Baptisms

Baptism

Congratulations

If you have a new baby in your household, many congratulations. This will be a very busy, exciting and tiring time for you! However, it is also a time when many parents want to give thanks to God for the arrival of their child and to mark that occasion in a special way for family and friends. St Pancras offers two ways of doing this:

  • A Baptism Service - for practising Christians, where parents & godparents make vows on behalf of their children, which include promising to bring them up in the Christian faith.
  • A Thanksgiving Service - a special opportunity to thank God for the gift of your child which does not include the promises of baptism but includes a public commitment to love and care for your child.

More details of these two options are given below but your first step would normally be to telephone our Rector on 01243 728865. One of the members of staff will come and visit you and help you think through the different options.


Baptism Service

Your child's baptism will take place during a Sunday morning service. This is so that your child can be welcomed into the family of the Church here at St Pancras. In turn the Church will promise to support and pray for you and your child.


At a Baptism Service parents & godparents stand before God and the local congregation to declare their own faith in Christ. They make vows on behalf of the child, which include promising to bring him or her up in the Christian faith. These are serious and solemn promises and consequently, you should choose your child’s godparents with careful thought & prayer. They should be committed and baptized Christians, as their role is to assist in the nurture and encouragement of your child as he or she grows up in the Christian faith. They are also there to help you as parents to prepare your child, so that in time, they can make the decision to follow Christ for themselves, and come to Confirmation, when they make those vows for themselves.


Because baptism is an important sign of Christian commitment, we ask parents choosing this service to attend a short preparation course. The course will be tailored to suit you and will give a short explanation of the Christian faith and the purpose of baptism.


Thanksgiving Service

Thanksgiving services normally take place at the main service or can take place at another time in the Church. Thanksgiving services are a very special opportunity to give thanks for the birth of your child and to celebrate your child’s arrival with family & friends. A thanksgiving service is a good option to choose, if you are uncertain of your own beliefs and do not feel you can stand with integrity before God in church and make the baptismal vows. A thanksgiving does not include the promises of baptism but is still a church service with an opportunity to thank God for your child. At a thanksgiving you can still ask friends or family to be ‘sponsors’, like godparents, but like you as parents, they will not need to make promises of personal commitment to Jesus Christ. If you choose to have a Thanksgiving, you may also have a Baptism service for your child at a later date.


Although the baptism preparation course (as outlined above) is not an obligation if you choose a Thanksgiving service you are still warmly invited to attend and to think more about the Christian faith.


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