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BAPTISMS

What is baptism?

Baptism is an act of Christian commitment. It is a visible sign of our faith in God and our commitment to follow the way of Jesus Christ, both in our daily lives and as a member of a faith community (church).

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​In baptism, we welcome the baptised as members of Christ’s Church. It is a step along the journey of faith in which the baptised person publicly declares their commitment to following Christ as part of the family of God, with the support of others, and in which we pray that God's Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them so that they may bring Christ's love and light to the world.

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When an infant is baptised, the infant receives the shared faith of their family, friends, and church whānau to help them grow up into the Christian faith. Parents and godparents make the promises of baptism on behalf of a baby so that one day the child can take on the promises for themselves.

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The baptism service

Most of our baptisms take place on Sundays after the main 10:00am service. There is also the option to have the baptism during our main service itself. The takes around 30 minutes, depending on the number of candidates we baptise on the day. The service includes reflection, prayer, gifts for candidates and the baptism itself.

Preparation for Baptism

​As baptism is an expression of a commitment to be part of a worshipping community, we ask those seeking baptism (and their families) to attend our services for a few weeks before requesting a baptism. It is important that you find a church whose worship and community feel right for you.

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If you have attended services and feel that you would like to be a part of our community, we require all candidates (and their families) seeking baptism to attend preparation sessions before their baptism. These will cover:

  • how to pray

  • the Faith of the Church

  • how to obey the teaching of Christ

  • how God guides through the Scriptures (the Bible).

  • the meaning of baptism

  • the life of the cathedral community.

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These can be arranged with the clergy at a mutually agreeable time.

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If you have further questions on baptism, contact 

Julian, the dean (deanjulian@stpeter.org.nz)

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We look forward to welcoming you
to our regular services

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