Baptisms
At St Michael's, we believe that baptism is not only a significant milestone in one's faith journey but also a sacred initiation into the family of God. We recognise the importance of this holy sacrament as a symbolic cleansing of sin, an outward declaration of one's commitment to living a life dedicated to Christ. Whether you are an adult seeking baptism, or a parent wishing to baptize your child, we warmly invite you to St Michael's Church.
Child baptism
At St Michael's Church, we joyfully celebrate the baptism of children and warmly welcome parents seeking this sacrament. A member of our clergy will meet with parents to discuss their motivations for baptism and explain the Church of England's views.
We also offer a Thanksgiving Service as an alternative step, allowing parents to give thanks for their child surrounded by loved ones. This can serve as a first step towards baptism or a standalone ceremony.
To prepare for baptism, parents should fill out a form to schedule sessions where they can learn about baptism, their faith, and get answers to their questions for a meaningful experience. We encourage parents to join us for services with their children. Our goal is to foster a sense of belonging and explore faith joyfully
Older children & adults
Baptisms are usually held at St Michael’s on specific Sundays in the year. You will need to check with the Parish Administrator or a member of the clergy for the dates for this year. These services all take place at 10.45am on Sundays mornings.
Preparation:
As older children and adults are able to make decisions about baptism for themselves, if they wish to be baptised they will be seen by one of the clergy and/or a member of the baptism team and invited to go through a period of preparation for baptism which explores not only the meaning of baptism but also the basics of the Christian faith. They would be expected to make a commitment to attend St Michael’s regularly.
The baptism service:
We aim to make this a family friendly celebration while retaining the integrity of the sacrament of baptism.
Follow up
We take seriously our commitment to the children who have been baptised at St Michael’s. Parents and the children are encouraged to take part in the life of the church and helped to grow as followers of Jesus. The baptism team aim to keep in touch with families through occasional home visits and/ or a group gathering of parents and children who have been baptised at St Michael’s over the past 2 or 3 years. A card is sent to each child to mark the anniversary of their baptism.