Baptism is one of the two sacraments recognised by the
Church of Scotland, the other being the Sacrament of Holy Communion. In the
case of infant baptism, the Church expects at least one parent or other close
family member either to be a member of the Church or willing to become a
member.
In the baptismal service those appropriate adults profess their own faith and promise to give the child a Christian upbringing.
In the case of adult baptism, the person makes the appropriate promises on their own behalf.
Baptism is normally celebrated at Sunday worship in front of the congregation. This emphasises the nature of the sacrament as incorporation into the body of Christ and the life of the Church. There is a little more flexibility in the case of genuine emergencies, normally in a hospital situation.
It is a deeply spiritual moment when you recognise the wonder of life and love after having a child. Words can't explain that sense of joy and grace.
We would like to help you celebrate that and perhaps let you see, what we have found too. We believe that your child is a gift from God. As parents and family we believe that God is love and that God's Love is there in the birth of a child.
In Baptism we recognise the love that has surrounded and created your child from the very first moments. That love is rooted and comes from God.
Baptism is a sign of the love of God, a symbol of belonging to a worldwide community. Baptism is a moment of hope and possibility through forgiveness and renewal for us all. It is also a sign of nurture and commitment from the congregation too who promise to help you, through all the generations of experience there is in a congregation, to help bring your child up.
You don't have to be a member of the church though we'd like you to consider what that means especially for your whole new family.
If you would like to have your child baptised then we'd be delighted to speak to you about this.
The thanksgiving and blessing of a child
Since 2003, the Church has provided orders for the thanksgiving for, and blessing of, a child. The blessing ceremony takes place at morning worship following the same pattern as that for Baptism, except the wording and promises are different, and no water is used. Nothing is required of the parents in either commitment or belief.
If you wish to discuss arrangements for baptising your child, please contact our Minister on 0141 779 5742 or 07703 163206 or email gmacrae@churchofscotland.org.uk
