Services - Baptisms/Christenings
Congratulations on your decision to seek baptism.
Here you will find information relating to baptism, including the following:
- What is baptism?
- Making decisions and promises
- What happens during the service?
- The role of godparents
- Thanksgiving service
- Adult baptism
- Frequently asked questions
What is baptism?
In baptism, parents are thanking God for His gift of life, starting their child on the journey of faith and asking for the Church's support.
Parents and godparents are saying that their greatest wish is for the child to grow up knowing God's love in Jesus Christ for themselves and to follow Him throughout their lives.
Baptism is a 'sacrament', a visible sign of God's love. In baptism, we thank God for His gift of life and publicly acknowledge His love. We also acknowledge that we need to turn away from the darkness of evil and to make a new start with God.
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 to turn instead towards Christ.
The declarations made by you and the child's godparents will be made in front of the church congregation. The Christian community will promise to support you and pray for you and your child.
During the service, you will be asked to make the following declarations: do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God? Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil? Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour? Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
What happens during the service?
Baptisms normally take place during the main Sunday morning service. 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.
Some parts of the service will be for the whole congregation to join in, some will be for you and the godparents.
For the baptism itself, parents and godparents will be asked to gather around the font.
A number of important symbols will be used during the service itself:
Water - the clergyman will sprinkle water on your child's head as a sign of washing and cleansing from sin and beginning a new life with God. Water is a sign of life, but also a symbol of death. When we are baptised, our old life is symbolically buried in the waters (like drowning) and we are raised to new life with Christ.
The sign of the cross - the sign of the cross will be made 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.
The welcome - the church congregation will give an informal welcome to acknowledge that your child has joined the Church and to show how pleased they are to have you among them.
The role of godparents
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.
There are typically three godparents who 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. They should be baptised themselves.
Thanksgiving service
If you do not feel comfortable about making the statements and promises involved in baptism but would still like a service to say thank you for the gift of your child, then you might prefer to consider 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 a baptism service.
This still takes place in the main morning service and would still be an appropriate service to invite family and friends to a celebration of your baby's birth. There is no reason why you should not bring your child to baptism at a later date.
Adult baptism
If you were not baptised as an infant, you may wish to publicly declare your faith through adult baptism either at the font or by immersion in the baptistry of St Luke's Church. In such cases, no godparents are needed as the individual makes promises and declarations on their own behalf.
Alternatively, for those who were baptised as a child, an Affirmation of Baptismal Faith may be made in the context of a confirmation service.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between a baptism and a christening?
- Can we have a private service of baptism?
- What is the right age for baptism?
- I'm not a regular churchgoer. Can I still have my child baptised?
- What does it cost?
- Are we eligible?
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.
Q. What is the right age for baptism?
A. Baptism can happen at any age. What matters is that those concerned believe it is right to ask for baptism.
Teenagers and adults may also be baptised. This is celebrated with confirmation by the Bishop. You can only be baptised once, but there are ways of renewing your commitment publicly as an adult - we can advise you on this.
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. Please talk through the options with us. You may prefer to have a thanksgiving service first and then consider baptism when you have had time to consider 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. The Alpha Course, held regularly at St Luke's, is an ideal opportunity to explore the meaning of faith.
A. The baptism service is free. There may be a small charge for a certificate or administration fee.
A. To have your baby baptised at either St Luke's Church or Moor Lane Church you will need to be able to answer "Yes" to at least one of the following:
- Do you live within the parish?
- Are you a regular member of either St Luke's or Moor Lane Church?
- Are you on the electoral role of St Luke's Parish?
If you're not sure whether you live in the Parish, please contact the church office on: 01708 222562 or via our Contact us page.
There may be other circumstances under which a baptism would be possible - please get in touch with one of the clergy to talk it through.
Further information on baptism can be obtained at the Church of England website.
We would like to have the opportunity to chat with you to explain in more detail the meaning of baptism. We also have a short video, called "First Steps" which explains more about baptism in a down-to-earth way.
Making contact
If you've any questions about Baptism, a Service of Thanksgiving or would like to book a date, then please speak to one of the clergy at St Luke's or Moor Lane Church. You can find their contact details at Contact us page.
We look forward to meeting you and having the chance to talk things through.
