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Baptism at St. Martins
Thinking about baptizing
your child in The Parish of Gander At St. Martin 's Cathedral?
Wonderful!
As members of the Christian
community we are grateful to be able to celebrate with you on this
happy occasion.
What is Baptism about ?.... It begins with the belief that
God is the creator of all things, and through the care
and nurture of children , he gives parents a share in the work and
joy of creation.
Baptism is a symbol of our personal response to God, through
the invitation of Jesus Christ.
Godparents (
Sponsors )
Children who are too young to profess
the Christian faith on their own, are baptized on the understanding
that they will be brought up to trust and follow Jesus Christ as
their Saviour and Lord within the family of the church. As
they grow up they need encouragement, teaching and help, so that
they may learn to put their faith in God,
to worship and serve him, and to take their place in the life of
the
C hurch. All this depends on the help
and encouragement they receive from their parents and sponsors (godparents).
As you bring your child for baptism, it is important that you be
able to show your own devotion to Christ, trust him as your Saviour
and obey him as your Lord, and that you choose sponsors for your
child who can do the same.
Baptismal Preparation
In our Parish we try
to help you at each step along the way.
Parents and Sponsors (Godparents) are required to take part in baptismal
preparation. Your entire family is welcome to attend. The
Baptism preparation programme deals with these issues:
The
true meaning of baptism , Basics of
The Christian faith, The Christian
family and life in our parish.
Questions?
This information is intended
to anticipate some of the initial questions most
commonly asked about baptism in the
parish.
What if I am not a
member of St. Martin's Cathedral , Or I live away from Gander ?
If you are not currently a
member any church, we warmly invite you to join us!
Why not come along to one of our services this Sunday?
If you are a member of another church (of any denomination), but
would like to have your child baptized
in our parish we require a letter of commendation from your minister.
We do this because baptism is the sacrament of entry into the church,
and
it is important that your local church be involved even when the
baptism is not taking place there.
What about private
baptism?
In baptism candidates are
being welcomed into the fellowship of the church. It is important
that the church be there to offer them that welcome. For this
reason all baptisms in our parish are public and take place when
the congregation gathers for worship on Sundays.
How do we set a date? Baptisms
are on the first Sunday of every month !
The reason for this is: St. Martin 's has a very busy worship
schedule
which accommodates many different types of worship, and involves
the
commitment of many different people . Also, because this date is
a constant, people travelling to Gander to participate in a Baptism
can make travel plans well ahead of time.
There are certain seasons
of the church year (such as Easter and Pentecost) which are especially
appropriate.
We try to find a date which will allow for adequate preparation,
work well for the families involved,
and fit in with other church activities and the season of the church
year.
More questions? Call on us
anytime!
Download
our Baptism Application Here ( To save to your hard drive, Right
Click then Choose" Save As" )
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