Baptism
You might have come to this page because you are wondering about having your baby or child christened. (another name for Baptism) A baby’s arrival is a life changing experience for the whole family and many parents express a strong desire to say thank you to God. We believe that your child is as precious to God as they are to you and we would love to welcome you and your child. Baptisms are the formal welcome into the family of the world wide Christian church. It marks the very beginning of an amazing lifelong journey with God and we recognise that it is a very special day for your child and the whole family. Wherever possible, we aim for baptisms to take place within the main Sunday Eucharist, with the regular congregation present to welcome the candidates. But we recognise that both for practical and personal reasons this is not always appropriate, so we also offer separate baptism services, usually at 12.15pm on Sundays.
One of the things you will probably have been thinking about are godparents for your child. Godparents can be friends or family members, but whoever they are they are very important people in your life, and they will play an important part in the life and faith of your child. As a godparent they should feel ready to make some big promises about faith for your child in church. Godparents need to be baptised themselves and ideally confirmed too, although if they are only baptised then that is fine.
Every child should have at least three godparents, two of the same sex and at least one of the opposite sex to your child. Although there is no official maximum number of godparents, three or four is usual. If you’d like more than that, talk to our Rector (contact details below) about the practicalities and he will be pleased to advise. Parents may be godparents for their own children, providing they have at least one other godparent.
There is no formal preparation for the baptism of babies and young children, but prior to the service the priest who is to take the service will arrange to meet with you to explain exactly what will take place. More information about baptism can be found on the Christening section of the Church of England website: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings
Enquiries for baptisms can be made to the Parish office on 01243 533403 | email: office@stpaulschichester.org or by contacting the Rector, Canon Paul Doick on 01243 306043 | email: rector@stpaulschichester.org
Confirmation
For many people, Confirmation is the opportunity to profess for ourselves the faith in which we were baptized. It can be an important moment in our walk with God and our learn about what it means to be a Christian. There is no age limit for confirmation, although children must be in year 7 or 12 years old. A service of Confirmation involves receiving the laying-on of hands and being anointed with oil by the bishop, who also prays that candidates receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it usually takes place within a large celebration of the Eucharist. For many people their confirmation service is the first time they receive communion, and many people find it a moving and very special experience. Each year at St Paul’s we arrange confirmation preparation which consists of several sessions, either in person or online for both adults and young people. All candidates for confirmation must be baptized and are asked to produce their baptism certificates in advance. Those who have not previously been baptized can be baptized during the service itself, but if you have any questions on this talk to our Rector (contact details as above)
First Communion
Many children who regularly worship with us are admitted to communion some years before it would be appropriate for them to be confirmed. The Church of England permits this practice in cases where the children have the support and encouragement of their parents. Each year, usually in the autumn, we organise preparation classes, as necessary, at which we provide the children with basic Christian teaching and explain the significance of the Eucharist. Parents are very welcome to attend these classes with their children. There is no specific age requirement, but we recommend that the children are in Key Stage 2 at their school. For more information and details of our next sessions please contact Zena Matthews on 07749 419475 | email: families@stpaulschichester.org