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What is baptism?
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Baptism or Christening (which means
Christian-making) is a happy and special event, usually the first
'formal' event in a child's life. We are pleased to be able to share
it with you and hope it marks the beginning of a long and happy association
with our church. |
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It
is a chance for all the family to get together, celebrate and thank
God for the new life which he has given. |
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It
is a time when we remember that as well as being a member of a human
family your child is part of God's family too, the family of the
church. |
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It
is sacrament, that means an outward sign of God's love. |
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What are the promises?
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The Baptism service involves the parents
and Godparents declaring their own Christian faith and making promises to
turn to Christ and bring up the child as a Christian. We will help
you to understand the promises and recognise the true meaning of baptism
to enable you to enter into the service in a meaningful way. If you
feel unable to make these promises you may prefer a service of
thanksgiving for the birth of your child.
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How we prepare for baptism
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We take baptism very seriously because
it is so important, but we understand how busy you
may be, and how difficult it can be to get babysitters. |
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There
is no preparation course. Instead, we ask you to come to only one
evening meeting. |
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You
are encouraged to form a habit of coming to Family Praise on the 2nd
Sunday of each month at 10.00am to share in worship and get to know
other families. You may find it helpful to note the dates in your
diary both before and after the baptism. |
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You
are welcome to take an extra month or two if you want to stop and
think things over at any point. |
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What are the next steps?
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If you live in the parish of St Nicholas
or St Barnabas please call Ruth Cox at the Parish Office (01926 857509)
Tuesday to Friday between 9.30am and 1.00pm and she will send you our
Baptism Pack. Together we take the following steps... |
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Inside the Baptism Pack you will find lots of
information including a 'Joining the Christian Family' booklet,
'Godparents Guidelines' and details of other services available for
young families. There is also a Request for Baptism form for you
to complete.
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Come
to the next Family Praise on the second Sunday of the month at 10.00am
and hand the Request for Baptism form to the Baptism Team at the end
of the service. The Baptism Team will book places for
you at the Preparation Meeting and confirm the venue. If this is
the second or third baptism in your family we hope that at the
preparation meeting you will be able to share your experience of
bringing up children in the Christian faith.
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Come
to the Preparation Meeting which is held at 8.00pm on the second or third
Tuesday evening of the month subject to demand. The
Preparation Meeting gives you a chance to talk to other families about
baptism and we also explain the service so that you can understand the
promises you are making on behalf of your child.
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Come
to the next Family Praise with your Baptism Application Form. We
will then confirm the booking.
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Your
child will be baptised at 12 noon on the third Sunday of the month on
the date agreed at the Preparation Meeting. The baptism service
lasts around 30 minutes.
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Come
to the Family Praise service after the baptism when you and your child
will be invited to the front of the church to be welcomed into the
family of the church and receive a baptism candle.
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We
all continue to share in the life and worship of your child,
encouraging them to know of God's love for them and grow into the
faith into which they have been baptised.
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What about adult baptism?
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The baptism of older teenagers
and adults is usually associated with the individual's Confirmation.
Please visit our Confirmation page to find
out more.
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Where can I find out more?
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You'll find more information about
baptism on
the
Church
of England website.
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