Point of entry to the Church Community

 

Baptism at the Malaga Chaplaincy

Through baptism we are received into the Christian Community. It is the point of entry to membership of the Church and marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives.

For children: In the Church of England we welcome families who want to bring their newly born child for Baptism. While we recognise that a newborn baby can’t make the decision for themselves to become a member of the Church, we offer Baptism as a sign that God’s love and welcome extend to everybody, irrespective of their ability to respond.

Confirmation is then offered when a child is older and wishes to confirm for him/herself the promises made on their behalf at their baptism.

For adults: The process is different. If as an adult you wish to become a member of the Church, you undergo an adult Baptism and then, usually within a short time, you can become confirmed.

Preparing for Baptism

Here at St George’s we offer the service of baptism to people of all ages.  Are you a parent looking to have your child baptised, or someone who would like to take this momentous step themdselves? Please make contact as shown below.

We also respect baptisms from other churches, which means if you have already been baptised within another Christian denomination, we will not seek to replicate that.

During the service, parents and godparents promise to raise the child in the Christian faith until s/he is old enough to make that decision for themselves. So you will need to identify godparents, usually relatives or family friends. When an adult is baptised, they choose a sponsor to support them in their faith journey. Godparents/sponsors should themselves have been baptised.

Further information from the Church of England,here.

The Baptismal Service

The different parts of the service paint a vivid picture of what happens on the Christian way:

  • There is the sign of the cross, the badge of faith in the Christian journey, which reminds us of Christ’s death for us
  • Our entry to the water of baptism, where our old life dies and we begin a new life following Christ
  • As a sign of that new life, we are given a lighted candle, symbol of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil
  • And finally the wider community of the local church and friends welcome the new Christian, promising support and prayer for their future.

Children’s baptisms usually take place during our Sunday service, while adults can be baptised at other times if they so wish. 

Next steps

You are welcome to discuss baptism with us, whether for an infant, an older child or an adult.

Please let your Parish Priest (Father Louis in Malaga or Mother Doreen in Salinas) know if you are interested.

Or would you like an initial chat with one of the clergy first? Contact Fr Hilary here, and he will set up the meeting for you.