Congratulations!

Congratulations on the new arrival in your family.
You must be thrilled!
Of all the gifts that God lavishes upon us, the gift of a child is the most precious and the most awe-inspiring.

We are delighted for you and look forward to getting to know you as a family in the weeks and years to come.

The following information is designed to help you introduce your child into the family life of St Mary's Church.

First things first

The immediate priority is to make you and your child feel welcome and comfortable in the Sunday worship of St Mary's church family.

Church can seem a daunting place to come to - even for parents!

Indeed, there are plenty of adults whose own childhood experiences of church make them uneasy about bringing their own children today.

• Will it be cold?
• What shall we wear?
• What if baby cries - or needs a feed?
• Will we know what to do?
• Anxieties like these can keep people well away from the church door on Sunday mornings!

Can we assure you that you will receive a warm welcome from the moment you arrive. We will help you to find a seat, to park the pushchair and to find your way through the service.

Our aim is to be child-friendly (to use the modern jargon!).

No doubt we have lots more to learn, but our intention is to welcome children as fully and enthusiastically as we welcome young people and adults.

That means involving children in all of our services, using words they will understand and using activities that will catch their attention.
It also means accepting that there will be a bit of noise and hustle and bustle - and the occasional tears and shrieks - as children make their presence felt!

And it means providing special groups for children, in which they can learn about the Lord Jesus Christ at their own level.

Some useful tips

1. Bring your child to church even as a tiny baby.
   Even before they can understand a word of the service they will appreciate the sounds and sights and begin to feel at home.
2. Come as a family - if you can.
   It's much easier for two adults to cope with one or more child than it is for a single-handed parent!
3. Don't worry if you arrive late.
   We know all about nappies and last minute panics!
4. You are very welcome to bring prams and pushchairs into church.
   We have ramped access to Church on St Mary's Road to make this easier for you.
   Its OK to feed your baby in church - either in the pew or in the privacy at the back of church.
   There are nappy changing facilities at the back of Church.
5. Don't come empty handed!
   Bring things that will help to occupy small children if their attention begins to wander - books, soft toys, even a bag of sweets or a packet of biscuits.
   Pew Bags of toys and books and colouring sheets are always available in church – please ask a member of the “Tots Team” at the back of church who will be glad to help.
6. As your child gets a bit older help them to join in as much of the service as possible. Tell them what's going on! Encourage your child to do what you do: holding a book and standing on the seat beside you while you sing, kneeling or sitting at prayer. Encourage them to come out and take an active part in all we do with our children in the service.
7. If it’s a Communion Service please feel free to take your child to the Communion rail to receive God’s blessing at the time of Communion.
8. If it all gets too much, don't struggle on - leave early! Nobody will mind.
9. From 3 years onwards children can go to our special groups:
   Sunday School (3 - 5), Junior Church (6 - 11). Pathfinders (12 -14)

So what is baptism?

Baptism is a Service of welcome into the life of the Christian Church.

As an evangelical church we do not believe that Baptism alone makes anyone a Christian.

At Baptism we place our children on the first step on whet we hope will be a journey of faith which we pray will become increasingly important to them.

Adult Baptism is a public declaration, a pledge, of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Adult candidates are asked to make a public statement of their belief and trust in:

• God, the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we exist
• God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again
• God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God and makes Christ known in the world

They also make declarations of commitment based on the following questions:

• Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
• Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
• Do you repent of your sins that separate us from God and neighbour?

At infant Baptism these statements of belief and commitment are made by parents and Godparents, who declare their intention to bring up their children to believe these things for themselves. They also commit themselves to bring up their child, with them, as an active member of their local Christian church.

We believe that the decision to bring a child to infant Baptism is a serious one.

It requires parents to look carefully at their own faith. Can they make the promises and statements of belief asked of them in the service?

It also requires parents to look carefully at their commitment to the local church. Are they willing to bring their child to church from infancy, into young adult life?

These are big issues - and raise important questions. The Vicar and the Baptism Team will help you to consider them carefully and assist you in reaching a decision, which is right for you and your family.

The service of thanksgiving

It is the most natural thing in the world to want to give thanks to our creator God for the gift of a new life and the addition of a new member to a human family. The Service of Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child is designed to help you do this in a planned and thoughtful way.

Some families use the Service of Thanksgiving immediately after birth - and in advance of a Baptism that will follow some weeks or months later.

Others have a Thanksgiving in preference to Baptism either because they prefer to leave Baptism to the choice of the child in later life or because they feel unable to make the promises and commitments involved in bringing a child to Baptism.

For those not wishing to bring their child into church membership, the Thanksgiving Service provides a formal ceremony, and a family occasion, when God can be thanked and the dignity of a new life honoured. As a Church Family we are always glad to rejoice with, and pray for, families giving thanks for the arrival of their baby.

It is, as you would expect, a happy event!

Arranging a service

Initial Baptism enquires are usually made at the Vicar's Office Hour which takes place in the Vestry at church on Monday evenings from 18:30.

At this meeting some basic details will be taken and our Baptism procedure explained.

We would encourage you and you family to come to church to get a feel of what it is like!

In our church we believe that it is very important that parents and Godparents are properly prepared for the Baptism of their Child. The Vicar will arrange for you and other parents and Godparents who are exploring the Baptism of their children to meet for a Baptism Preparation Evening. This is also a good opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have. Our church Baptism team will meet you that evening and will help and support you and your family through the Baptism and as you come along to church in the future.

You will be given a Baptism application form and asked to return this to the Vicar after a service to confirm the provisional arrangements.

After that, it's all systems go for the Service itself.