Baptism

Will you Christen our baby?

This is a question which we are often asked at St. Andrew's and the answer is YES!  We look forward to welcoming you and your family to celebrate this important occasion. With you we will thank God for the birth of your baby,  and welcome a new member into the Christian family of the Church.  If you're not a regular church-goer you will not be placed in any embarrassing situations, we will not try to make you feel guilty, indeed we will simply encourage you to start thinking of St. Andrew's as 'your church'.  Your child's baptism can be an opportunity to affirm trust in God and to make a fresh start. We hope that the welcome you receive will encourage you to feel a part of our church.

What is Baptism ?

• A chance for all the family to get together, celebrate and thank God for the new life which he has given.
• It is a time when we remember that as well as being a member of a human family your baby is a part of God’s family too, the family of the Church.
• It is sacrament, that means an outward and visible sign of God's love.

When Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan he became aware of God as his Father and felt the special presence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, it was a turning point in his life. After his death and resurrection Jesus commanded his followers to make new disciples and baptise them too. This has been done ever since by Christians throughout the world.

Why do we baptise babies?

Most parents feel a need to say ‘thank you’ to someone for the wonderful gift of their child, that ‘someone’ is of course the God who gives life to us all. Jesus told his disciples to baptise people who wanted to become Christians and join the church. The Bible tells us that whole households were being baptised and of course soon parents wanted their children to be baptised too. Baptism is not like an insurance policy which you take out to make sure that your baby goes to heaven, God loves your child just as much now as after the baptism service. However it does make sense to give your child the very best start in life and what could be better than to encourage them from the very earliest days to be open to God and to know of His love for them? Some churches do not baptise children until they are old enough to understand everything for themselves. However we do make all kinds of decisions on behalf of our children including schools and medical treatment as we do our best to encourage them in the best way for their lives. In the baptism service we also pray that one day they will want as adults to stand up for themselves to confirm the baptism vows which have been made on their behalf: this is called Confirmation.

When will the baptism take place?

Some baptisms take place on Sunday afternoons, others during a main Sunday Morning Service at church. We will often baptise several children from different families during a baptism service -this adds to the sense of occasion and reminds us that we are all part of God's big family. Our Vicar will be happy to arrange a date for your child's baptism.

The Promises

The congregation of the church is asked “Members of the Body of Christ, who are now in his name to receive this child, will you promise to maintain the common life of worship and service that all the children among you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord?”

After the congregation’s promises, parents and Godparents will be asked to stand up and declare their own Christian faith. It is important to make sure that you can make these promises and only you can truthfully know that. If you have any difficulty we will discuss the promises with you. A baptism is a very important occasion and not to be undertaken lightly.

Parents and godparents are invited to gather around the font. The minister says to the parents and godparents:

"You have brought this child to baptism. You must now declare before God and His Church the Christian faith into which she/he is to be baptised, and in which you will help her/him to grow. You must answer for yourself and for her/him.

Do you believe and trust in God the Father, who made the world?"
Answer: "I believe and trust in him"
"Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ, who redeemed mankind?"
Answer: "I believe and trust in him
"Do you believe and trust in his Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God?"
Answer: "I believe and trust in him"
 

The minister says to the congregation:

"This is the faith of the Church."
All say: "This is our faith. We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

 

There are then three questions about the way you intend to live your life. Parents and Godparents make the promises for themselves and also for the child. They apply to their own lives and on behalf of the children for whom they will be responsible. 

 

Naming of a child

When the minister baptises the child he will ask what name you have chosen. This will be the Christian name for the child for the rest of its life. The minister takes the child and says: "N., I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

 

Water

Water is a sign of cleansing and also an important sign of life. Water symbolises how we are all washed clean by God and forgiven and accepted by Him. As we cannot live without water so this sign reminds us that we also need the cleansing and renewing presence of God in our lives.

 

The sign of the cross

The minister will make the sign of the cross on the forehead of the child. This is a sign to remind us of how Christ died for each one of us on the cross. As Christ died for us so we are now signed with the cross -the badge of our faith - to remind us that we must not be ashamed to profess our faith and fight against all that is evil.

 

The Lighted Candle

Following the baptism a lighted candle is given and the minister says:

 

"Receive this light ... this is to show that you have passed from darkness to light."
All say: "Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father."
 

The child will be presented with a small candle to show that in baptism we pass from darkness to light. Jesus is described in the Bible as the light of the world and as Christians we are to shine as lights in the world. Our world needs now more than ever for us to all reject the ways of darkness and follow Christ in the Christian faith.

 

The Welcome

At the end of the baptism the congregation joins to says,

'We welcome you into the Lord's family. We are members together of the body of Christ;
we are children of the same heavenly Father;
we are inheritors of the kingdom of God. We welcome you'.’
 

Records

A permanent record of the baptism with family details is made in the official registers of the church. A copy of this is given as a reminder of this day.

 

Godparents

You will need to consider names of godparents and these will be included in the church register and the baptism certificate. Being asked to be a godparent is always a real privilege and shows that you have a special place in the family, but there are expectations and responsibilities too. You are asked to promise that you will love and encourage the child in the Christian faith by prayer, example and teaching. Parents should not feel pressurised to choose the wrong people but try to find people who can make the promises and mean them. Remember there is no right or wrong number of godparents; have as many or as few as you wish.

 

Adult Baptism

Of course if you are an adult who was not baptised as a child then we hope that baptism may be something which you would like to consider for yourself.  Adults are often baptised at St. Andrew's, and frequently this is in preparation for becoming a confirmed member of the church.  Please contact the Vicar to discuss how you would like your baptism to take place.

 

Baptism Service

 

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