Our Churches Magazine

School of Theology

Emmanuel is 18 this year!
Listen to Paul’s Sermon

The Joy Of The Lord
Is Your Strength
 Nehemiah 8:10

1: Where do you live?
As a general rule, we can only Baptise children who live within the parish. If you live outside the parish boundary, we would need to receive written permission from your own parish priest to consider conducting the Baptism at Emmanuel church. However, this wouldn’t apply to a Service of Thanksgiving (see below).

2: When can the Baptism take place?
We usually Baptise infants on the first Sunday of the month as part of the 10.45am Parade/All Age Worship service. It is our practice to Baptise children from two, or occasionally more, families within one service.

3: Is it necessary for parents & godparents to be Baptised?
Godparents must be Baptised and should be confirmed. They should be men and women of prayer and attend church regularly. Every Boy should have at least two godfathers and one godmother. Every Girl should have at least two godmothers and one godfather.

Can we also encourage you to ask a member of our church family (perhaps someone who has been involved on your Baptism preparation course (see other page), or a Sunday school leader) to be a godparent? If any godparents are not Baptised, we will be pleased to discuss this with you.

4: How do we prepare for a Baptism service?

a: Thanksgiving Service
In the first instance, we ask you to attend a service of Thanksgiving for your child. This is part of our main Sunday morning service at Emmanuel church. These take place at on the first Sunday of every month as part of the 10.45am Parade/All Age Worship service by agreement with you.

A Thanksgiving Service is a celebration to mark the birth and naming of your child. In this service, we give thanks for your child's new life and commit both you, and your child, to God, asking for his help and blessing in the years to come. This is an opportunity for you and your child to be welcomed into the local church community into which your child is to be baptised. You will also be able to see the facilities available at Emmanuel where our Sunday School and other children’s work takes place.

b: What paperwork do you need to send to us?
Please ask us for a Thanksgiving leaflet and return the reply slip to the parish office as soon as possible.

c: Preparation Meeting
Parents and godparents within reasonable travelling distance (up to one hour) are expected to attend a Baptism preparation meeting. This is to ensure that  you understand the meaning of Baptism and the responsibilities you are undertaking. However, please note these meetings are not designed for children and, unfortunately, we are unable to provide a crèche. Therefore, on this occasion, we hope you can find a baby-sitter.

We ask you to attend one of these meetings even if you already have prior knowledge of Baptisms. Not only is it beneficial to have a refresher, but it also provides an opportunity to discuss the issues through with your godparents. A Baptism leaflet and application form will be given to you prior to the preparation meeting and should be completed and returned to the parish office before you attend the preparation meeting.

5: Home Visit:
One of our ministers would like to visit you in your home. Visits should normally take place after the preparation session and Thanksgiving but before the Baptism. This will be an opportunity for you to raise any matters you may wish to discuss. After you have contacted us we will give you a list of list of home visit dates and ask you to let us know which ones you are unable to make. We will then inform you of the date and time that has been allocated to you.

Other questions parents often ask ...

Is it necessary for parents to attend church?
It would be very helpful if you were able to do so - for a number of reasons! Firstly, a Thanksgiving Service is about welcoming your child into the family of the church and we believe it is helpful for you to get to know us, and we to know you, and that you have a sense of belonging to the church when this Service takes place.

Secondly, coming along will give you an idea of the type of church we are, which will help you decide whether, or not, you’d want your child (and yourselves) to be part of our church family! It will also give you a general ‘feel’ of the type of service you will be inviting your family and friends along too.

Thirdly, it’s always good for us (and for you) to feel as though we know each other in some small way - especially if we're going to be involved in one of the most special days of your life. The only way a relationship can be developed is when we see each other on a regular basis.

What if we have to work on a Sunday?
We do understand that some of you may be compelled to work on Sundays through no choice of your own. We are very sympathetic to this - there are many different groups meeting throughout the week which help to meet this need for many of our church members, and we will happily help you to find the best way for you to be a regular part of our church family.

We live in difficult days ...
We're sure you’d agree with us when we say that these are difficult times in which we live, especially for youngsters, who continually find themselves subjected to many unhealthy pressures. They certainly need all the spiritual resources available to them if they are to become the mature, and wholesome, personalities God desires them to be.

We want to urge you, as your child grows older, to make use of the opportunities for them to learn more about the Christian faith through our Sunday School and the many Children & Young Peoples groups we  offer. But, most importantly, be willing to pray for your child (see prayer below); pray with your child; worship in Church Sunday by Sunday with your child and encourage your child to know Jesus for themselves and to become an active member of the Christian Church.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

May God’s blessing rest upon you and your family life at this exciting time.

Revd Paul A. Carr (Team Rector)

A Prayer for your child

Heavenly Father,
In your love you have called us to know you,
Led us to trust you and bound our life with yours.
Surround our child with your love;
Protect our child from evil;
Fill our child with your Holy Spirit;
Receive us into the family of your Church;
Walk with us as we seek to follow Jesus
And help us to grow in the knowledge of your love.
Amen.

 
The Church of England website has more information about the meaning of Baptism.
www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/baptismconfirm

Copyright ©2010 Billericay & Little Burstead Team Ministry. Reg Charity No 1131650.
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