Do I live in the Parish?

Holy Baptism is a service of welcome into the Christian family. If you are thinking about baptism (sometimes called christening) for your child, we shall be glad to help you. This leaflet should help to answer some of the questions you might have.

Practical Information

Who can be Baptized at St Thomas?

If you live within our parish boundaries or are on our electoral roll (church membership roll) your child can be baptized at St Thomas'. If you aren't sure where the boundaries lie, we will be happy to advise you.

Come to Mass

You will need to come to Church at least three times before your child's baptism. When you book you will be given a card which can be signed off by a member of clergy. It also contains some nice prayers as you prepare for this special day.

We also consider it desirable for Godparents to be at one of the three Masses you attend, although we recognise that sometimes they may live some distance away, or be serving in Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and so we can be reasonably flexible. The main service we would like you to attend is the Sunday 10am Parish Mass, but we also hold Masses on a Wednesday evening at 7.30pm which might suit some working families and also on Fridays at 10am which may suit some who stay at home.

As we are a very child-friendly and welcoming community, it will be an opportunity for you and your child's Godparents to feel comfortable with us.

Booking

To book or make enquiries about Baptism at St Thomas' you will need to come to the Parish Office in the church on any Saturday morning, between 10.00am and 11.00am. Members of the congregation staff this. We can't take bookings over the phone, but if you would like to talk to a member of the clergy at any time you are welcome call us at either of the numbers on the back of this leaflet.

Please note that as you will need to come to church a number of times before baptism, and that we do quite a lot of baptisms, you should contact us in good time to establish a date, possibly three months in advance.

Unfortunately, we have been let down by a number of families who make a booking and then simply decide not to turn up, or who can't be bothered to come to Church as a part of their preparation. For this reason, we will only confirm the provisional date of baptism once you have been to Church for the required number of times and this has been signed off in the parish office. So, once you have had your form signed by the Clergy, come back to the Office and we can confirm the baptism date. I am sure you will understand why we have been forced to do this, but put simply: no sign off = no baptism.

Lone Parents and Unmarried Couples

Baptism expresses God's love for your child and his unconditional welcome for him or her. We aim to be just as welcoming - whatever form your family takes. Your marital status does hot have any bearing on whether or not your child can be baptized.

If anything about your family circumstances worries you we will, of course, be happy to listen and try to help.

Times and Dates

We normally hold baptisms on the 1st Sunday of the month at 11.30am. There may be up to three children baptized at this service. It is also possible to baptize children during the 10am Parish Mass, and is particularly recommended for those who are already regular members of the Church. Please ask if you would prefer this.

Costs

The baptism service is free, but this church needs to be paid for. We therefore ask that you consider a donation for the upkeep of the Church of at least £50. If there are financial issues, then please speak with Father Simon or Mother Margaret, the parish clergy. If we (and that includes you) cannot pay for the upkeep of the Church then St Thomas the Apostle will simply not be around for your child’s children or grandchildren, and what a shame that will be. Additionally, A collection plate is in church for any donation from members of the congregation—if you are a tax payer, please out your donation in the printed envelopes and sign them as we can get an extra 28p for every pound you generously give, at no extra expense or effort from you: everybody benefits!. Ask those coming to the baptism to consider bringing something to give for the future children to be baptised in this church.

Filling In The Application Form

There is an application form which can be downloaded here, which must be filled in and returned at least 21 days before the baptism. The parish office staff will book your baptism into the church diary when you first visit, but the application form has all the information which will need to be entered into the baptism registers and cards, so we need to have it back in good time. If you lose it, or have any problems filling it in, please tell us and we will be happy to help. We cannot proceed with the baptism until we have the form back

Godparents

It is recommended that your child should have at least three godparents. Traditionally there would be two of the same sex as the child and one of the opposite sex. However, you don't have to stick to this pattern and can have more than three godparents if you like. To have more than six would be unusual.

Godparents should be adults, or at least older teenagers. A useful rule of thumb is that they need to be old enough to be responsible parents if they are to be responsible godparents. Sometimes we have requests for older brothers or sisters to be godparents, but unless they are adults this is usually not appropriate and we would rather involve them in the service in other ways - for example, holding the candle.

Godparents must be baptized themselves, and preferably confirmed. Baptism is a good opportunity for both parents and Godparents to think about their own faith and commitment, since both will be making wide-ranging and serious promises during the service. We will happily baptise anyone proposing to be a Godparent, either in the same service or beforehand, but in the light of the promises that you are asked to make as a Godparent, it would be hypocritical to ask a non-baptised person to make them.

We strongly recommend that Godparents attend at least one of the Church services in preparation with you. Their preparedness to do this with you might be an indicator of their commitment to you and your child for the long journey of life that being a Godparent commits them to.

About The Service

What Is The Service Like?

The baptism service lasts about 35 minutes. We aim to make it a relaxed service at which you will feel comfortable. We will go through the service with you when we visit you before the baptism, but there is a copy of the service which can be downloaded on the right hand side of the page so that you can have a look at it and discuss it beforehand. You will not need to memorize anything and there is no point at which you or the godparents have to say anything individually. You always speak together - so don't have stage fright!

Please note that photographs may not be taken during the service. This is a holy moment, and the happy memories of it should remain paramount. In our experience, snatched photographs both spoil the moment and do not usually come out very nicely anyway. The priest will be more than happy to pose for as many photographs as you wish after the service which will ensure you all have plenty of nice photographs to treasure of this special day

What Will I Have To Do?

During the service the parents and godparents will be asked to stand up together and make a series of promises. They declare that they want to follow Christ and turn away from all that is wrong. They also state their belief in God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They promise to encourage the child to grow in faith and understanding by their own example.

Baptism Preparation

By coming to church a few times and getting your form signed, you will get to know Father Simon and Mother Margaret, one of whom will be conducting the baptism. Most of the teaching of the significance of baptism takes place in the service itself and so you don't have to worry about what to say or do: the service sheet is very straightforward and can be downloaded from this page.

Consider Yourself At Home!

Being a part of the church family

When you bring your child to be baptised at St Thomas' we shall welcome them as part of the church family. The welcome is real, and we hope you will feel at home in church and at church events. We hope that the following information, and the hints on bringing children to church, will be helpful.

Services

The two main Sunday Services are at 8.00am and 10.00am. They are both usually services of Holy Communion, which which we call by the ancient name of “Mass”. People of all ages are welcome at these services. You will be invited to come to the altar with your children. If you are baptised you will be able to receive the bread and wine which have been transformed into the living Christ as his body and blood: we deeply believe in this real presence of Christ in the sacred elements, and know that although they may appear as simple bread and wine, the power of the holy spirit through the prayers of a priest have transformed them as they will transform us. All baptised, whatever age, may partake of the blessed sacraments. If you have not been baptised you can receive God's blessing from the priest.

The services are in modern language and easy to follow after a few occasions. The 10.00am service includes hymns, both traditional and modern, while the 8.00 am is a quiet spoken service. There are other services during the week: Fridays at 10am (attended by some Mothers with their children) and Wednesdays at 7.30pm, both of which are simple, said Masses. The church is also open at certain times of the day for morning and evening prayer, or for you to come in and pray quietly, light a candle and spend some time with God. We also hold other Masses at certain times for healing or other special circumstances.

The church belongs to all the people of God - the children just as much as the adults - and they are welcome at any service. It is sometimes nerve wracking for parents, though, if they are worried about how their children will behave, and what will happen if they get restless.

For younger children, there are toys, colouring sheets and other distractions. Do not feel that you have to keep your children completely quiet – a little chatter and play is welcome!

Children like to be able to see what is going on. The temptation of many parents is to sit at the back, but often children are happier and feel more involved if they are at the front. If they want to stand or sit that is fine.

We consider ourselves to be a family-friendly environment and so want you all to feel comfortable in God’s presence.

Mothers Union

There is a branch of the Mothers Union in the parish. This meets on a Monday evening and can be contacted via Mother Margaret on 07812 378436

Courses For Adults

These are a part of our regular church life and explore what it means to be a Christian, reading the Bible, Prayer etc. Further details can be found in the monthly newsletter or from the clergy. We are happy to prepare adults for baptism and confirmation.

Contact:

For more information, please call into the Parish Office (10-11am, Saturdays) or contact the vicar:

Fr. Simon Rundell SCP, The Vicarage, 21, Elson Road. Gosport

Tel: 023 9258 2824 eMail: fr.simon@rundell.org.uk