Baptisms at St Paul's 

Will you Baptise our child?
The answer is YES!
I have never refused a request for baptism, also known as Christening. All you need to do is to get in touch with me and then look forward to welcoming you and your family to celebrate this important occasion.  With you, we will thank God for the birth of your child, name the child with its Christian name and welcome a new member into the Christian family of the Church.  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. 

We do not put pressure upon parents or make them feel guilty about not coming to church, but sometimes a baptism can remind us of how much we have let our own Christian life slip. It can be an opportunity to affirm our trust in God and to make a fresh start. We hope that the welcome you receive will encourage you to feel a part of the worldwide Christian community.  We understand the effort involved for parents with young children to get organised and make a habit of going to Church but parents who do are usually pleased that they took the trouble. Please don’t worry if your child makes noise in the service either – I love it - it reminds us that there is new life and hope for the world’s future!  The Sunday service here is at 8.30am and 1030am every week and you would be most welcome to join us to see if you like the way we worship here. 
It is my sincere belief that there is no better thing that you can give to a child than the opportunity to learn about God and his love for them. In the early years of a child's life it helps, I think, to have this grounding of faith which will be vital for them if they are to develop into happy and balanced adults. 
 
 
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 a sacrament, 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 children? Most parents like to say ‘thank you’ to someone for the wonderful gift of their child and I suggest that ‘someone’ is 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 soon parents wanted their children to be baptised also. 

Some people think that baptism is like an insurance policy which you take out to make sure that your child goes to heaven. That is certainly not the case! I know 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. I am delighted that you are thinking to give your child the benefit of being welcomed into the Church family. In the baptism service we 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.  If you would like a chance to think more about the Christian faith, please speak with the vicar for more details.
 
The Baptism Service
At the baptism of children, the minister says to the parents and godparents “Parents and godparents, the Church receives these children with joy. Today we are trusting God for their growth in faith. Will you pray for them, draw them by your example into the community of faith and walk with them in the way of Christ?” The parents and godparents reply:  “With the help of God, we will.” The minister continues by saying:  “In baptism these children begin their journey in faith. You speak for them today. Will you care for them, and help them to take their place within the life and worship of Christ’s Church?” The parents and godparents reply: “With the help of God, we will.”

Some Questions
There are then some questions which parents and godparents make the promises for themselves and also for the child.  Here are some of the the questions with a short explanation;
Do you turn to Christ? You will be asked to answer - I turn to Christ This means that I will try to follow Jesus’ teaching to love God and to love neighbour and try to follow this guidance for life. 
Do you repent of your sins? You will be asked to answer - I repent of my sins This means that I am sorry about the past things I have done wrong or behaved in an inappropriate way. None of us can be perfect but we when we do wrong we have the hope that God forgives and accepts us if we are keen to do better. .
Do you renounce evil? You will be asked to answer - I renounce evil This means that I know that I sometimes have to make choices between good and evil. I want to set the evil behind me and from now on I will always try to choose the good.   Everyone then moves to the font for the baptism.  Remember that Baptism is not just for children! Many parents can be baptized at the same time as their children.

Naming  
When the priest baptises the child I will ask what name you have chosen. This will be the Christian name for the child for the rest of its life.
At the font the minister asks one of the parents to hold the child over the font and then says:
N, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
 
The Sign of the Cross 
The minister will make the sign of the cross on the forehead of the child using holy oil. This oil has been blessed by the Bishop just before Easter and reminds us that your child has not only been baptised here at Chapel but in the worldwide Christian community. Baptism is recognized by all Christian denominations throughout the world.  It is also 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 minister then says: “May God, who has received you by baptism into his Church, pour upon you the riches of his grace, that within the company of Christ’s pilgrim people you may daily be renewed by his anointing Spirit, and come to the inheritance of the saints in glory. Amen.”

A Candle 
The priest gives the family a lit candle to show that, through 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 more than ever for us to all reject the ways of darkness and follow Christ in the Christian faith. As the lighted candle is given and the minister says, “Receive this light ... this is to show that you have passed from darkness to light.”  The congregation says: “Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.”

The Welcome 
 At the end of the baptism the congregation joins to say,
 “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”.   The service then ends with a blessing. 
 
Records 
A permanent record of the baptism is made in the official registers of the parish. A copy of this is given in the form of a special certificate as a reminder of this day.
Remember that Baptism is not just for children! Many parents can be baptized at the same time as their children.

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 pressure to choose certain friends but try to find people who can make the promises and mean them. 

It is important therefore that godparents are baptised themselves and ideally confirmed. If a chosen godparent has not been baptised they can either be baptised at the same time as your child or they can speak to their local vicar and ask to be baptised before the service.  godparents often buy a small present for the child; they should remember that this is a Christian occasion and so perhaps buy the child a children's Bible or story book of Bible stories. The vicar will be pleased to help you decide.

What are the current steps for me to arrange a baptism

1.  Attend a Sunday service at 1030am and speak to the Vicar afterward to book in a date and time
2.  You will be given some paperwork to complete

3.  Once you return the paperwork the baptism will go into the church diary and only then be confirmed