Baptism
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Before he ascended into heaven Jesus commanded his followers to go out and preach the gospel and baptise people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them everything he had commanded. Baptism marks the beginning of a person's life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In the Bible we read that as the gospel message was proclaimed and people came to believe in Jesus they were baptised as a sign of their faith. In baptism we remember that Jesus died upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and rose again from the dead to restore us to eternal life. From the time of the early church the children of Christian believers have also been baptised. Today Christian parents bring their children to baptism, and those children are baptised in accordance with the faith of their parents. Children who are too young to make their own decision to be baptised have godparents appointed to them who, together with the parents of the child, make promises before God to bring them up in the Christian faith. This practice of baptising the children of Christian believers in known as 'Covenantal Infant Baptism.' Adults and older children who have not been baptised as infants and who come to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are also baptised on the basis of their own faith. The Church of England also conducts services of Confirmation, where those who have been baptised have hands laid upon them by the bishop as he prays that God would 'confirm' their faith and defend them with the Holy Spirit. Baptisms are held at St. Tim's when required during the main Sunday Service (or in certain circumstances at a separate service). Those seeking baptism for themselves or their children are asked to attend church (if they do not already do so) and undertake a baptism preparation course. For more details about baptism please speak to the vicar (see the Contact us page to find out how to get in touch).
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