Baptisms
Jesus called for the children,
and said,
'Let the children come to me;
do not try to stop them for the Kingdom of God
belongs to such as these'
BAPTISM - GOD’S SPECIAL BLESSING
The Sacrament of baptism is one of the oldest Christian traditions which Jesus commanded His followers to continue to celebrate. One of the two sacraments in The Church of Scotland, the other being communion, baptism is a blessing from God where water is used as a symbolic washing away of sin and a sign of entry into the church family when we are claiming our children as part of God’s loving promise.
When infants are baptised they are, of course, too young to understand what is taking place and, therefore, it is the only unfinished service in the Church of Scotland because it is hoped that one day the child will profess for him/herself Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Saviour. We believe that baptism is so special that it can only be given once to any person. However, salvation does not depend upon it, in other words, it is not a passport to heaven, but is a sign of God’s free grace to us.
As a sacrament, baptism demands a commitment from you, the parent[s] of the child, to bring the child up in the life and worship of the church. It would be wrong to think of the baptismal service as a one off, instead, it should be the start, or continuation, of a committed Christian lifestyle, which means coming regularly to church and being part of the church family.
Spend some time thinking about this and the vows you will be asked to take. Ask yourself what they mean to you and if you can honestly say that you will keep them. If you feel unable to make these commitments and take the vows, then please speak to the Minister.
THE VOWS
[These will be asked in front of God and the whole congregation]
- Do you present your child to be baptised earnestly desiring that he/she may be grafted into Christ as a member of His body, the Church? [Ans. ‘I do’]
- Do you believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? [Ans. ’I do.’]
- Depending on the grace of God will you teach your child the truths of the Christian faith & by example bring him/her up in the life & worship of the Church? [Ans. ‘I will.’]
THE SERVICE
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, baptism will be part of normal Sunday worship, which in Campsie Parish Church begins at 11am. Feel free to sit anywhere in church, but you may feel less conspicuous when coming out to the front if you are seated at the front.
GODPARENTS
None are required, though there is usually at least one and you may have more if you wish.
If the child is unsettled at any time during the service, the mother and Godmother should feel free to take him/her through to the crèche. Please feel free to come back into the service whenever you wish.
Please bring the child’s birth certificate with you for Jane to sign. This is not a legal requirement, but it is nice to have a record of your baptism.
Please feel free to contact George Kelly, Session Clerk, at any time.