Baptism
The Book of Common Prayer states, “Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.” The sacrament of Holy Baptism is essentially the initiation rite of passage into a community of Christians who have also made the same promise to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. The Episcopal Church baptizes both children and adults. In the case of a child baptism, parents and sponsors make the promises on behalf of the child and commit to raising the child within the Church. At a baptism, not only are the candidates for baptism making promises, but the Church, the community promises to support and guide the individual into a deeper relationship with God. If you are interested in Holy Baptism, please talk with the priests of St. Paul’s to learn more.
Preparing for Baptism
On the Saturday preceding the scheduled baptism, St. Paul’s holds a class led by one of our Baptismal Counselors. These counselors are parents and members of the congregation who meet with all participants in the baptism to explain the logistics of the ceremony, and to help parents and godparents fully understand the significance of their intention to support the child by prayer and example in their Christian life. If you wish to schedule a baptism, please complete the form below and contact Laura Rose, Events Coordinator, at 703-549-3312 x65. Please note that no baptisms are scheduled during the season of Lent.
Click here for more information about the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
