THE PARISH OF WITHYCOMBE RALEIGH WITH EXMOUTH
THREE ANGLICAN CHURCH COMMUNITIES WORKING TOGETHER
Adult Baptism
It’s not only children who are baptised. It is possible to be baptised at any age, although when adults (or older children) are baptised the usual expectation is that that they will also go forward for confirmation and first holy communion.
Confirmation & First Holy Communion
Confirmation is when an older child or adult comes to own for themselves the decisions made on their behalf in baptism, and receives strength to equip them to live a grown-up Christian life.
First holy communion happens at the same time as confirmation and is when a person first receives the body and blood of Christ in the bread and wine of the eucharist, which is the spiritual food that Jesus gives us for our journey through life.
Confirmation and first holy communion are important milestones on a journey that ought to involve commitment to involvement in the life of the Family of the Church. So, it is expected that children or adults wanting to be admitted to confirmation and first holy communion are regularly attending church, at either our 9.30 am Eucharist or 11.30 am Family Service.
Baptism at St John in the Wilderness
Child Baptism
We have a very flexible approach for baptism to ensure that the needs of families are met.
At St John in the Wilderness we have a very flexible approach to ensure that the needs of families are met. But baptism also involves the Family of the Church. Indeed, baptism is most importantly the way in which we are made members of that Family. So, at St John in the Wilderness we do expect families bringing children to baptism to make a commitment to that wider Church Family by regularly coming to our Family Service.
If you are wanting to make an enquiry regarding the baptism of a child, please either make contact via the contact page on this website, or simply come along to one of our Family Services and afterwards speak to Fr Stephen or another of our priests.
