Sacrament of Holy Baptism
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Planning for the
Sacrament of Holy Baptism
at St. James' Church, Hackettstown

The Rev. Dr. Cathy L. Deats, Rector
Parish Office: 908.852.3968 - Parish Fax: 908.212.7535
Rector's Office: 908.850.4549
email: stjames214@comcast.net

Holy Baptism is one of the two great sacraments of the Church (the other is the Holy Eucharist). Baptism is full initiation into the life of the Church. Through baptism, we celebrate our identity as God's people. It is the time in which we are assured of our salvation. Through baptism, sin and death are washed away and we are reconciled to God. As we go through the waters of baptism, we share in the death of Jesus Christ. As we emerge from this same water, we share in the resurrection life of our Lord. Through baptism, the power of the Holy Spirit becomes present. The baptized person is born again into the fellowship of Christ's flock, the church.

Because baptism is full initiation into the church, the Episcopal Church (as does the entire Anglican Communion) encourages all baptized children of God to receive Holy Communion regardless of their age. In the Baptismal Rite, the priest marks every candidate, young or old, as "Christ's own forever." That person is invited, encouraged and welcome to receive the spiritual nurture of the ongoing sacramental presence of God available to us through reception of Holy Communion. After our baptism we are fully incorporated into Christ's body the church, and we are raised to newness of life. The bond which God establishes with us in baptism is indissoluble.

In faith, we respond to God's action, by acknowledging what God has done in the sacrificial life of Jesus Christ and commit ourselves to follow in Christ's way. Adult candidates for baptism make promises on their own behalf. Sponsors for young children and infants make promises on their behalf. At baptism we promise to continue our spiritual growth by participating in the breaking of the bread and in prayer. We promise to persevere in resisting evil and to repent when we sin. We also promise to strive for justice, to promote the dignity of every human being, to seek and serve Christ present in every human being, loving our neighbor as ourselves. At baptism we take on as our life's main goal to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ. Because we take these promises seriously, we urge you to read pages 298-311 in the Book of Common Prayer, to become more familiar with the service and the promises that are made.

Holy Baptism is to be celebrated in the Church during the principal service on a Sunday or at some other major feast. Because Baptism is initiation into the body of Christ, it is always (except in the rare case of emergencies) celebrated in the presence of the congregation, which is the visible body of Christ today. We follow Prayer Book directives and reserve certain days of the Church year for the celebration of Holy Baptism. Those days are: The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (which always is celebrated on the Sunday following The Epiphany, January 6); The Easter Vigil (which is held the evening before Easter Day) or on the Sunday following Easter Day; The Feast of Pentecost (which is celebrated 50 days after Easter Day); and on the Sunday following All Saints Day (which is always on November 1). At St. James' we may add a Baptismal Service on the first day of our program year, which is usually the Sunday following Labor Day. Public baptism services may be added on other Sunday mornings, when that is appropriate.

It is expected that parents/guardians will be sponsors for their own children. At least one other baptized person shall also serve as sponsor (or Godparent) to present each candidate. Preferably, at least one of the sponsors (besides the parents) should be an active Episcopalian. It is also expected that parents who present their children for baptism will have been active participants in the life of the parish for at least six months. The arrangement for the baptism of children is normally the responsibility of parents/guardians.

All sponsors (including parents) will be instructed about baptism and their duty to help the newly baptized to grow in Christian faith and responsibility. Normally, instruction is followed by a rehearsal. Sponsors will also fill out and sign the "Sponsor Application Form" as an expression of support. Typically, instruction and rehearsal are offered on the Saturday before the baptism at 12:00 noon. If parents/guardians do not live in this area but for personal reasons want to have a child baptized at St. James', we ask you to contact the priest serving the Episcopal Church in your new community. Together we will then discuss this matter with your parish priest and baptize children on behalf of the Episcopal Church in the community where you live

There are no fees connected with the Service of Holy Baptism. However, if parents of newly baptized children or newly baptized adults are not pledging members of St. James' Church, they are encouraged to make a sacrificial gift to support the mission of St. James' Church. It is a great honor and privilege for me as parish priest to welcome all of God's children into the community of faith through the sacrament of baptism.

Yours in Christ,

Cathy L. Deats, Rector

Click HERE to download the Application
Updated: July 21, 2008

Created: 12/10/01