Would you like to be baptised as an adult? Or perhaps you’re enquiring about a service for your child? At All Saints’ we believe you and your family matter to God so we want to help you as much as we can.
 
Baptism is an important life event so we want to take it seriously. Therefore it is offered to people who profess faith in Christ and attend church regularly, and to the children of such believers. Regular church attendance is one of the normal expressions of a genuine Christian life.
 
We use this analogy:

• Wanting baptism for your child without going to church is a bit like asking a Surf Club to give you the red and yellow life-saver’s cap without bringing your kids to Little Nippers or serve on any surf patrols yourself.

• The red and yellow cap won’t do your child any good if they haven’t learned how to swim safely at the beach. And it wouldn’t make sense to wear the cap yourself if you aren’t actually part of the life of the Surf Club in a meaningful way.

Certainly we want to help people decide if they’re serious about following Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Participating in church life, where we learn from the Bible, is a great way of gaining such clarity and we welcome all to come to our service on Sunday. Another option is to organise a time with the minister to participate in four sessions where baptism and the Christian faith as outlined in the Bible is explained.

The Baptismal Service
In the service of baptism for a child,

• We ask you and any godparents to present your child.

• We ask you and any godparents to declare your faith in Christ and affirm you will strive to live as his disciple, meaning:

  1. turning from all that opposes God; and

  2. turning to Jesus Christ, trusting his work on the cross to make you right with God, giving you forgiveness and assurance of heaven.

• We ask you and any godparents to affirm the faith of the church and make the declaration that you believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

• We pray for you as parents in the task of raising children.

• Your child’s godparents (‘sponsors’) act as witnesses to this event and promise support in this endeavour.

 We are committing you and your child to God’s love and care, and the Bible promises God will gladly hear our prayers. This is always an important family time of thanksgiving, and we treat it as such. This service also assumes you will teach your child about the Lord Jesus and encourage them to follow him, which means attending church every week to help you do this.
 
Baptismal services are normally held during our Sunday service which goes for around 1.5 hours. No payment or fee is expected as the service is our gift to you, though you are welcome to make a special donation.
 
If you wish to proceed, please attend one of our Sunday services and ask someone to introduce you to the vicar. We would be delighted to meet you and can take things from there. Please be aware that lead-time is often required before we can find a mutually suitable date and preparation sessions organised. We have a Sunday School that runs during the service for primary school aged children.

Why do you baptise infants? 
Baptism is the sign and seal of God’s covenant promise and the Church’s sacramental way of bringing children into the people of God. In continuity with Old Testament practice (circumcision) we baptise infants because baptism is a covenant sign given by Christ, not merely a human pledge.

Parents and godparents make promises to raise the child in the faith, and the congregation commits to teach and pray for them. Baptism names the child publicly as part of Christ’s body and marks the beginning of a lifelong discipleship the church will help nurture.

Do you offer dedications for infants? 
We do not offer child dedications. The examples in the Bible of infant presentations (Samuel, John the Baptist, and the Lord Jesus) show children who are set apart for a particular, lifelong ministry, and not the ordinary pattern for every believer. Dedication is different from the sacrament of baptism which is commanded by the Lord Jesus himself.

Because we believe baptism is the Church’s initiation into the covenant people, we baptise infants rather than having a dedication service. However, we would be glad to talk with families about how the church will support a child’s spiritual growth.