Baptisms

What is Baptism?

In the baptism service we thank God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledge his love. We acknowledge that we all need to turn away from the darkness of evil and to make a new start with God. The water is an outward, visible sign of the inward coming to God and the new life that follows. Baptism is also the ceremony in which a person becomes a member of the church. We are happy to baptise babies, children and adults.

Can we have a baptism at St Mary's?

Yes, if you live in the parish of Eversley and Bramshill.

If you live outside the parish then you need to either be a regular worshipper at St Mary's or have a specific connection with the parish or St Mary's. The connections we are looking for are:

A parent has at any time lived in the parish for more than six months
The parents were married at St Mary's
A parent or sibling was baptised at St Mary's church
A parent or sibling was prepared for confirmation at St Mary's church

If you have no connection with Eversley or St Mary's then the baptism should normally take place at the parish church where you live. You can find out where this is on the Church of England web-site.

[Rev'd Lerys Cambell performing a baptism] — Rev'd Lerys Cambell performing a baptism

When are Baptism Services held?

There are a number of Sundays each year which we set aside for baptisms which are either held in our 10:00am All Age Service, or an 11:00am Communion service. Please contact our baptisms administrator who will be pleased to talk you through the available dates.

What happens at the Baptism Service?

During the baptism service the child’s parents and godparents, or the adult being baptised, declare their decision to turn to Christ, to repent of their sins and to renounce evil. They then affirm their belief and trust in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Once the decision and affirmation have been made, the priest makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the person being baptised and then baptises them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit by pouring water on their head.

At the end of the service the child or adult is given a lighted candle to remind them to shine like a light in the world to the glory of God the Father. We suggest that you light the candle on the anniversary of the baptism to remind you of the baptism promises you have made.

Do we need to start coming to church?

Yes. If you don't already come to St Mary's regularly then it is important that you start coming so that you can begin to learn more about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Christian faith. Baptism is about joining the church and so it's also important that we get to know you, and you us, so that we can support you on your journey of faith. We suggest that you come along either to our All Age service on the first Sunday of the month at 10:00am or to one of our 11:00am communion services where you will be warmly welcomed.

Do we have to do Baptism preparation?

Yes. We ask that you come to at least one service before the baptism so that you can see what happens. One of our clergy will also need to visit you before the baptism to explain in more detail what baptism means. If you are an adult wishing to be baptised we would normally ask you to do an Alpha course, to learn more about the Christian faith.

Your journey of faith

We see baptism as the first step of a person’s journey of faith. To continue this journey, and so that we can support you, we ask that you come to church regularly, perhaps starting with the monthly Family Service or the monthly Little Lights service for 0-5 year olds. Children aged 3-8 are able to join Searchers, our Junior Church, which is held during the morning service on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays during term time.

Contacts

For further information or to arrange a baptism, please contact:

Jane Hughes
0118 973 1489