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About
Baptism
Welcome!
We
are delighted when we are asked about baptising children. The
birth of a baby is a very special occasion and one worth celebrating
before God as a family. We hope the following will answer some
questions and explain what you should do.
What
is Baptism?
- for
people of all ages;
- much
more than a naming ceremony
- a
public sign you intend to bring your child up in the Christian
faith;
- a
commitment by the church to support you as a family in your
journey of faith together;
- a
commitment by the parents and godparents to help your child
grow in faith and become part of the church family.
What is Thanksgiving?
- an
opportunity to celebrate and give public thanks for your child
alongside your family and friends;
- a
recognition of the gift of your child without the need to make
any particular promises about faith;
- an
alternative or the first stage to Baptism.
Who can be baptised in our church?
- Providing
you live within our parish (go to www.achurchnearyou.com ) we
can begin to talk about what happens next. If you live outside
the parish, things are not so straightforward. Please ring 077213
79513 to talk to our Children & Families Worker, Jo Birkby,
if you aren't sure.
- We
believe that married parents provide the foundation of public
commitment which is consistent with the promises they make for
their child at a baptism. However, we also recognise that life
is not always as clear cut as we would like, and so we do not
turn away anyone out of hand because of their personal circumstances
and arrangements, but would want to explore possibilities in
direct conversation.
What happens next?
- Once
you have completed the application
form, you will need to attend one of our morning services
to see how you get on with our style of worship and to meet
the church family. Please make yourselves known to one of the
Welcomers who will point you in the direction of a member of
the Baptism Team.
- One
of our church Ministers will then contact you to arrange a visit
and talk to you about the different options of Baptism and Thanksgiving.
- If
you have chosen baptism you will meet with a couple from our
church family on two separate occasions who will help you review
the content of the baptism service, and take a closer look at
what it means to be a member of the church family. There will
be discussion material and DVDs.
- A
week or two before the baptism, you will be invited to a church
service where you will be introduced to the church family.
- The
Minister will then call to make arrangements for the baptism
service.
- If
a Thanksgiving service is chosen at the initial meeting with
the Minister, a date can be set and plans made with him / her.
- The
thanksgiving or baptism will take place as part of one of our
morning services, normally at a 9.30am service on the 2nd Sunday
of the month at Holy Trinity or 10.30am on the 4th Sunday at
St Saviour's. On the rare occasion that the ceremony takes place
outside of the normal services, you will be invited to a subsequent
mainstream service to receive a special welcome into the church
family.
- In
the not-too-distant future, we hope to be able to record the
Baptism ceremony onto a DVD or Memory Stick to act as a special
momento for you and your child.
And then...
- If
your child has been baptised the minister will call with the
baptism certificate (and DVD/memory stick, when this has been
implemented).
- We
hope to see you regularly in church as a fulfilment of your
promises at the baptism.
- We
hope to keep in touch with you through our regular newsletters.
These will inform you about activities at the church.
As your child grows:
They will receive annual Baptism cards and, on their 3rd birthday,
an invitation to join our children's Sunday group. In the meantime,
there are services at both churches for you and your family
to enjoy.
What
about Godparents?
- When
choosing godparents it is good to ask people who will share
your desire to give Christian encouragement.
- You
need to make sure that, between yourselves and the godparents,
at least one of you has been confirmed; if this is a problem,
do talk with one of the Ministers.
- Three
godparents is the most typical number; for a boy, two men
and a woman; for a girl, two women and a man.
A
prayer
God
our Father,
we thank you from our hearts
for the gift of our child
and for the privilege of parenthood.
Help
us to be patient and understanding,
so that our child may always
be sure of our love.
May
our life as a family
reflect your care,
and our example give them guidance,
so that our child will grow to know
you as friend and saviour.
Through
Jesus Christ our Lord;
Amen
The
History of Baptism
Jesus' final command to his followers was to, '…go and make
disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.' (Matthew 28:19,20). From
then on, once someone said they believed and trusted in Jesus,
they would want to be baptised as a sign of their new faith. Sometimes,
whole families were baptised when the parents came to believe,
and it was from this that the Baptism of babies and young children
became an historic practice in the church.
Baptism
is still a very special and important action in the Church today
for people of all ages. When a child is baptised it is much
more than a naming ceremony; it signifies that the parents want
to bring their child up to have the same Christian beliefs they
themselves hold. At baptism the Church also makes a commitment
to support the whole family in their journey of faith together.
As one prayer puts it, we are a 'Pilgrim People'.
If
your child is baptised, in due time, he/she will reach an age
when they may publicly claim that belief for themselves in a
service of Confirmation. Therefore the promises you will make
for your child at baptism must have some meaning for you, and
you will understand that acting upon those promises will entail
a regular attendance at Church as an encouragement & example
for your child.
As well as its significance as a sign of faith, baptism is also
an opportunity to celebrate the birth of your child with your
family and friends. You may feel that a celebration is primarily
what you want without (yet) making the promises of faith that
go with baptism. This is possible through an act of Dedication
and Thanksgiving. This spiritual celebration is often preferred
even by those who are regular church members, and we strongly
urge you to consider this seriously as an alternative, or first
stage, to baptism.
Come
along and see us….
Because we carry out Baptisms and Thanksgivings as part of a
Morning Service 10.30am at St Saviour's and 9.30am or 11.15am
at Holy Trinity (2nd , 3rd or 4th Sundays only). We require
that you first of all attend one Sunday morning at either St
Saviour's, Brookwood, or Holy Trinity, Knaphill. This way you
will be able to see how you get on with our style of worship
and we will have a chance to introduce ourselves to you and
talk with you directly.
We
look forward to welcoming you!
Find
out about details of this
weeks services.
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