Baptisms

Baptism of children or adults

  • Baptism (sometimes known as Christening) can happen at any stage of life, from small babies to adults. Baptism is a gift from God and is open to all. You do not need to be a member of our church in order to have a child Baptised. We are always happy to explain what is involved in the service and what it all means.
  •  Baptisms usually take place on a Sunday during the 9.45 am service. In exceptional circumstances such as an emergency, alternative arrangements can be made, but this will be at the discretion of the Minister.
  • To arrange a Baptism please contact us on 01462 549028.

 

Infant baptism offers numerous benefits, one of which is a profound sense of belonging. We believe that children are an integral part of God’s people. We hope for them to make their own decision about God, but the best way to help them in this is to treat them as church members from the very beginning, nurturing them as part of God’s Church. From their earliest age, we want children to feel that they are part of the Church, and baptism, our membership ritual, is the beginning of this inclusive journey.

Baptism isn’t just about a “good start in life”. Getting your child baptised won’t protect them from childhood injuries or illnesses. It won’t make them sleep better. It's not even about the child's eternal destiny - some people seem to believe that as long as you are baptised you will go to heaven. But baptism alone doesn’t make someone a Christian. There’s more to it than that. That’s why we would want to encourage our children to commit to following Jesus and choosing to become members of our Church, gradually becoming disciples.

Likewise, unbaptised children will not "go to hell". God is not so capricious as to condemn an innocent child like that. Unbaptised people can be part of a church, get married in church, have a church funeral and be buried in consecrated ground - all contrary to what some folk would have you believe. So you don't need to have your child baptised for superstitious reasons.  As mentioned, baptism is all about becoming a member of the church.  If you want you child to be part of the Church of England, then baptism is the answer.

 

Baptism for adults

Or if you would like to become a member of the Church baptism is still the answer. Because people can make the decision to become part of the Church at any age. If you want to embark on the journey toward membership in the Church and becoming a disciple of Jesus, then this membership ritual is also open and welcoming to you.

But we won’t baptise you if you’ve already been baptised as a child. Just because you don’t remember it, it is still valid. Baptism is a once-and-for-all thing. If you don’t remember your baptism but want a ceremony to mark your decision to become a disciple of Christ, we can help with that - that’s what Confirmation is all about. Confirmation is not just a formality; it’s a significant step in your faith journey, where (just like baptism) you publicly affirm your commitment to Christ and the Church. It’s a moment of profound significance in a public ceremony. If you would like to be Confirmed, talk to the Vicar...

 

Choosing Godparents

Godparents are really important. Choosing them is one of the biggest decisions you will make. Whether you want to ask some special friends or members of your family, you need to give careful consideration to this key relationship for your child in their formative years.

 

Choosing the right people as godparents for your child is a big decision.

Here are some key things which might help you decide:

  • Godparents should be people who will be in touch with your family for many years to come. They may be relatives or friends of the family.
  • They’ll be people who you know you can trust and who’ll be there for your child to talk about the bigger questions in life; questions about faith, hope and love.
  • There isn't a specific minimum or maximum age, but there a few relevent requirements.
  • They should feel ready to make some big promises about faith for your child in church.
  • Church rules specifiy that godparents in the baptism service “shall be persons who will faithfully fulfil their responsibilities”.  They shouldn't be so young that they can't really take on this responsibility now, but neither should they be of such an age that they may be too old to help when the child is a teenager, asking about faith and life's difficult decisions.
  • Because of the very special role they have in supporting your child’s faith journey, godparents must be baptized themselves. Ideally, they should be confirmed as well, since they are hopefully going to guide your child in matters of faith, but this rule can be relaxed for people who are not members of the Church of England.
  • They can be followers of another Christian denomination, such as Roman Catholic or Methodist which obviously don't offer Anglcian Confirmation, but they must be Christian - they must not be practioners of a different religion or atheists.
  • Traditionally, every child should have at least three godparents: two of the same sex and at least one of the opposite sex to your child.  If parents can't come up with three appropriately qualified godparents, two will exceptionally be allowed as long as they are not the same gender.
  • You can have more than three godparents if you wish, although for practical purposes, six is probably the maximum.
  • Parents may be godparents for their own children, providing they have at least one other godparent.

 

If you want someone as a godparent who is not baptized, there is a way round it – they can be baptized themselves first! They need to talk to the vicar as soon as possible.

If you or any of your godparents would like to consider becoming confirmed, or getting more involved in your church, please talk to the vicar.

You can also talk to your vicar about anything connected with your child’s christening or anything else about the church or Christianity