Many people think about coming to church when they have had a new baby, wanting to mark this very special time, and to have their baby christened. Christening and baptism mean the same thing, and we offer baptisms during our 10.30am Sunday services.
In fact you can be baptised at any age, and whilst we love celebrating with families as their little ones are baptised, it’s also incredibly special when a young person or adult chooses for themselves to be baptised.
So… what is baptism?
At its heart, baptism is about belonging. It’s about belonging to God, and to the family of the church. We are all spiritual beings, whether we ever think about it or not. Baptism marks a particular point on our spiritual journeys of discovery.
When a baby is baptised, it marks the very beginning of that spiritual journey, as their parents and godparents make promises to bring the child up within the Christian faith, and helping them to explore their own beliefs.
When a young person, or adult is baptised, they will have come to a significant point on their spiritual journey where they want to make this public declaration of their faith in God, and their decision to follow Jesus Christ.
All who are baptised are welcomed into the family of the church, and we (the church) have a responsibility to offer support and prayer to those who are baptised, whatever their age.
How does all this happen at the Church At Perton?
First of all, please contact Paul Cartwright, part of the Baptism Team, by phone or email, and he or his wife, Sue, will have an initial chat with you ~ p.cartwright27@btinternet.com / 07970 743493.
Because baptism is such a special and important occasion, making significant promises for your child or yourself, we ask you to attend two evenings at church beforehand. These two evenings are very informal, enjoying a meal together as we chat, get to know each other, and explore what baptism is and a little about the Christian faith.
Can I (or my child) be Baptised at another church?
Because baptism is partly about being welcomed into the church family, it makes sense to be baptised at your local church, however, sometimes there are good reasons for a baptism to take place elsewhere. Again, please contact the Vicar to chat about this.