Baptism
This page gives a brief introduction to the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism at St Mary’s Church, and answers the following questions:
What is Baptism all about?
"Baptism is the sacrament (sign) in which, through the action of the Holy Spirit, we are ‘christened’ or made Christ’s."
(The Revised Catechism of the Church of England)
In Baptism we use water to baptise people ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’. Through Baptism we are given the gifts of union with Christ in his death and resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, and born into God’s family, the Church.
How do I get my baby baptized?
To arrange for you baby’s baptism, contact Fr Adam in the first instance. You don’t have to wait until the baby is born!
We will need to establish that you have a qualifying connection to the church (e.g., you live in the parish, you have a historical connection with the church, you regularly worship here etc.) Once we have established your link to St Mary’s we will fill out a form with you to get the details about your child(ren) the parents and godparents. Baptism is the beginning of the Christian life of a child. During the service, the parents will make a commitment to bring their child up in the life of the Church. This is a serious commitment made before God and should be considered carefully.
What if my child is older?
If your child is not yet at school, we follow the procedure for baptizing babies. Once the child is old enough to have some understanding of what is going on, then the child will need to be prepared for Baptism. If the child is in year 10 or above, then the priest will have a conversation with you about preparing the child for baptism and confirmation.
What about godparents?
Every child should have at least three godparents (two of the same gender and one of the opposite gender to your child), but you can have more, if you wish. Parents may be godparents for their own children, providing they have at least one other godparent. The godparents must be baptized themselves. Choosing the right people as godparents for your child is an important decision. Parents and godparents should be prepared to do the best of their ability to give the child a Christian upbringing within the family of Christ’s church and they should also be willing to help the child to be regular in public worship and private prayer by their teaching, as well as their example and prayers. In due time they should also encourage the child to come to Communion and Confirmation.
How does an adult go about getting baptised?
Adults seeking Baptism should arrange to speak with Fr Adam. Adults are normally expected to be seeking both Baptism and Confirmation and will join a course to prepare. Anyone seeking to become a member of the Church of England who has been baptised in another denomination does not need to be baptised again.
What happens before the Baptism?
The first thing to do is to book the date for the Baptism which you can do through contacting Fr Adam. As well as agreeing a date, we’ll need to take some other details. Nearer the time Fr Adam (or another priest) will visit you at home to do some preparation for the baptism. The other thing to do is to get involved in the worshipping life of the Church. Celebrating the Sunday Mass is the climax of our week, when Christians joyfully gather to hear the Word of God and to receive our Lord in the form of bread and wine. Coming to Sunday Mass will also help you and your family feel more relaxed in church, and help you learn what it’s all about.
What happens after the Baptism?
Having become a member of God’s family, it’s important to continue to be a part of the life of his family. We play an active part by coming together to worship – particularly through our worship in the Mass. So don’t stop coming to church after the baptism! For children, the next steps will include being admitted to receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
We also have courses through the year which help us to enter deeper into our faith, including bible studies.
Is there a fee for Baptisms?
There is no fee payable for Baptisms.
However, as you are making a commitment for yourself or your child to the Church, we would encourage you to be committed to the cost of maintaining the life of our church (the mission of our church, the buildings, cost of service etc.) When you fill our an application form you will also be encouraged to think about making a regular donation to St Mary’s Church (we hope that you may be able to donate £3 a month or more, if you wish).
This page gives a brief introduction to the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism at St Mary’s Church, and answers the following questions:
- What is Baptism all about?
- How do I get my baby baptized?
- What if my child is older?
- What about godparents?
- How does an adult go about getting baptized?
- What happens before the Baptism?
- What happens after the Baptism?
- Is there a fee for Baptisms?
What is Baptism all about?
"Baptism is the sacrament (sign) in which, through the action of the Holy Spirit, we are ‘christened’ or made Christ’s."
(The Revised Catechism of the Church of England)
In Baptism we use water to baptise people ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’. Through Baptism we are given the gifts of union with Christ in his death and resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, and born into God’s family, the Church.
How do I get my baby baptized?
To arrange for you baby’s baptism, contact Fr Adam in the first instance. You don’t have to wait until the baby is born!
We will need to establish that you have a qualifying connection to the church (e.g., you live in the parish, you have a historical connection with the church, you regularly worship here etc.) Once we have established your link to St Mary’s we will fill out a form with you to get the details about your child(ren) the parents and godparents. Baptism is the beginning of the Christian life of a child. During the service, the parents will make a commitment to bring their child up in the life of the Church. This is a serious commitment made before God and should be considered carefully.
What if my child is older?
If your child is not yet at school, we follow the procedure for baptizing babies. Once the child is old enough to have some understanding of what is going on, then the child will need to be prepared for Baptism. If the child is in year 10 or above, then the priest will have a conversation with you about preparing the child for baptism and confirmation.
What about godparents?
Every child should have at least three godparents (two of the same gender and one of the opposite gender to your child), but you can have more, if you wish. Parents may be godparents for their own children, providing they have at least one other godparent. The godparents must be baptized themselves. Choosing the right people as godparents for your child is an important decision. Parents and godparents should be prepared to do the best of their ability to give the child a Christian upbringing within the family of Christ’s church and they should also be willing to help the child to be regular in public worship and private prayer by their teaching, as well as their example and prayers. In due time they should also encourage the child to come to Communion and Confirmation.
How does an adult go about getting baptised?
Adults seeking Baptism should arrange to speak with Fr Adam. Adults are normally expected to be seeking both Baptism and Confirmation and will join a course to prepare. Anyone seeking to become a member of the Church of England who has been baptised in another denomination does not need to be baptised again.
What happens before the Baptism?
The first thing to do is to book the date for the Baptism which you can do through contacting Fr Adam. As well as agreeing a date, we’ll need to take some other details. Nearer the time Fr Adam (or another priest) will visit you at home to do some preparation for the baptism. The other thing to do is to get involved in the worshipping life of the Church. Celebrating the Sunday Mass is the climax of our week, when Christians joyfully gather to hear the Word of God and to receive our Lord in the form of bread and wine. Coming to Sunday Mass will also help you and your family feel more relaxed in church, and help you learn what it’s all about.
What happens after the Baptism?
Having become a member of God’s family, it’s important to continue to be a part of the life of his family. We play an active part by coming together to worship – particularly through our worship in the Mass. So don’t stop coming to church after the baptism! For children, the next steps will include being admitted to receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
We also have courses through the year which help us to enter deeper into our faith, including bible studies.
Is there a fee for Baptisms?
There is no fee payable for Baptisms.
However, as you are making a commitment for yourself or your child to the Church, we would encourage you to be committed to the cost of maintaining the life of our church (the mission of our church, the buildings, cost of service etc.) When you fill our an application form you will also be encouraged to think about making a regular donation to St Mary’s Church (we hope that you may be able to donate £3 a month or more, if you wish).