Congratulations!

Your interest in Baptism suggests that you are not only blessed with the privilege of sharing your life with a child, you recognize that you have a responsibility to nurture the spiritual development of this new life.  The people of St. Paul’s United Church congratulate you and offer to support you in this most important undertaking.

The purpose of this information to help you understand the meaning of Baptism and, in particular, what would be the implications for you if you decide to have your child Baptized.  We want you to understand before going any further that the decision is yours to make.  The people of St. Paul’s United Church have already decided that they want to welcome your child.  Children have a very special place in the life of our church family and we take great delight in every opportunity to receive a child by Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.  However, as much as we want to welcome your child, this is a decision which only you can make.  You have to decide if you are ready to accept your responsibility as Christian parents or sponsors.

You may have contacted other churches and felt like you were ‘turned down’.  Please try to understand that each church has its own regulations about Baptism but all are based on the fundamental belief that Baptism is the rite of initiation into Christian community.  Consequently, it is impossible to separate the sacrament from your own relationship with the church.  You may feel that your child was rejected because you do not go to church.  In fact, since your child’s relationship with the church depends on you, whether your child is accepted by this or any church really depends on you.

The purpose of this information is to help you understand the meaning of Baptism so that you can then decide whether you are ready to make this decision for the sake of your child.  We hope that you will choose to say YES, but we cannot take away your responsibility to decide.  Whatever your decision, the people of St. Paul’s United Church pray that God will always bless you and your child with every good thing.