baptism and christening

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Baptism & Christenings

"It was lovely, thank you so much”. Mum from Catford.

“My brother Jake got water on him and we all clapped. It was great”. Big brother.

“It was just fantastic, we all said afterwards at the party that it really meant something you know! I’m dead pleased we did it”. Dad from Catford.

“Thank you, you did it so beautifully and it was all explained to us so well. Lovely, you made it special” Grandma, Forest Hill

Here are some questions you might like to ask.

+Why have a baby baptised?

+Who can be a Godparent?

+What happens during the service?

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+ Why have a baby baptised?

There are all sorts of reasons for wanting your baby to be baptised. You might have a sense that it’s the right thing to do; you might want God’s love for your child to be expressed in this particular way; you might recognise a value in the tradition.

We welcome all people who want their children to be baptised. At the same time, we recognise it requires the parents and Godparents to make some significant declarations on behalf of their children, and we take these seriously.

We ask parents to be involved in some preparation when they can get together with other parents and see what it might mean to have their baby baptised.

+ Who can be a Godparent?

In order to be a Godparent, that person must themselves have been baptised. However, people who haven’t been baptised can still be a part of the service, as a sponsor. Traditionally, a child has three Godparents, two from their own gender and one from the opposite gender, but there are no rules or regulations about this.

+ What happens during the service?

Baptism services are public services: they either happen during the main parish service, the sung eucharist at 10am, or at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Both have their advantages: at the 10am service, the congregation is able to welcome them fully as the people of the Church; at the 2pm service, there’s more time to explain exactly what each part of the service means.

The first part of the baptism service involves the “decision”. If a baby (who cannot speak) is involved, this means the Godparents expressing their commitment to God and their commitment of care towards the child. The second part of the service involves showing the sacrament of God’s love using three outward ‘signs’. The first is oil of baptism; the second (and most significant) is by pouring water on the child’s forehead; the third is by giving the child a candle that will shine as a light in the world.

Come in, talk to us and find out more. Click our Contact link.