The Baptism Service

At St John’s we hold monthly baptism services which take place within our main Family service on the second Sunday of the month. This is so that we can all celebrate with you as your child is welcomed into the family of the Church and offer our support and to pray for you and your child.

This means that there will be parts of the service for the whole congregation to join in and other parts which are just for you as parents and the godparents. You can be assured that you will be welcomed and directed to where you and your guests can sit. For the baptism part of the service, the parents and godparents will be asked by the priest to gather around the font (a large ‘basin’ on a pedestal, containing the water for baptism).

At this point, the priest will ask the parents and godparents to make declarations on behalf of the child. 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 instead to turn towards Christ.

Within the service there are a number of symbols and actions that are important and are worth outlining.

The sign of the cross - the priest will make the sign of the cross 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.

Water - the priest will pour water on your child's head. Water is a sign of washing and cleansing. In baptism it is a sign of being washed free 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, it is as though our old life is buried in the waters (like drowning) and we are raised to new life with Christ.

Anointing - after baptism in water, the minister may anoint the child with oil. This is a sign of the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit.

The welcome - the church congregation will say some formal words of welcome to acknowledge that you child has joined the Church and to show how pleased they are to have you among them. Your child will also be given the gift of a Bible.

Candles - Jesus is the Light of the World.  A large candle will be lit and you may also be given a lighted candle at the end of the service as a reminder of the light which has come into your child's life.