Congratulations ! Having a child is a life-changing moment  – we hope everyone is settling into their new roles, whether as parents, siblings, grandparents or other supporters.

What is Baptism?

Baptism, or being Christened, is when someone becomes a member of the Christian church.  When children are baptised, parents are thanking God for the gift of life and deciding to start their child on a journey of faith.  In baptism, we use water as a powerful symbol to indicate the person is being cleansed and making a new beginning as a member of Christ’s Church.

St John’s Gospel describes a meeting Jesus has with a woman drawing water from a well.  He tells her that the water he will give her means she will never be thirsty again  – that he is the living water. Scholars believe that Jesus was referring to the waters of baptism which well up to eternal life.  If we are baptised into Christ, then we are involved; we live in him.

Godparents promise help and support and the church community welcomes the child and promises to pray for the family.  For your child, being baptized marks the start of a lifelong journey of faith as part of the local and worldwide Christian family.  Click here for more information on baptism, from the Church of England’s website.

If you would like to discuss a Baptism in one of the parish churches – St Nicholas’ in Worth, or St Barnabas’ in Pound Hill – then please contact us.

We also run Baptism Preparation courses for parents and godparents, dates for which are shown in the Calendar section of the website.