What is Baptism?

From the earliest days of the Christian Church, Baptism has been the way in which people become Christians and members of the Church.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus himself was baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan and that Jesus taught his disciples to go out into the world and baptise. Jesus teaches his people that all who would enter his kingdom must be born again of water and the Sprit. Baptism is the sign and seal of this new birth.

In Baptism we thank God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledge his love. In the Anglican Church it is common to baptise young children; this is sometimes known as Christening.

What happens at the service?

Baptisms can either take place during a Sunday Church Service or in the afternoon.

The basic shape of the service is a welcome and an opening prayer, there are some readings from Scripture, the promises are made and the child is then baptised (water from the font is poured over their head three times). They are then presented with some symbols of the Christian faith before the newly-baptised and their family are prayed for.

During the ceremony parents and God-parents are asked to publicly reaffirm their own baptismal promises. Therefore it is essential that at least one of the parents have themselves been baptised and all of the God-parents.

Godparents

Choosing Godparents can be a tricky task. As you consider who to choose it’s worth bearing the following in mind.

Contrary to popular belief Godparents aren’t legally entitled to be the ones who will take responsibility for or raise the child if the parents die. In fact they don’t have any standing in law! If you want such an arrangement we’d suggest speaking to a solicitor for advice on how to arrange this.

Instead a Godparent’s primary role is to support the parents in raising the child in the Christian faith, (this is why all Godparents must have been Baptised/Christened themselves). They, alongside the parents, model to the child how to live as a Christian and follower of Jesus, as such it’s a good idea to choose someone who would be a good role model for your child in this way.

During the baptism service the Godparents along with the parents will be asked the following questions and will be required to respond with the words in bold type:

Do you believe and trust in God the Father, the Creator of all?
I believe and trust in him.

Do you believe in his Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world?
I believe and trust in him.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life?
I believe and trust in him.

These statements should be thought about carefully.
They form the basis of the faith of the Church.

The Promises

When a child is baptised, parents and God-parents are asked to make some special promises on the child’s behalf and to encourage them to grow in the Christian Faith. 

Parents and Godparents will also be asked to try to be responsible role models, by supporting the child in prayer, by bringing them to worship and by encouraging them to learn about God at home and alongside others in church. They also promise to encourage the child to be Confirmed when they are older and when the child can make the promise of baptism for themselves.

We, as the Church, will do all we can to welcome and support you as a family, and to help each of you to go on growing in faith.

I’m not sure I can make these promises in good faith

That’s completely fine, we don’t want you to feel you have to have your fingers crossed behind your back during the service.

We’d still love to celebrate the birth of your child and mark this special occasion with you. If Baptism doesn’t seem like it’s for you, we can have a special Thanksgiving Service in which you don’t need to make any of the above promises. A Thanksgiving Service is much more flexible in terms of format and can be arranged in discussion with you. The basic outline is we give thanks for the birth of your child, declare God’s love for them, bless them and pray for you as a family.

Can Adults be baptised?

Absolutely. From the very beginning, Christians welcomed converts through adult baptism.  If you have not previously been baptised and wish to join the Christian Church, then please let us know and we will be most happy to discuss this with you.

FAQ

If you have any other questions check out the page below on the Church in Wales website or contact us.

What next?

If you have any further questions about Baptism or a Thanksgiving Service, or would like to arrange a Baptism or Thanksgiving Service please contact us.

You will be asked to complete a simple form and a date will be arranged.  A member of the Clergy team will then contact you nearer the date to discuss the details of the service.