Baptism

What is Baptism?

Baptism is one of the central sacraments of the Church. Through it, we believe that the baptised person is established in a new relationship with God and becomes a member of the Christian church.

Who can be baptised?

We welcome for baptism any person who wishes to declare their allegiance to Jesus Christ. We also welcome infants and children whose parents choose to commit themselves to the promises of baptism.

We welcome you and your child

The Anglican Parish of St Stephen & St Mary welcomes every child. We do this with a service of Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child. We are also pleased to welcome children into the ongoing life of the Church through Baptism.

What happens in the Thanksgiving Service?

We thank God for this precious new life
We ask God to be with this child as he/she grows up
We ask God to help and encourage parents
We celebrate family life
Usually this is held as part of a Sunday morning worship service, but it can be anywhere, anytime.

What happens in Baptism?

Baptism is the means by which a person of any age is incorporated into the faith community
Parents and godparents make faith promises on behalf of the child
Water is used as a symbol of God’s cleansing and renewing power
The child is baptised into the Christian faith in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Parents and godparents promise to nurture and encourage the child in the Christian faith
All at the service welcome and pray for the new member of the Christian community
Baptism takes place in any service of public worship or sometimes at a separate occasion

What is the role of Godparents?

To share with parents the responsibility of making promises on behalf of the child
To work with parents to support and nurture the child in the Christian faith
To encourage the child to a point of personal ownership of the faith into which baptised
Godparents are not essential but their role can be important
Because of the promises they will make, Church law requires that godparents have been baptised into the Christian church

Do we have to be active Church members?

We welcome all those who seek the ministry of the church
The Service of Thanksgiving is open to all without restriction
Baptism requires (by Church law) that at least one parent is baptised in the Christian faith
We would encourage you to be involved in the life of the church as much as you are able and look forward to sharing your child’s faith journey with you

For further inquiries, please contact one of the clergy at St Stephen and St Mary’s.

Being baptised as an adult

We warmly welcome any unbaptised person who wishes to declare their faith in Christ through Baptism
Baptism normally happens at of one of our worship services, and follows a period of preparation