Thanksgiving
for the Gift of a Child and Baptisms in the
Anglican
Parish of Nerja and Almuñecar
Thanksgiving for the Gift of a Child
The birth or
adoption of a child is a cause for celebration. Many people are overcome
by a sense
of awe at the creation of new life and want to express their thanks to God.
We are
pleased to offer parents and families a Service of Thanksgiving for the Gift
of a
Child after the birth or adoption of a child and to provide an opportunity
to pray for
family
life.
This service
may be a private celebration at home or in hospital, or it may
be a public
celebration during our main Sunday worship in church. It is not the same
as Baptism
(sometimes called Christening), but it may be seen as a preliminary to
Baptism,
especially when parents to not wish their children to be baptized immediately.
Baptism
Baptism marks the beginning of a
journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives.
It is the first step in response
to God’s love.
For all involved, but especially
the child, the parents and godparents, it is a joyful moment
when we rejoice in what God has
done for us in Christ, making serious promises and
declaring the faith. The wider
community of the local church and friends welcome the newly
baptised Christian, promising
support and prayer for the future.
The baptism
of children normally takes place during our main Sunday morning Service.
This is so
that the newly baptised person can be seen to be joining the family of the
church
and be
welcomed into its membership.
Baptisms are
normally carried out at your own local church. So if you are a visitor or
tourist
in Nerja,
Almuñecar or the surrounding area, we would strongly recommend that you
contact
your local
church back home in the first instance.
If you would like to explore either one
of these further, please contact Fr. Geoff.
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