 We are very glad that you want to explore the possibility of baptism for your child or baby at Sanderstead Parish. The first thing you should know is that we are always happy to conduct baptisms of children and infants of anyone who lives in our parish or who has been worshipping at one of our Churches for at least six months. This means that we will baptise the children of anyone who lives in the parish but if you live outside the parish you must be a regular worshipper. If you are not sure if you live in our Parish, please check with the Parish office.
If you live outside the Parish and want a baptism service soon, you should contact your local vicar where you live and they should be happy to conduct the service.
The second really important thing to know is that you need to speak to the clergy before before you arrange a date of the service or arrange godparents for your child. This is because:
- We only baptise three children in our Sunday services and there are times of the year when is gets busy. So check with the church before you start fixing a date. We know that some people like to arrange a party venue first, but you may find yourself disappointed if you do this.
- Godparents need to be baptised. Some parents choose primary life-long friends to be godparents, without ever realising that the primary role of godparents is as a Christian example. Friends of other faiths cannot be godparents, even though they might be excellent examples of love and compassion. Similarly, people with no real faith or church commitment, even though baptised themselves, do not really fulfil the expectations of the role of the godparent as the church understands it, which is actively Christian.
The Sacrament of Baptism (Sometimes known as “Christening”) is celebrated on Sundays at the main morning service, which begins at 10.00am (or 10.15am at St. Antony’s). We like to suggest you come along to one of those services before applying for baptism, just to see what they are like. Very occasionally, for good pastoral reasons, or in an emergency, we will consider baptism at another service, but this is the exception rather that the rule. We are sorry but we cannot conduct private baptisms in the Church of England
Infants and Children up to the age of 10 are baptised with godparents who, with the parent(s)/guardian(s), make the baptismal vows for the child or infant. Above the age of ten, children or young adults are considered old enough to make the vows for themselves and do not require godparents. Instead, with the agreement of the minister conducting the baptism, the candidate chooses sponsors - people who are regular at church themselves who can help them to take their place in the life and work of the Christian community.
A bit more about Godparents
If you wish your child to grow up in the Christian faith as a faithful member of the Church, you should be very careful about who you choose as godparents. Look for people who have an obvious faith in God (not just good people - plenty of atheists are very good people!) and who could share that faith with you child. Choose people who can say the baptismal vows below with confidence and integrity. You should ideally choose three of four godparents, of both sexes. These are the baptismal vows:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
I reject them.
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
I renounce them.
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
I repent of them.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ.
Do you submit to Christ as Lord
I submit to Christ.
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
I come to Christ.
Preparing you for your Child’s Baptism
Many parents enquire about baptism by coming along to church a few times before asking the clergy. It’s a good idea to get to know the church a bit before asking for baptism. Providing you fulfil the criteria above, we always say yes to a baptism enquiry. This is because baptism is a sign of God’s unconditional love for us and we would encourage you to see your request for baptism as a sign of God’s Holy Spirit prompting you at this special time. If you contact us by phone, we would ask you to come to church at least once before taking things any further. Baptism application forms are available either at the church or you can download one below.
Once you’ve asked for baptism, you will be given a form to fill out asking for some basic details. When you’ve returned that form one of the baptism visitors will get in touch to arrange a visit in your home. These are experienced lay members of the church who visit on behalf of the clergy and the wider church. At the first meeting, we will talk to you about your hopes for your child, why you want to have your child baptised, and give you a chance to discuss the reading material in the baptism pack. We might bring a video called “first steps”, which helps you to connect your own child’s baptism with the Christian Story. We will also try to help you address any questions about God, faith, Christian living and the like that you have.
In the week before the baptism the person who is baptising your child will visit to take you through the mechanics of the service and to answer any practical questions you may have. This is the time to ask about photos or videos, where to stand and the like.
Finally, the day itself arrives. We baptise your child, celebrating God’s love for them and their membership of the church.
In the weeks after the baptism, your baptism visitor returns with the certificate of baptism, cards for the godparents and for a chat about how we can help you to bring up your child in the Christian faith.
Three Essential Things to do after Baptism
 Pray for and with your Child - Prayer is simply spending time with God. Many people have a few minutes of quiet at the beginning or end of the day, a time to thank God for his love, to ask him to help us in our lives and to pray for other people, especially those in need. It is a good idea to begin to do this with your child from the moment of their baptism, quietly especially if you’re not used to it, but just as you would want to spend time with someone who was looking after your child, so it’s good for you to spend time getting to know God who loves and cares for them.
Read the Bible to and with your Child - the Bible is God’s love letter to his people. For your child to grow up healthy you need to feed him/her well. The Bible is, if you like, food for our growth in faith. Buy a children’s bible and read some of it to your child each night, and then with them as they grow old enough to read. Why not also get hold of a modern translation of the Bible yourself and read it for your own good - but avoid starting at the beginning! Try beginning with the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Worship and Fellowship - two “Jargon” words but they express will what it means to “come to Church”. Christians meet Sunday by Sunday to worship God - to thank and praise him for what he’s done in sending Jesus among us, to hear his word to us that God might guide us through the coming week, and to feed on him in the special meal he gave us, the Holy Communion. Christianity is not a private, individual religion, but the faith of a community and so it’s very important that we get the support and love of other Christians to help us in our walk with God and our wish to serve him. Being with other Christians will help your child grow in faith - especially through the groups they belong to as they grow older. To be brutally honest, There’s little point in baptising your children if you’re not ready to commit to regular worship at Church. It would be like giving them a birthday present and then not unwrapping it!
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