Christenings
At St Barnabas we know that the birth of a child is a wonderful and life-changing event.
We want to help you celebrate the event and give you and your child a great start in life. To do so we have developed two terrific services to cater to families in different situations. These are the baptism service and the Dedication and Thanksgiving service. When you make contact with us, one of our ministers will normally come to see you and discuss what options might be best for you and your family The Baptism Service
This is a service of commitment and prayer. It is a response to God’s saving love shown in the death of Jesus Christ. Because of the nature of the promises made the baptism takes place at one of our normal Sunday services. Parents and Godparents publicly declare that they are committed followers of Jesus Christ. They make promises which indicate that they believe that Christ is their Lord and Saviour, that they will live the way the Bible says and that they belong to the church as full, active members, regularly coming and participating in the life of the Christian community. Baptism is a public sign of joining Christ’s church. In baptism parents ask God to give their child the spiritual gifts of faith and repentance and a desire to follow Christ through their life. Because we take Baptism seriously we want to help you prepare for the event by meeting with you either at your home or at the rectory. The preparation helps you to understand in more detail what Jesus taught about baptism and what the baptismal promises really mean. Many people have gone through this process and found it enjoyable, stimulating and helpful. There are plenty of opportunities for questions and discussion. Alternatively if you don’t live in the Campbelltown region, our understanding is that we are baptising your child on behalf of your local church. Because of this we ask that you make contact with your local Anglican church and prepare for the baptism with one of the ministers there. This way you can also meet the ministers and the other members of the church you may later be turning to for Sunday School or other areas of life. The Dedication and Thanksgiving Service
This is a friendly service designed for those who want to thank God for the birth of their child. It takes place in one of our normal Sunday Services or can be held at another time or even in your home.
It introduces you to our church and allows us to meet you, your family and friends and also to pray for them. The promises you make are more general than in the baptism service and are about your desire to have God watch over and bless your child. If you want to you can move to baptism at a later date. You still have godparents; people who will encourage you as parents, pray for your child and model a Christian lifestyle. They make the same promises as you in the Thanksgiving Service. Why might you choose a Thanksgiving Service instead of a Baptism Service at this time? You may still be investigating Christianity, or not feel you can commit yourself to the particular promises in the baptism service. Honesty and integrity are important in raising your child and in your dealings with God. |
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