INFORMATION FOR PARENTS CONSIDERING THE BAPTISM OF THEIR CHILDREN

 

We are delighted that you are considering having your child/ren baptised in our church. These notes have been prepared to enable you to prepare for the Baptism, and to answer any immediate questions you may have.

 

If you live in the parish of Darton (which includes the communities of Barugh, Darton, Kexbrough and Woolley Colliery) you are entitled to have your children baptised in our church. Recently, we have been receiving a large number of enquiries from parents in neighbouring parishes (e.g. Mapplewell and Staincross, Gawber, and the outskirts of Barnsley). If you do not live in our parish, and have no connection with our church, you must make a first enquiry with the priest of the parish where you live. Many people do not realise that, in the Church of England, you cannot simply pick and choose a venue for baptism. If you live in Mapplewell or Staincross, your first first enquiry should be made with:

 

The Reverend Jim Butterworth (Telephone 01226 382261)

 

Baptism is like the love of God - complete free! There is no formal charge for baptism.

 

However, most people who bring their child/ren for baptism recognise that it costs a considerable sum of money to mainatian and heat a large historic building. The church is here for you at any time you need us - and we want it to be here for future generations, too. So we ask parents to consider making a donation. We leave it up to you to decide what the amount will be, and you can simply place it on the collection plate in church. If you are a UK taxpayer, we ask you to consider gift-aiding your donation, which enables us to claim an additional 28% from the Inland Revenue - at no extra cost to you. Gift Aid envelopes are available in church.

 

 

From the beginnings of its history, the Christian Church has offered Baptism as the way by which a person is incorporated into its life and worship. in other words, baptism is the way in which your child/ren becomes a Christian. It is never a private or personal event; but one in which an individual becomes part of the world-wide Christian community. This is why Baptism takes place when the local church community comes together for Sunday worship; and it may be that your child/ren will be baptised alongside those from other families. This is a sign that the Christian Church – and the love of God – embraces the whole world, and goes well beyond our private family cirmustances.

 

Baptism is not a naming ceremony (though the priest will address your child/ren by the name you have already chosen). Baptism does not qualify your children to be married in church or to be buried in consecrated ground (every British citizen is entitled to be married in, or buried from, the parish church in the parish where they live).

 

It is important that the parents of the child (not the grandparents or other relations) make the arrangements for the baptism, and are satisfied that they wish their children to be baptised. It is especially important that the parents themselves are comfortable with the Church's understanding of baptism.

 

Baptism is conducted according to the rites of the Church of England, and we use the form provided in Common Worship, the Church’s most recent liturgy, published in 2000. The service usually takes place within the Parish Eucharist, and lasts just under an hour. There are facilities for small children who may be restless; and refreshments are served afterwards. Regular worshippers in our church will be keen to meet you, and will want you to feel welcome and relaxed.

 

There are various symbols and actions during the course of the Baptism, including

 

1.         The Presentation of the Candidates and the Decision

The Priest asks the Congregation to support those being baptised, and then asks the parents and godparents to make declarations on their behalf.

 

2.         Signing with the Cross

The Cross is the sign of Christian identity. Using the oil of Baptism, which the Bishop of Wakefield consecrates every year in the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday, the Priest makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of those to be baptised. It is a sign that those to be baptised are receiving strength for their new life as Christian people.

 

3.         Blessing of the Water

The Priest blesses the waters in which the candidate is baptised, using a prayer which links your child/ren(s) Baptism to the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, and the whole history of God’s people down through the ages.

 

4.         The Profession of the Christian Faith

Your child/ren is/are to be Baptised into the Christian faith, and everyone present recites the central articles of the Creed on behalf of those to be Baptised.

 

 5.         The Baptism

Water is poured on the head of the candidate, who is Baptised in the name of the  Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

 

6.         The Welcome

            Following the Baptism, your child/ren is/are welcomed by the whole Congregation as new members of the universal Church.

 

7.         Giving of the Lighted Candle

The final action of Baptism is to give each child a candle. This is lit from the great Paschal (or Easter) candle that is lit in the darkness of the night before Easter. It symbolises the light of the risen Christ overcoming the darkness of  death and evil. The candle which each child receives is a sign that they now share in Christ’s risen life; and they are encouraged by the whole Congregation to walk in the light of Christ for the rest of their lives.

 

 

 

 

There is no fixed rule about how many godparents your child/ren may have. It has been traditional for a boy to have two men and a woman; and a girl to have two women and a man. However, we are very happy for families to arrive at their own decision about the number of godparents a child should have. There is no limit!

 

As godparents make solemn promises to ensure that the child is brought up within the faith and worship of the Christian Church, it is essential that they have been baptised themselves. When choosing godparents for your child/ren, it is important that the godparents are fully aware of the promises they will be making on behalf of your child/ren, and that they can make those promises with integrity. In the Baptism service, parents and godparents will be asked to respond (with the words in bold type) to the following questions:

 

 

 

 

  

 

Baptism is an act of worship, and we ask that no photographs are taken during the service. Flash photography can be very distracting and intrusive. However, you are very welcome to stay and take photographs after the service. The priest who officiates at your child/ren’s baptism will be happy to ‘pose’ at the font, if requested.

 

The service may be video recorded after prior agreement by a single stationary video operator. Please ensure that the video operator makes him/herself known to the officiating priest in good time before the start of the service.

 

 

We always look forward to officating at baptisms, and regard it as a great privilege to share in this important moment in your child/ren’s, and your family’s, life. We are always glad to keep in touch with families, and to offer whatever support we can in the future.

 

After the service at 10.30am, refreshments are served, and you are most welcome to stay and join us.

 

At AllSaints’ Church in Darton, and All Saints’ Church in Cawthorne, there are regular weekly activities for children, and we are very happy to provide details of these. They offer an ideal opportunity for your child/ren to reamin in touch with the church, and to enable you as a family to feel you have a stake in the worshipping life of your local parish church.