Baptism
Baptisms also called Christening, a name originating from the practice of naming the child at Baptism. Whilst it is less true these days that parents will just turn up at the church to get the baby ‘done’, it is still the case that some parents are not aware of the seriousness of the promises that they are asked to make if their child is being baptised. They promise to turn to Jesus Christ and to follow his ways and teachings. They also promise that the family will be committed to take an active part in their local church and that the child will be brought up within the Christian faith. These are significant promises to make. Those children who were baptised as babies are able to make a public declaration of their faith at confirmation and reaffirming the promises that were made on their behalf. Our baptism services will follow a period of instruction.
Booking a Baptism Parent should contact the Rev. Diane Peters on 01483 532796 email: curate@stfrancisstclareguildford.org.uk
. She will then arrange to visit the parents and explain about the preparations involved and talk about the service. After the short preparation has been done the date for the baptism is fixed.
Our policy is that baptisms take place during our All Age worship service held on the 2nd Sunday of the Month, during the 10:00 am service so that the wider congregation can welcome the new member, and promise to support them in their journey of faith . Only under special circumstances do we Baptise Children at any other time.
When the date of the baptism is fixed then one of our team of visitors will come and see you, go through the service and answer any questions that you might have.
Thanks Giving Service Many parents feel that it is more appropriate for them to have a service of Thanksgiving and Blessing. Some parents prefer that their children should make up their own minds about being baptised and so will have a dedication service when the child is young, and then baptism may follow at a later time.
