Baptism at St Laurence's Church
Although baptism is usually associated with babies or infants, people of any age can be welcomed into the church family by being baptised. Adults interested in baptism should contact the clergy through the parish office (01257 231360) for more information. For babies or children, baptism services usually take place at St Laurence's once a month, on Sunday afternoons, and take the form of an informal celebration, often involving more than one family. This page tells you more about what you need to do if you want your chikd to be baptised.
Because families sometimes haven’t had much recent contact with the Church, taking the first step can be a bit nerve-racking. Many people are not quite sure exactly what baptism means.
We want to try to make things easier for you, so that, if you do decide to have your child baptised, you will understand exactly what is involved and be comfortable about what is expected of you.
What we ask you to do is this:
- Come to meet the Rector or Curate for one or two sessions. These will look at what a Christian is and what baptism involves.
- Accept our invitation to come and worship regularly at St Laurence's. If you haven’t been to Church recently it will help you feel at home.
- Agree a date with us for the baptism service.
There is obviously quite a lot to think about. To help you, the following are some of the more common questions that people ask at this stage.
Q Why do I have to meet the Rector or Curate?
A Until recently most people knew what being a Christian entailed. They knew parts of the Bible and tried to live by Christian standards. Unfortunately today some people have ideas of right and wrong that are very different from God’s standards.
That’s why we want to give you a fair chance to look at it properly.
Q Does my child have to be baptised as a baby?
A Not at all. Most years at St Laurence’s adults or teenagers who have not been baptised as children are baptised. It is becoming a more common practice.
Q What is the difference between baptism and christening?
A None. They are different names for the same ceremony.
Q How much does it cost?
A Nothing. There are no fees or charges of any kind for a baptism. There is however the ‘cost’ of keeping the promises for the rest of your life.
Q What about Godparents?
A Godparents have to make some serious promises. They must be baptised themselves and they shoukld also have been confirmed. To help them, it would be good if the people you are thinking of asking came along to the classes with you. If they are not already worshipping at another Church, it would probably be helpful for them to come to St Laurence's with you as well.
Q Could you refuse to baptise my child?
A No. We want your child to be baptised! But baptism isn’t just a one-off thing – it’s a lifetime commitment. We want to help you with that. That’s why we provide some preparation. But the final decision will be entirely yours.
Q What happens in the baptism service?
A Follow this link for further details:
Q Once the Baptism service is over is anything else expected of me?
A In the baptism service you will have made promises about worshipping regularly and being a member of the Church. You obviously wouldn’t have made those if you didn’t intend to keep them.
Q What do I do now?
A Contact the Parish Administrator, who will arrange for you to meet the Rector or Curate.
Parish Office 01257 231360