Dictionary

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Baptism

Baptism involves declaring faith in God and being washed with water. It means being cleansed from sin, being united to Jesus Christ, receiving his Holy Spirit and becoming God’s children. Sometimes called ‘Christening’.

Bishop

‘Bishop’ comes from the Greek word for ‘overseer’. So a bishop is a senior Christian minister authorised to have oversight for God’s people. As well as duties given to deacons and priests, bishops confirm and ordain.

Confirmation

Confirmation is about ‘confirming’ the faith in God we declared at baptism. It also involves being strengthened by God’s Holy Spirit. In the Church in Wales it is administered by the bishop.

Holy Communion

At Holy Communion blessed bread and wine is shared, by which we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The congregation gives thanks for Jesus’ life, his death and resurrection and his continuing presence. See also Eucharist.

Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Sacrament

A sacrament is a visible sign of God’s invisible gift. In the sacrament of baptism the sign is water to cleanse and revive; in the Eucharist it is blessed bread and wine, Jesus’ body and blood.

Home Life events Christenings (Baptisms)

Christenings (Baptisms)

Baptism of Megan and Jessica
It was wonderful to celebrate the baptism of my daughters Megan and Jessica. We love being part of the church family, sharing breakfast together each week, and worshipping with people of all different ages. Megan and Jessica feel very at home in the same church that their grandmother has been going to most of her life. People who came to celebrate the special occasion with us, have since joined the church and its lovely to see the family grow.
Laura Bevan (St Stephen’s Church, Port Tennant)

Your Christening

The Church in Wales believes that children are a precious gift from God. Your child is special, and we hope that their christening, or baptism as it’s sometimes called, will prove to be the start of an amazing journey with him.

You can be christened (or baptised) either as a child or as an adult. Jesus himself was baptised in the River Jordan, and many adults who are christened/baptised do so as an opportunity to follow in his footsteps and publicly declare their Christian faith.

Babies and very young children are too young to make this commitment for themselves, so parents or guardians, along with their godparents, make that declaration of commitment to the Christian faith for them.

Parents, guardians and godparents who bring children to be christened are themselves asked to commit to sharing that special journey of faith with them. They will be asked to commit to pray for their child, and to help them learn more about Jesus and the Christian faith. They will also commit to help them navigate their way through life against a backdrop of faith, hope, and love, and to help them become part of the wider church family.

Christenings sometimes take place in the context of one of the church’s regular services, but some are held at a separate time where just your family and friends are present. It is often possible to include your choice of prayers, readings and music to make it feel even more special and unique. Your local vicar will be happy to talk through all of this with you prior to the special day itself.

Parenting children can bring us inexpressible joy, but sometimes we acknowledge it can also bring unique challenges too. Many of our churches run parenting classes where you can find support, help and advice, plus share stories and experiences with other parents.

Plan your Christening

Follow these links for more help and advice about your Christening.