Baptism

The first really important thing to say about baptism is that we are happy to baptise anyone who lives in the parish. Baptisms usually only take place in the Parish Church of St James, even if you are a regular attender of our Mission Church of St Saviour, Crompton Fold. This is because baptism is full membership of the Church and it is important that good, healthy links are developed with the mother church of the Parish. It is very easy for people to remain 'cut off' from the life of the Parish Church if there is never any connection with it. Children from families who worship at St Saviour's will be presented to St Saviour's congregation on one of the Sundays following the baptism.

If you do not live in the parish, you will need to have worshipped with us for at least 6 months before making your application. If you live outside the parish and need a baptism service sooner, you will need to contact your local Vicar.

The second really important thing to say is that Baptism is a commitment. It should only be considered by those who intend to make a clear commitment, to be part of the worshipping, serving Christian community. In the case of a small child, it is a commitment on the child’s behalf, through the parents and godparents, and as such Parents and Godparents have a duty to model that commitment. 

And the third really important thing to say is that you must speak to the Vicar before you arrange a date for the baptism.

This is because....
There are times of the year when there are a lot of baptisms, and you might not get your first choice of date. Many families like to book a venue for a celebration after a baptism and if you do this before fixing the date, you may find yourself disappointed!

·We will need to talk with you about the Godparents. Some parents choose primary life-long friends to be godparents, without ever realising that the primary role of godparents is as a Christian example, and to pray regularly for your child. Friends of other faiths cannot be godparents, even though they might be excellent  examples of love and compassion. Similarly, people with no real faith or church commitment, even though baptised themselves, do not really fulfil the expectations of the role of the godparent as the church understands it, which is actively Christian.

Baptisms normally take place within the main Sunday service at 11am; this is now the standard practice throughout the Church of England. The whole service will last about an hour; the Baptism will be about 10 minutes of that hour.

In this parish there is a Sunday designated for baptisms and it is usually the 4th Sunday of the month. Please note that there are no Sunday morning baptisms during Advent (the 4 weeks before Christmas) or Lent (the 6 weeks before Easter). There are no exceptions to this rule.

Since we, as a parish, take very seriously our calling to live as Christians, we provide a 4 sessioin preparation course specifically designed for those seeking to be nurtured and developed in the Christian faith. THIS COURSE MUST BE COMPLETED BY AT LEAST ONE PARENT BEFORE THE BAPTISM SERVICE CAN BE ARRANGED.

WHAT IS BAPTISM ALL ABOUT?
Baptism is a ‘visual aid’ given to us by Jesus. It is a kind of picture of God’s love, offered to us imperfect human beings in Jesus.

Baptism speaks of:

i) Being washed clean from our sin and receiving forgiveness.
ii) Receiving the Holy Spirit and being adopted by God.
iii) Our selfish lives dying and a new life, living for God, rising up.

However, baptism has no power to achieve any of this without a practiced faith. A person makes their baptism real by believing in what baptism represents. Without a living faith, baptism is powerless and meaningless.

Sorting out some of the reasons for baptism:

The only valid reason for having your child baptised is that you, as parents, are committed Christians and you want to include your child in the practice of your faith. Teaching it to him by word and example, so he will become a believer and a regular worshipper. In having a child baptised you are actively encouraging your child to become a Christian. Also, in having a child baptised, it will be assumed that parents are committed to traditional Christian morals and family structures. 

Preparation for Baptism (This does not apply to Thanksgiving Services)
Because the baptism of a child is such an important step, which involves you making serious vows and declarations of belief, we believe we have a  responsibility to prepare parents (and Godparents) properly, so you can take part in the service with understanding and integrity. Our preparation process has three steps and takes place over a period of around two months.

Step 1
Start attending church regularly, for at least 3 weeks (if you are not already a regular member). It is not possible to be a committed Christian without  attending church. Also, it is important for you to get to know the local Christian community you and your child will be part of as he grows up.

You will need to complete the Application Form

Step 2
Two Baptism Visitors from church will visit you to begin your preparation work. This will involve completing the necessary forms, as well as spending time learning about exactly what baptism is.

Step 3

The Vicar will contact you to make arrangements and preparations for the baptism, which will include your attendance on a 3-session preparation course. This is an important preliminary to Baptism, and you’ll need to arrange for a babysitter while you are out!!

THE BAPTISMAL PROMISES
Quite rightly, people want to know what promises they will be making to God, so that they can decide whether Baptism will be right for their family.

Essentially you will be making 2 baptismal promises:

1. To pray regularly for your child.
2. To teach your child about Jesus: his life, teaching, death and rising again to new life—that you will teach your child to know about and love God.

And we ask you also to consider making a commitment to living out these promises by:

1. coming to church regularly from now on as a family at least Twice a month.
2. bringing your child to Sunday School in due course.
3. Contributing financially to the life of the local church

You will be given a specially produced Certificate to show that your child has been baptised and that you have made these promises. There is no fee for the service or the Certificate. You might even want to have the certificate framed.

HOW MANY GODPARENTS CAN WE HAVE?
The Church of England rules state that there should be at least three. Two of these should be the same sex as the child. Godparents must already be baptised. You may have chosen Guardians for your child, people who would bring up your child if something happened to you. It is not necessary for the Guardian to be the child’s Godparent; they have quite different roles.