Baptisms, Dedications & Confirmations
Good News!
We are delighted you are inquiring about Baptism at All Saints’ Church. As the parish church, we are here for you and your family as you mark important events in your life. A baptism is an act of welcoming a new person into the family of the church, and so Baptisms take place within the context of the main Sunday Parish Eucharist.
God calls us each by name and knows us intimately, having created us and loved us before we were born. It is therefore important to us that, while your Baptism is part of the weekly Sunday service, your experience is one which is personalised. It is, therefore, our normal practice to have children’s Baptisms done with one family on any given Sunday. We also try to make the service that day focussed around your Baptism.
Infant Baptism
With infants, or children, the service of Baptism gives us the opportunity to share with you in the joy of the gift of children and to thank God for them. Read on to learn more about baptism at All Saints Church.
Adult Baptism
Coming to the decision as an adult to be baptized is a significant one and is time of celebration for the Church as you take this important step in your faith. Normally adults are baptised as part of the Easter celebrations or at the same time as confirmation. If you wish to be baptized as an adult the best thing is to discuss this with the priest.
When can I have a Baptism?
Baptisms at All Saints’ take place throughout the year during our Sunday 10am Service; which Sunday depends on what other events are happening in the life of All Saints’. The 10am Parish Eucharist is the main gathering of the Church family in the parish of Child’s Hill and therefore it is important that Baptism – as an initiation into the family of the Church – is part of that gathering, so that we can celebrate with you and welcome the newly baptized into communion with all the saints.
Who can I ask to be a Godparent?
Godparents make promises on behalf of themselves and their godchild, to pray for and support their godchild as they grow in the Christian faith. Because the role involves passing on faith to the godchild, a godparent should be a practising Christian and is required to have been Baptized. Close friends who you wish to have a similar role but are not baptized may come and make the same promises, but will not be listed as godparents. There is no upper limit to the number of godparents a child may have but most children have between two and four.
How do we prepare for Baptism?
It is important to think through what Baptism is before it takes place. To better understand what it means to follow Jesus we encourage you to come to the weekly Parish Eucharist. In the week leading up to the Baptism, we will visit you to go through the service and answer any questions you might have about Baptism.
What happens in the service?
The Baptism service contains rich symbolism of the Christian faith. We are anointed with the sign of the cross, reminding us of Christ’s death for us. We are ‘born again’ in the water of Baptism, dying to sin and being raised to a new life in Christ. As a sign of that new life, we receive a lighted candle, to remind us that the light of Christ always conquers the darkness of evil. Everyone who is baptized walks in that light for the rest of their lives. In response to the gift of Baptism, those who are being baptized (or their parents if they are unable to answer for themselves) make declarations that they will follow Jesus. Those being baptized will be prayed for. As explained, this all happens in the midst of the Parish Eucharist – where the Church family comes together to share a ritual meal, remembering the last supper which Jesus had with his followers.
How do I arrange a Baptism?
If you would like to be baptized or have your child baptized, then please come along to our 10am Service (Parish Eucharist) on a Sunday. This gives you a chance to experience the service before signing up to have the Baptism. After the service speak to the Priest who will be able to complete the necessary forms with you. If you come with dates in mind, then we will be able to get back to you and confirm the date for your Baptism.
What is the difference between a Baptism and a Christening?
Christening and Baptism are two different words which effectively mean the same thing. During a christening, you or your child will be baptized with water. It’s the start of an amazing journey of faith for your child and a special day for all your friends and family. Baptism is a deepening of your ongoing relationship with God. It is a celebration of the gift of life, the claiming of God’s promises for us and initiation as full members of the Church.
In the beginning of Christianity – and in many places of the world still today – being ‘marked for Christ’ put people at risk of punishment by those who wanted to see Christianity stamped out. Being Baptized made you stand out, as someone who lived differently, who had chosen to follow Jesus Christ in all areas of their life.
During a Baptism, parents and godparents declare their faith, the faith into which they promise to bring up their children. They give thanks for this great gift of a child, committing to teach a child about Jesus Christ and the love of God which he revealed. All those at the service promise to support and pray for those who are baptized. At All Saints’ we take this commitment seriously and promise to support you in helping your child grow in faith and participate in the Christian community, and we will stay in touch with you to help you.
How much does it cost?
Baptism within the Church of England is entirely free. This reflects the fact that it is a gift of God’s Grace, freely given to us, and there is nothing we can do to earn it.
There are opportunities though, to make the day special by sponsoring flowers, by having a personalised Order of Service printed or providing an in church reception for after the service. We ask you to cover the costs of these items by a special donation to All Saints’ Church. They are not sold services and represent actual costs of provision so no profit is made.
Orders of Service (80 copies) £50.00
Flower Pedastals £40.00
Flower Ring on Paschal Candle £20.00
Coffee/tea/biscuit reception £20.00
Fizz Reception (6 bottles) £50.00
