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So many of the people who come to our churches asking for an infant or child baptism are not a regular part of our church community. How do we welcome them and nurture a Christian presence in their lives? Revd Matthew Stafford in the Wenlock Team Ministry in south Shropshire has seen a growth in the number of baptism enquiries, his efforts could be seen recently on A Vicar’s Life. “We forget that for a lot of people the only time they may come into a church building is for a wedding or a baptism or a funeral, which mean’s we’ve got to go all out to make sure they get a genuine heartfelt welcome. “It’s really important from a teaching point of view that a baptism party go away knowing about the significant symbols of baptism, firstly the oil and secondly the water.” In the Church of England, we have a unique position of our churches being the parish church for everyone. Revd Matthew continues: “I really try to ensure that parents understand that children are baptised on the understanding that as a family you will help them grow in God’s love and the same applies to Godparents. |
