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Baptism/Christening & Confirmation

At St John's we baptise babies, older children, and adults.

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It is the custom that beginning when a child is 10 years old and/or able to understand and articulate for themselves why they want to be baptised, they will also be confirmed on the same occasion or shortly afterwards, and the same follows for an adult.

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Some answers to your questions..........

Why Baptism and Confirmation?

This is really about personal choice. At St John's, you will at no point be treated differently if you are or aren't baptised or confirmed. Some parents of young children have made the decision to wait for their children's baptism or confirmation before letting them receive Holy Communion.

Ultimately, this is about you taking the conscious decision to commit your own life or your baby's life, to the journey of following God, Jesus, and Jesus' teachings.

This is not about becoming a member of a club, nor about receiving special treatment from God, but about taking the decision to live your life with God at its centre. If you are baptising your baby, this is also about offering the gift of faith in the life of your child, to offer them God's comfort as they grow to become adults in a complex and difficult world.

Will I officially become a Christian if I get baptised and confirmed?

​To be honest various Christian churches will give you vastly different answers to that question. At St John's church most people will tell you that for us becoming a Christian is a life-long journey, that there probably wasn't one defining moment in our lives when we ''became'' a Christian, but that God has been prodding us in that direction at various stages of our lives. Mainly we believe that we never stop becoming a Christian. Human lives are complicated and so our feelings, opinions, understandings of the world and human experiences, and our relationship with God, are forever moving and growing. In a nutshell, the answer to that question is yes and no.

What will change after baptism and confirmation?

A bit like the previous question, the answer to this one is nothing and everything. If you are the parent of a child being baptised or an older person going for baptism and confirmation, part of making that commitment is to accept the responsibility that come with it. This means for example, that you will begin to demonstrate your Christian faith in the way you live, and the attitudes you hold about the world and other people around you. Some theologians use a fancy word called 'Ontological change' to refer to this. Ultimately, baptism and/or confirmation is the beginning of your faith journey, and not the end, so no one is expected to magically become the perfect human being after the ceremony.

How do I baptise my baby/child, or go for baptism/confirmation as an adult?

Firstly, do get in touch with our Vicar. You will be able to ask all the questions you have.

Secondly, remember this isn't a test of your personality or your faith, so don't be afraid to come forward no matter where you are in life.
 

For babies and young children, we will have discussions with the parents about your child's baptism. Again this isn't a pass or fail test, but a chance for us to get to know each other.
 

For adults and children who can speak for themselves, we will have some 'preparation' sessions, which may look a bit more like a class. However, this will be a space to enable you to explore freely your own understanding of God, your faith, what you think is happening when you receive Holy Communion, and place the Church of England specifically in the larger picture of Christian history and tradition. At St John's, we aim to prioritize formation over mere information, we value questions more than predefined answers, and aim to empower you to express your faith confidently.

Do I need Godparents?

For a baptism/Christening you will need godparents, we recommend a minimum of 2, from 2 different genders if possible, at least one of a different gender from your child, and there are no limits on numbers. For confirmation you will not need any godparents, however you may ask for a sponsor or mentors if you wish to and we encourage that.

Will I have to put my head under water?

There is water involved at both baptism and confirmation, but at St John's this is kept to a minimum. As part of your preparation, we would spend some time explaining the significance of the various elements of both those services. Some churches do something called 'full immersion' where candidates are gently pulled under water for a few seconds, for logistical reasons at St John's we don't do this in the building. However, with the seaside so close to us, this is something we can certainly explore if this is something that you wish. 

How much does it all cost?

Baptisms and confirmations are a gift from God, and as all gifts from God, they are entirely free. 

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