About Baptism
A baptism, or christening, is the first step on a journey of faith when a person, most often a baby or child, is welcomed into the family of the church and the parents and godparents undertake to guide the young person in a life of faith.
At St Michael’s, we are very happy to support everyone who believes that they wish to join into community of Christ. This is not restricted to babies or infants; often adults decide to make the commitment for themselves.
Our normal practice is for the baptism to be part of one of our regular worship services, so that the wider congregation can bear witness to the event and offer prayers and support to the family and godparents
The act of baptism normally takes place at the ‘Font’ near to the entrance in the church, but for the slightly older, we have carried out the service in the nearby river Teign; the choice is yours.
Whenever and wherever it happens, whether as a baby, child or adult, baptism is at the heart of an amazing journey of faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. You are never too old to take this step and being baptized as an adult is a wonderful experience.
If you were baptized when you were a child or in a different Christian tradition, it is always special to renew the promises that were made then in a fresh way as you discover more about what it means to live them out in your life.
If you would like to talk with one of our clergy team about a Baptism at St Michael’s or one of our sister churches, please get in touch:
There is much more information on the Church of England website about the baptism/christening of a baby or child and about adult baptism:
Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child
This is a special, simple service of thanksgiving, different from a christening, used as a way to say thank you to God for your child, be with friends and family, and ask for God’s blessing for your baby. This would also normally take place within a normal Sunday service.
Find out more on the Church of England website, and view the words of the service: