Baptism and Christening
In Baptism or Christening, we thank God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledge his love. In the Anglican Church it is common to baptise young children.
What is Baptism
Baptism is a 'sacrament' (which is an outward sign of an inner reality) in the Christian tradition that is traced back to Jesus himself being baptized in the River Jordan. 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 instead to turn towards Christ. The declarations made by you and the child's godparents will be made in front of members of the church congregation which promises to support you and pray for you and your child.
Click this link to find more information about Baptisms in Church
Booking a Baptism at Holy Cross
So that we can get to know you a bit and to help show your commitment to the declarations you will make when your child is baptised, we would expect you to attend some services at Holy Cross on a Sunday. We invite you to come to either our All age service which is held at 10 am on the second Sunday of the month and/ or the more relaxed Young Families service which is held once a month at 3.00pm on a Sunday afternoon.
If you would like to talk about this further or book a baptism then please contact Rev Dawn on 01327 438032 or email. She will then meet you to discuss the service with you.
Baptisms take place either during the Sunday 10:00am Worship Service or at 12:00 noon on 1st and 3rd Sundays. In a busy parish like ours, baptisms at the 12:00 noon services usually have more than one child being baptised, but we ensure that there are no more than two families at any one baptism.
At the service
A number of important symbols and actions will be used during the service itself:
- 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 baptized, it is as though our old life is buried in the waters and we are raised to new life with Christ.
- Candles - Jesus is the Light of the World. A large candle is lit in the church and you will be given a lighted candle towards the end of the service as a reminder of the light that has come into your child's life.
If you would like to talk about this further or book a baptism then please contact Rev Dawn on 01327 438032 or email. She will then meet you to discuss the service with you.