comes from the Greek word meaning to dip or immerse in water.  During the service the priest will pour water over the person being baptized or plunge them under it.  This is symbolic to show that Christ washes away a person’s sins and gives them a new fresh start.

Baptism also makes people feel as though they have a sense of identity, and even an act of belonging. Baptism is a sign that a person belongs to God’s Family.

The service is not private. You are not "booking the church" or "hiring the church" you are coming to the church to ask God to do something for your child.

The Date
It is not always possible have the date you originally thought about. Many people ask for Holy Baptism for their child and we have to balance the ordinary Sunday commitments of the priests with the need for an extra service. You should always find out on what Sundays it will be possible for the baptism to go ahead before you book a reception or tell your family or friends.

The Cost
Baptism is free. But the Church needs to pay its bills and keep up with repairs. You are asked to make a donation to the church. In 2009 it costs over £4000 a week to keep the four churches of the parish open.

Photographs and Videos
Everyone present has a part to play. We do not encourage the taking of photographs during the service because then people are not praying for the child. Their prayers are important. Perhaps you could explain this to your family and friends. The priest will help you arrange appropriate moments when photographs are possible.

Godparents
The godparents you choose for your child must be at least 16 years of age You must have one godfather and one godmother, but you can choose to have up to four godparents.

They must be Christians, and so they must already be baptised.
It is best if they are people who already worship in church, because they will be able to encourage their godchild to worship Sunday by Sunday.

What happens in the service