What is Baptism?
Baptism (also known as Christening) is the public identification with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God the Son.
The water symbolises the cleansing of our rebellion toward God for which we are forgiven though the gift of his son, Jesus. Baptising a baby, toddler, or older child, is a symbol of God’s blessing to God’s people. Through baptism, children become members of the church, can be raised in the Christian Faith, and in due course, confirm their faith in later years, at their Confirmation Service.
What does a Baptism cost?
Absolutely nothing! Zero. Nil. £0.00.
The baptism of your child is as important to us as it is to you. Your child being baptised grafts them into the church community. We don’t think you should be paying to have your child become part of the church community!
As a gift from the Church, each child will receive a Baptism Candle and a personalised card with the baptism details.
Do I need to start attending church?
Yes of course!
You will be making a commitment at your child’s baptism of setting an example to them and helping them take their place within the life of the church. It is important to start that now. This doesn’t just mean coming one Sunday and never again (it makes us so sad when this happens). It means truly joining the church community and making Sunday worship a weekly priority for your family.
You can be assured your family will be made to feel welcome and will benefit spiritually, socially and in so many ways by being part of the church community.
Please see our main page for details of our Sunday and midweek services.
Do I need to have Godparents?
Yes. Godparents make serious promises (see below). They should be baptised themselves and also confirmed. (If you’re not sure whether they’ve been confirmed, ask them. If they haven’t been confirmed, we may be able to confirm them!)
Whilst it is traditional to have three godparents (two the same sex as the child and one of the opposite sex), the minimum required is two, and there is no maximum number. Parents may be godparents to their own children, but there must be at least one godparent who is not a parent.
Do we need to be married?
Marriage between a man and a woman is the family unit which is God’s best for the nurturing of children. If you are not married, you are still welcome to enquire about getting your child baptised. The Vicar will encourage you to give serious consideration to taking the vows of marriage as the stable and committed family unit for children to be raised in the Faith.
Do we as parents and godparents need to be Christians?
It is important that parents bringing their child to baptism believe in one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That God the Son, Jesus, entered humanity and made the ultimate sacrifice of offering his life as a payment for the rebellious lives we lead towards God. Jesus died but defeated death and overcame evil, sin and death. We too can defeat evil, sin and death through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism is a command of Jesus to his followers. It is the mark of identifying with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism for your child, is your commitment to raising your child as a Christian. It is therefore logical, appropriate and a matter of personal integrity that you believe in God as revealed through Jesus, and that you are serious about following him, learning about him, and regularly worshipping him with other Christians.
Some people choose to have their child christened because it seems like the right thing to do, the ‘traditional’ thing to do or because it follows the family pattern. These are all understandable reasons which prompt the thought of having a child baptised. But it’s important to understand they should not be the basis for having a child baptised. The basis for having a child baptised is to identify them with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Baptism service
As a baptism of a child is so important to us, all our baptisms take place within our main Sunday services. Our baptisms take place as part of our 10.00am services, on the second Sunday of the month in St John’s Church and on the third Sunday of the month in Coppull Parish Church
Arranging a Baptism
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Come to at least twelve worship services at either or both of our churches. You are welcome at any of our Sunday services, and at our Thursday morning Holy Communion services. When you come for the first time, you will be given a booklet in which you can record your visits
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Attend an Information Event (after the three months)
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Both parents (if possible) meet with the Vicar
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Complete a Booking Form
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Choose from the available dates.
Give yourself plenty of time, as the process from beginning to the baptism itself can take six months. You don’t need to wait until the baby is born to start attending church.