Holy Baptism at Emmanuel
Baptism
At Emmanuel we gladly baptise new members of whatever age into the family of God, praying for them as they embark on their exciting journey and pilgrimage of faith.
There is no age limit for baptism (also known as christening), but it is something which can only happen once in our lifetimes.
Our baptism services tend to take place in our 10:30 service on the third Sunday of the month. If you’d prefer, we can also offer baptism at our 9:15 Joyful Noise Service.
Confirmation
We have a confirmation service once a year. Confirmations are taken by the Bishop and are the occasion for baptised people to ‘confirm’ the vows that were made on their behalf when they were baptised.
First Holy Communion
At Emmanuel we follow the tradition of admitting to First Holy Communion children who would like to take part in the Eucharist but are not yet old enough to be confirmed. We encourage an approach where children wait to be confirmed until they are much older (around aged 16 or older), but are invited to participate fully in the sacrament of Holy Communion from around age 8. Admission to First Holy Communion typically takes place on Good Shepherd Sunday following a series of 6-8 sessions teaching about the Eucharist.
If you are considering having your child baptised, or would like to be baptised yourself, or are intersted in first Holy Communion or Confirmation, please contact the parish office in the first instance. One of the clergy will arrange to meet with you to help you prepare and answer any questions you may have and go through the service with you.