Baptisms
What is a Baptism?
Many people are familiar with the old English name of “Christening”, but Baptism is the term more often used today. It is a way of joining the Christian community (the Church) and starting a personal relationship with God. Christians get to know God as Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit, and at the heart of the Baptism is the statement “I believe and trust in him”. Baptism, then, is a wonderful beginning to a lifelong relationship as you discover God’s way of life and his overwhelming love for you and his world.
Babies!
Babies and small children need help before they can understand what Christian faith is all about and are able to say “I believe and trust” for themselves. From earliest times parents have wanted to include their children in their own faith, so adult Christians (parents and godparents) make promises on behalf of their children.
More and more adults in recent generations have lost touch with a living experience of Christian belief and worship and may have only a hazy sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Parents often tell us they want their child to be baptised because they were ‘christened’ themselves – but sometimes very little more happened in their own relationship with God after the Baptism day. We want to help re-connect parents with the faith they were introduced to, so that they can feel really positive about what they’re bringing their children into. Otherwise it’s a bit like being given a present as a baby which you never get to unwrap and enjoy!
The Big Questions
The arrival of a new baby is often the time when parents think deeply about the spiritual foundation of their lives, and their values and hopes for their child. It’s a time for deep thankfulness for the gift of life and the responsibility of being parents. So the excitement of a family celebration also includes some really positive decisions for your own lives and for your child. A Baptism is so much more for you than just the way to have a good party, or keeping up a family tradition!
If you’re not sure you’re clear enough yourself about the teaching of Christian faith, why not ask us how you can find out more before you bring your child to be a member of the church?
To help you decide and plan your service.
Does Baptism seem right for you? Another option is a Service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child. See here for more details and for what to do next