Baptism at St James’s
Jesus said, “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age..” [Matthew 28:19-20]
We’re delighted you want to know about the possibility of baptism at St James’s.
Christian baptism takes one of two forms. Its either a choice an adult makes for themselves, or a choice an adult makes on behalf of a child, until such time as the child is in a position to make a choice for themselves.
Either way, the heart of baptism is not the ceremony, but the decision taken to become a follower of Jesus Christ. The ceremony of baptism is a visible and public sign of this decision.
If you want to be baptised at St James’s, or would like your child to be baptised at St James’s, the first step is to get in touch and arrange to speak to the vicar. A great time to do that is after a service. She’ll agree a time to meet with you, and begin the process of preparing you for baptism.
Sometimes friends or family may want to buy a Bible for a child being baptised. We’ve found some of these Bibles are particularly good for children.
For a child that enjoys reading, a good bible translation is the Good News Bible. Another is the God’s Words of Life for Kids: New International Reader’s Version.
For younger children, try these bibles:
- Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name . An excellent children’s bible – from about age 4.
- Lion First Bible . Suitable for under 3s.
- The Lion Storyteller Bible (Read-aloud) . Great for u4s if you like to read out loud to them.