Download:  Baptism leaflet.docx

Download:  Baptism Application.docx

 

WHAT IS BAPTISM?

 

God has made us and loves us.

Baptism Font

In baptism we are responding to his love.

At Baptism—or Christening—we are beginning a new life and entering into a new relationship with God. This new start can also be for parents and godparents.

We are making decisions and promises which will affect the whole of our lives.


We are affirming that we seek to follow Jesus and share His love with others.
We are beginning our Christian journey as part of the world-wide Church and the church fami

 

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

 

In the baptism service there are three signs:

WATER is an important sign of life, both physically and spiritually.

♦     We cannot live without water to drink.
♦     We cannot live spiritually without being washed clean by the water of baptism, which symbolises being cleansed by God.

Cross


THE SIGN OF THE CROSS IN OIL is made on the forehead of the adult or child by the priest. Signing with the cross shows that we must not be ashamed to confess our faith in Christ. 

By this, we are affirming our own commitment to follow Him, and to support those we bring for baptism. Oil is used in the Bible as a symbol of healing and anointing.

 

 

THE CANDLE At the end of the service the one being Baptised will be given a lighted candle. This is a sign that they have received the light of Christ into their life,

Candle

♦     To walk in His light.

♦     To shine as a light in the world.

In baptism parents, godparents and we—the whole congregation—join in a commitment to follow Christ in our own lives.

 

PRAYER

Eternal God, our beginning and our journey’s end, accompany us
on our life’s way. Take us and use us to bring to others the new life
you have given us in Jesus Christ.Amen

 

What are the decisions and promises we make?

 

We renounce evil. What does this mean?


Christians are committed to goodness and love and are against evil in all its forms. We do not find this easy—


♦     Because of our own faults and weaknesses.
♦     Because many kinds of evil in today's world are widely accepted.
♦     Because we may be unpopular, laughed at, or affected by people's indifference to our faith.


Jesus warned us that following Him would be hard.  

We affirm our faith and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


♦     We believe that God loves us as good parents love their children, with a deep and personal love.
♦     We believe in Jesus who shared our human life, died and rose again, showing that love, goodness and life are finally more powerful than hatred, evil and death.

♦     We believe that the Holy Spirit is God at work, prompting and helping us to live and trust in His strength, not our own.

We must remember that, whether we are baptised or not, God loves us all.

We must mean what we say. No-one should promise anything in
the baptism service they do not truly believe.

 

Baptism Family