THE BAPTISM OF CHILDREN

We would be delighted to talk to you if you are interested in having your child baptised at St Margaret’s, please contact the Vicar if you would like to find out more.

Often people have a lot of questions about baptism (sometimes also called a “Christening”) and what happens in a service of baptism. This page is aimed at answering some of these questions.

QUESTIONS ABOUT BAPTISM

What is baptism?

Baptism is the method God has given us of marking people out as belonging to His people. Being baptised involves having water poured over your head to symbolise the fact that it is only God who can wash us clean from our sin.

Who can get baptised?

The bible tells us that anyone who believes and trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour should be baptised. The bible also tells us that when at least one of the parents believe and trust in this way, and are committed to actively bringing their children up as members of God’s people, it is appropriate for their children to be baptised too.

What does it mean to “believe and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour”?

The shorter answer:
To treat Jesus as our “Lord” means that we recognise that God is the most important person there is, and that we must do all we can to live putting Him, rather than ourselves, first in how we think, speak and act.

To treat Jesus as “Saviour” means that we trust that Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way we can be forgiven for the many times we live ignoring God, and putting ourselves first.

The longer answer:
The bible tells us that when God created the world everything was perfect, and mankind lived recognising that God was the most important person there is. However the first humans, and everyone who has ever lived since, turned their back on God by ignoring Him, and decided to live life treating themselves as the most important person there is. This is what the bible calls “sin.”

As God is a fair God He reminds us in the bible that it’s really serious not to treat Him with the respect He deserves. The bible tells us that people who live persistently choosing to ignoring God will be punished at the end of their life, as they will have to live separated from God’s blessing, which is the truly terrible situation that the bible calls “hell”. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that this is not the end of the story! God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to come and live on earth in the form of a man. When Jesus was on earth He lived in perfect obedience to the Father, and so is the only person to have ever lived who doesn’t deserve God’s punishment. But the incredible news, that we particularly remember each Easter, is that Jesus was put to death on the cross, and in doing so suffered the punishment we deserved on our behalf.

The bible tells us that if we admit we ignore God, and trust that Jesus’ death is the only way we can be forgiven for our sin, we will be forgiven and so won’t be punished when our life on earth comes to an end.  In this way Jesus is our Saviour as He has saved us from the punishment we deserve for our sin.

To show that we understand it is wrong to live ignoring God, and to show our thanks for this free forgiveness, it is only right that we treat Jesus as the Lord of our life, by putting Him first in every aspect of how we live.

Why is it important that I believe these things if I just want my child to be baptised?

It is important for two reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, baptism is God’s way of showing someone is part of His people, if in reality you’re not going to live as one of God’s people it would be wrong, and offensive to God, to take on the sign of baptism.
Secondly, in the baptism service you have to make a public declaration that you are sorry for ignoring God, and believe and trust Jesus is your Lord and Saviour. It would be a really serious thing to say these words and not actually mean them.

Does this mean I have to be a perfect Christian to have my child baptised?

NO! Because Christians know life is a constant battle against wanting to live life our way and ignore God there is no such thing as a perfect Christian! It is also true that different people are at different stages in their commitment to Jesus, so if you struggle with living out your faith that doesn’t mean your child can’t be baptised. The thing you have to ask yourself is are you committed to wanting to live trying to put Jesus first in your life?

What if when I’m honest with myself I don’t feel it is right to say I am committed to trying to live putting Jesus first in my life?

Most importantly it would be a really good idea to find out more about the Christian faith. Why not ask one of the ministers at St Margaret’s, or the person doing baptism preparation sessions to talk to you a bit more about it. It would also be a good idea to go on one of the “Christianity Explored” courses we run.

It would also mean that it would be best for your child not to be baptised yet. However, we could run a similar service called a service of “Thanksgiving for your child” (this is a service where we thank God for the gift of your child, and pray for them).

Do I need to be a regular church goer to have my child baptised?

One of the first things you have to declare in the baptism service is that you will encourage your child to be an active member of a church as you bring them up. Part of the way you say you will do that is by “drawing them by your example.” As you come to mark your child out as belonging to God and pray for him/her to grow up trusting that Jesus is their Lord and Saviour, it’s only appropriate that you are committed to joining with other Christians regularly to thank God for all He has done for us, to learn more about Him and to be encouraged in your faith. So if you would not consider yourself to be a regular church goer now, you will be promising that you will be in the future!

What are Godparents, and who can be one?

Godparents are people who believe and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour who you would like to help and support you as you bring up your child to actively follow Jesus. They could be friends or relatives, but would need to be people who would be committed to praying for you and your child as they grow up, and need to have been baptised themselves. You can have as many Godparents as you like, traditionally people have at least two Godparents of the same sex as the child, and one of the opposite sex, but that is not essential. Being a Godparent does not mean they will be the legal guardian of your child if something should happen to you - that would have to be sorted out in your will.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BAPTISM SERVICE

How much does the service cost?

Nothing! There is no charge or expectation of any donation for the service. Some parents, however, like to make a special donation as part of their thanksgiving to God, and to mark the occasion. If you would like to do this please use one of the yellow envelopes in the pews, filling out the information on the back if you are a tax payer so we can claim gift aid from the Inland Revenue.

Do I have to do anything before the service?

It is normal to ask parents to come to some sessions talking through what baptism is, and what will happen on the day. This is an informal time to ask any questions, and might be something you use to help you decide if it would be appropriate for your child to be baptised. You will also need to prayerfully pick some people to be Godparents.

What do I have to do in the service?

In the service there is a point when the parents, and Godparents of the child stand up and make declarations that you believe and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour (see above for what this means in more detail), and are genuinely sorry for the times you don’t live putting Him first. There is nothing to worry about, as you will have a sheet of paper to tell you what to do and say, the person conducting the service will also be reminding you what to do.

What happens to my child?

When it comes to the baptism the child will have some water poured over his/her head. The minister will also make a sign of the cross on his/her forehead and pray for them.

What happens in the service after the baptism?

This will depend on which service you decide to have your child baptised in.

If the baptism is in the 9.30am “Rise and Shine” service the baptism will be one of the last things to happen.

If the baptism is in the 10.45am “Morning Service” normally there will be Holy Communion as part of the service. In this case we would invite you and any of your guests who would like to, to take Communion as we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. If there are members of your party who don’t feel it’s appropriate to take Communion they are welcome to either stay seated or come up to the front keeping their hands beneath the rail and one of the ministers will pray from them.

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR CHILD BAPTISED, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BAPTISM OR THE SERVICE.