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Herriard with Winslade, Tunworth, Upton Grey, Weston Patrick
BAPTISM
We give a warm welcome to all those exploring the possibility of Baptism (or Christening as it is often called) for themselves or for their children. Below you will find an explanation of baptism and what it means, as well as the practical issues involved.
The meaning of Baptism
Baptism (or Christening as it is often called) goes back to the very earliest Christian times. Jesus was himself baptised in the river Jordan, by John the Baptist, and there are several stories in the Acts of the Apostles, in the New Testament, about those who become Christians being baptised. It is seen as a key moment when a person makes their Christian decision to follow Jesus and receiving God's Holy Spirit to help them live out that decision. It has also always been seen as the moment when a person joins the church.
Whilst, in the early church, it was largely adults who were baptised, for over 1600 years babies have also been baptised and in this case the parents and godparents makes the decision on the baby's behalf and promises to bring the baby up experiencing the reality of the Christian faith an worship.
So, whether we are getting baptised ourselves as adults or coming to have a baby of our family baptised, it involves an important choice.
Practical issues
There are two ways of taking this forward. The first is to contact Peter Dyson, the Rector, either by email or by phone (861750) to arrange a meeting. The second is to use the form here and you will then be contacted. [You can complete the form on your PC and copy its contents into Peter's email contact form on this site; or you can download the form, fill it in on the computer, save it and email it to Peter; or, if you prefer, download it, print it, complete it by hand and send/give it to Peter.]
If you live in the parish we will then fix a date with you for the baptism and arrange to meet you to talk about the meaning of baptism and the importance of the promises that will be made. You will be encouraged to have the baptism during a Sunday service so that your baby can be welcomed into the family of the church. However, it is understood that this is not always possible for practical reasons. If the baptism is held outside a Sunday service you will be asked to bring your baby to a service shortly after the baptism - again so that the child can be welcomed into the family of the church.
If you do not live in the parish but have a link with it (for instance through worshipping at the parish church or your family living in the parish) you will be asked first to seek the consent of your parish priest where you live. We ask you to do this as a matter of politeness so that your own parish priest knows your child is being baptised in one of the churches here.
If an adult seeks baptism, as is increasingly the case, in the Church of England this is linked to the sacrament of Confirmation taken by a Bishop. With everyone else being confirmed you will be expected to attend a series of discussions on our faith and you will normally be baptised during the Confirmation service or shortly before - please see the Confirmation section for more details.
One of the practical issues in our modern secular world is how to take forward the promises made at a baby's baptism. Within our four churches, families and their children are always welcome at all services and there are at least two family services every month which aim to meet the needs of families. We have a monthly group called Stepping Stones for under threes and their families which meets on a Tuesday. We also have, crèches, Sunday school, junior choir and youth groups to help families as they take forward the promises of baptism. As churches we try to take our responsibilities seriously to all whom we baptise, as it is our job to help and support parents in the Christian upbringing of their children. Part of the discussions we will have before a Baptism is how we - parents and church - together can make the promises real.
If you have queries or would like to discuss this subject, please contact Peter Dyson on 861750.
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