Baptisms

Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as His children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

We are baptised into Christ, to share His life and to be renewed by the enlivening power of His presence.  Baptism is therefore the primary sacrament of the church and must be taken very seriously.  It marks the moment of Christian birth and the start of a life-long relationship of growth and development.

Background

On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first fell upon the church, St Peter stood up to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.  When he had finished we read in Acts 2 vs 37, 38:  ‘the people were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"  Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'

Peter is saying three things.  First, they must leave their sin.  The word repent means turn around; they have been going their own way of selfishness and sin, and now they must stop and be willing to go God's way instead.

Second, they must believe in Jesus Christ.  Peter actually says, ‘be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ that your sins may be forgiven'.  But the last thing in Peter's mind is a ceremony which somehow forgives automatically: to his hearers baptism meant a sign and embodiment of a radically new loyalty.  They had seen John the Baptist at work and knew that his call to baptism was no light thing.  For them, to be baptised in the name of Jesus meant a clear and unequivocal commitment to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Third, Peter called them to receive the Holy Spirit.  This was God's promise, that He would not only welcome us back to Himself, but would also grant us His own love and power within our lives.  His Spirit enables us to live for Him in the way that we should, but cannot by ourselves.

A Christian is then not just a person who has grown up in a society still partly influenced by Christian values; not even a person who attends church, says the Creed, or holds certain ethical standards.  Those things would be true of him; but the root of his identity as a Christian lies in the fact that he has truly accepted the goodness of God in forgiving his self-centredness and bringing him into relationship with God through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.  This acceptance is revealed in his commitment to God, His Church and His way of life.

Infant Baptism

In the early missionary days of the Christian church, baptism was inevitably offered to adults as they responded to the Good News about Jesus and turned from paganism or Judaism to Christian belief in Jesus.  But the question soon arose about the status of the children of couples who had come to this new faith.  Jewish male children had been given the sign of God's covenant in circumcision; were the children of Christian parents to receive baptism in a similar way?  The history is obscure, but gradually the practice of baptising such infants grew up.  Today some churches follow Baptist thinking, and because of the seriousness of baptism which we have seen above, believe that it should always be left until the individuals can decide for themselves and declare their own faith in baptism.  Other churches, including the Anglican Communion worldwide, respond that the Bible does not think in quite such individualistic categories, and that God seems to see the family as the basic social unit in His covenant.  It is, therefore, appropriate to give the sign of this relationship to the children of believing parents.  It is essential, though, to see that such baptism is only appropriate where the faith of the parents is present with the kind of seriousness we have seen above (i.e. reflected in frequent and regular participation in church worship, related ethical standards, and Christian values).  In Confirmation, the child may as an adult, make a conscious and personal choice to accept the Christian faith and life.

Baptism and the Church

Baptism is about entry - entry into a relationship with Jesus Christ in faith.  It is also entry into the Church as a body of people similarly working out their own relationship with Jesus in the world in which we all live.  This cannot be a kind of abstraction; it must take the form of a group of actual worshipping people in the local area where we live.

Public baptism is a ceremony of great joy and solemnity.  Parents and godparents, or sponsors, make their promises and declare their faith in front of the whole congregation.  The church can then welcome the child, meet the parents, and pray for the family.

Who may be baptised?

Infants whose parents, or parent, are regular and frequent worshipping members of the parish and have been for at least 3 months and will continue to do so.  Older children and adults who are already a part of the worshipping body of the parish (which includes the Sunday School and Youth Groups)who desire baptism.

What preparation is necessary?

There is a preparation course of several sessions for the parents of the infants and young children concerned.  This course may be attended before or after the child's birth.  Where older children or adults are to be baptised, special courses are arranged.  The course must be completed, and the declaration signed, before the baptism takes place.

The parents of young children are accountable to God for the way that they model the Christian way of life for their child and nurture their child's spiritual development.

When do baptisms take place?

During the 09:30 service on specific dates.

Private baptisms (clinical baptisms) are administered only in cases of emergency.

What about non-members?

Parents who are not members of St Luke's, or any other parish, need first to become members of the Parish before applying for their child to be baptised.  Parents who are members of another Anglican parish, and who for good reason wish their child to be baptised at St Luke's, will be asked to obtain a letter from their own rector confirming their membership, and his consent to the baptism, and also confirming that adequate preparation has taken place (as required by the Canons of the Church).

What about Godparents or Sponsors?

It is traditional in the Anglican Church to associate a small number of friends or relatives with the parents to share responsibility for the spiritual development of the child.  This practice began at a time when life, and particularly childbirth, was dangerous, and the godparents were expected to act as guardians in the event of the parents' death.  This no longer applies to the same degree, and the emphasis has therefore shifted to a stress upon the central role of the parents in the spiritual upbringing of their children.  It is nevertheless appropriate to associate some of your Christian friends with you in this responsibility.  If the child is young, they may be invited to become godparents.  If the child is older, they may be invited to become sponsors of the child.

There is no regulation as to the number of godparents, though the traditional pattern is: two godparents of the same gender as the child, and one of the opposite.  It is, however, essential that they are both baptised and practising Christians who accept the validity of infant baptism.  These criteria should take precedence over family tradition or friendship.  They are also invited to attend the preparation course.

What time period is necessary?

The preparation course is normally run over several weeks.  Parents should therefore allow for a period of approximately three months to elapse between the acceptance of the application and the date of baptism.  Please do not make your family arrangements before your application has been accepted.  Where there are special circumstances, we will take them into account.  However, a well-prepared baptism is the priority.

What about subsequent baptisms?

Parents who are active, practising members of St Luke's will not necessarily be asked to attend the preparation course for a second time.  Parents who have not been practising members will be expected to re-establish themselves before their application is considered.

What other service is available?

There will be occasions when parents are, in all sincerity, unwilling or unable to make the vows before God and the congregation, or to commit themselves to the obligations which baptism requires.  However, they may want to express their joy and appreciation for the safe birth of their child.  In such circumstances the service of Thanksgiving For The Birth Of A Child is available.  It is a short and sincere service and may be used in the church or at home.  It must be stressed that it is not a baptism service, and no certificate is issued.

What do we do now?

 Telephone the Parish Office for an application form.

(Telephone: 011 728-7015)