Adults desiring Baptism will normally be required to attend Inquirers’ Classes. Parents and godparents of infants and young children will also meet with the clergy for preparation.
The sacrament of Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body, the Church. As such, it is an important event, not just for the person being baptized but also for the entire parish community. At baptism we remember and celebrate again God’s call to us to be in relationship with him as the People of God.
The service is found in the Book of Common Prayer, starting on page 299. Water is first poured into a font and then, at the appropriate time in the service, after the water has been blessed, placed on the head of the person being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Holy Baptism usually takes place on special feast days throughout the year such as the Great Vigil of Easter, the Day of Pentecost (50 days after Easter Day), All Saints’ Sunday (the first Sunday in November), and on the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (the Sunday after January 6). Holy Baptism is also appropriate at the time of the Bishop’s visitation.
Because Holy Baptism is the sacrament in which a person is initiated into membership in the worldwide Christian community, the membership of these newest members are recorded in our local parish register. The godparents of the children actually include all of us in this parish because we stand and promise “…to do all our power to support these persons in their life in Christ” (BCP p. 303).
If you are interested in a sacrament for yourself or others, please contact the church for more information.