BAPTISM 
INFORMATION 



 



SOUTH BATHURST ANGLICAN PARISH 
ST BARNABAS, BATHURST
ST PETERS, ROCKLEY
 ST PAUL’S, YETHOLME
ST MARTIN’S, PERTHVILLE






Baptism is a happy and special event, usually the first 
‘formal’ event in a child’s life and it provides an opportunity 
for all the family, relatives and friends to come together. 
We are pleased to be able to share it with you. 
We have found that people celebrating baptism at our 
churches enjoy the service. 
We hope that your baby's baptism will be a wonderful and 
memorable occasion and that it will mark the beginning of a 
long and happy association with our church. 
This information will help you with some of the questions 
which surround baptism or Christening (Christian-making) 
as some prefer to call it. We do not put pressure upon 
parents or make them feel guilty about coming to church, 
but sometimes a baptism can remind us of how much we 
have let our own Christian life slip.
 It can be an opportunity to affirm our trust in God and to 
make a fresh start. We hope that the welcome you receive 
will encourage you to feel a part of our church. We 
understand the effort involved for parents with young 
children to get organised and make a habit of going to 
church but parents who do are usually pleased that they 
took the trouble our Family Service happens every Sunday.
 We welcome even noisy children to our services and provide 
an area with toys and encourage parents utilize the area 
during the service. 
It is our sincere belief that there is no better thing that you 
can give to a child than the opportunity to learn about God 
and his love for them. 
In the early years of a child's life they need to have this 
grounding of faith which will be vital for them if they are to 
develop into happy and balanced adults. 
It is a great sadness that this opportunity is not made 
available to so many children but we will work with you to 
enable your child to be welcomed into the family of the 
church. 
Please feel able to contact the priest to discuss baptism we 
will be pleased to spend time with you before and after the 
service. 
Will you Christen our baby? 
This is a question which we are often asked at St. Barnabas 
and the answer is YES! 
We have never refused a request for baptism. 
We look forward to welcoming you and your family to 
celebrate this important occasion. With you we will thank 
God for the birth of your baby, name the child with its 
Christian name and welcome a new member into the 
Christian family of the Church. 
Of course if you are an adult who was not baptised as a child 
then we hope that baptism may be something which you 
would like to consider for yourself. 
You will not be placed in any embarrassing situations, we 
will not make you feel guilty about coming to church, but we 
do encourage you to start thinking of this as your church. 
This information will give you answers to some of the 
questions which you may have; please contact the priest if 
you have further questions and they will be pleased to talk 
with you.
What is Baptism ? 
*	A chance for all the family to get together, celebrate and 
thank God for the new life which he has given. 

*	It is a time when we remember that as well as being a 
member of a human family your baby is a part of God’s 
family too, the family of the Church. 

*	It is sacrament, that means an outward and visible sign 
of God's love. 
When Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan he became 
aware of God as his Father and felt the special presence of 
God and the power of the Holy Spirit, it was a turning point 
in his life. After his death and resurrection Jesus 
commanded his followers to make new disciples and baptise 
them too. This has been done ever since by Christians 
throughout the world. 
Why do we baptise babies?
Most parents feel a need to say ‘thank you’ to someone for 
the wonderful gift of their child, that ‘someone’ is of course 
the God who gives life to us all. Jesus told his disciples to 
baptise people who wanted to become Christians and join 
the church. The Bible tells us that whole households were 
being baptised and of course soon parents wanted their 
children to be baptised too.
 Baptism is not like an insurance policy which you take out 
to make sure that your baby goes to heaven, God loves your 
child just as much now as after the baptism service. However 
it does make sense to give your child the very best start in 
life and what could be better than to encourage them from 
the very earliest days to be open to God and to know of His 
love for them. 
Some churches do not baptise children until they are old 
enough to understand everything for themselves. However we 
do make all kinds of decisions on behalf of our children 
including schools and medical treatment as we do our best 
to encourage them in the best way for their lives. 
We hope that you have decided to give your child the benefit 
of being welcomed into the church family, and we hope you 
will bring them along to church as you are able throughout 
these early years so that they can have the Christian start 
that they deserve. 
In the baptism service we also pray that one day they will 
want as adults to stand up for themselves to confirm the 
baptism vows which have been made on their behalf: this is 
called Confirmation. If you would like a chance to think more 
about the Christian faith then you may like to join one of our 
groups which attract people of all ages and can lead to 
confirmation. 
When will the baptism take place? 
We love Baptisms take place in the Family Service on 
Sunday Morning at church, because part of the service is the 
welcoming of the child by the congregation. 
Although we do have a number of Baptisms that happen 
outside of the church services they are called private 
Baptisms However we do like to welcome children before they 
baptised at one of our family services on a Sunday. At St. 
Barnabas the time of the Family service is 9.30am. 
The Promises
We like Baptisms to take place during a service of worship 
because the congregation of the church is asked “Members of 
the Body of Christ, who are now in his name to receive this 
child, will you promise to maintain the common life of 
worship and service that all the children among you may 
grow in grace and in the knowledge of God and of his Son 
Jesus Christ our Lord?” Thus the congregation is promising 
you and your child that it will provide facilities for his/her 
Christian upbringing - usually through Junior Church and 
other organisations. This promise is made on behalf of all 
churches. 

After the congregation’s promises, parents and Godparents 
will be asked to stand up and declare their own Christian 
faith. It is important to make sure that you can make these 
promises and only you can truthfully know that. If you have 
any difficulty we will discuss the promises with you; if you 
feel unable to say these things then perhaps you would 
prefer a service of Thanksgiving for the child and a naming 
ceremony. The choice is yours but a baptism is a very 
important occasion and not to be undertaken lightly. 
Parents and godparents are invited to gather around the font, 
one family at a time. The Priest says to the parents and 
godparents: 
You have brought this child to baptism. You must 
now declare before God and His Church the 
Christian faith into which she/he is to be baptised, 
and in which you will help her/him to grow. You 
must answer for yourself and for her/him.  

Do you believe and trust in God the Father, who 
made the world?  
Answer: I believe and trust in him  

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ, 
who redeemed mankind?  

Answer: I believe and trust in him  
Do you believe and trust in his Holy Spirit, who 
gives life to the people of God?  

Answer: I believe and trust in him 
The Priest says to the congregation 
This is the faith of the Church.  
All say: This is our faith. We believe and trust in one 
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
There are then three questions about the way you intend to 
live your life. Parents and Godparents make the promises for 
themselves and also for the child.
 They apply to their own lives and on behalf of the children 
for whom they will be responsible. Here are the questions 
with a short explanation; 
Question 1 Do you turn to Christ?  
You will answer - I turn to Christ 
I want to change direction. I accept that my life is not totally 
my own. I acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God 
and I will try to follow his teaching and his guidance for my 
life day by day. 
Question 2 Do you repent of your sins?  
You will answer - I repent of my sins 
I'm sorry about the past and I know that I am accountable to 
God for my actions and thoughts. I can never be perfect but 
as I admit what is wrong he forgives and accepts me. 
Question 3 Do you renounce evil?  
You will answer - I renounce evil 
I know that I sometimes have to make choices between good 
and evil. I want to set the evil behind me and from now on I 
will always try to choose the good. 
Naming of a child
When the priest baptises the child she will ask what name 
you have chosen. This will be the Christian name for the 
child for the rest of its life. The Priest takes the child and 
says: N., I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. 


Water
Water is a sign of cleansing and also an important sign of 
life. Water symbolises how we are all washed clean by God 
and forgiven and accepted by Him. 
As we cannot live without water so this sign reminds us that 
we also need the cleansing and renewing presence of God in 
our lives. 
The sign of the cross 
The Priest will make the sign of the cross on the forehead of 
the child using the water.. This is a sign to remind us of how 
Christ died for each one of us on the cross. As Christ died for 
us so we are now signed with the cross -the badge of our 
faith - to remind us that we must not be ashamed to profess 
our faith and fight against all that is evil. 
Priest: I sign with the cross, the sign of Christ. Do 
not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ 
crucified.  
The congregation says: Fight valiantly under the 
banner of Christ against sin, the world and the 
devil, and continue his faithful soldier and servant 
to the end of your life. 
The Lighted Candle
Following the baptism a lighted candle is given and the 
Priest says, 
Receive this light ... this is to show that you have 
passed from darkness to light.  
All say: Shine as a light in the world to the glory of 
God the Father. 
The child will be presented with a small candle to show that 
in baptism we pass from darkness to light. Jesus is 
described in the Bible as the light of the world and as 
Christians we are to shine as lights in the world. 
Our world needs now more than ever for us to all reject the 
ways of darkness and follow Christ in the Christian faith. 
The Welcome
At the end of the baptism the congregation joins to says, 
'We welcome you into the Lord's family. We are 
members together of the body of Christ;  
we are children of the same heavenly Father;  
we are inheritors of the kingdom of God. We 
welcome you'.’ 
Records
A permanent record of the baptism with family details is 
recorded in the official registers of the church. A copy of this 
is given in the form of a special certificate which the church 
has printed, as a reminder of this day.
Godparents
You will need to consider names of godparents and these will 
be included in the church register and the baptism 
certificate. 
Being asked to be a godparent is always a real privilege and 
shows that you have a special place in the family, but there 
are expectations and responsibilities too. 
You are asked to promise that you will love and encourage 
the child in the Christian faith by prayer, example and 
teaching. Parents should not feel pressurised to choose the 
wrong people but try to find people who can make the 
promises and mean them. 
Remember there is no right or wrong number of godparents; 
have as many or as few as you wish. 


Did you know ?
Cry Baby..... 
Superstitious people once thought that when a baby cried at 
Baptism it meant that it was the devil being cast out. In fact 
if a baby didn't cry it was thought a bad thing and some 
people even pinched their children to make them cry! Today 
we prefer not to upset children and hope that they do not get 
too upset by all the attention. However don't worry if they do 
cry and feel free to let the children wander around the 
Church during the service.
Godparents...... 
Parents were once advised that they should choose three 
godparents for their baby, two of the same sex as the child. 
This is not a rule and you can have as many as you like, but 
you should have at least on Godmother and one Godfather. 
The Royal Family on the other hand tend to prefer to go for 
about six... well there's more presents!!
Cost..... 
There is no charge for a baptism service. In all of our services 
an offering is taken at which we have an opportunity to give 
to the work of the church.
Fonts...... 
Because Baptism is a sign of entering the Church the font 
which held the water was once nearly always situated at the 
main door of the church. Today we have a the font at the 
front  of the church. It is easier for everyone to see!
Prayers and readings
Your child is very special to you which is one of the reasons 
why you have gone to the effort to ask for baptism. Baptism 
is a wonderful time to say thank you to God for the gift of a 
child. But of course your child isn't just your child - but 
God's as well. God loves your child and went to enormous 
lengths to show how much he loves all of his children, even 
to the point of dying on the cross. This means that in a sense 
there are no such things as single parents, God is a loving 
parent too. In the days and years ahead try to remember that 
you should not try to bring your child up on your own, but 
rather with the help and support of God as well. Here are 
some prayers and readings which you may find helpful. 
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom 
come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us 
today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive 
those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but 
deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the 
glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen. 
Lord Jesus Christ, you welcomed children when others 
turned them away. Help me to love my child as you love 
her/him. Give me patience when I am tired, strength to cope 
when things get tough. Give your Holy Spirit of love and joy 
to abide in our home and keep us safe. Amen. 
God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that 
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal 
life The Gospel of John Chapter 3 Verse 16 (The Bible) 
Jesus said .. 'Come to me all who labour and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest' The Gospel of Matthew 
Chapter 11 Verse 28 (The Bible)
 









PRECIOUS ONE, 
SO SMALL, 
SO SWEET
DANCING IN 
ON ANGEL FEET 
STRAIGHT FROM HEAVEN'S 
BRIGHTEST STAR
WHAT A MIRACLE 
YOU ARE!








A SERVICE 
OF 
BAPTISM


 





THE PREPARATION

THE GREETING AND INTRODUCTION

		The priest says,

     The Lord be with you.
All:		And also with you.

	The priest welcomes the congregation and introduces the service.
	

THE PREFACE

	“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...” 
(Matthew 28:19). 
Since Jesus first uttered those words, the church has been 
doing this very thing, albeit in a variety of ways and with a 
variety of understandings.
Anglicans call it a sacrament and baptise by sprinkling water 
on the head of a person. Anglicans baptise infants, others 
only those who can articulate their beliefs. 

Indeed, the practice of baptism predates even the baptism of 
Jesus. 

In biblical times, when Gentiles were attracted to the Jewish 
faith and wished to convert, they underwent a ritual of 
cleansing so that they could be reborn into their new faith 
and identity. 

The images of baptism are rich and varied.  More and more 
churches recognize the baptismal practices and 
understandings of others Christian denominations, 
affirming the sacred mystery that is baptism.

In the Anglican tradition baptism is an “incorporated into the 
Body of Christ” those baptised become members of the 
worldwide Christian Church, the Church Universal.

So we welcome you, ……..with your parents, godparents 
and your wider family. We give thanks for you, and pray 
that you may know God's love and faithfulness for ever.


MINISTRY OF THE WORD

The Reading

Mark 10 : 13 – 16.  

  People were bringing little children to him in order that he 
might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.  
But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to 
them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; 
for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 
Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God 
as a little child will never enter it."  And he took them up in 
his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.


THE PRESENTATION

The priest invites the candidate and sponsors to stand 
      and present the candidate.

God is love. God gives us life. 
  We love because God first loves us. 
In baptism God declares that love; 
   in Christ God calls us to respond.

So we welcome …………….who comes to be baptised. 

Who stands with this child?




Parent’s & Godparents stand and respond
We do

    I invite the Parent’s & Godparents to present the 
candidate.

Parent’s & Godparents respond
       We present ……………. to be baptised
       and made a member of the Body of Christ, the 
Church.


THE DECISION

The priest says
  From the beginning the Church has received believers by    
baptism. Believers children have also been baptised so 
  that with help and encouragement they should grow up in 
Christ and by the grace of God serve Christ all the days of   
their life.

 On the day when the apostles first preached the Gospel of 
Christ's resurrection, Peter urged his hearers
  'Repent and be baptised, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus the Christ for the forgiveness of 
   your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all 
who 
   are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God may call.'

How do you respond to this promise?

The parents and godparents reply:

We hear God's call and ask for baptism.

The priest says to the parents and godparents
  Do you renounce all evil influences and powers 
   that rebel against God?


The parents and godparents reply
I renounce all evil.

The priest says
 Do you trust in Christ's victory which brings forgiveness, 
freedom and life?

The parents and godparents reply
  In faith I turn to Christ	
my way, my truth, my life.	
  as I care for this child.

All: May God keep you in the way you have chosen. 


THE BAPTISM

      The priest and family move to the font. 

Praise God who made heaven and earth, 
All: 	whose promise endures for ever.

The priest prays
  We thank you God for your love in all creation, 
especially for your gift of water to sustain, 
  refresh and cleanse all life.

We thank you for your covenant with your people Israel; 
  through the Red Sea waters you led them to freedom in the 
promised land. In the waters of the Jordan your Son 
    was baptised by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit.

Through the deep waters of death
 Jesus fulfilled his baptism. He died to set us free
and was raised to be exalted Lord of all.
   It is Christ who baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Come Holy Spirit.



  We thank you that through the waters of baptism you 
cleanse us, renew us by your Spirit and raise us to new life.
  In the new covenant we are made members of your Church 
and share in your eternal kingdom.

Water is poured into the font
 Through your Holy Spirit, pour out your blessing and 
sanctify    this water so that once more your promises may be 
fulfilled 
   in this water of rebirth, set apart in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Praise and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and    
honour, power and might, be to our God for ever and ever. 
Amen.

		The priest says to the congregation,

	I now ask you to affirm as yours the faith of the Church.

	An Affirmation of Faith				

		All stand and say together.

	Let us affirm the faith of the Church,
All:	  We believe in one God, 
            who made and loves all that is.
	We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
		Who was born, lived, died and rose again,
		  and is coming to call all to account.
		We believe in the Holy Spirit,
		  who equips and sends out God's people,
		  and brings all things to their true end.

	This is our faith, the faith of the Church:
All:		We believe in one God,
       Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

      The candidate is baptised with the words;

	I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Spirit.
All:		Amen.

All:  God receives you by baptism into the Church. 
       Child of God, blessed in the Spirit, 
       welcome to the family of Christ

The priest makes the cross on the forehead of the candidate, saying;	
We sign you with the cross to 
mark you as Christs own forever.

A lighted candle is given
 Shine as a light in the world
and walk in the faith of Christ

  Praise to God who forgives our sin.
All: Blessed be God who sets us free.

The priest then says to parents and godparents
 How then will you care for this child?

The parents and godparents reply together
I will love ………….. and share my faith with them.

The priest says to the congregation
   As the community of faith we rejoice at this baptism 
and will share with ……………what we ourselves have 
received: a delight  in prayer, a love for the word of God, 
a desire to follow the way of Christ, and food for the journey.

The priest then says to the child
  ………….. you are now a pilgrim with us.
As a member of Christ's body, the Church,
you will be challenged to affirm your faith in God 
  and receive the laying on of hands in confirmation. 
May you grow in the Holy Spirit, fulfil your ministry
and follow Christ your whole life long.




THE PRAYERS

THE LORD’S PRAYER

All:	Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
		  your kingdom come, your will be done,
		  on earth as in heaven.
		Give us today our daily bread.
		Forgive us our sins
       as we forgive those who sin against us.
		Save us from the time of trial 
       and deliver us from evil.
	For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, 
       now and for ever. Amen.

FOR ALL WHO ARE BAPTISED 

Gracious God, 
Equip us to serve your people 
  and advance your gospel in the world. 
Enable us to live in holiness and righteousness 
  and to please you in all that we do; 
in the name of Jesus Christ Saviour. Amen.

AT THE BAPTISM OF A CHILD

     Merciful God, in your infinite love you have made 
       a new covenant with us in your Son our Saviour Jesus         
Christ, promising to be our God and the God of our children. 
     Enable all who are baptised in your name 
       to live as a covenant people. 
     Fulfil your promises for this child, we pray, 
and grant that he may grow in your faith and service 
   until his life’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen.

A PRAYER FOR PARENTS

     Heavenly Father, we pray for …………… parents , 
     ………………………………  give them 
     the spirit of wisdom and love. 
     May all their children grow up to love and reverence you 
       and their home share in the joy of your love;
     in the name of Christ. Amen.

FOR FAMILY

God of truth and love, we pray that ………….. whole family 
  will be enabled share with …………… what you have 
revealed to us in your holy gospel. Amen.

THE BENEDICTION

  God bless you each with wisdom and love;
    may ………………. find in you, 
    your homes and families, 
  Christ's love and understanding. 

      The priest gives the blessing and dismissal.

	Go with the blessing of God Almighty, 
	Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, may this blessing
	be upon you and remain with you always. Amen.

	

























IN OUR HOMES, WE ARE FAMILY,
IN THE CHURCH, WE ARE FAMILY,
IN THE COMMUNITY, WE ARE FAMILY,
IN THE WHOLE CREATION, WE ARE FAMILY.
IN EVERY PLACE, WE DEPEND ON GOD.





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