Baptism

Baptism is often referred to as Christening as it is when a person commits themselves to follow Jesus Christ as a disciple. Originally this was for adults but as the early church grew parents wanted their children to be part of this new community of faith.

In Baptism you are:
· Thanking God for the gift of your child · Making them a member of Christ’s community, the church.
· Making the commitments of Baptism on their behalf. You are promising to teach them to pray and to be part of the worshipping community. It is important to understand that this means a commitment to attend church services and other events as a family.

When they are old enough to make these decisions for themselves they will be able to be Confirmed. Usually this is anywhere from age 11 upwards. Parents bringing children for Baptism who are not themselves Confirmed may want to discuss Confirmation as part of our Baptism preparation series.

To prepare for Baptism:

We offer a preparation series which runs over three months. This consists of three meetings usually either on a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, and the two Family Services which fall within the duration of the series.
Family Services are usually on the first Sunday of each month. 9.30am at St Mary’s, 11.00am at St Peter’s.
We are able to Baptise those who live within either of our parishes and those who live outside of our parishes who attend either St Mary’s or St Peter’s on a regular basis. (This means at least once a month for at least six consecutive months.)

If you are unsure if you live within our parishes please check with the Vicar (01606 889995)

For more information www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings