Baptism
THE BAPTISM OF CHILDREN
For most people, the birth of a child is a time of celebration and thankfulness. The church community shares the sense of wonder and gratitude for the gift of the new life God has entrusted to you.
We hope that this information will help you as you prepare to bring your child for a service of thanksgiving or baptism at St Mark’s.
WHAT IS BAPTISM ABOUT?
Baptism is a celebration
We hope that the service of baptism will reflect your sense of joy and gratitude. You may like to have a special time of thanksgiving for the birth of your child. This short service can be followed by baptism at a later stage. The clergy can tell you more about this.
Baptism marks a new beginning
The waters of baptism remind us of the new start which God offers to each one of us, as we turn away from the failings which make us less than whole people, and turn to God, at this special point on our journey of faith. Parents and godparents are asked to re-affirm their own faith, and to make promises on behalf of the child, so it is important that you understand just what the service involves.
Baptism is becoming a member
In baptism a person is welcomed as a member of the worldwide Church, which is made up of people committed to following Christ, sharing worship and trying to live out lives of faith and love. To reflect this welcome into the Church family, baptisms take place during the Parish Communion service at 10.00 am on Sundays.
As full members of the Church, all baptised people are invited to receive Holy Communion, and we will explain this more fully to you during your preparation for the baptism.
PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM
1. We ask you to meet with one of the clergy and other members of St. Mark’s on 3 or 4 occasions, in preparation for the sacrament of baptism.
You will have the opportunity to discuss the service and the promises you will be asked to make. You may like help in choosing godparents, and we may offer another sponsor from the congregation, who will offer a particular care for your child as s/he grows.
We will try to answer any questions that you may have about baptism and holy communion and other aspects of the Christian faith.
2. Remembering that baptism is becoming a member of the Church, we look forward to seeing your child grow up as part of the Church family. We hope, therefore that you will want to worship regularly with us at St Mark’s. At the 10am service there is a crèche and children’s groups for all ages.
3. Remembering that baptism is becoming a member of the Church, we look forward to seeing your child grow up as part of the Church family. We hope we can continue to support you and your child along that journey of faith. When a person grows up and is ready to make a mature profession of faith, there is the opportunity to be confirmed in that faith, into which they were baptised as a child.
THE NEXT STEPS
1. If you would like to discuss baptism, please arrange to see one of the clergy at St. Mark’s. You will find their names and addresses in the weekly newsletter. You can also speak to them after a service.
2. If you do not live in the parish of Broomhill, you may want to speak with your own parish priest before taking further steps.
3. Please remember that you are embarking on a journey of preparation, for the time when your child becomes a full member of the Church. A number of meetings will be planned before the baptism. There are usually about four baptism services during the year at the 10.00 am Parish Communion.