Bracknell Team Ministry
Baptism Policy

Introduction

The Church of England understand baptism to be the sacrament of initiation into the family of the Church. It is a rite undertaken once, it should not be repeated, and it is the beginning of a journey of faith that should ideally include Confirmation and a personal understanding of what it is to be a baptised Christian believer.

For infants and children under 5

The Bracknell Team Ministry seek to welcome those who bring their infants for baptism under the following conditions:

  1. At least one weeks notice is given (unless an emergency baptism is required)


  2. Parents or legal guardians must be in agreement the infant is to be baptised


  3. The parents, and if possible godparents, must attend a baptism preparation evening and be willing to meet with a Baptism Visitor as part of the baptism preparation.


  4. The parents must complete all the necessary paperwork


  5. The parents and godparents should acknowledge the promises and decisions they make, on behalf of their child, in the baptism service and be prepared to say them with integrity.


  6. They must be resident in the parish unless

    1. They are on the electoral roll of the church


    2. They have a strong pastoral link with the Bracknell Team Ministry such as a previous child baptised at the church, the parents married in the church or grandparents worship within the Bracknell Team


    3. (If the parents are not resident then the church will approach the priest of their parish church to seek their goodwill that the baptism takes place within the Bracknell Team)

The Bracknell Team will provide the parents with information inviting parents to appropriate church services and activities so that they can maintain a strong link with the church and the parish in which they live.

The Bracknell Team will assign a Baptism Visitor to each family for the pre-service visit as well as for a pastoral link

While recognising that baptism is a free gift of God's grace the Bracknell Team also have to be financially prudent and so will charge £30 per family to cover administrative costs. This fee will be altered or waived if the clergy or Baptism Visitor deems the family to be either

  • unable to pay


  • a member of the church family who already contribute towards the cost of ministry

For children ages 5 to 11

The policy above stays the same but includes:

  1. If the child is old enough to answer for themselves they will have the service explained to them at a separate preparation session.


  2. If the child is unhappy or uncertain about being baptised then the baptism will only go ahead after further discussion and when the child feels ready.

For children over 11

The policy above stays the same but includes:

  1. Children over 11 should attend an appropriate church activity for at least six session prior to the baptism service


  2. They will attend at least one other preparation session so that the service can be explained to them in detail.


  3. If the child is unhappy with the decision to be baptised then the baptism will only go ahead after further discussion


  4. Children over the age of 14 will be encouraged to be Baptised and Confirmed at the next Confirmation Service

For those over 18 years old

  1. Adults seeking baptism should be a habitual worshippers of the Church
    2. .

  2. If at all possible all adults should be baptised and Confirmed by the bishop in a Confirmation Service
    3. .

  3. Adults should attend a house group or discipleship course or series of preparation classes as preparation for baptism and Confirmation
    4. .

  4. The Bracknell Team will not baptise adults just so they can be God-parents without the above preparation or other suitable preparation.

Godparents

  1. Godparents must be themselves baptised.


  2. Godparents must be over the age of 16
    3. .

  3. For each child three godparents is best practice, two of the same sex as the child. The minimum is two godparents both of whom should be baptised. There is no limit on the maximum but more than four is undesirable.


  4. If an adult chosen to be a godparent is not baptised then see our policy on 'Supporters'.


  5. Godparents should, if possible, attend a preparation evening or course.


  6. An adult of another faith or none can be a supporter for the child as long as they understand the child is to be brought up and encouraged in the Christian faith.


  7. Parents can be godparents as long as they are baptised
    8. .

  8. If no suitable godparents can be found then a member of the church family can act as a godparent and will remain as a pastoral link to the family as long as possible.

Supporters

The Bracknell Team recognise that many adults today are not baptised and they may have been asked to be godparents or they may want to have a special role in a child's life. Canon Law is clear that godparents must be baptised and the Bracknell Team are unwilling to baptise adults just to be godparents unless they already have strong links with a Christian worshipping community.

To accommodate both views the Bracknell Team recognises that adults can be Supporters for a child. This role will be similar to the godparent's role and will include participation in the baptism service with declarations to be made on behalf of a child.

Supporters must be over 16 years old.

They should, if possible, attend a baptism preparation evening.


Agreed by PCC
November 2007
 

 

 

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