Baptism at St. Michael's
Interested in having your child baptised (or christened)?
Having a child is a big responsibility, and you may be thinking about how you are going to bring your child up. What values and beliefs do you want him or her to grow up with? Many parents feel that having their child christened (baptised) is a good way of starting their child off in life. These notes are to help you think about whether this is the right course of action for you.
You may also like to take a look at the Church of England website on this topic.
https://churchofenglandchristenings.org
What is Baptism or Christening?
Baptism, otherwise known as Christening, is the ceremony in which a person becomes a member of the Church and makes a public commitment to follow Jesus Christ. It can happen at any age. In the Church of England infants and young children who are too young to make this decision for themselves are baptised on the understanding that they will be brought up in the Christian faith within the fellowship of the church. In the service, parents and godparents undertake to train children in the habit of private prayer and public worship, and to follow Christ, both by teaching and by example.
We don't go to church regularly. Can we still have our child christened?
Major life events, such as marriage or having a baby, often give us the opportunity to explore some of the deeper questions of life. The church is there to help you to do this. The baptism of your child could be the opportunity you need to start becoming more involved with the church. If you are sufficiently serious about the Christian faith to have your child baptised, it makes sense to plan to come along to church regularly. The other pages of this website will help you find the service that will work best for you and your family. So not having been a regular churchgoer up to now doesn't prevent your child being baptised, but you should realise that the promises in the baptism service are about bringing your child along to church in the future.
Another alternative is to have a service of Thanksgiving and Blessing for your child. This would be suitable for you if you would like to celebrate the gift of your child but are not ready at this time to make the promises of baptism. You can still have a baptism later when you feel ready. It is also sometimes chosen by those who would like the child to have the choice later in life as to whether he or she should be baptised. This ceremony usually happens within the context of our Family Service - see www.stmichaels-sandhurst.org.uk/childrens-activities.html
The clergy at St Michael's are happy to discuss these different options with you to help you find what is best for you at this time.
Where and when does baptism happen?
Baptism is normally done in the local parish church, or the church which the parents normally attend. At St Michael's, baptism usually takes place either in a main Sunday morning service, or in a Baptism service, held twice a month at 11.30 am. There are usually two families having a child baptised in one Baptism service, sometimes three (subject to the number of guests).
We don’t live within the parish of St Michael’s. Can we still have the baptism there?
Our parish covers most of Sandhurst, but not the part of College Town and Owlsmoor that is east of Rackstraw Road and north of Yorktown Road. You can find which parish you live in here.
We are happy to baptise children who live outside the parish, if the parents already attend St Michael’s and will be bringing the child to church here in the future.
If the parents attend their local church, but would like the baptism at St Michael’s for personal reasons, such as having married here or had a previous child baptised here, we are happy to do this with the agreement of their local parish priest, and we may ask for you to get baptism preparation at your local church. Ultimately, the important thing is that your child gets the opportunity to grow up as a member of a local church, whether that be St Michael’s or another church closer to your home.
Whom should we ask to be godparents?
The following guidelines should help: godparents should be confirmed and must have been baptised/christened. Their main responsibilities are to pray for their godchild and help the parents to bring him/her up in the Christian faith. A child should have at least one godfather and one godmother, but it is usual for a child to have 2 godparents of the same sex as the child and one of the opposite sex.
What preparation do we have to undertake?
Baptism preparation at St Michael’s usually takes the form of a meeting with one of the clergy, usually with other parents whose children are to be baptised. The purpose of the meeting is to explain the meaning of baptism and the responsibilities that you and the godparents are taking on and go through the service, and it is of relevance to godparents as well as parents. We would also encourage you to come to our Family Service on at least one Sunday before the baptism, to give you a feel for what church membership looks like in practice. It's relaxed and child-friendly. See www.stmichaels-sandhurst.org.uk/childrens-activities.html
What about teenagers and adults?
A person can be baptised at any age if they have come to the point of deciding that they want to be a follower of Jesus Christ. In the Church of England, a teenager or adult who gets baptised is usually confirmed, either shortly after baptism or in the same service. Confirmation is usually presided over by a Bishop. We run regular confirmation classes for both adults and teenagers. Please make an appointment through the Parish Office to discuss this with a member of the clergy.
What does it cost?
There is no charge for baptism. If your child is baptised in a special Baptism Service, instead of a main Sunday service, we will ask you to contribute towards the organist's fee (currently £30 per family). (If you also wish to make a donation towards the work of St Michael's, that will of course be welcome!)
What do I do next?
If you would like to explore this, please contact the Parish Office first to discuss a provisional date for the baptism or Thanksgiving. A member of the clergy will then visit you in your home, and if you choose baptism you will be invited to a Baptism Preparation meeting, usually on a weekday evening in the Pastoral Centre, together with other parents and godparents.
More Information
Having a child is a big responsibility, and you may be thinking about how you are going to bring your child up. What values and beliefs do you want him or her to grow up with? Many parents feel that having their child christened (baptised) is a good way of starting their child off in life. These notes are to help you think about whether this is the right course of action for you.
You may also like to take a look at the Church of England website on this topic.
https://churchofenglandchristenings.org
What is Baptism or Christening?
Baptism, otherwise known as Christening, is the ceremony in which a person becomes a member of the Church and makes a public commitment to follow Jesus Christ. It can happen at any age. In the Church of England infants and young children who are too young to make this decision for themselves are baptised on the understanding that they will be brought up in the Christian faith within the fellowship of the church. In the service, parents and godparents undertake to train children in the habit of private prayer and public worship, and to follow Christ, both by teaching and by example.
We don't go to church regularly. Can we still have our child christened?
Major life events, such as marriage or having a baby, often give us the opportunity to explore some of the deeper questions of life. The church is there to help you to do this. The baptism of your child could be the opportunity you need to start becoming more involved with the church. If you are sufficiently serious about the Christian faith to have your child baptised, it makes sense to plan to come along to church regularly. The other pages of this website will help you find the service that will work best for you and your family. So not having been a regular churchgoer up to now doesn't prevent your child being baptised, but you should realise that the promises in the baptism service are about bringing your child along to church in the future.
Another alternative is to have a service of Thanksgiving and Blessing for your child. This would be suitable for you if you would like to celebrate the gift of your child but are not ready at this time to make the promises of baptism. You can still have a baptism later when you feel ready. It is also sometimes chosen by those who would like the child to have the choice later in life as to whether he or she should be baptised. This ceremony usually happens within the context of our Family Service - see www.stmichaels-sandhurst.org.uk/childrens-activities.html
The clergy at St Michael's are happy to discuss these different options with you to help you find what is best for you at this time.
Where and when does baptism happen?
Baptism is normally done in the local parish church, or the church which the parents normally attend. At St Michael's, baptism usually takes place either in a main Sunday morning service, or in a Baptism service, held twice a month at 11.30 am. There are usually two families having a child baptised in one Baptism service, sometimes three (subject to the number of guests).
We don’t live within the parish of St Michael’s. Can we still have the baptism there?
Our parish covers most of Sandhurst, but not the part of College Town and Owlsmoor that is east of Rackstraw Road and north of Yorktown Road. You can find which parish you live in here.
We are happy to baptise children who live outside the parish, if the parents already attend St Michael’s and will be bringing the child to church here in the future.
If the parents attend their local church, but would like the baptism at St Michael’s for personal reasons, such as having married here or had a previous child baptised here, we are happy to do this with the agreement of their local parish priest, and we may ask for you to get baptism preparation at your local church. Ultimately, the important thing is that your child gets the opportunity to grow up as a member of a local church, whether that be St Michael’s or another church closer to your home.
Whom should we ask to be godparents?
The following guidelines should help: godparents should be confirmed and must have been baptised/christened. Their main responsibilities are to pray for their godchild and help the parents to bring him/her up in the Christian faith. A child should have at least one godfather and one godmother, but it is usual for a child to have 2 godparents of the same sex as the child and one of the opposite sex.
What preparation do we have to undertake?
Baptism preparation at St Michael’s usually takes the form of a meeting with one of the clergy, usually with other parents whose children are to be baptised. The purpose of the meeting is to explain the meaning of baptism and the responsibilities that you and the godparents are taking on and go through the service, and it is of relevance to godparents as well as parents. We would also encourage you to come to our Family Service on at least one Sunday before the baptism, to give you a feel for what church membership looks like in practice. It's relaxed and child-friendly. See www.stmichaels-sandhurst.org.uk/childrens-activities.html
What about teenagers and adults?
A person can be baptised at any age if they have come to the point of deciding that they want to be a follower of Jesus Christ. In the Church of England, a teenager or adult who gets baptised is usually confirmed, either shortly after baptism or in the same service. Confirmation is usually presided over by a Bishop. We run regular confirmation classes for both adults and teenagers. Please make an appointment through the Parish Office to discuss this with a member of the clergy.
What does it cost?
There is no charge for baptism. If your child is baptised in a special Baptism Service, instead of a main Sunday service, we will ask you to contribute towards the organist's fee (currently £30 per family). (If you also wish to make a donation towards the work of St Michael's, that will of course be welcome!)
What do I do next?
If you would like to explore this, please contact the Parish Office first to discuss a provisional date for the baptism or Thanksgiving. A member of the clergy will then visit you in your home, and if you choose baptism you will be invited to a Baptism Preparation meeting, usually on a weekday evening in the Pastoral Centre, together with other parents and godparents.
More Information