"To know Christ and to make Him known through a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence in our Community."

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last updated on 18/03/2010 17:28:39

Whatever the context, the core of the service is the same, dating back to the very early Christian church:

An explanation of the meaning of baptism.
The expression of a desire to be baptised by the candidate or the parents and Godparents on their behalf
The renunciation of all that is evil.
A declaration of turning to Christ, made either by the candidate or the parents and Godparents on their behalf.
The making of the sign of the cross on the candidates to signify they now belong to Christ and will live as His followers.
A prayer asking God to use the water of baptism to cleanse the candidates from sin and give them new life as part of His people.
A declaration of Christian faith made by the candidates or their parents and Godparents.
Baptism with water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A prayer that those baptised may grow in faith.
A declaration of what it means to live as a baptised follower of Jesus Christ or, in the case of infants, a declaration of the responsibility of the parents and Godparents to bring them up to follow Christ.

If you would like your child to be baptised in the parishes of Shinfield or Swallowfield please contact the Benefice Office in the first instance or for the parishes of Beech Hill and Spencers Wood & Grazeley, please contact the Rev'd Béatrice Pearson.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

† baptism

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† the baptism service

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† birth thanksgiving

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† godparents & sponsors

The baptism service in the Benefice of Loddon Reach is taken from the modern Common Worship book and the form may vary depending on the context in which the service is taking place; whether an infant or adult is being baptised, if the service is taking place as part of the informal Family Worship or as part of the Eucharist, or if the baptism is to be immediately followed by confirmation.