Welcome to Purse Caundle, Stalbridge, Stock Gaylard
(Kings Stag), and Stourton Caundle
The
Church of England serving these local communities
What happens during the service?
Symbols and actions used during the service
We’re delighted you’re thinking of baptism. You are saying ‘Yes’ to developing a
relationship with the living God who has created this world, who has shown
himself in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and who is present
today through the Holy Spirit. Much of
this article is about the baptism of children, but can also be read as applying
to you as an adult considering what baptism is. As an adult making your own decision, you do
not need to have godparents.
We’re delighted you’re thinking of baptism for your
child. Your child is precious to you and
precious to God. At baptism you promise
to raise your child to know God loves them, and to help them to follow Jesus as
a member of the Church.
In
baptism, you as parents are: thanking God for his gift of life, making a
decision to start your child on the journey of faith and asking for the
Church's support.
For
your child, baptism marks the start of a journey of faith, which involves
turning away from all that is evil, turning towards Christ and becoming a
member of the local and worldwide Christian family.
Baptism
is a 'sacrament' a visible sign of God's love.
In baptism, we are thanking God for his gift of life and publicly
acknowledging his love. We are
acknowledging that we all need to turn away from selfishness and evil and to
accept God’s offer of a new start.
The
Church of England has two authorized Baptism services. One is taken from the 1662 Book of Common
Prayer and is in 17th century English. Most baptisms use a service in contemporary
English, taken from Common Worship (2000).
Your
child's baptism will normally take place during the main Sunday service
(usually in the morning). This is so
that your child can be seen to be joining the family of the Church and be welcomed
into membership. In turn the Church will
promise to support and pray for you and your child.
The
priest will make sure you know where to sit and when you need to move. Some parts of the service will be for the
whole congregation to join in, some will be for you
and the godparents.
Part
of the baptism service will normally take place at the front of the church, but
for the baptism itself, parents and godparents are usually asked by the priest
to gather around the font. (The font is
a large basin on a pedestal, containing the water for baptism.)
The
priest will ask the parents and godparents to make declarations on behalf of
the child (see Making decisions and promises).
When
you bring your child for baptism, you will be asked to declare publicly on
behalf of your child that you believe in God and that you will bring your child
up to follow Jesus.
You
will be asked to answer, on your child's behalf, that you have decided to turn
away from everything which is evil or sinful and instead to turn towards
Christ.
The
declarations made by you and the child's godparents will be made in front of
the church congregation; the local Christian community will promise to support
you and pray for you and your child.
A
number of important symbols and actions will be used during the service itself:
The
sign of the cross - the priest will make the sign of the cross on your
child's forehead. This is like an
invisible badge to show that Christians are united with Christ and must not be
ashamed to stand up for their faith in him.
Water - the priest will
pour water on your child's head. Water
is a sign of washing and cleansing. In
baptism it is a sign of being washed free from sin and beginning a new life
with God.
Water
is a sign of life, but also a symbol of death.
When we are baptized, it is as though our old life is buried in the
waters (like drowning) and we are raised to new life with Christ.
Anointing - after baptism in
water, the minister may put the christening robe on the child and anoint him or
her with oil. This is a sign of the
outpouring of God's Holy Spirit.
The
welcome -
the church congregation will say some formal words of welcome to acknowledge
that you child has joined the Church and to show how pleased they are to have
you among them.
Candles - Jesus is the Light
of the World. A large candle may be lit
in the church and you may also be given a lighted candle at the end of the
service as a reminder of the light which has come into your child's life.
It
is up to you, the child's godparents and the church community to help your
child reject the world of darkness and follow a way of life that reflects
goodness and light and shares this light with others.
Godparents
make the same promises on behalf of the child being baptised as parents.
Godparents promise to pray and support the child and to help the parents to
bring up the child in the Christian faith.
It is an important and responsible role.
You
should have at least three godparents: two of the same sex as the child and one
of the opposite sex.
Godparents can be family members or friends. However, it is important that you choose
people who will take an interest in your child's spiritual welfare and who will
pray for you and your child. Godparents
must themselves be baptized, and should also be confirmed.
You
may wish to ask your parish priest about having a service of Thanksgiving for
the Gift of a Child. In this service,
you thank God for the gift of your child and the child is
blessed. You do not make the same
promises as in the Baptism service.
If
you choose to have a Thanksgiving, you may also have a Baptism service for your
child at a later date.
Q. What's
the difference between a baptism and a christening?
A. None,
they are just different words for the same thing.
Q. Can
we have a private service of baptism?
A. Baptisms
usually take place in the church's main service, because they are a public declaration
that your child has become part of the church family. It is important that the church congregation
is there to support you and welcome your child.
However, if personal circumstances make this difficult, talk your parish
priest.
Q. What
is the right age for baptism?
A. Baptism
can happen at any age. What matters is
that those concerned are committed to bring up a child as a Christian.
Teenagers
and adults may also be baptized. This is
celebrated with confirmation by the Bishop.
You can only be baptised once, but there are ways of renewing your
Christian commitment publicly as an adult - your priest will be able to advise
you.
Q. I'm
not a regular churchgoer. Can I still
have my child baptised?
A. Yes. The Church believes that God's love is
available to all, regardless of their background. Your parish priest can talk you through the
options: you might prefer to have a Thanksgiving service first and then
consider baptism when you have had time to talk through what is being asked of
you.
You
may also wish to find out more about the Christian faith and what joining the
Church involves before you make a decision about baptism. Again, your parish priest can give you
guidance.
Q.
What
does it cost?
A. A Baptism
service is free, though there may be a small charge for a certificate. Ask your parish priest.
Make contact with your parish priest who will be happy to meet you and discuss, without obligation, how you might proceed.